A thin line of blood slowly appeared on King of Portoria's neck. His cries froze instantly, replaced by utter terror. He instinctively clutched his neck, trying to stop the gushing blood, but it was all in vain.
Warm liquid kept seeping from between his fingers, and the power receded from his body like a tide. His knees buckled, and he collapsed heavily to the ground, his body convulsing violently, making hoarse sounds in his throat. The last light in his eyes quickly dimmed amidst endless regret and fear.
A suffocating silence fell over the castle hall.
The royal family members of the Kingdom of Portoria watched helplessly as their king struggled in a pool of blood, finally collapsing to the ground, lifeless. The shadow of death, like an invisible net, enveloped each and every one of them.
All the royal family members prostrated themselves on the ground, their bodies trembling uncontrollably, not daring to even breathe, for fear that they would be the next to be executed.
The atmosphere in the hall was extremely oppressive.
Both Mihawk and the interns who had just experienced a thrilling battle were now silently looking at the group of once high-ranking royalty before them.
Denjiro, Nekomamushi, and Duke Inuarashi were all deeply shaken.
A king of a nation, killing without hesitation or trial. This is Akira, the most powerful Marshal in naval history. His style of action is as iron-fisted and decisive as ever, leaving no room for compromise.
Akira stared silently at the corpse at his feet until he was sure the body had completely stopped breathing, then slowly exhaled a breath of stale air.
Then, he slightly raised his eyes, his cold gaze sweeping over each of the royal family members prostrate on the ground.
"Your king does indeed have some foresight." Akira's voice was calm and even, yet it made the hearts of all the royal family members sink to the bottom.
"Because he knew that going to the Holy Land would lead to retribution. Of course, this is hardly foresight; it's just the bitter fruit of your years of clandestine dealings with Hachinosu Island."
"I will not execute you all."
Upon hearing this, a glimmer of hope instantly ignited in the eyes of many members of the royal family.
However, Akira's next words plunged them into utter despair.
"But from this day forward, your royal status will be revoked, and all of you will be sent back to the Kingdom of Portoria."
"If you've treated your people fairly well all these years, then live as ordinary citizens. But if your exploitation has long since become unbearable for the people..."
Akira paused, then said coldly, "Whether you live or die is up to the people of the Kingdom of Portoria to decide."
After saying that, he waved his hand lightly, as if brushing off some dust.
"Drag it out."
Just then, Morgan led a squad of Marshal guards and strode in from outside the castle. Upon hearing Akira's order, he didn't stop, but waved his hand, and his guards rushed forward aggressively, dragging away the royal members who were slumped on the ground one by one.
No sooner had Morgan and his party left than more than twenty naval soldiers poured into the castle gates.
They were covered in blood, their uniforms tattered, and each bore wounds of varying depths, but their eyes shone brightly. Leading them was the colonel, who had been surrounded by pirates and prepared to die.
Upon seeing the young figure in the center of the hall, the colonel's body stiffened. He instinctively straightened his back, raised his hand in a crisp military salute, and loudly proclaimed, "Colonel of the New World Navy's 150th Base salutes His Lord Marshal!"
"Loyalty!"
As the colonel finished speaking, the twenty-odd soldiers behind him, who had crawled out of the pile of corpses, stood at attention and saluted in perfect unison.
Akira turned around and raised his hand in return.
"Thanks for your hard work."
"It's not hard work!" The colonel said, head held high, his fervor undisguised. "For justice!"
Akira lowered his hand and stepped forward to stand in front of the colonel.
"I remember you, Colonel."
A simple sentence brought tears to the eyes of this tough man, and his voice trembled slightly.
" Lord Marshal, you..."
Before the colonel could finish speaking, Akira interrupted him again, "You are the palace guard I encountered when I launched the coup and went to the Holy Land. However, you didn't tell me your name back then."
!!!!
The colonel's pupils widened instantly, and his eyes were filled with emotion as he looked at Akira.
He never expected that the Lord Marshal, who was so busy with state affairs, would actually remember such a nobody as him.
At that moment, long-forgotten memories surged into my mind like a tide, and a scene flashed before my eyes.
At that time, Akira, who had successfully launched an attack and become the Navy Marshal, led the Three Admirals, along with Sengoku, Zephyr, and others, into the Holy Land of Mary Geoise and forced the Knights of God to hand over Spandam. At that time, he was just an insignificant palace guard.
Because Akira was going to execute Spandam, as a palace guard, he knew this was his only chance to leave the Holy Land, and he had to seize this opportunity to gain Marshal Akira's approval. So, he mustered his courage and made a bold move, firing first and emptying his magazine, riddling Spandam bullets!
Then, he decisively turned to the young Navy Marshal and pledged his loyalty:
"Lord Akira, if I succeed in my revenge and return alive, I... can I become your subordinate?"
He still remembers how his heart nearly jumped out of his chest when he asked that question.
He thought Akira wouldn't care about someone as insignificant as him, but the result exceeded his expectations. Akira not only gave him an affirmative nod, but also personally said the words that would change his life:
--You are now a soldier!
It was this sentence that sustained him in his successful revenge, enabled him to enter the Marine Headquarters after his revenge, and allowed him to work his way up to where he is today.
Forcibly suppressing his surging emotions, the colonel raised his hand again, giving a more precise salute than before, his voice slightly hoarse with excitement, "Colonel Dylan of the 150th Branch of the New World Navy! Greetings, Lord Marshal!"
Akira smiled and nodded, then patted Dylan on the shoulder. "From now on, you are Rear Admiral of the 150th Marine Branch in the New World, Dylan."
"Furthermore," Akira's gaze swept past Dylan and landed on the equally excited soldiers behind him, "I have witnessed everything the 150th Branch soldiers did on Hachinosu Island. Whether they are alive or fallen, all brothers will be promoted according to the Navy's merit-based system!"
"All the wealth looted from Hachinosu Island by pirates, you shall transport back to Branch 150 to be used as bonuses for the brothers and as compensation for all the brothers who sacrificed their lives on Hachinosu Island."
"You will personally oversee this matter."
Akira looked at Dylan and added, "I'll give you another privilege: to represent me in visiting and offering condolences to the families of all the brothers who sacrificed their lives on Hachinosu Island."
--