Chapter 453: Teach Must Die

It was not only Zhan Guo who thought so.

The rest of the United Kingdom's high command, whether members of the Morning Star Corps, former subordinates of the Four Emperors, or the high command of the Army, Navy, and Air Force, all thought the same.

Why has Blackbeard gone mad?

Because he offended Saint Saint Saint Saiwen during his childhood.

You must know, this was twenty years ago, yet Saint Saint Saint Saiwen has remembered it until now without forgetting!

Blackbeard's madness made the United Kingdom's high command realize: no matter what, under no circumstances must they offend Saint Saint Saint Saiwen.

When Akainu heard the news, his back was soaked.

Fortunately, he defected quickly back then.

Otherwise, once Saint Saint Saint Saiwen takes an interest in you, death might be a form of relief.

It was not that Akainu feared revenge, but that dying like that would be too humiliating.

Compared to death, Akainu preferred to dedicate his life to justice, using the rest of his days to protect the hundreds of millions of common people on this sea.

Rather than acting crazy like Blackbeard, trying to escape Saint Saint Saint Saiwen's revenge in such a manner.

Akainu did not believe Blackbeard was actually mad.

How could someone as ambitious as Blackbeard be unable to withstand a little setback? The truth is clear: Blackbeard is absolutely faking his madness.

Thinking this, Akainu began to ponder in his heart whether he should strike and kill Blackbeard.

Blackbeard is, after all, a rebel, a reactionary trying to overthrow the United Kingdom, return the sea to chaos, and turn history backward.

All reactionaries deserve to die!

Killing Blackbeard would not only warn the world to cherish the hard-won peace, but also solve Saint Saint Saint Saiwen's troubling problem.

Even if Saint Saint Saint Saiwen did not target him, Akainu, one must fear the ten thousand possibilities; what if, after Blackbeard is dealt with, it becomes his turn?

It would be better to take the initiative to ease relations.

Moreover, Blackbeard once served in the Whitebeard Pirates; given the character of that old man Whitebeard, he would surely go to Saint Saint Saint Saiwen to plead for mercy.

Rather than putting Saint Saint Saint Saiwen in a difficult position, Akainu believed it was better for him to play the villain.

Yes, that is decided.

Akainu acted immediately, volunteering to take on the mission of escorting Blackbeard back to the Marine Headquarters.

Just as Akainu expected: upon learning that Blackbeard had gone mad, Whitebeard first fell silent for a long time, then finally decided to go to Saint Saint Saiwen to plead for mercy.

But he was stopped by his sons, who were prepared for this.

"Pops, you are confused."

The division commanders of the Whitebeard Pirates, led by Ma Ma Ma Erke, the United Kingdom's Deputy Minister of Health, and Jozu, the Deputy Minister of Energy, all blocked Whitebeard's path.

They had worked so hard to completely wash their hands of the past and become high officials in various departments of the United Kingdom.

If Pops went to plead for Blackbeard, would it not throw them back to the days of the Whitebeard Pirates?

How could that be allowed?

Ma Ma Ma Erke spoke on behalf of the brothers to advise him.

"Pops, Teach wants to rebel; rebellion is a capital crime. Teach deserves to die."

"This is written in the Constitution. Saint Saint Saint Saiwen would rather have only one wife than lead by violating the Constitution. Do you want to put Saint Saint Saint Saiwen in a difficult position?"

"Pops, you wouldn't want that, right?"

Hearing this, Whitebeard fell silent once more.

Seeing this, Ma Ma Ma Erke continued to increase the intensity of his argument.

"Think carefully: if this time Saint Saint Saint Saiwen, out of respect for you, pardons Teach's death penalty, once this iron law is broken, how many reactionaries on the sea will want to rebel?"

"Pops, the Four Seas have finally stabilized; it really cannot fall into chaos again. Do you want hundreds of millions of common people to suffer the ravages of war?"

Moreover, from the day Teach chose to rebel, he should have foreseen this outcome."

Having spoken, Ma Ma Ma Erke delivered his words with deep emotion.

"Pops, Techi must die."

Whitebeard stared blankly at Ma Ma Ma Erke,

the son who once refused to join the United Kingdom no matter what, now pouring his heart and soul into this new nation.

The contrast between before and after was particularly glaring.

At this moment, Whitebeard finally understood.

Why, during the eight hundred years prior, the World Government's rule was as solid as a mountain, and no one could overthrow the World Government and establish the United Kingdom like Saint Saint Saiwen.

Because Saint Saint Saiwen bound all factions together.

He liberated all slaves, abolished the distinction between member and non-member nations by turning them into provinces, and gave hundreds of millions of common people the chance to eat and survive.

He also made the Army, Navy, and Air Force, former subordinates of the Four Emperors, as well as factions like Elbaf and Fish-Man Island, all into vested interest groups.

Every faction on the sea, from top to bottom, without exception, are all Saint Saint Saiwen's people.

Teach, how could you not see this?

Why not trade properly? Why choose the path with the least chance of success?

"Very well," Whitebeard said, sitting down in despair.

Ma Ma Ma Erke then seized the opportunity to play his trump card.

"Pops, Charlotte Lingling is already pregnant; it is Teach's child. You need not worry about Rock's lineage ending."

Upon hearing this, Whitebeard sighed.

"I will listen to you, Pops. Teach's child... will stay by Charlotte Lingling's side."

Having lived most of his life, how could Whitebeard not see clearly that even if he went to Saint Saint Saiwen to plead, or even if Saint Saint Saiwen pardoned Teach, it would be useless.

Inside the United Kingdom, there are plenty of people willing to solve troubles for Saint Saint Saint Saiwen.

Whether Blackbeard or Charlotte Lingling, or even their unborn child… all are utterly guilty.

Even though Whitebeard promised not to seek mercy from Saint Saint Saiwen, Ma Ma Ma Erke and the others still felt uneasy, so they stayed behind to take turns accompanying Whitebeard.

To prevent the old man from losing his mind.

Although Whitebeard was persuaded to hold back, many others still went to Saint Saint Saiwen—but all without exception made the same plea: execute Blackbeard immediately.

Including the Admirals of the Navy, Marine Fleet Commanders Aokiji and Kizaru, the kindly Tenghu, and Bear.

It wasn't that they held a grudge against Blackbeard, but Saint Saint Saiwen had never treated anyone with such high priority—not even when facing Im.

This clearly showed that Blackbeard posed an immense threat.

A threat is best crushed in the cradle.

Moreover, rebellion is a capital crime.

Blackbeard must die.

Saint Saint Saiwen chose to heed the voice of the people and ordered the public execution of Blackbeard and his remaining old-era accomplices at Marine Headquarters, New Mary Geoise.

Marine Commander-in-Chief Sengoku personally oversaw the execution.

……

Marine Headquarters, New Mary Geoise.

In the enlisted barracks.

Having no home and being a victim kidnapped personally by Blackbeard in the East Blue, the deserter Kobi was brought back to Marine Headquarters by Akainu and placed under guard.

Mainly because Akainu suspected: Kobi's identity was questionable—he very likely descended from a Celestial Dragon.

Otherwise, why would Blackbeard have personally intervened to kidnap him?

Until Kobi's identity was confirmed, it was safer to keep him under close watch.

Thanks to his tip-off against Blackbeard, Kobi became a celebrity in the enlisted barracks.

"That bastard Blackbeard ganged up on me—seven or eight men against one—and demanded I admit fault. I ignored him. He had strong fists, but my bones were harder."

As he spoke, Kobi stripped off his shirt, revealing his upper body covered in dense, unhealed scars.

"See? Scars are the mark of a true man."

At that moment, an enlisted soldier rushed into the barracks and handed Kobi the latest New Issue of the newspaper.

"Kobi, Blackbeard's going to be publicly executed—at headquarters, by Saint Saint Saiwen's own order."

Hearing this, Kobi burst into tears.

That bastard is finally going to die.

Once Blackbeard is dead, no one will know… about his dark past aboard the Queen, and he could even turn that dark past into a badge of honor.

Kobi is a man destined to become Marine Commander-in-Chief—how could he possibly carry a dark past?!