Raleigh watched the panicked woman.
Although the Dark King was already dead by his hand, he had no intention of attacking Rouge further.
There was no need.
He had removed the physical obstacles from the Darons Kingdom's path of revenge.
The rest could be left to the vengeance-driven citizens.
When Rouge saw Silvers Rayleigh's mutilated corpse, she seemed to have all her strength drained away, collapsing to the dirt.
With tear-filled eyes, she looked up at the towering Marine and pleaded.
"Please... spare me."
"I'm willing to give you anything if you will just let me live."
The corners of Raleigh's lips curled upward. "I thought you had accepted your fate. Turns out you are just as foolish as Roger."
"You didn't actually think I'm the same kind of idiot as Garp, did you? I'm a Marine."
Even after hearing Raleigh identify his unyielding allegiance, Rouge remained desperate.
"Mr. Marine, the child is innocent! Regardless of whether Roger was a pirate, I'm willing to atone for his sins. I only beg that my unborn child be allowed to live."
The citizens of the Darons Kingdom had already gathered around Rouge, surrounding her like a pack of starving wolves.
But out of respect and fear for Raleigh, they refrained from taking immediate action.
The King of the Darons Kingdom stepped forward once more, bowing deeply to Raleigh in gratitude.
"Vice-Admiral Raleigh... thank you for eliminating the murderer of our soldiers. Please allow us to take this woman now. This is our revenge."
Raleigh nodded slightly, then turned back to Rouge. "You shouldn't be begging me for mercy. I have no right to make choices for the people of the Darons Kingdom."
Raleigh stepped aside. "Now, they are right behind you. The choice is in their hands. Only if you can earn their forgiveness will you survive."
Rouge's face turned ashen.
The King of the Darons Kingdom was so overwhelmed by the justice before him that tears streamed down his face.
Without wasting words on further gratitude, he simply waved his right hand.
Instantly, the enraged crowd surged forward, surrounding Rouge. Blows fell upon her, one after another.
"Die, you cursed bloodline!"
"My son! Your father has avenged you!"
"Father, can you see this? Let me strike her too!"
"I want her to die without a grave to rest in!"
Countless elders, children, and women, armed with worn-out farming tools and makeshift weapons, swarmed in.
Each person vented the deep-seated hatred in their hearts.
They swung their clubs and sticks while weeping bitterly for their lost families.
Under their relentless assault, Rouge's body was soon reduced to a pulp, and the unborn Ace followed her to the grave.
Even after she had stopped moving, the crowd continued to vent their hatred.
Thus, Portgas D. Rouge, along with the unborn Ace in her womb, died filled with resentment and regret.
The bloodline of Pirate King Roger was severed this day!
After dealing with Rouge, the crowd, led by the King, bowed deeply to Raleigh.
They understood that without this Marine's intervention, the Darons Kingdom would never have achieved vengeance in this lifetime.
Raleigh accepted their gratitude with composure.
He was not a hypocrite who sought fame, but since he had facilitated justice, it was only right for them to express their thanks.
However, he had an instruction for them. "Your plan is complete. You should return to your ships quickly now. Also, inform the local residents of this island to stay as far away from this mountain as possible. Due to certain special circumstances, I cannot disclose the details."
The King of the Darons Kingdom was no fool.
He knew that if Raleigh gave such a specific warning, something dangerous must be happening nearby that he was unaware of.
He prepared to evacuate with his citizens.
Before leaving, the King approached Raleigh. "Vice-Admiral Raleigh, all of us in the Darons Kingdom will never forget your great kindness today. In the future, no matter what you need from us, just say the word, and my kingdom will spare no effort to support you."
After hearing the King's vow, Raleigh gestured an "OK" with his hand, then vanished from everyone's sight using Soru.
...
Hundreds of meters above the island, Garp and Sakazuki had been fighting for a long time.
They were both top-tier combatants in the Navy.
Though Sakazuki was still relatively young, his lethal strength was not far behind Garp's.
With Sakazuki going all out, even Garp at his peak could not break away from the magma assault to rescue Rouge.
"Dark Dog!"
Sakazuki's arm transformed into a magma-forged hound, punching toward Garp's chest.
"Soru."
Garp kicked through the air, creating a sonic boom, and evaded Sakazuki's attack range.
Seizing the opportunity, he tried to dive downward toward the jungle.
At that moment, a massive bolt of lightning struck from the sky, aiming straight for Garp's back.
Simultaneously, Sakazuki's figure shot downward to intercept him.
Seeing this pincer attack, Garp abandoned the idea of dodging. He turned around and threw a punch at the lightning.
"Meteor Bone!"
A pitch-black iron fist smashed into the lightning guided down by Enel.
Boom!
An explosion sounded as Garp, relying solely on his iron fist coated in Armament Haki, forcibly shattered the lightning bolt.
Although he destroyed the attack, his body was momentarily paralyzed by the residual shock.
Boom!
Sakazuki's magma arm struck Garp.
While failing to break through Garp's Haki defense, the kinetic force sent Garp flying even higher into the air, further away from the island.
A look of deep irritation flashed in Garp's eyes, and his inner turmoil grew.
"I'll say it one more time, Sakazuki—are you going to step aside or not?!"
A cold smile hung on Sakazuki's face. "If you want to leave this airspace, you'll have to kill me first."
Hearing this, the Armament Haki on Garp's iron fist began to surge.
Like a tiger pouncing on its prey, he flew toward Sakazuki, raising his right fist and smashing it toward the younger Marine's head.
Explosive roars, like thunderclaps, echoed one after another above the small island, causing the residents below to look up in fear.
Thud!
Garp's punch landed on Sakazuki's abdomen.
The immense impact forced Sakazuki to spit out a mouthful of blood.
"Gah!"
Though he vomited blood, the pain only ignited the ferocity deep within Sakazuki's bones.
Ignoring his internal injuries, Sakazuki grabbed Garp's iron fist with his right hand and delivered a powerful, magma-coated punch to Garp's face.
Crack!
Garp's mind went blank for an instant, and blood trickled from the corner of his mouth. In a moment, he regained his senses.
He seized Sakazuki's arm with both hands and slammed his forehead into Sakazuki's face.
Crunch!
A crisp sound echoed as both men, their faces covered in blood, staggered backward in the air. Glaring at each other, they stood in mutual hostility.
Both had been pushed to their limits, no longer caring about the other's rank, ready to unleash a full-scale battle.
Their eyes turned crimson with rage as they prepared for their next attacks.