As time passed, the battle in Water 7 became more and more intense.
The wounds on Golden Lion's body became more numerous, and his body grew weaker.
He had already expected his defeat.
Gawain was much younger than him and had an almost unstoppable ability in hand-to-hand combat.
The result of this battle was already doomed, but unexpectedly, Golden Lion did not feel the slightest bit of unwillingness.
Even until Gawain's sword pierced his heart, and the moment he felt the stinging pain, he felt indescribable joy in his heart.
"I lost to the man from the East Blue again?!"
Golden Lion murmured, looking past Gawain, looking directly at the sea in the distance.
The sun rose, and the red light shone on the sea and on Golden Lion's face.
"You didn't have to die."
Gawain lowered his head and saw the hideous wound on Golden Lion's chest.
Whoosh!
Blood gushed out of the wound and spilled all over the ground.
Golden Lion's heart was completely pierced, and every beat tore the wound wider.
With such an injury, unless Law took action or some special Devil Fruit took effect, the only outcome waiting for Golden Lion was death.
But now neither of these two conditions was met.
"Why?"
Gawain asked puzzledly: "With your ability, it would be easy to retreat."
"Who knows?!"
Golden Lion raised his head, with a smile on his face: "Maybe I don't want to lose to the man from the East Blue again, or maybe I saw a certain man in you… No!"
"This body can't even support this level of battle. I really want to fight you at my prime..."
"I'm old, too."
"No!"
Gawain shook his head: "Compared to the seriously ill Whitebeard, you are not old yet, at least your heart is young."
"Jihahaha!"
Golden Lion was stunned for a moment, then laughed so hard that tears came out of the corners of his eyes.
After a long time, Golden Lion's laughter gradually faded, and he looked up at Gawain, with a fiery glow in his eyes: "What do you think of my title, Golden Lion?"
"What do you mean?"
Gawain was about to ask, but Golden Lion in front of him had already taken his last breath.
A few minutes ago, along the coast of Water 7.
Countless survivors, who survived the claws of the mutated animals, gathered here.
They watched in excitement as warships anchored on the distant sea, their eyes filled with unspoken joy and relief.
"The reinforcements that Mr. Iceburg said are right there!"
The girl who questioned Iceburg at the beginning stood alone in the crowd.
Now she has lost everything, from her family to her friends, either died in the attacks of pirates or were eaten by the mutated animals.
Fortunately, the Marines had arrived, and justice had come. Now, all the evil pirates around the Water 7 would disappear!
"Mr. Marines, we are here!"
The girl shouted to the warships on the sea, expecting a response from the other side.
At the same time, countless survivors on the beach called out, but did not get a single response.
Those who were on the beach at the beginning looked at the warships indifferently; their faces were full of confusion, and a trace of uneasiness rose in their hearts.
Because the steel behemoth anchored on the sea has already spread its claws.
It can be a righteous Marine, but it can also turn into a butcher in the next moment.
"I hope I am overthinking… How could the Marines do such a thing"?
A survivor looked into the distance, opened his mouth, and barely suppressed the uneasiness in his heart.
But in the next moment, a big hand pushed him away.
"There… is actually such a thing?!"
It had been several hours when T Bone, who looked ugly and was seriously injured, arrived here.
But looking at the warships lined up in a row on the sea in the distance, he just felt cold all over.
The civilians present didn't understand, but as an officer from the Marine Headquarters, T Bone was familiar with the scene in front of him.
"Buster Call."
T Bone spat out these words with difficulty.
Whoosh!
A gust of sea breeze blew, rolling up the cloak behind T Bone and blowing the flag of justice flying on the warship.
The moment T Bone looked up, he noticed Akainu standing on the deck of the warship.
At this moment, his anger burned through his reason: "Sakazuki, are you crazy?"
A shout interrupted Akainu's thoughts. He looked up at the people in the distance and saw T Bone covered in blood.
"T Bone, you are still alive?"
"The Pluton blueprint has been leaked. The Marines, no, does the World Government still have to do this?"
"What do the tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of lives here mean to you?!"
"Is this the justice of the Marines?!"
Faced with T Bone's hysterical questioning, Akainu was speechless.
He could only lower his head and hide his eyes beneath his hat, but his hands in his pockets were clenched involuntarily.
The CP0 with a white mask standing next to Akainu lowered his head and looked at T Bone.
His posture was straight, and his pure white suit was spotless, forming a sharp contrast with the refugees below.
At this moment, his voice revealed an unquestionable tone: "God's will is absolute, and God's will is justice."
"God said to destroy Water 7, so destroying this place is justice."
The crowd in the distance quieted down instantly, but became extremely chaotic in the next second, and there were faint screams.
"The Marines… the Marines are also here to destroy Water 7?!"
"How is this possible?!"
"Then how do you explain that they have not made any moves since they arrived here at midnight yesterday?"
"This can only mean that they are waiting for an opportunity, an opportunity to annihilate everyone together, and we… are also one of the people who will be wiped out!"
"Have you never even heard of the Buster Call?!"
Panic was spreading.
Some people had a mental breakdown and turned to flee to the Water 7 behind them, but were swallowed by the mutated animal that sprang out of the ruins.
Countless survivors were terrified.
Only then did they realize that there were only two dead ends in front of them.
The Marines that they had been waiting for suddenly became the executioners who would slaughter them.
Everyone's expression turned pale at this moment.
Some people also thought of Gawain and his group, and asked in confusion: "But Vice-Admiral Lancelot is not..."
"They are not Marines."
In the crowd, Paulie, who had escorted everyone here with Franky, told the truth with difficulty: "They are just..."
"This is impossible!"
A civilian knelt on his knees, holding his head with his hands while crying bitterly: "They are not Marines, why should they..."
"But the real Marines… they will kill you."
Paulie threw the cigar in his mouth to the ground, raised his foot and crushed it fiercely while cursing: "Pirates have become messengers of justice, and the Marines have become the executioners..."
"This is a fucking world!"
T Bone listened to these words, and his eyes turn red: "Fuck justice!"
The pressure that had been accumulating in T Bone's heart broke out completely at this moment, and even the knight's code that was almost engraved into his bones was thrown out of his mind.
He clenched the blood-stained sword in one hand.
If possible, he would be willing to exchange his life for the lives of these civilians.
But T Bone knew better how powerful the man standing on the deck without saying a word was, and how ruthless he was in doing things.
If he couldn't change Akainu's will, even if he gambled his life, he wouldn't change anything.
At least… he had to give these civilians a way out!
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