On the execution platform at New Marineford, Raleigh was casually making a call, his expression relaxed.
Below the platform, countless civilians and soldiers had their eyes fixed on him.
Camera flashes kept going off without a moment's pause.
Raleigh casually tossed the Den Den Mushi to Cleveland beside him, a smile hanging on the corner of his mouth.
"It is about time. Bring her up."
Cleveland nodded, then ordered the soldiers to bring Uta from the prison to the execution platform.
At that moment, people all over the world stopped whatever they were doing.
Everyone gathered beneath the large screens, quietly waiting for this moment to arrive.
"As expected of Fleet Admiral Raleigh. He acts fast."
"I heard she is Red-Hair's daughter. Fleet Admiral Raleigh is going to execute her in front of everyone, and at the same time, he will strike down the arrogance of pirates."
"Whether she is Red-Hair's daughter or not, her hands are stained with the blood of countless civilians. She deserves to be executed by the Marines."
"Long live Fleet Admiral Raleigh! Long live the Marines!"
Among the watching crowds, intense discussions began.
Their attention was almost entirely focused on whether Uta was truly Red-Haired Shanks' daughter.
No one showed pity for Uta's death.
No one questioned Raleigh's order.
This unusual public reaction quickly caught the attention of many people in high positions.
At the same time, across the world, many people who knew Uta also recognized her identity. Among them were the residents of Foosha Village in the East Blue.
The villagers temporarily set aside their farm work and gathered in the tavern to watch the scene together.
When they saw Uta being brought to the execution platform by soldiers and forced to kneel, many of them turned their heads away, unable to keep watching.
"No matter what, Uta is still just a young girl. Is this not going too far?"
"Where is Garp? Why has Garp not appeared?"
"What use would Garp appearing have? Uta has committed a grave crime now. Even Garp cannot change anything."
"The Marines will not let any pirate go. If anything, blame the child for walking down the wrong path."
The people in the tavern began discussing it one after another.
Those who had once been close to Uta were also powerless to argue because of her identity.
They knew very well what the Marines were like now.
They would not spare any pirate who had committed crimes, even if that person's identity was important.
Creak. Creak.
The old wooden door of the tavern was pushed open by a pair of arms, and a boy wearing a straw hat walked in without a care, shouting.
"Makino, I want milk…"
His gaze swept across the screen, and his entire body suddenly froze in place.
"Luffy—"
Makino reacted and hurriedly turned off the screen, but it was already too late.
Luffy rushed to the front and shouted, "Makino, what was that place just now? I think I saw someone I know!"
"That girl covered in blood… was that Uta?"
Luffy's eyes were firm. It seemed he had already confirmed his own guess.
"Makino, where is that place? Why is Uta locked up there?"
"Shanks! Did Shanks go to save Uta?"
...
There were only five minutes left before the execution.
The entire world suddenly fell silent.
On New Marineford's square, even the music that had been playing earlier stopped.
Soldiers, civilians, and reporters in the square all craned their necks, waiting for a certain person to appear.
Raleigh patted away dust that did not exist on his clothes.
Gion walked over and gently straightened them for him.
"Raleigh, do not let that child suffer. Give her a quick death."
While adjusting his collar, Gion leaned close and whispered softly in Raleigh's ear.
Raleigh nodded.
He understood very well that this was not Gion's own wish.
It should have come from a certain old man.
The former Marine hero, Garp.
Garp had already grown old, and he had fully seen how much power Raleigh now held. There was no possibility of saving Uta in front of everyone.
Rather than letting Uta remain alive to be tortured, it was better to let her die quickly.
Raleigh's figure soon appeared on the execution platform.
When his military boots stepped onto the wooden floor, countless cameras were raised over people's heads, flashing wildly.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
The sound of military boots brought a little clarity back to Uta's hazy mind. She struggled to raise her head and looked at the tall figure before her.
Under Raleigh's instruction, a soldier walked to Uta's side with a special medicine and injected it into her body.
Uta instantly regained consciousness, and the pain in her body was greatly reduced.
She did not understand why, but it did make her feel slightly better.
Raleigh gave the unseen corner in the distance a faint nod and paid it no more attention.
In that corner, the white-haired Garp also nodded.
Then, like an old man whose life was nearing its end, he walked away from the square step by step.
Raleigh received the judgment document from the soldier and began addressing the entire world.
"Everyone, I believe you already know that the person beside me is the true culprit behind the destruction of the Kingdom of Elegia. However, very few people know why her name never appeared in the public eye."
"Even the destruction of Elegia itself was fully taken onto Red-Haired Shanks' shoulders."
"In truth, her real identity is the daughter of Red-Haired Shanks, one of the Three Emperors of the Sea in the New World. She is a second-generation pirate."
"To be able to judge her here today holds great significance for this world."
"Because from today onward, not only will we bring an end to a bloody case involving tens of thousands of lives, we will also tell the entire world what fate awaits the descendants of pirates."
"I want the world to know that those lawless pirates also have relatives they care about. When they burn, kill, and plunder outside…"
"Now, I hereby announce a new Marine decree. Anyone with a pirate in their family will face a minimum sentence of three years' imprisonment, with the maximum penalty being death."
Raleigh's words once again caused a worldwide uproar.
Before this, no one had ever directly connected a person's family with that person's crimes, even if the person in question was a pirate guilty of the worst crimes imaginable.
There had even been situations where a grandfather was a Marine, the father was a revolutionary, and the grandson was a pirate, yet each side remained unaffected by the others.
Now, Raleigh had formally issued his declaration on this matter.