Clap... Clap... Clap...
The sound of applause suddenly broke the tense atmosphere. Everyone present turned their attention to the source and saw the grim-faced King Neptune, and next to him, the clapping Capone Bege.
"Demon Dragon, Capone Bege," Jinbe's expression hardened. He recognized Bege at a glance.
His quiet words were also heard by Arlong, Hody Jones, and the others, and their expressions changed drastically.
"Demon Dragon... the New World Emperor that even Brother Tiger respected," Arlong's gaze was fixed on Bege. When he was with the Sun Pirates, he had heard Tiger speak of Demon Dragon many times and knew that Tiger held him in high regard.
Hody's expression was uncertain, a hint of fear in his eyes.
"Lord Demon Dragon! For the sake of us both being human, save us! Save us!" the surviving pirates cried, kowtowing to Bege and begging for their lives.
No one in the crowd dared to make a sound. Bege's presence was simply too overwhelming, suppressing everyone.
Bege looked calmly at the pirates on the ground. "The thing I hate most is human traffickers," he said nonchalantly. "Every second you remain alive is a stain on this world."
With a casual wave of his hand, the bodies of the surviving pirates were crushed by the compressing space and exploded. Flesh and blood splattered everywhere. Many people were seeing such a bloody scene for the first time and began to vomit.
Bege's gaze then fell on some of the other pirates in the crowd, and they were scared out of their wits.
"Lord Demon Dragon! We're not human traffickers! We're just passing through Fish-Man Island!" they hastily explained.
"As expected of the man Brother Tiger respected," Arlong said with a triumphant smile.
Jinbe's expression darkened slightly, but he did not try to stop him.
A smile also appeared on Hody Jones's lips.
"I don't care if you're human traffickers or not," Bege said, "but I want you to spread my words. Fish-Man Island is a partner of the Fire Tank Pirates. From now on, anyone who dares to sell Fish-Men or Merfolk is making an enemy of us. If I find out, no matter where you run, I will hunt you down and subject you to the most extreme punishment." Bege's voice suddenly turned cold, and a terrifyingly ferocious aura radiated from him. Everyone instantly felt a chill run down their spine, and a cold sweat broke out on their foreheads.
The other pirates nodded frantically.
"Your words, my lord, I guarantee I will spread them far and wide!"
Bege nodded slightly, and the terrifying aura instantly dissipated. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, especially the pirates, who felt a surge of joy at having escaped death.
Bege's gaze then fell on Hody Jones. Hody's body tensed, and he went on guard.
"The matter of the pirates is settled. Now, it's your turn, Hody Jones," Bege said.
Hody adopted a respectful expression and lowered his head. "Lord Demon Dragon, we have never met. I do not know what business you have with me."
"My business with you concerns Queen Otohime."
Hody's expression changed drastically, and he grew even more tense.
"Although I never had the chance to meet Queen Otohime, her ideals of peace resonate with my own," Bege said calmly. "I had hoped to meet her, but unfortunately, I was always occupied with other matters and couldn't come to Fish-Man Island. By the time I finally had the chance, I learned that she had already passed away."
"I have investigated the matter of her assassination," Bege continued, "and I know the truth of what happened."
A cold sweat began to drip down Hody's face.
Bege's eyes locked onto him. "The truth is, you were the one who killed Queen Otohime," Hody's eyes widened in terror. "You deliberately framed human pirates for her murder to incite hatred between Fish-Man Island and humanity. Am I wrong, Hody Jones?"
"What?!" Neptune instantly flew into a rage. His ferocious gaze was fixed on Hody, like a rampaging lion. "Hody Jones! Did you assassinate the Queen?!"
The surrounding Fish-Men and Merfolk all turned to look at Hody. Arlong was stunned, and then his expression turned grim and suspicious.
"Hody, was it really you?" Jinbe demanded sharply.
"No! No, it wasn't me! He's slandering me!" Hody shouted in denial. He stared at Bege, his eyes wide. At this moment, he could no longer care about Bege's status as an Emperor. If the truth were to be revealed, he would be dead either way.
"You were born in the chaotic early days of the Great Pirate Era," Bege said, his words striking at the core of Hody's being. "In your childhood, you witnessed your parents being killed by human pirates. You saw Fish-Men and Merfolk being slaughtered and plundered by them. You developed an extreme hatred for humans. Tiger's death pushed you over the edge and turned you into a complete racial supremacist. You hate all humans. That's why you so strongly opposed Queen Otohime's peaceful development plan, secretly sabotaging it, and even going so far as to assassinate her and frame human pirates. You want a complete break between Fish-Man Island and humanity. Hody Jones, am I right?"
Hody's face gradually twisted into a snarl.
His eyes were filled with a sinister coldness, and he let out a dark laugh. "Nonsense! Even if I hate human pirates, I would never kill Queen Otohime! You yourself are a human pirate, and a New World Emperor at that. It seems to me that you're just trying to make excuses for humans, for human pirates!"
Hody Jones had not lost his reason. On the contrary, with a few words, he had turned the unfavorable situation around. As a commoner of Fish-Man Island, it was easier for him to win the approval of the people than it was for Bege.
A single glance at the suspicious looks on the faces of the surrounding Fish-Men and Merfolk was enough to know that he had succeeded.
A sinister smile appeared on Hody's lips. But in the next moment, an immense force slammed down on him, pressing him to the ground. His knees shattered the pavement, and his kneecaps were crushed.
Hody's face twisted in pain.
"You all see?!" he roared, trying to win the support of the people. "He's been exposed, and now he's trying to kill me out of shame and anger!"
Bege's sudden action seemed to confirm Hody's words. The faces of the surrounding Fish-Men and Merfolk darkened, and their gazes toward Bege became extremely unfriendly.
"King Neptune! Are you just going to stand by and watch a commoner of Fish-Man Island be killed by a pirate?!" Hody shouted at Neptune. He was desperately trying to use the situation to his advantage, to rally the power of Fish-Man Island to save his own life. "Are you worthy of the trust of your people?! Do you still have the face to be king?!"
Neptune's face was ugly, and he hesitated.
Bege looked down at Hody with a smile, and Hody's expression grew even more panicked.
"You're good at manipulating situations. You really are an excellent conspirator."
The pressure on Hody's body grew heavier. He was pressed flat against the ground, which began to crack beneath him. He coughed up blood continuously.
"A pity," Bege said. "In the face of absolute power, all conspiracies are so fragile."
"Captain Demon Dragon," Arlong said, stepping forward, his face impassive as he gripped the hilt of his serrated sword. "You are a man that Brother Tiger respected. You shouldn't be using such crude methods."