Celebration Banquet

The surroundings fell deathly silent. Everyone was utterly stunned by the sight before them.

Ryan Hunter, a great pirate with a bounty of 250 million Beli, had actually been knocked to the ground by an unknown Marine Commodore, without even the chance to struggle.

The pirates who had gathered nearby and dared to watch and jeer from afar could no longer suppress the fear in their hearts.

Their legs trembled faintly as their eyes darted about in panic. They quietly shuffled their feet, preparing to slip away amid the chaos.

"I haven't said you can leave."

Beiyuan Heng spoke slowly, his calm yet unquestionable tone instantly breaking the dead silence.

But the pirates had already been overwhelmed by fear. How could they still listen to Beiyuan Heng?

Their boss had already been defeated. If they did not run now, were they supposed to wait for this terrifying Marine Commodore to catch them all?

Besides, there were so many pirates here, while he was alone. No matter how strong he was, he could not possibly capture every last one of them, right?

Clinging to that faint hope, several bolder pirates turned and bolted into the distance.

But just then, a cool female voice rang out:

"Feather Cage!"

As soon as she spoke, pitch-black bars shot rapidly out from the corners of the street. They intertwined like vines, instantly forming an impenetrable barrier that trapped every pirate attempting to flee and cut off all their escape routes.

"Sir, are you all right?"

Her long pink hair cascaded down like a waterfall as Hina, dressed in a Marine uniform, stepped out from the ruins nearby.

Concern showed between her brows as her gaze carefully swept over Beiyuan Heng.

"I'm fine. They can't hurt me."

Beiyuan Heng lightly shook his head. His tone remained calm as his gaze swept over the pirates trapped in the Feather Cage, and he said flatly,

"Since you're all here, arrest every one of these pirates. Don't let a single one get away."

Hina nodded gently and raised a hand, signaling for the Marines behind her to move forward.

The Marines immediately sprang into action, systematically subduing the trapped pirates one by one and escorting them toward the warships nearby.

Beiyuan Heng stood where he was, looking toward the ruins left behind by the chaos as he pondered to himself:

Although running into Ryan Hunter today had been unexpected, and he had originally only planned to clear out the scattered pirates in Area 5, he had instead encountered a great pirate with a bounty exceeding 100 million. Still, the outcome was not bad.

This battle would most likely make his name famous throughout the Sabaody Archipelago.

After all, as a Marine Commodore, he had cleanly defeated Ryan Hunter of the Beasts Pirates, whose bounty stood at 250 million Beli.

Such an achievement was enough to establish his footing in these waters.

Furthermore, after several consecutive days of high-intensity cleanup operations, both he and the Marines under his command were exhausted. It was time to stop and rest.

He knew very well that with his current abilities and manpower, it was impossible to completely wipe out every pirate across the entire Sabaody Archipelago.

Being able to thoroughly clear out the pirates in Area 5 was already their limit.

What was more, plenty of pirates were still hiding in those areas. They had not been completely eliminated, merely lying low and waiting for a chance to strike back.

From here on, they only needed to quietly hold this place.

Beiyuan Heng turned, his gaze falling on Ryan Hunter, who lay on the ground barely clinging to life.

Feeling Beiyuan Heng's cold gaze upon him, Ryan Hunter's expression instantly darkened, his eyes filled with unwillingness.

"What do you plan to do with me now?"

Ryan Hunter's voice was low and hoarse as he made one final attempt to struggle.

"I'm one of the Beasts Pirates... Let me go, and I'll pretend none of this ever happened. I will never trouble you again!"

"In front of me, you're just a pirate."

Beiyuan Heng spoke calmly, without the slightest ripple in his tone.

As he spoke, he turned to Smoker at his side and ordered, "Lock this guy up. He's an important one. He'll be sent to Impel Down later."

Beiyuan Heng knew that, as a Devil Fruit user, Ryan Hunter possessed extremely tenacious vitality. If he wanted to finish him off completely, beheading him was probably the only option.

But compared to that, capturing a pirate worth over 100 million Beli and affiliated with the Beasts Pirates was more beneficial to him.

Sending him to Impel Down would not only highlight his achievements, but also give the people inside Impel Down a chance to learn his name, thereby accelerating the growth of his strength.

After the remaining pirates throughout Area 5 had been dealt with, Hina walked over to Beiyuan Heng and asked softly:

"Sir, what should we do next?"

Beiyuan Heng lowered his head and thought for a moment. A faint smile curled across his lips as he said:

"Let's hold a celebration banquet. Successfully clearing out the pirates in Area 5 counts as a major achievement. Marines aren't machines. We need to rest and properly reward everyone for their hard work these past few days."

At the news, every Marine soldier nearby broke into a happy smile and began cheering.

The intense fighting and searching had long since left them physically and mentally exhausted. Hearing that they could hold a celebration banquet and get some proper rest was undoubtedly the best news possible.

Several days later, Area 5 of the Sabaody Archipelago, Roger's Bar.

A few days ago, this had still been a lawless place where pirates gathered and all sorts of people mingled.

But today, groups of Marines in white uniforms filled the bar, creating a lively yet orderly atmosphere.

There were also quite a few bold civilians who cautiously entered the bar, hoping to experience this rare peace and liveliness for themselves.

"Did you hear? The person who defeated Ryan Hunter a few days ago was actually a Marine Commodore. I heard he only took office recently, and he's still very young!"

More than heard it—I saw it with my own eyes that day! The shockwaves from their fight destroyed several houses nearby!"

"I heard that Ryan Hunter was one of the Beasts Pirates, and his bounty was nearly 300 million Beli. He was defeated by a young Commodore?"

"It's only natural for Marines to fight pirates! I want to see that young Marine Commodore for myself and find out what he looks like. How could he possess such incredible strength?"

Most of the people discussing such matters were civilians who had come to attend the celebration banquet.

The vast majority of them had never seen Beiyuan Heng before.

When the fighting broke out a few days earlier, most of them had huddled inside their homes, too afraid to go outside. They could only judge the situation from the distant explosions and screams.

Even in the Sabaody Archipelago, a place where all kinds of people mixed together and order was in chaos, peace, stability, and order were what they desired most.

The arrival of the Marines led by Beiyuan Heng had not only cleared the pirates from the area, but also given them a rare stretch of peaceful days.

Moreover, the fact that a young Commodore had led his subordinates in clearing out pirate-infested Area 5 carried a touch of legend in itself. It was no wonder the civilians discussed it so fervently.

The people who came to Roger's Bar were not limited to the Marines from Beiyuan Heng's warship.

After the Marines stationed in Areas 60 through 69 of the Sabaody Archipelago received news that Area 5 had been cleared and that Beiyuan Heng had defeated Ryan Hunter, they urgently dispatched a group of personnel to reinforce Area 5's defenses, further narrowing the Marines' search range.

Among the transferred Marines was even a Vice Admiral Beiyuan Heng recognized.

He wore a flashy yellow suit and a yellow mask, radiating an air of laziness as though nothing could interest him.

He was none other than Borsalino, the current Marine Vice Admiral and Admiral candidate, known as Kizaru.

Kizaru, who was usually so lazy that he could barely be bothered to work, acted out of character this time and came to Area 5 on his own initiative.

He claimed that he had heard a new Marine star had appeared here and had come specifically to take a look.

But in reality, Kizaru merely met Beiyuan Heng briefly, casually praised him by saying, "Young people have a bright future," then sprawled directly onto a sofa in the bar. With one leg crossed over the other and his eyes closed, he rested in complete leisure.

Anyone with eyes could tell that he was clearly using this opportunity to slack off.

At the celebration banquet, Beiyuan Heng gave a brief speech.

He did not boast about his own accomplishments. Instead, he emphasized that the victory was not his alone, but the result of the entire Marine team's collective efforts—the outcome of every soldier fighting bravely side by side.

Among the countless spectators below, Beiyuan Heng's upright figure and steady voice deeply imprinted themselves upon the civilians who had long suffered from pirate harassment and yearned for peace.

Over the coming period, his name would spread widely throughout Areas 1 through 5 of the Sabaody Archipelago.

After the celebration banquet ended, Beiyuan Heng did not make a big show of himself.

Instead, he would occasionally appear in open areas around the district and practice swordsmanship with complete focus, regardless of the looks from passersby.

Come to think of it, some regular patrons of Roger's Bar had seen the sword in Beiyuan Heng's hand from afar before.

It seemed to be a famous blade.