From afar, whether they were civilians or pirates, everyone watched the scene unfold—
For a moment, all were stunned into speechlessness.
Just think about it: from the moment the Demon Spider stepped onto the square, cigar in his mouth, radiating a powerful aura—
To now, where he was being held like a helpless chick in Shano's grip, the whole thing had taken less than half an hour.
Less than half an hour…
In just that short amount of time, a Vice Admiral of the Marine Headquarters had been defeated?
Is this really the East Blue?!
"Ke… kekeke…"
Shano's expression didn't change. His grip tightened even more, and the Demon Spider's breathing grew increasingly labored and rapid.
Naturally, Shano himself was also injured. That intense clash of physical force earlier—brute strength against brute strength—wasn't something one could walk away from unscathed.
But those minor wounds? Compared to the battered and bloodied, utterly wrecked state of the Demon Spider, they were basically nothing.
Just like he'd said earlier:
In strength, speed, combat technique, Haki, even Life Return…
In every aspect, he was just a little better.
But when combined in an actual fight, that "little bit" became an overwhelming, all-around crushing advantage.
And that was enough to allow him to shift the tide completely within just half an hour—utterly defeating his opponent!
"Let go of Vice Admiral Demon Spider!!!"
Suddenly, a furious roar rang out from afar.
Led by Bloodhound, four Rear Admirals from Marine Headquarters saw how dire the situation was and could no longer follow the Demon Spider's previous orders.
Each of them used Moonwalk to soar into the square.
They drew their weapons and launched a coordinated strike at Shano, who stood at the center of the square!
Shano glanced up—then ignored them.
Just like when he first appeared.
Behind him, four figures suddenly shot forward, each intercepting one of the Rear Admirals.
"Hey, don't mess with our captain," Zeff said cheerfully, removing his white hood for the first time as he launched a fierce kick at Bloodhound.
"That's right, this isn't your battlefield anymore!" Kuina clashed swords with the Rear Admiral from the east, their blades colliding with a loud crash.
"You too!" Nojiko shouted, punching the only female Rear Admiral square in the chest with her metal gloves.
"Awooo—!" Even Gin howled upward. He didn't really care—he just felt like something was missing without a good howl.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
In mid-air, shadows flickered and the sound of clashing metal rang out.
Kuina and Gin quickly gained the upper hand, while Zeff and Bloodhound—clearly the strongest among the Rear Admirals—fought on even ground.
Nojiko was a bit weaker than her opponent overall and was taking a few hits.
But regardless of the situation—
The four Rear Admirals had barely reached the edge of the square before being completely blocked, falling into intense battles that made it impossible to get anywhere near the Demon Spider.
Some lower-ranking officers tried to join in, but out of nowhere, a wall of fire erupted, encircling and trapping them within.
"…Let me go."
Realizing he couldn't count on his subordinates, the Demon Spider stared into Shano's eyes and forced a hoarse whisper from his throat:
"Let's… end things here for today. Don't worry, if you let me go, all of your crimes… the Marine Headquarters will let them slide…"
"Let it slide?"
Shano raised an eyebrow, almost laughing in disbelief.
This bastard—so used to being above everyone—he didn't even know how to beg properly!
Looking at the Demon Spider like he was an idiot, Shano said coldly:
"So now that you've lost, you say something like that? When you stood there earlier, all smug and arrogant, did you ever consider showing mercy to us?"
"Get over here!"
Shano's grip suddenly tightened as he dragged the Demon Spider's body, stepping over puddles of rainwater as he strode toward the front of the square.
The gathered pirates made way out of reverence and fear.
The ordinary townspeople had already retreated into the corners, watching with eyes full of anger and hatred as they looked at the Demon Spider.
Thud—
The Demon Spider's head slammed into the steps of the execution platform.
Shano gripped him like a sack and began ascending the stairs.
In the Demon Spider's fading, muddled gaze, he could see everything along the way—
The broken, devastated plaza.
Shops on either side reduced to rubble from cannon fire.
Collapsed homes.
Wounded civilians lying against ruined walls.
In the rubble, a baby's torn swaddle fluttered in the wind…
In the blink of an eye, they reached the top of the execution platform.
"Did you see it clearly?"
Thud!
Shano grabbed the Demon Spider by the hair and slammed his face into the wood.
"Did you see it clearly?! Answer me!!!"
"Let… me go…"
The Demon Spider gritted his teeth, lifting his head with great effort.
But then, he inadvertently looked toward the front of the execution platform—and his pupils suddenly shrank.
No! The view!
This is exactly what the Pirate King Roger saw before his death!
What is he planning?!
What is this black-haired brat trying to do?!
Is he really going to kill me?!!!
Boom—!!
Thunder cracked through the downpour, lightning tearing across the gloomy sky and illuminating the two faces confronting each other atop the execution platform.
"You madman! Do you have any idea what you're doing?! If you kill a Vice Admiral, do you know what will happen to you?! Do you want to fall into depravity and be branded a pirate, hunted endlessly by Marine Headquarters?!"
The Demon Spider roared in fury.
Behind his head, his six spider-leg braids suddenly writhed and flailed, desperately trying to strike—but no matter what, he couldn't break free from the iron grip of those five burning fingers.
"So you really didn't see it clearly, huh…"
Shano ignored the threat, shaking his head slightly as his right hand poured in even more power:
"Makes sense. Someone like you—who doesn't even value the lives of your own men—how could you possibly understand the suffering you've brought to these people?"
"How could you possibly feel any remorse?!"
Crack!
A crisp snapping sound suddenly rang out—drowning out all the noise around.
The Demon Spider's neck twisted unnaturally and drooped at a grotesque angle.
The light faded from his pupils, and the six spider limbs behind his head fell with a crash.
The entire plaza—
Fell into an eerie silence.
Countless eyes stared in disbelief at the execution platform above.
He actually killed him…
He really just killed him!!!
Since the Pirate King Roger died here 18 years ago, this execution platform in Loguetown had never seen another death.
Until now.
And this time, it was a Vice Admiral of Marine Headquarters who had been executed before a watching crowd!
Far away—
The four Rear Admirals froze in place, completely stunned by the sight.
Their minds went blank. Their fighting spirit vanished.
Kuina and the others seized the opportunity to easily defeat and subdue them.
"We'll let you live for now. How to deal with you—that's up to the captain," Zeff said, clicking his tongue as he disarmed them, tied them up, and knocked them out one by one.
Around the square—
The civilians still curled up in corners and houses remained frozen, staring up at the execution platform in a daze, unable to recover from the shock.
Only the group of pirates gathered in the middle were the first to snap out of it.
Suddenly, it was like they'd been injected with adrenaline as they roared and cheered—
"WOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!!"