The corpse of the Red Count was hung on the palace wall of Arabasta's royal palace.
This was a public execution of a former Pirate King figure, and also the second Pirate King figure to be executed since the Great Pirate Era began.
The previous one was the Golden Lion, who is still staying in Impel Down.
The news of the Red Count's death, under Rosse's active promotion, also spread rapidly.
———
[New World, Moby Dick]
"HAHAHA, Vista, you've become a division commander, how are you still this unstable."
Seeing Vista rushing over flustered, Marco, who was sitting next to Whitebeard, laughed and teased.
"Bad news!", Vista walked over with a serious expression, took a deep breath, "The Red Count is dead!"
"Who died? If he died, then he died," Marco spoke casually, not reacting for a moment.
After all, they are pirates, and are used to seeing life and death.
"Redfield, that old guy is gone too?"
Whitebeard's face showed a bit of sorrow. He was never someone who enjoyed fighting.
Old friends from before were becoming fewer and fewer.
"Wait, you're talking about that Red Count?", Marco finally reacted, looking at Vista in shock.
'What kind of joke is this, a legendary pirate just suddenly died like that?'
"Who killed the Red Count?"
"Killed by the Marine. It was the same team from the Ohara Buster Call last time. That Celestial Dragon and Sakazuki joined forces to kill the Red Count," Vista recounted the incident, his eyes filled with distress.
Among the powerful pirates of the previous generation, most were top-tier swordsmen. The type like Whitebeard, who used Devil Fruits and Haki as the main, and weapons as auxiliary, were relatively few.
Vista was a pure swordsman.
At first, he admired Roger, but Roger quickly turned himself in and died.
At that time, he also admired the Golden Lion, but not long after Roger surrendered, the Golden Lion ended up in Impel Down.
Later, he switched to admiring the Red Count, but unexpectedly, not long had passed before the Red Count also died.
Among the Great Pirates who used swords, there were very few left now.
If this continues, that Celestial Dragon woman might really step-by-step become the world's number one true swordsman.
"Huh? That Admiral Akainu is that strong?", Marco didn't think as deeply as Vista, he was simply shocked by Sakazuki's strength.
Not long ago, he had even compared himself to the other guy. He didn't expect that now Sakazuki could already kill someone on the same level as Pops.
In his eyes, Rosse was basically just a decoration.
How could a Celestial Dragon be strong? In his view, it was all Sakazuki's credit.
"That magma brat, and that little Celestial Dragon, the young ones are already growing up," Whitebeard sighed. He was different from Marco.
Precisely because he was also a top-tier powerhouse, he understood better how difficult it was for someone like the Red Count to die.
It must have been Sakazuki and Rosse working together, and both having top-tier power, to possibly cause the death of the Red Count.
Otherwise, based on his understanding of the Red Count, even facing two Zephyrs, it would've been impossible for him to die in battle.
Whitebeard's gaze finally landed on Vista and Marco, with a hint of worry in his eyes.
The future belongs to the young generation.
He was already 53 years old, and how much longer he could maintain his peak, no one could say for sure.
Now that he was still around, the Marine wouldn't act rashly, as they were still afraid of him going mad with no weaknesses.
But once he dies, what will happen to the Whitebeard Pirates?
———
The Red Count's death caused a huge sensation across the world.
Allied nations celebrated joyously, while pirates were filled with fear.
Legends like this, once one dies, there's one less.
Now, in the entire world, only Whitebeard remained.
This wasn't a surrender like Roger's, nor a suicide mission like the Golden Lion's assault on Marine Headquarters.
According to the reports, the Red Count died in Arabasta, after assassinating King Cobra and engaging in a fierce battle with Saint Rosse, he was finally killed by the arriving Sakazuki.
This was an encounter battle, which even more highlighted the strength of the World Government.
If even legendary pirates could be killed by Marine Admirals, then killing ordinary pirates would be like slaughtering chickens.
In other words, even if they became legendary pirates, they still had to worry about being killed by admirals, this wasn't the freedom they imagined.
In that case, what were they striving for? Wouldn't it be better to be local tyrants in their own regions?
For a time, a large number of pirates began to withdraw. Some even abandoned their pirate ships and became mountain bandits, completely giving up on their pirate dreams.
———
[Enies Lobby]
"See, what did I say? When Saint Rosse wants to do something, there's nothing he can't accomplish."
In the office, Spandine was full of excitement, boasting toward the other end of the Den Den Mushi.
"Who is the Red Count? He was a great pirate on par with Roger and the Golden Lion. But Saint Rosse made a move and easily killed him."
"Moria, you're also a strong man on the sea, you should understand what this means."
"Let me tell you, before Admiral Sakazuki even arrived, Saint Rosse and the Red Count fought for a long time, all the way from Erumalu to the Sandora River."
"Exactly, a powerhouse like the Red Count, Saint Rosse could go toe-to-toe with him, what is Kaido compared to that?"
"Can Kaido be harder to kill than the Red Count?"
"The Red Count is dead, next it'll be Kaido's turn. I'm telling you, as long as you work well for Rosse, you'll get plenty of benefits."
"What? You're worried about your pirate identity?"
"Hah, don't you know I'm a CP9 chief? After pirates like you are captured, you're sent to be judged here at Enies Lobby, and then locked up in Impel Down."
"Your bounty is just over 300 million, that's nothing. I can erase it for you."
"Hahaha, don't worry, Saint Rosse values you highly. In the next few days, I'll cancel your bounty and fabricate a CP9 undercover background. From now on, you'll be CP9-trained, one of us in the World Government, no one will question your identity."
"Exactly! See, following the World Government's path is the real way to go. You're much stronger than me, if you gain Saint Rosse's favor in the future, I might even have to rely on you."
"Oh right, before you meet Saint Rosse, I'll prepare a gift for you. Just hand it to him directly, it's guaranteed to work!"
"Wishing you to be greatly favored by Saint Rosse! I'll treat you to drinks at the Holy Land then."
"Ah, right, right. Like you guys say, let's throw a banquet! A banquet! HAHAHA!"
Spandine laughed heartily as he hung up the Den Den Mushi, his face full of excitement.
He felt like he had advanced again, somehow foreseeing Rosse's next move.
'A genius like me was born to serve Rosse.'
'No, no, that's wrong. My whole family, generation after generation, should serve Rosse.'
"Saint Rosse likes collecting women and powerhouses. I must give him a big gift!"
At this moment, Spandine's eyes were filled with deep ambition.
Even as a dog, he would be the one who understood the master's heart best, only then could he eat the biggest piece of meat.
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