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Chapter 652: Sakazuki's Wrath, Atox of Fish-Man Island
Completely disregarding Shirek's thoughts, Sakazuki suppressed the wrath in his heart.
Like a volcano ready to erupt at any moment, it was forcibly suppressed by him.
Facing such matters, Sakazuki would only keep them in his heart; he wouldn't act.
One should act according to their identity and status.
Currently, he clearly didn't possess the necessary qualification or status.
However, he wouldn't forget it; he would bury it deep in his heart.
Silence didn't mean the matter was over.
Sooner or later, there would be a reckoning!
Right now, he needed to patrol the Great Sea, wondering which unlucky Pirates would fall into his hands.
In the North Blue, Sakazuki's notorious reputation spread far and wide, especially among the Underworld Forces and Pirates.
For the Member Nations and countless Residents of the North Blue, Sakazuki was undoubtedly a very reliable, secure, and powerful Marine.
His harsh methods only made them favor Sakazuki more.
This was clear evidence: there were far fewer active Pirates in the North Blue now.
The number of Pirates hadn't decreased, but they were less active, keeping as low a profile as possible, or staying in fringe areas, outside the sea areas where the Marines were active.
This was Sakazuki's deterrence; they were terrified of being targeted.
Public opinion throughout the North Blue was also extremely favorable towards Sakazuki.
The World Government, the Marines, and even the Member Nations were already supporting Sakazuki and expanding his prestige.
This was preparation for his future promotion to Marine Admiral.
Shirek was a smart person and would surely understand his meaning.
In terms of ability, Shirek could be called an all-around Deputy.
Almost everything that came to Shirek could be resolved quickly.
Although his style was different from Kyle's, the effect was equally efficient and without fault.
Even if some of the methods were unconventional, Sakazuki would generally turn a blind eye.
Sometimes, he only cared about the result.
Even if a certain price had to be paid, Sakazuki wouldn't care, as long as the goal was achieved.
Shirek's existence made things much easier for Sakazuki, giving him more time for other things.
It was precisely because of Shirek's existence that Sakazuki was exceptionally active in the North Blue.
As for Shirek's unusual prestige in the North Blue and some small schemes in the dark, did Sakazuki not notice anything amiss?
Of course, he noticed, but he didn't care about these things.
Some matters, even if Shirek handled them flawlessly himself, others would always inadvertently expose something.
Shirek wasn't as simple as he appeared on the surface; Sakazuki had actually known this for a long time.
He believed Shirek would handle things well.
As for Atox's final outcome, that could only depend on his own fate.
The Marine Rear Admiral was like someone everyone wanted to beat, constantly pursued in the Grand Line.
Yet, he broke through the Marines' encirclement time and time again.
He was just one person, yet he survived the encirclement by Marine Headquarters and various bases in the Grand Line, escaping repeatedly.
One must know that Atox was merely a Rear Admiral.
No matter how strong, facing the colossus that was the Marines, he was like an ant.
But despite this, Atox not only survived but also successfully left the First Half of the Grand Line, traveling to Fish-Man Island via the Deep Sea Current.
Atox exhibited powerful combat strength, and many Marine higher-ups were injured in the battle to encircle him.
As for the inside story, many people actually knew the truth in their hearts.
The Marines were going easy, especially many Marine higher-ups and Elite Training Camp graduates who knew Atox and now held high status.
This was the only thing they could do for Atox.
This was also Atox's reliance for constantly escaping the pursuit.
Even Admiral Sengoku's whereabouts would sometimes be known to Atox in advance, allowing him to avoid them.
Leaving Sengoku to find nothing.
Of course, the people sent by the World Government had to be dealt with by Atox himself.
Even so, this provided Atox with tremendous help.
And he successfully escaped to Fish-Man Island.
The route to the New World controlled by the World Government was heavily guarded; Atox couldn't take that path.
Going to Red Port would just be seeking death.
Even dying in the Deep Sea was better than falling into the hands of the World Government.
A life worse than death, or even becoming a slave to the Celestial Dragons, was something Atox didn't want to see.
Nor was it the outcome that Atox's former companions hoped to see.
Atox had made a mistake, one that even implicated the Marines.
He didn't want to let down the effort of those former companions.
He was still not alone, Atox knew.
On Fish-Man Island, Atox's cloak of justice was nowhere to be seen.
He was also no longer worthy of wearing that blue and white uniform.
In the Deep Sea Paradise controlled by the Pluto Pirates.
Inside a luxurious-looking tavern, Atox drank heavily, drowning his sorrows.
Having escaped the First Half of the Grand Line, where could he go next?
However, he had never regretted his decision, nor would he ever regret it.
That Celestial Dragon deserved to die.
How many familiar people from his hometown were killed for a "ridiculous" reason?
If he had swallowed his anger, what kind of man would he be?
When his justice was stained black, could it still be considered justice?
Therefore, he resolutely tore off his military uniform.
He didn't want the justice in his heart to be defiled.
Now, he understood Dragon's decision.
He hadn't understood before.
Because even if the Marines and the World Government were corrupt, they were still working hard to maintain the stable order of the Great Sea.
Those corpses, the blood flowing in the Great Sea, would not lie.
As for the Revolutionary Army, under the banner of revolution, they caused more people to sacrifice themselves, stirring up turmoil and affecting order.
What about the rebellions the Revolutionary Army incited in the North Blue and West Blue?
He, as a Marine higher-up, understood.
One could only say it was hard to describe.
They had the strength to incite rebellion and overthrow kingdoms but lacked the ability to establish order.
The existence of the Revolutionary Army also represented a direction of justice.
Many people within the Marines who respected Dragon were actually filled with expectation that Dragon could find another way for justice.
Unfortunately, Dragon disappointed them; the expected outcome did not appear.
Good kingdoms became a chaotic mess.
If they only had a slogan, then they couldn't see the meaning of the Revolutionary Army's existence.
Inside the tavern, and even outside, people were paying attention to Atox's figure.
Due to the news of Atox's betrayal spreading throughout the Great Sea, the truth could not be exposed, but the enraged World Government issued a sky-high bounty of one billion Beli on Atox's head in the Underworld.
Undoubtedly, Atox's head had been targeted by many people.
They were constantly monitoring Atox's location and intelligence, looking for an opportunity to strike.
(end of chapter)
Completely disregarding Shirek's thoughts, Sakazuki suppressed the wrath in his heart.
Like a volcano ready to erupt at any moment, it was forcibly suppressed by him.
Facing such matters, Sakazuki would only keep them in his heart; he wouldn't act.
One should act according to their identity and status.
Currently, he clearly didn't possess the necessary qualification or status.
However, he wouldn't forget it; he would bury it deep in his heart.
Silence didn't mean the matter was over.
Sooner or later, there would be a reckoning!
Right now, he needed to patrol the Great Sea, wondering which unlucky Pirates would fall into his hands.
In the North Blue, Sakazuki's notorious reputation spread far and wide, especially among the Underworld Forces and Pirates.
For the Member Nations and countless Residents of the North Blue, Sakazuki was undoubtedly a very reliable, secure, and powerful Marine.
His harsh methods only made them favor Sakazuki more.
This was clear evidence: there were far fewer active Pirates in the North Blue now.
The number of Pirates hadn't decreased, but they were less active, keeping as low a profile as possible, or staying in fringe areas, outside the sea areas where the Marines were active.
This was Sakazuki's deterrence; they were terrified of being targeted.
Public opinion throughout the North Blue was also extremely favorable towards Sakazuki.
The World Government, the Marines, and even the Member Nations were already supporting Sakazuki and expanding his prestige.
This was preparation for his future promotion to Marine Admiral.
Shirek was a smart person and would surely understand his meaning.
In terms of ability, Shirek could be called an all-around Deputy.
Almost everything that came to Shirek could be resolved quickly.
Although his style was different from Kyle's, the effect was equally efficient and without fault.
Even if some of the methods were unconventional, Sakazuki would generally turn a blind eye.
Sometimes, he only cared about the result.
Even if a certain price had to be paid, Sakazuki wouldn't care, as long as the goal was achieved.
Shirek's existence made things much easier for Sakazuki, giving him more time for other things.
It was precisely because of Shirek's existence that Sakazuki was exceptionally active in the North Blue.
As for Shirek's unusual prestige in the North Blue and some small schemes in the dark, did Sakazuki not notice anything amiss?
Of course, he noticed, but he didn't care about these things.
Some matters, even if Shirek handled them flawlessly himself, others would always inadvertently expose something.
Shirek wasn't as simple as he appeared on the surface; Sakazuki had actually known this for a long time.
He believed Shirek would handle things well.
As for Atox's final outcome, that could only depend on his own fate.
The Marine Rear Admiral was like someone everyone wanted to beat, constantly pursued in the Grand Line.
Yet, he broke through the Marines' encirclement time and time again.
He was just one person, yet he survived the encirclement by Marine Headquarters and various bases in the Grand Line, escaping repeatedly.
One must know that Atox was merely a Rear Admiral.
No matter how strong, facing the colossus that was the Marines, he was like an ant.
But despite this, Atox not only survived but also successfully left the First Half of the Grand Line, traveling to Fish-Man Island via the Deep Sea Current.
Atox exhibited powerful combat strength, and many Marine higher-ups were injured in the battle to encircle him.
As for the inside story, many people actually knew the truth in their hearts.
The Marines were going easy, especially many Marine higher-ups and Elite Training Camp graduates who knew Atox and now held high status.
This was the only thing they could do for Atox.
This was also Atox's reliance for constantly escaping the pursuit.
Even Admiral Sengoku's whereabouts would sometimes be known to Atox in advance, allowing him to avoid them.
Leaving Sengoku to find nothing.
Of course, the people sent by the World Government had to be dealt with by Atox himself.
Even so, this provided Atox with tremendous help.
And he successfully escaped to Fish-Man Island.
The route to the New World controlled by the World Government was heavily guarded; Atox couldn't take that path.
Going to Red Port would just be seeking death.
Even dying in the Deep Sea was better than falling into the hands of the World Government.
A life worse than death, or even becoming a slave to the Celestial Dragons, was something Atox didn't want to see.
Nor was it the outcome that Atox's former companions hoped to see.
Atox had made a mistake, one that even implicated the Marines.
He didn't want to let down the effort of those former companions.
He was still not alone, Atox knew.
On Fish-Man Island, Atox's cloak of justice was nowhere to be seen.
He was also no longer worthy of wearing that blue and white uniform.
In the Deep Sea Paradise controlled by the Pluto Pirates.
Inside a luxurious-looking tavern, Atox drank heavily, drowning his sorrows.
Having escaped the First Half of the Grand Line, where could he go next?
However, he had never regretted his decision, nor would he ever regret it.
That Celestial Dragon deserved to die.
How many familiar people from his hometown were killed for a "ridiculous" reason?
If he had swallowed his anger, what kind of man would he be?
When his justice was stained black, could it still be considered justice?
Therefore, he resolutely tore off his military uniform.
He didn't want the justice in his heart to be defiled.
Now, he understood Dragon's decision.
He hadn't understood before.
Because even if the Marines and the World Government were corrupt, they were still working hard to maintain the stable order of the Great Sea.
Those corpses, the blood flowing in the Great Sea, would not lie.
As for the Revolutionary Army, under the banner of revolution, they caused more people to sacrifice themselves, stirring up turmoil and affecting order.
What about the rebellions the Revolutionary Army incited in the North Blue and West Blue?
He, as a Marine higher-up, understood.
One could only say it was hard to describe.
They had the strength to incite rebellion and overthrow kingdoms but lacked the ability to establish order.
The existence of the Revolutionary Army also represented a direction of justice.
Many people within the Marines who respected Dragon were actually filled with expectation that Dragon could find another way for justice.
Unfortunately, Dragon disappointed them; the expected outcome did not appear.
Good kingdoms became a chaotic mess.
If they only had a slogan, then they couldn't see the meaning of the Revolutionary Army's existence.
Inside the tavern, and even outside, people were paying attention to Atox's figure.
Due to the news of Atox's betrayal spreading throughout the Great Sea, the truth could not be exposed, but the enraged World Government issued a sky-high bounty of one billion Beli on Atox's head in the Underworld.
Undoubtedly, Atox's head had been targeted by many people.
They were constantly monitoring Atox's location and intelligence, looking for an opportunity to strike.
(end of chapter)
