It's the Revolutionary Army Leader! It's him!

As Dragon departed, the entirety of Loguetown descended into chaos.

Wang Shi, Emperor of the Goa Empire, had been assassinated by the Revolutionary Army.

Colonel Smoker, having been banished by Wang Shi, could never return now that Wang Shi was dead.

The people in the Loguetown square, who had been knocked unconscious by Conqueror's Haki, began to wake up one by one.

Nami, Nojiko, and Kaya, who had been out shopping, heard the shouts of the chaotic crowd and rushed toward the execution platform with pale faces.

His Majesty Wang Shi was killed?

How could this be!

Wang Shi was so powerful; his power of banishment could even exile the strongest modified soldiers of the North Blue's Germa.

Who in the East Blue could possibly kill him!

Eric and El Drago, having regained consciousness, looked with grim expressions at the missing upper half of the execution platform.

Their Majesty Wang Shi had vanished along with half of the platform.

Who exactly was that terrifying figure in the green cloak to be so formidable?

Not only could he unleash solid Wind Blades, but he could also summon lightning; he was practically a god.

Those solid Wind Blades, reflecting a metallic sheen, were likely ten thousand times stronger than Eric's own.

"Has fate reached its end here?"

Van Augur leaned shakily against a wall; he had never expected that Wang Shi, who had just risen to prominence, would be assassinated by a powerhouse of the Revolutionary Army.

Should he remain a Baron in the Goa Empire, or set sail once more?

Without Wang Shi, he did not believe the Goa Empire could continue to exist.

"Wang Shi, one day I will avenge you."

Zoro stood up with difficulty, gripping the Sandai Kitetsu that Wang Shi had gifted him, his eyes now fixed on a new goal.

That green-cloaked man was truly powerful.

He wondered if the World's Greatest Swordsman could defeat him.

"Your Majesty Wang Shi..."

Saka, with his silver hair, had tears in his eyes as he gripped his fine blade Yubashiri; he refused to believe Wang Shi had died just like that.

As a swordsman and guard, his failure to protect Wang Shi filled him with immense shame.

"How can this be! Boss Wang Shi is dead?"

Bartolomeo climbed to his feet, his eyes equally filled with disbelief.

How could the hope that had risen in the East Blue die just like this?

They hadn't even defeated the arrogant Germa from the North Blue yet!

Dezaya and Gambia were equally shocked and disappointed; they had only just met Wang Shi, and now he had been taken out.

One could only say that fate was cruel.

"Van Augur! Eric! Where is His Majesty!!"

Nami and the other two women rushed over, searching everywhere for a glimpse of Wang Shi.

Eric glanced at the half-missing execution platform and the blood Wang Shi had splattered on the ground, letting out a deep sigh.

He had no idea what to do next.

Should he continue as the captain of the Goa Empire's Guard Army and a Baron of the Empire, or return to the sea as a bounty hunter?

"How is this possible!"

Nami, Nojiko, and Kaya walked tremblingly toward the bloodstains and collapsed to their knees, powerless.

They had only been gone for a short shopping trip, and their Majesty Wang Shi was dead?

"I don't believe it..."

Tears welled up in the eyes of Nami and Nojiko.

Wang Shi had clearly promised to take them on a diplomatic tour of the allied nations across the four seas and travel the world.

How could he just die like this?

The Marines who had been knocked unconscious began to wake up one after another.

A Marine communications officer immediately prepared to report the news of Smoker and Wang Shi's incident to Marine Headquarters.

Just then.

Amidst the weeping of Nami and the others.

A bloody figure suddenly appeared in the air above the execution platform, falling into the remaining frame of the structure.

"It's Wang Shi!"

Zoro, who had been watching the platform, leaped up immediately, caught the falling Wang Shi, and used the frame of the platform to land safely on the ground.

"His Majesty is not dead!" Saka shouted in pleasant surprise.

"Kaya, hurry and treat His Majesty!"

Nami and Nojiko hurriedly cried out, finally revealing a trace of a smile on their tear-streaked faces.

Seeing Wang Shi appear, a glimmer returned to Van Augur's eyes, and he immediately ran over to stand guard for Wang Shi.

It seemed their fates were still intertwined.

"His Majesty is fine!"

Caught in confusion and hesitation, Eric and El Drago immediately cast aside the chaotic thoughts in their minds upon seeing Wang Shi reappear.

Even the few pirate slaves wearing slave collars breathed a sigh of relief.

If Wang Shi had died, they surely would have been executed by Empress Sally to be buried with him, leaving them no chance of survival.

"Haa... haa..."

Wang Shi, looking like a blood-stained glass doll, gasped for air as fresh blood continued to seep from his wounds.

Kaya heart-wrenchingly bandaged Wang Shi's wounds, using all sorts of hemostatic drugs and potions without a second thought for the cost.

With his consciousness blurring, Wang Shi felt more and more people surrounding him.

He slowly raised his hand and activated his ability, releasing Smoker.

He knew this Marine Captain would protect him more diligently than his own subordinates.

As Smoker appeared, Wang Shi powerlessly dropped his hand, revealing a reckless smile.

Yet, in his battered state, he looked incredibly wretched.

"What is going on!"

Smoker, who had been about to draw his Seastone weapon, the Jitte, had just intended to stop Wang Shi from climbing the execution platform.

How, in the blink of an eye, had the situation changed so completely?

He saw the unconscious Tashigi, the panicked Marine soldiers, and Wang Shi, who was surrounded and protected.

Wang Shi was currently lying on the ground, covered in blood and half-dead.

"Wuu wuu, Captain Smoker, you finally appeared!"

"It... it was the Revolutionary Army that attacked His Majesty Wang Shi!"

The Marine soldiers looked at the reappearing Captain Smoker with pleasant surprise.

They had thought Captain Smoker would be completely exiled because of Wang Shi's death.

"What! The Revolutionary Army attacked Wang Shi?"

Smoker felt his scalp tingle; he roughly guessed that he had been exiled by Wang Shi for a period of time.

During this time, Wang Shi had been attacked and severely wounded by the Revolutionary Army.

Smoker looked at the half-obliterated execution platform and the scarred Wang Shi.

Just who could have attacked Wang Shi like this?

He had to keep in mind that he hadn't even been able to react before being instantly exiled by Wang Shi.

Could the attacker who beat Wang Shi to this state be a commander of the Revolutionary Army, or had the leader of the Revolutionary Army taken action himself?

The Revolutionary Army had severely wounded the emperor of a member nation right here on his turf in Loguetown; their Marine branch would likely bear significant responsibility.

Even if Wang Shi had exiled him, he, as the head of the branch, would still have to take the fall.

"Hurry and send Wang Shi back to the Marine branch for protection!"

"Listen up, maintain order in the plaza!"

Seeing the crowd gathering in increasing numbers, Smoker immediately assigned tasks.

At the same time, he quickly questioned his subordinates about how long he had been gone and what had happened during his disappearance.

Soon, Tashigi was also revived.

"Captain Smoker, you've returned!!"

Tashigi shouted in pleasant surprise, her eyes filled with worried tears.

"Did you see who attacked Wang Shi?"

Smoker asked sternly, his expression incredibly grave; having just heard his subordinates' descriptions, he had already roughly guessed who it was.

"Conqueror's Haki! It was the leader of the Revolutionary Army! It was him!!"

Tashigi's face was full of terror; she had seen Dragon's appearance, and it was exactly the same as on the wanted poster.

"It really was him! The leader of the Revolutionary Army attacking the emperor of the Goa Empire—this matter is extremely serious."

Smoker's face turned livid; this was no longer a matter he could handle.

He had to report it to Fleet Admiral Sengoku immediately.