He shouted while subtly retreating half a step.
Though putting on a strong front, he actually dared not take the initiative to attack, only stalling for time, waiting for Admiral Akainu's support.
Seeing Onigumo's demeanor, the Straw Hat Crew in the square immediately understood something.
Luffy grinned and shouted loudly:
"Hey, you! You're clearly scared of Fox, so why pretend you don't care!"
Onigumo's face darkened, his tone fierce:
"Enough nonsense! Today, I shall carry out justice and arrest every single one of you!"
Facing Onigumo's bluster, Fox merely stood quietly on the cliff wall, looking down at him as if watching a clown or a piece of ash trying to extinguish a flame.
At this moment, Ivan felt the world was absurdly laughable.
Just moments ago, a Vice Admiral draped in the mantle of justice, to curry favor with the king, had unhesitatingly ordered the bombardment of civilians, treating human lives as worthless grass.
Yet the group called villains—the Straw Hat Crew—risked their lives to stand before the cannon fire, protecting those ordinary people they had never met.
Pirates were protecting civilians.
The Marines were slaughtering the innocent.
Ivan gazed at the smoke-filled Loguetown in the distance, his heart turning cold.
Who truly represented justice?
Was it that Marine flag emblazoned with "Justice"?
It seemed so, yet also not. Did it represent power and greed, or justice and sacrifice?
At this moment, the scales of justice seemed to tip completely in the hearts of Loguetown's civilians!
They finally understood: justice was never in one's identity, nor on a flag—it existed only in action!
Ivan vanished from his spot, reappearing on the deck of the cruise ship.
He looked indifferently at Onigumo, locking onto him, and said coldly:
"Shut up, you hypocritical villain. Someone like you is utterly unworthy of bearing the name of justice, unworthy of being a Marine!"
When Ivan appeared on the deck, Onigumo stiffened, retreating repeatedly. His earlier arrogance vanished instantly, replaced only by panic and fear.
Of course, what frightened him was not Ivan's words, nor any pang of conscience. What he feared was Ivan's terrifying power alone!
"You're lying!" Onigumo blustered, guiltily retorting, "I am a Marine Vice Admiral! Everything I do is for Absolute Justice! Bombarding civilians was a last resort, necessary to capture pirates!"
As he spoke, Onigumo's feet kept shifting backward.
Once he reached the edge of the cruise ship, without hesitation, he immediately used Moon Walk, accelerating to leap into the sea, completely abandoning his duty and leaving the three high-ranking kings behind.
In his view, the three kings on the cruise ship were merely tools for the mission—stupid and troublesome. Compared to their safety, his own life was far more important.
Watching Onigumo flee without a trace, the angry curses of the three kings rang out continuously on the luxury cruise ship's deck.
"Useless! Completely and utterly useless!" Valen's face flushed red with rage. "Once I return to my kingdom, I will definitely file a complaint with Marine Headquarters and have his Vice Admiral rank stripped!"
Calon Blackhammer also looked livid, grinding his teeth:
"Running faster than a rabbit at the critical moment! After all the treasures we bestowed upon him over the years, we truly raised an ungrateful wolf!"
Alice was full of resentment, her tone sharp:
"A bunch of useless Marines! Can't even handle a pirate, and now we have to suffer this humiliation!
No, we must escape quickly! That Fox is different from ordinary pirates—he really dares to kill us!"
However, before her words faded, heavy footsteps sounded from behind, freezing them in place.
The three kings whirled around. Seeing the scene behind them, their faces instantly turned deathly pale.
Fox, surrounded by black and red intertwined lightning, was step by step approaching them.
The three kings, once lofty and superior, now had not a shred of arrogance left, their faces filled with terror.
They understood better than anyone: the man before them was a ruthless character who dared to assassinate even a Celestial Dragon.
Before him, their proud divine bloodline and supreme authority were as fragile as paper, utterly useless.
At this moment, they finally understood: in the face of absolute power, all identity and status were empty talk.
Only power itself was the true measure of everything!
Valen reacted first. Forcing composure, he blustered at Fox:
"You—don't come any closer! I am the king of the Guresteri Kingdom! If you dare lay a hand on me, Marine Headquarters will never let you go!"
Yet, facing the threat, Fox's steps did not stop. Raising a hand, several sharp earthen spears burst from the ground, instantly piercing through Valen Greystri's body.
The next moment, blood gushed from the mangled corpse.
Valen's eyes widened wide, his face still etched with terror and unwillingness, completely lifeless.
Calon Blackhammer trembled all over in fear, his legs giving way as he actually knelt on the spot.
His face full of pleading, he wept:
"Lord Fox, spare me! I am a good king! I have never harmed civilians! I have committed no wrongs! Please, let me go..."
The corner of Fox's mouth twitched slightly—this excuse was even more pathetic. Raising his hand again, another earthen spear shot out, precisely piercing Calon Blackhammer's heart.
Calon Blackhammer's pleas cut off abruptly. His body convulsed a few times, then fell still.
In an instant, two kings were dead, leaving only Alice Bloodrose.
Her state was also poor—her makeup smeared, her face deathly pale.
Seeing Fox approach, her entire body trembled incessantly. She forced a stiff, coquettish expression, ingratiatingly saying:
"Lord Fox, I know I was wrong! I am willing to offer myself, and all the wealth of the Rose Kingdom, to you! Please spare my life! I will obey you in everything!"
Alice was a clever woman. After her two companions died—one pleading, one threatened—only one path remained.
Bribery!
As the number one beauty and wealthiest woman of the Rose Kingdom, she believed her beauty and riches might move Fox to mercy.
However, how could a mere villain understand the resolve of Burning Justice?
Fox clenched his right fist, black and red lightning gathering upon it.
The next second, the lightning erupted violently, directly blasting Alice Bloodrose's body apart!
The once-noble queen instantly turned into a pulp of flesh!
The deck fell silent in an instant, leaving only the sound of the sea wind howling.
Three corpses lay sprawled on the deck, blood gradually spreading.
The soldiers and attendants on the deck stared blankly at this scene, feeling as if the world had become utterly unfamiliar.
Their three exalted majesties... just died like that?
So, they were no different from the rest of us—they could be killed, and they would die!
Their blood wasn't black either, but a terrifying crimson!
After dealing with the three villains, Ivan did not leave immediately. Instead, he used illusion techniques to eliminate those who had aided and abetted the tyrants, then went to pursue Onigumo.
Earlier, he had placed a Flying Thunder God Mark on Onigumo.
He couldn't escape!