"My God, what did I just see!"
"Captain Raleigh is actually that powerful!"
"A pirate who could defeat Commander Momonga was instantly killed by Captain Raleigh with one move... Is this his true strength?"
Raleigh's sudden attack shocked every marine present.
In their minds, their superior officer only ever slept and slacked off.
He would never stand if he could sit, and never sit if he could lie down.
Over the past six months, many had questioned his strength.
Raleigh's refusal to ever take action seemed to confirm the rumors: that he was an incompetent officer coasting on Commander Momonga's efforts.
But now, Raleigh's display of power shattered that illusion.
Even Hans and Beck, who had secretly cursed Raleigh on the ship, were now shouting and cheering for Raleigh.
"Captain Raleigh is absolutely amazing!"
"Captain Raleigh is Invincible!"
The severely wounded Coleridge Roy knelt heavily before Raleigh, his expression filled with despair.
"Captain... I know I was wrong. Please spare me. I'm willing to give you all my wealth."
"Moreover," he rushed to add, "I have a secret treasure in the Grand Line that only I know about. I'll give it to you in exchange for my life."
Raleigh tilted his head, looking bored.
He didn't even bother to ask the pirate's name.
"Not interested," Raleigh said. "I don't believe a defeated dog who fled from the Grand Line would have any secret treasure. Besides, all the wealth you plundered will become my spoils of war after I kill you anyway."
Despair washed over Coleridge Roy. Facing such a powerful enemy, he was utterly terrified.
"Please... I beg..."
Before he could finish, his head was grasped in Raleigh's hand.
"Well now," Raleigh said, "if you have anything to say, go confess it in hell. If you waste any more time, I'll miss the perfect breakfast hour."
He gradually increased the pressure in his right hand, tilting his head up as if unwilling to even look at the man.
Squelch!
Coleridge Roy's head exploded like a watermelon, splattering across the ground.
Raleigh expressionlessly withdrew his hand.
He took a handkerchief from his chest pocket and meticulously wiped his fingers clean.
"Captain Roy!"
"Damn marines!"
"Kill them!"
Witnessing their captain's unceremonious death, the remaining pirates finally understood.
In the eyes of these marines, they were nothing but trash.
It was clear their enemy intended to leave no survivors.
The pirates who had initially surrendered now had bloodshot eyes, ready to fight to the death.
Of course, there were also some who, realizing the marines' invincibility, chose to desert.
They could only hope that their desperately fighting comrades would hold off the pursuers long enough for them to escape.
The marines, having regained their composure, feared these pirates even less.
Their captain could eliminate the enemy leader in a single move.
As his subordinates, how could they possibly lose?
Blood spread across the beach, and agonizing wails echoed across the battlefield.
The marines were finishing off the wounded—treating their own comrades' injuries while delivering final blows to any surviving pirates.
Even those who had attempted to flee couldn't escape.
Raleigh stood at the center of the battlefield, not intending to intervene again.
"Captain! Captain! We've brought them back!"
Shouting came from the distance.
Raleigh and the marines turned.
It was the pirates Coleridge Roy had sent as his contingency plan before the battle began—a plan he never got to use.
The marines, still carrying their murderous aura, stared coldly at the pirates.
"Survivors? Leave these scum to me."
"Wait... can't you see they have hostages!"
The distant pirates had expected to return to their captain dominating the battlefield.
Instead, they found their drinking companions from yesterday as cold corpses on the sand.
And their captain, whom they regarded as invincible, lay headless at the feet of a young marine captain.
"Don't... don't come closer, marines!"
"We've got hostages!"
Raleigh cast a casual glance that made the pirates feel immense pressure.
They pressed their blades against the necks of the civilians they had captured.
The children, initially stunned by the carnage, began crying loudly—all except one thin boy who remained silent.
He calmly watched the marine standing amid the mountains of corpses, his eyes shining with admiration.
"Let's negotiate, marines," one pirate yelled. "You let us leave, we hand over the hostages. Just give us a small boat, and we'll release them immediately."
The remaining pirates clung to this last hope.
They were betting everything on the marines' creed of protecting civilians.
"Damn pirates, using the same old tricks."
"Are we really going to watch them escape?"
"What choice do we have? They have hostages!"
The marine ranks grew restless.
Some believed they must protect civilians at all costs, while others argued that letting pirates escape would bring endless future troubles.
Neither side could convince the other, until all eyes turned toward Raleigh.
They were soldiers; in such moments, they needed to follow their commander's orders.
The pirates also knew the final decision rested with that young marine.
They watched him with desperate, frantic eyes.
Unfortunately for them, their luck had run out.
They had encountered a powerhouse who didn't belong in these waters.
Sometimes, what appears to be a difficult choice simply stems from insufficient strength.
When you possess enough power, you can break through any constraint.
'Save the hostages? Kill the pirates?' Raleigh thought. 'I choose both.'
"Surround them," Raleigh's order was two words.
Though some of the surrounding soldiers were reluctant, they resolutely carried out the command.
"What are you trying to do?"
"I have hostages! Aren't you supposed to be the righteous Marines?"
The surrounded pirates were already mentally broken, shouting with false bravado.
"You still want a ship?" The soldiers cleared a path as Raleigh, wearing his Justice cloak, walked in.
"Y...yes! Get me a ship, and I'll let them go. Otherwise, it's mutual destruction!" The pirate tried to sound menacing.
Raleigh smiled. "But have you ever heard this saying? In the face of the strong, the weak can't even choose how they die."
"Wha...what..."
Only a few barely audible sounds were heard as the pirates' swords clattered to the ground.
In that brief moment, Raleigh had utilized the speed of the Six Styles technique, Soru, and the precision of Shigan to disable all the pirates' arms.
Throughout the entire process, no one had been able to clearly see his movements.
The marines quickly moved forward, restraining the now-armless pirates and successfully rescuing the hostages.
"Report, Captain Raleigh!"
"All members of the pirate crew have been eliminated or captured!"
"The battle is complete. Awaiting further instructions."
The battle was over.
The soldiers gathered the pirates' bodies, piling them into a small mountain.
Raleigh watched with satisfaction.
He was no novice to the battlefield.
Over the past six months, his observations from the ship had made him well aware of the despicable things pirates would do to survive.