Resolve It on the Spot

The moment the two finished speaking, the crowd that had merely been watching erupted into commotion.

After many people saw that there truly was a living mermaid girl inside the backpack, their gazes instantly turned feverish and greedy. Their eyes clung to Camie with barely any attempt at concealment.

On Sabaody, the price of a mermaid was enough to make countless desperate men risk everything.

But everyone still clearly remembered what had just happened.

This exceptionally young-looking Marine had sent a pirate flying with a single punch, blood spraying from his mouth without end.

They only dared to watch from afar. Not a single person truly dared to step forward.

Anyone could see that although this Marine appeared gentle, he showed no mercy when he struck. He was far more dangerous than he looked.

"By the way, since I saved you, can I ask you a few questions?"

Beiyuan Heng withdrew his gaze, his tone calm and gentle enough to put people at ease.

"First, let me introduce myself. My name is Beiyuan Heng, a commodore from Marine Headquarters."

"A commodore?"

Camie blinked. She did not know much about Marine ranks; she only knew that he was a good person who had saved her.

She could not sense even a trace of malice from Beiyuan Heng, and instead felt very reassured. She immediately nodded hard.

"Sure! Ask me anything, and I'll tell you everything I know!"

Unlike the innocent and simple Camie, Pappag's tentacles tensed the moment he heard the words "Marine commodore." His vigilance instantly rose to his throat, though he did not seem to have a throat...

Even though the other man was their lifesaver, he still did not dare lower his guard completely.

The entanglement between Fish-Man Island and the human world ran too deep. The shadow of the slave trade was etched into every fish-man's heart.

He moved slightly in front of Camie and asked in a low voice,

"What do you want to know?"

As the two spoke, the surrounding bystanders had already completely exploded into uproar.

"A Marine commodore? At that age?"

"He looks about twenty at most. That's ridiculous!"

"He must be some monster rookie the Marines are focusing on training. Maybe he's one of the Marine supernovas..."

The discussions rose and fell. Many people quietly backed away, preparing to leave this troublesome place.

Beiyuan Heng seemed oblivious to the surrounding clamor. His calm gaze rested on the person and starfish before him as he slowly asked,

"Do you know Fisher Tiger?"

The words fell lightly, yet they were like a massive boulder crashing into a still lake.

Pappag's entire body stiffened abruptly, the color draining from his face in an instant.

Almost on reflex, he lunged forward and covered Camie's mouth with his tiny body, afraid that this innocent little girl might blurt out something she should not.

"W-We don't know!"

Pappag spoke rapidly and frantically, his voice trembling slightly.

"We only left Fish-Man Island not long ago. We know absolutely nothing about what's happening on the surface. We really don't know anything!"

Anyone could see through such an obvious attempt at concealment.

Seeing his flustered appearance, Beiyuan Heng maintained his gentle smile. He did not press further and merely nodded lightly.

"Is that so? I understand."

He had never truly intended to hunt down Fisher Tiger.

Tiger's liberation of slaves and attack on the Holy Land might have made him a heinous criminal in the eyes of the world.

But in Beiyuan Heng's eyes, the man carried the hopes of countless slaves and the dignity of the fish-men.

He was only investigating because he had been ordered to do so. There was no need to force two innocent little ones.

Seeing that Beiyuan Heng did not pursue the matter, Pappag finally let out the breath he had been holding. Cold sweat had already seeped across his back.

He hurriedly changed the subject and asked tentatively,

"Then, can we leave now?"

Beiyuan Heng raised a brow slightly. His gaze swept over the crowd still watching them like hungry tigers, and he said faintly,

"Are you sure you want to leave now?"

Camie and Pappag instinctively turned to follow his gaze.

On both sides of the street, countless greedy gazes fixed on them like ravenous wolves.

Camie shuddered in fright, while Pappag's face went pale. The two almost simultaneously shrank behind Beiyuan Heng, pressing close to him as their bodies trembled slightly.

"Then... what should we do now...?"

Camie asked softly, her voice on the verge of tears.

After thinking for a moment, Beiyuan Heng said calmly,

"It isn't safe here. Stay with me for now."

There was no other choice.

Pappag silently nodded to himself. Following him for the time being was far better than falling into the hands of other pirates or slave traders.

"Cough, cough. By the way..."

Pappag forcibly brought up a topic, trying to ease the awkward atmosphere.

"Why would you Marines specifically come to a chaotic place like Sabaody?"

"Hadn't you already guessed?"

Beiyuan Heng turned his head and gave him a faintly amused look.

A few beads of cold sweat instantly appeared on Pappag's forehead. He gave a dry laugh and wisely shut his mouth, not daring to say another word.

Fisher Tiger was no longer merely a hero to the fish-men.

He was the banner of slave liberation and a symbol of resistance against the oppression of the Celestial Dragons.

Not only did Pappag truly not know Tiger's exact whereabouts, but even if he did, he would never reveal a single word to the Marines.

Just then, a crisp, efficient set of footsteps approached from the distance.

Hina slowly walked over. Her gaze lightly swept across Camie and Pappag as she spoke in an even tone.

"A mermaid, and... a talking starfish?"

She looked at Beiyuan Heng and asked directly,

"Did you get anything out of them?"

"Do you think that was possible?"

Beiyuan Heng lightly spread his hands.

Pappag awkwardly scratched his tentacles, lowered his head, and remained silent, looking as though he would not say another word even if beaten to death.

"Hina doesn't care."

Hina lightly adjusted her sleeves, her tone entirely without emotion.

She was only carrying out orders. She had no feelings whatsoever about capturing Fisher Tiger.

Beside her, Smoker held a cigar between his teeth and exhaled a deep plume of white smoke.

He pointed at the pirates still lying on the ground, wailing and unable to move, and asked,

"What should we do with these guys?"

Beiyuan Heng turned to him and asked in return,

"What do you think would be appropriate?"

"Arrest them all, of course, and take them back to the Marine base for interrogation."

Smoker said it as though it were only natural.

Unlike Hina's indifference, Smoker fully supported Fisher Tiger's actions. But he could not turn a blind eye to crimes happening right in front of him.

Beiyuan Heng pondered for a moment, then gently shook his head.

"Sending them to court for trial would involve a cumbersome process. It would waste too much time and manpower."

"The Marines have many things to do right now. We don't have spare energy to waste on this bunch of scum."

"Resolve them on the spot."

The light words fell, and the surrounding air seemed to grow several degrees colder in an instant.

A trace of barely perceptible surprise flashed through Hina's eyes.

This newly arrived commodore usually treated people gently. She had not expected him to be so decisive when it came to killing.

"Resolve them on the spot?"

Smoker froze for a moment, not immediately understanding. His brows drew together. "What do you mean?"

"Exactly what it sounds like."

Beiyuan Heng's gaze swept across the trembling pirates on the ground. His voice was calm, yet carried an unquestionable chill.

"Which of the people on Sabaody's Grove 1 doesn't have blood all over their hands and the lives of countless innocents on their conscience?"

Smoker, who had always been hard-handed and hated evil, frowned instead and hesitated.

"This... isn't appropriate, is it?"

He could capture and crack down on pirates without mercy, but executing them on the spot went beyond his usual principles.

"You're right."

Beiyuan Heng nodded slightly, as though accepting his opinion, and his tone softened somewhat.

"For those with lesser crimes, teach them a harsh lesson and throw them out of Sabaody."

"As for those who have committed unforgivable crimes, whose hands are stained with the lives of slaves and innocents..."

His gaze passed over the red-headscarf pirates trembling on the ground. His voice was light, but the coldness in it pierced to the bone.

"Just resolve them on the spot."