"Hey! Marines! This isn't your business. The war between Flevance and our nation is an issue among World Government-affiliated nations. You have no right to interfere or intervene!"
"I know you. Your name is Jake, right? If I recall correctly, you're currently leading the Marine purge. Why are you here? This matter has nothing to do with the Marines. If you stay, we'll report you to your superiors—or even write directly to the World Government. I imagine your future might face some complications then, no?"
"Get out of here now! If you delay us from eliminating those.... things, we'll take you Marines down too!"
"Our only purpose here is to wipe out those damned carriers of the disease. We were going to wait for you Marines to leave on your own, but it seems you have no intention of doing so. Don't blame us for not sparing your pride as Marines."
The commanders of the soldiers from the surrounding nations roared at Jake, their voices filled with fury.
The soldiers clad in protective gear raised their guns, the dark muzzles pointed at Jake.
The thick scent of gunpowder mixed with the lingering stench of blood on the bombarded land.
Jake gazed at them, his tone calm and indifferent.
"You seem to have misunderstood something. I'm not here to negotiate with you. Flevance has already been stripped of its status as a World Government-affiliated nation. Right now, you're collectively attacking an ordinary country—one that hosts a Marine base. I'm merely protecting our Marines from your aggression."
Hearing Jake's words, an older middle-aged man stroked his beard before speaking gravely.
"In that case, we swear not to harm any Marines. Just step aside and let us pass. Once we eliminate the disease carriers, we'll leave immediately. Allowing them to survive here would be irresponsible to our own citizens."
"Apologies, but my soldiers are rather timid. Your current approach would frighten them. Remove your protective suits, lay down your weapons, and I'll let you through."
At Jake's blatantly mocking tone, the middle-aged man's expression darkened.
Narrowing his eyes, he issued a threat.
"It seems you have no intention of resolving this matter peacefully, Liutenant Jake..."
But before he could finish, Jake cut him off.
"Address me as Commodore Jake. If you can't even distinguish my rank, perhaps it's time for you to retire."
"You—!"
As the middle-aged man's face flushed with anger, a sharp voice interjected from another direction.
It belonged to the commander of another nation—a man with a thick beard but an oddly high-pitched voice, somewhat reminiscent of Pica, whom Jake had previously killed.
The man stared at Jake before speaking slowly.
"It seems Commodore Jake is dead set on waging war against all our nations for the sake of those people? If you insist on this course, I doubt your superiors would approve. I've met Fleet Admiral Sengoku before—his temperament is far more composed and level-headed than yours. He would never condone your reckless actions."
In response, Jake grinned broadly, flashing a radiant smile.
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku said that this time, no matter what I do, he fully supports my decisions."
"Additionally, my purpose here isn't just to stop you from entering Flevance. I'm also here to arrest some people. Perhaps you're unaware, but the Marines don't just hunt pirates. We also have the authority to apprehend those who commit crimes within our jurisdiction."
"Arrest people from us? With just your forces? Have you lost your mind?! And what grounds do you have to take anyone from us?!"
A shrill voice rang out, accompanied by mocking laughter from the soldiers.
Jake's expression remained unchanged.
He simply smiled at them before replying.
"Every single person involved in the Flevance massacre will be held accountable. You slaughtered innocent civilians—people suffering from the curable Amber Lead Disease—when Flevance was still a member nation of the World Government. It's our duty to protect them. Though we may be late, it's better than never coming at all."
"Pfft! Jake, you must be mistaken. We didn't massacre civilians. Everything we did was merely—"
But before the man could finish, an overwhelming force erupted from Jake's body.
A crushing gravity pressed down from his direction, slamming the commander to the ground before he could utter another word.
In an instant, the commander's armored arm was reduced to a pulpy mess.
Jake gazed at him calmly.
"Seems you took part in that slaughter too. Forgot to mention—I'm not here to reason with you or negotiate. I'm here to cause trouble. To exact revenge. Today, you'll taste the suffering you inflicted on the people of Flevance."
The pinned commander stared in agony at his mangled arm, his voice trembling with fear.
"You madman! Y-you can't kill me! I'm a general of the Rios Kingdom—an official of a World Government-affiliated nation! You have no right!"
Jake ignored his protests, speaking dispassionately.
"It's not me who'll kill you. It's the sins you've committed. The fruit I ate is called the Seraphim Fruit. Aside from its healing abilities, it has another power. You know, in myths, angels don't just save people—they also punish demons, right?"
"Those are just fairy tales! You—you're just— AHHH!"
Before the man could finish speaking, one of his legs was crushed under terrifying pressure.
The excruciating pain instantly drained the color from his face, rendering him unable to speak coherently.
After two of his limbs were successively shattered, the man finally broke.
He turned to Jake, desperately pleading.
"Please, spare me! It's true—we didn't come here to protect the citizens of our own country. We knew Flevance was once wealthy and we thought that by conquering it, we could seize its riches. Killing those people... it was just our pastime. Please, I beg you, let me go—"
Blood splattered.
The faces of the onlookers turned deathly pale.
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