The battle was over.
For the vast majority of Marines, this had been a more difficult battle than imagined. One Admiral and one Admiral candidate had acted, yet they still could not completely conquer Sphinx.
For young Marines, this was definitely no small blow.
However, when the young Marines returned to their warships in defeat, seeing a group of ship garrison soldiers with vacant stares and lost souls, they realized things were far from as simple as they had imagined.
Current Marine Admiral Crimson Horse had died in battle!
"Impossible, how could this be? That was an Admiral!"
"There must be some mistake somewhere, right?"
"Where is Vice Admiral Kong? Why will the Vice Admiral not come out and explain?"
The Marine soldiers returning to the warships were in an uproar. But among the Marine Vice Admirals who had attacked Sphinx, some were dead, some injured. Of the ten, only five returned in the end. Two were confirmed captured, while the remaining three were missing and probably in grave danger.
Even Marine Vice Admirals were in such a state.
Not to mention ordinary Marine soldiers.
When had the Marines ever fought such a devastating defeat in all these years?
Hornitz looked around and discovered he was actually in the best condition among the Vice Admirals now.
Even Peak was severely injured.
As for Vice Admiral Elliott, he seemed to have been targeted by pirates because of his earlier order to bombard the island, and had not been able to retreat to the warships at all.
So Hornitz could only steel himself and step forward.
"Everyone calm down. Let us wait for Vice Admiral Kong to come out and hear what he has to say. Do not speculate randomly. The White Wolf Pirates' situation will only be worse."
Worse?
Alone in the warship's command room, Kong sat dejectedly on the ground. Thinking of all the moments he had shared with Sebastes, thinking of his own performance in this battle, a bitter smile appeared on his face.
"Fleet Admiral Yama."
Kong dialed the large Den Den Mushi on the warship to contact Fleet Admiral Elephant Yama far away at headquarters.
"The operation failed."
The human-sized Den Den Mushi fell silent for a while before mimicking an old man's voice. "I understand. What about Sebastes?"
"Admiral Crimson Horse... died in battle."
Just saying these words exhausted all his strength. Kong covered his face. Though he was nearly forty years old, tears fell uncontrollably.
"I was too weak!"
His comrade-in-arms had died beside him, yet he lacked the ability to avenge him. He had even been shaken in his long-held convictions by a pirate's words.
Justice?
What was justice?
Unable even to avenge a comrade, what kind of justice was that?
At Marine Headquarters, sensing Kong's current emotions, Elephant Yama did not ask why this operation had failed, why Admiral Sebastes had died in battle, or what had happened to White Wolf Silas.
"Come back first."
Even with two Admiral-level fighters working together, they could not take down Silas. That man who had once been of their generation, equally spirited, but whom they had ultimately left far behind.
With absolutely dominant posture, stepping on the World Government and Marines' reputation, he had announced his return!
For a long time, only a sigh could be heard from the Fleet Admiral's office at Marine Headquarters.
"These seas are about to become chaotic."
Unlike the Marines' confusion and sorrow, after repelling the Marines, all of Sphinx was immersed in an ocean of joy.
They had actually won?
Two Marine Admirals leading dozens of warships to attack, yet they had been repelled?
Ordinary pirates would not think about how the leading Marine Admiral this time was aged and could not fully display Admiral-level strength, or how the other Marine Admiral was just an Admiral candidate, not a true Admiral, with experience still lacking compared to real Admiral-level fighters.
They only knew they had won!
Silas had led the White Wolf Pirates to directly repel an attack by two Marine Admirals!
How many Marine Admirals did the entire Marines have?
If before they had some complaints about Silas deceiving them, not warning them in time, forcing them to face numerous Marines, now those complaints had long been thrown aside.
This was the kind of battle real men should participate in!
As pirates, what could be more boastworthy than directly repelling Marines?
After leaving Sphinx, no matter which tavern they went to, they could boast to people around them. "I am a man who participated in the Sphinx War! You do not know, but there were a full two Marine Admirals leading the force, and in the end? We beat them back!"
It was imaginable that once the results of this battle spread, it would absolutely shock the world. Sphinx would become the focus of the entire world.
A new overlord of the seas had been born!
If previously pirates' impression of Silas was just as a legendary great pirate, an aged old man with some strength at most, now all those impressions would be overturned.
What legendary great pirate? This was a true legend!
Being able to fight two Marine Admirals one-against-two and repel them. Among pirates on these seas today, which one could achieve this?
This was still without the pirates knowing about Sebastes's death.
If they knew that in a one-against-two situation, one Marine Admiral had died at Silas's hands, his prestige among pirates would definitely reach its peak.
Before, they had talked about leaving Sphinx, fearing Marine suppression.
Now there was no need to worry at all.
If there was anywhere in this world that could make pirates feel secure, there had not been before, but from now on, there would be one more: Sphinx.
This would become a paradise for pirates, a forbidden zone for Marines!
"These pirates seem to be celebrating too early."
Seeing the pirates on the island in wild celebration, as an old crew member who understood Silas, Blue Flame Ed was clear about one thing.
Their captain was not some pure pirate.
"Let them be happy for a while."
Witch Kureha cackled strangely, inserting the syringe in her hand into a pirate's thigh, drawing screams from the pirate.
Around Kureha lay wounded from the previous battle, not just pirates, but Marines too.
"Damn it, I do not need your treatment!"
An injured Marine struggled to get up, glaring angrily at Kureha, but this did not shake her at all.
"Haha, my treatment is not free. This leg costs 100,000 Belly, this arm 200,000 Belly. If you do not want to become disabled, just pay me 1 million Belly after you are healed."
"How is that? Very reasonable price, right?"
Reasonable, my ass!
Now the Marine soldier struggled even harder. His monthly basic salary was only 5,000 Belly. 1 million Belly, even selling him would not be enough to pay it back!
"I am a witch. Do you think you can escape after falling into my hands?"
Kureha laughed loudly and knocked the soldier unconscious.
"Much quieter now."