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Chapter 534 - Chapter 534

"Hm?"

Hearing so many voices of dissent, Akainu's face instantly darkened.

He slowly turned his gaze towards the Marines who were shouting.

"Heh… very good. I was wondering which ship to start with. Looks like I don't need to think anymore."

Akainu let out a cold sneer.

"I never imagined… there are so many cowards in the Navy. Trash like you will only hinder justice and become burdens."

"The Navy doesn't need clueless fools!"

As he spoke, magma churned and roiled all over Akainu's body, emitting scorching hot smoke.

Then, both his arms turned into surging magma, forming two massive hands.

He reached them towards the two warships with the loudest dissent.

"What are you doing?!"

"Are you really going to sacrifice us?! No!!"

"Someone save us!!"

"I don't want to die!!"

"Jump ship, quick!"

Seeing that they were about to become the first sacrifices, the Marines on those two ships immediately began jumping overboard, desperately trying to survive.

They didn't care if they drowned afterwards or were eaten by monsters – all that mattered was staying alive now.

But how could Akainu possibly let them escape?

The massive magma hands he created were large enough to cover every part of the warships, leaving no gap for even a fly to escape.

So those Marines who jumped ship only fell right into Akainu's grasp.

Furthermore, to avoid killing them outright – which would reduce the sacrifice count – Akainu used his Kong Gorilla Punch's power to coat the magma palms with a thin membrane.

This protected the Marines from being burned, ensuring they remained intact as food for the monsters.

That was his final "mercy."

"Sacrifice yourselves for justice!"

Akainu shouted as he lifted his magma arms,

Throwing the two warships towards the tentacles above!

Sensing fresh prey approaching, several tentacles bent down, opening their terrifying, fang-lined mouths.

They greedily devoured all the Marines aboard the two ships.

Seeing that the surrounding tentacles still showed no signs of retreating, Akainu continued grabbing other warships and tossing them upwards.

Aokiji couldn't bear to watch this cruel scene. He kept his head lowered.

"Should we go inside the cabin?"

Kizaru walked up beside Aokiji and suggested softly. He wasn't watching either, lost in thought.

"No… let me at least keep this last bit of dignity as an Admiral."

Aokiji's voice was weak.

He trembled as the sounds of tentacles chewing and Marines screaming filled his ears.

"Kizaru… tell me, are we really doing the right thing? Sacrificing a few to save the many… maybe that's unavoidable."

"But these are a hundred thousand lives. Saying 'sacrifice' so casually… is this really okay?"

His voice almost became a roar as he asked.

He desperately wanted an answer.

"I don't know… it's precisely because there are too many questions without clear answers… that I wear these sunglasses."

Kizaru sighed helplessly.

"In the end, it's because we're too weak. If we were strong enough, we wouldn't have to worry about these things."

"Even the SCP Foundation, far stronger than us, couldn't do anything against the Vampire Factory. What could we possibly do?"

Aokiji chuckled bitterly at himself.

He once thought that with Absolute Zero and the Kong Gorilla Punch, he had reached the pinnacle of the world's power.

But Entity 3 beneath the Vampire Factory had shattered that illusion.

It made him realize… he was nothing but an ant.

That feeling of powerlessness filled him with rage, yet he had no idea what to do.

"Sigh…"

Kizaru looked at Aokiji's state and could only sigh, unable to say anything further.

By now, Akainu had thrown eight warships, sacrificing nearly forty thousand people.

Just as he was about to grab the next ship—

Suddenly, all the surrounding tentacles began retracting back into the sea.

The constant earthquakes and tsunamis stopped immediately.

The ocean surface and seabed returned to normal.

"Looks like we've sacrificed enough."

Akainu sneered coldly as he landed back on the ship.

"So… we're alive?"

"We don't have to die?"

The Marines who had mentally prepared themselves for death stared at the calm scene, dumbfounded.

Tears streamed down their faces.

"Thank goodness! We don't have to die!"

"I'm alive… I'm alive!"

"Long live! Long live!"

The surviving Marines shouted towards the sky in joy.

Their cheers were endless.

Some knelt, shouting praises; some bowed their heads to the deck in gratitude.

Some hugged each other, dancing awkwardly in celebration.

All of them were simply happy to be alive.

"Aiyaa… I suppose this isn't too bad. We didn't have to sacrifice all hundred thousand… at least sixty thousand survived."

Kizaru commented softly upon seeing the scene.

"So what… are those forty thousand sacrifices just going to be forgotten?"

Aokiji suddenly spoke coldly.

Although he was glad fewer people died—

He still remembered that over forty thousand had been sacrificed moments ago.

Now, not a single person was grieving them, or even mentioning them.

That terrified Aokiji.

Was this heartless "justice" really justice?

"Don't worry. Those who died will be honored as martyrs. Their families will receive the rewards they deserve, and more."

Akainu said as he walked up beside Aokiji.

"Make sure you keep your word."

Aokiji replied coldly.

"Of course."

Akainu spoke as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

Then, Aokiji suddenly took a deep breath, gathering all his strength as he roared:

"All forces, listen up!"

His sudden command stunned everyone into silence.

Even Akainu and Kizaru turned to him in confusion.

"Salute and mourn for our fallen comrades!"

Aokiji finished and immediately stood in the most perfect military posture, straight as a spear.

With flawless precision, he raised his right hand to the ocean and saluted.

Seeing this, everyone instantly understood.

The first to follow was Kizaru, then Akainu.

Soon, every Marine followed suit.

At that moment, they finally remembered – over forty thousand had just died.

Their hearts felt empty, unsure what to feel or think.

To have tens of thousands die in an instant felt unreal – yet it was reality, leaving their minds in chaos.

Back at Marine Headquarters, although they didn't understand why the monsters suddenly disappeared and everything calmed down, everyone was overjoyed.

They immediately began rescuing the injured and handling the aftermath.

"Sengoku… Akainu sacrificed tens of thousands of Marines!"

Garp said through gritted teeth, his face ashen.

The entire sacrifice had been broadcasted on the screen – he saw every moment clearly.

To sacrifice over forty thousand Marines just like that filled Garp with burning fury!

(End of Chapter)

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