Just like that, Akainu led his subordinates on a path of slaughter until Neptune, the king of the Ryugu Kingdom and the "Knight of the Sea," personally came with his men to confront Akainu.
Anyone who saw them and made any move to flee was treated as a pirate by Akainu. He even deliberately slowed their pace to lure those pirates into revealing themselves.
However, as the commotion grew, no one came out anymore, which left Akainu deeply disappointed.
"Marine Admiral Akainu! May I ask what business brings you to my Ryugu Kingdom?" Neptune rumbled. He wore a crown, had thick, fluffy orange-red hair and beard, flame-like tattoos on both arms, dense body hair, and wielded a finely carved trident.
His body, even more massive than that of an ordinary Fish-man, swayed freely through the water.
Neptune—the king of the Ryugu Kingdom on Fish-Man Island, one of the World Government's member nations, a Coelacanth Fish-man.
By specifically emphasizing the Ryugu Kingdom rather than Fish-Man Island, he was reminding Akainu that this was a World Government member nation, protected by the Marines!
It was not a non-member nation where the Marines could act however they pleased.
World Government member nations possessed considerable autonomy. Aside from paying a fixed amount of Heavenly Tribute each year, the World Government scarcely interfered in any domestic affairs, much less the Marines!
The Marines had no authority over them. Once they entered the territory of a member nation, the local government actually held greater authority than the Marines and could command them. After all, to the major member nations, the Marines were merely guards they paid to fend off and capture pirates who invaded and harassed their kingdoms.
"The ones I killed were all pirates," Akainu said in a deep voice. Even under Neptune's questioning, he