After killing Kuili, Eli Winters had no reason to let the remaining three pirate crews live. With a single thought, his observation haki spread outward. He quickly locked onto their positions. Without the slightest hesitation, blades of spatial energy materialized out of thin air. In the next instant, every pirate whose head glowed red in his perception was beheaded where they stood.
Quite a few witnesses were scared senseless by the scene and fled in all directions, but Eli did not bother paying them any attention.
The matter was settled. Everyone who deserved to die was already dead. Eli lifted the spatial seals he had placed around those areas, and the thick stench of blood immediately spread through the air.
The first to react were naturally those who had been lurking nearby. They were extremely sensitive to the smell of blood. The moment that heavy, metallic scent filled their nostrils, their faces turned ugly, and an ominous feeling rose in their hearts.
They exchanged uneasy glances, fear and dread clear in each other's eyes. They already understood what this meant. The people who controlled those gang territories were almost certainly finished.
Despite the terror gripping them, they still crept closer to investigate. Yet when they truly stepped into those areas, what they saw went far beyond anything they had imagined. Severed limbs were scattered everywhere, and blood had nearly soaked the entire ground.
After just one look, they were scared out of their wits. Their stomachs churned violently, and many of them vomited on the spot. They looked like they had seen a ghost, faces deathly pale, bodies trembling uncontrollably.
Only Zone Three still had a fair number of survivors. These were people who had come there seeking thrills. They were not deeply involved in anything, and Eli had no intention of killing them.
It was from these survivors that the world finally learned what had happened the night before.
With so many dead, Roy was naturally informed at once. As the sole law enforcement authority of the Sabaody Archipelago, he immediately gathered the remaining Marines and rushed to the scene.
When he saw the gang members' horribly mutilated corpses, a long-forgotten surge of excitement rose in Roy's heart. These scum were finally dead, and they had died well.
Then he remembered something and quickly called over the officer in charge of the search.
"Have you found the civilians who were captured?" Roy asked.
The officer snapped to attention and saluted. "Reporting, Vice Admiral. We have not found any trace of those civilians so far."
"I see. In that case, stop deliberately searching for them," Roy nodded. "Gather the bodies and cremate them as soon as possible. We can't risk an outbreak."
"Yes, sir!" The officer replied respectfully before turning and leaving.
Watching his subordinate depart, Roy's mood turned complicated. The lawless zones of Sabaody had always been a thorn in the Marines' side. Under pressure from above, they had been forced to turn a blind eye for years. Yet in the end, those areas were wiped out cleanly by a group of pirates wanted by the Marines themselves. The irony was bitter.
"This is really not fair. You guys actually killed my prey," Big Pan complained as he stared at Dota and the others, who had just returned.
"Heh, whose fault was it that you spent so long fighting Kizaru?" Dota bumped his fists together and grinned. "If it weren't for us, those two Celestial Dragons would have escaped."
Having personally killed a Celestial Dragon, Dota was in high spirits. After all, those people had enslaved countless fishmen. He had wanted to slaughter them for a long time.
Beside him, Simon bared his sharp teeth in a savage grin. He had killed one as well.
"Honestly, I shouldn't have fought that old guy at all," Big Pan sighed dramatically. "Not only did I not enjoy myself, I even lost the heads."
"Enough already. Look at how spineless you sound," Eli kicked him lightly. "Next time we run into Celestial Dragons, we'll let you handle them. Deal?"
"Deal! No one's allowed to steal them from me next time," Big Pan laughed happily.
Seeing his expression, everyone else burst out laughing.
After fooling around for a bit, Eli led his companions openly toward the entertainment district of the Sabaody Archipelago. As the final stop of the first half of the Grand Line, Sabaody was exceptionally prosperous. Since they were already here, there was no reason not to enjoy themselves properly.
Meanwhile, not long after leaving, Kizaru encountered a massive Marine fleet heading toward Sabaody. This was the force specifically dispatched by the World Government to carry out a Buster Call.
The moment Kizaru saw them, he transformed into a flash of light and landed on the lead battleship.
Vice Admiral Momonga, who was in charge of the operation, looked puzzled when he saw Kizaru. He strode over quickly.
"Admiral Kizaru, why are you here? Weren't you assigned to protect the Celestial Dragons?"
"Don't even mention it," Kizaru said helplessly. "It was that kid Eli Winters again."
"What? The Sky Sovereign, Eli Winters?" Momonga was startled.
Kizaru nodded.
Momonga immediately felt that his life expectancy had dropped sharply. That man was a walking disaster who had even killed Admiral Akainu. What right did a few vice admirals like him have to face someone like that?
Seeing Momonga's dejected expression, Kizaru tried to reassure him. "It's fine. The three Celestial Dragons are already dead. That Buster Call is basically invalid now. You should turn around and head back to Marine Headquarters."
The golden Den Den Mushi held by Saint Verly had only authorized the elimination of threats to Saint Verly himself, not the destruction of an island or region. With Verly dead, there was no point in continuing.
Momonga nearly jumped out of his skin.
What did I just hear? Celestial Dragons are dead? Three of them? If the World Government finds out, are they going to use my head as a sacrifice?
His body shook violently, which made Kizaru glance at him in confusion. What was wrong with this guy?
Under Kizaru's strange look, Momonga gave an awkward laugh and said hesitantly, "Admiral Kizaru, shouldn't we report this to Fleet Admiral Sengoku first?"
Kizaru thought about it and agreed. This really was not something they could decide on their own. Otherwise, the World Government could easily pin responsibility on him. He was already on their list. This time, he had returned unscathed while the others were dead. Those old men might very well make him take the fall.
So he nodded.
Seeing Kizaru agree, Momonga took out a Den Den Mushi and dialed Fleet Admiral Sengoku.
Not long after, Sengoku's distinctive afro appeared on the shell.
"This is Sengoku. Vice Admiral Momonga, what's the situation?" Sengoku's voice was stern. Momonga was supposed to be en route to Sabaody. Calling now meant something had gone wrong.
Momonga handed the Den Den Mushi to Kizaru, gesturing that this was better coming from him.
Kizaru did not refuse and explained everything from beginning to end.
After Kizaru finished, Sengoku fell into silence. After a long while, he finally spoke.
"Borsalino… you might want to consider running."
Kizaru stared blankly.