One Piece: Starting from Awakening the Cosmo at Marineford

The man with the black beard didn't let go, turning his head to look at him: "Who are you? How dare you interfere in my affairs!"

Aaron ripped off the beard covering his mouth, revealing his true face.

The man with the black beard was taken aback for a moment, then burst into laughter: "So it's you! What? You're going to save Wang Zhi?"

Aaron said, "I just don't like you. I didn't intend to save him."

The man with the black beard said, "That's easy. I'll deal with you after I kill him."

Aaron smiled: "I need to bring Wang Zhi back now. I can't let you kill him."

The man with the black beard narrowed his eyes and said, "It seems you just want to oppose me. You want to stop me from doing anything, is that it?"

"I guess so. What's wrong? You're not happy?"

"Ha ha ha ha!" the black-bearded man laughed, then said in a deep voice, "Major Koby, now, stop Aaron. Otherwise, those civilians will die just the same!"

Koby looked at Aaron and pleaded, "Aaron..."

Aaron gritted his teeth: "Coby, you're going to help Blackbeard against me? Don't forget who you are!"

Koby hesitated, "But what about the civilians..."

Aaron said, "These civilians will be fine, I told you."

Koby turned to look at the civilians who were being held at knifepoint, and frowned.

He quickly made up his mind: "I'm sorry, Aaron, I have to save them. I..."

The man with the black beard chuckled, "Major Koby, aren't you going to make a move?"

Koby turned his head again and saw that the necks of several civilians had been slashed open by the blade, and the blood was flowing down their necks.

The civilians trembled and wept, but dared not cry out for help. They looked at Koby with pitiful, pleading eyes, and then at Aaron with pleading eyes.

Koby gritted his teeth and clenched his fists: "I'm sorry, Aaron!"

Aaron snorted, "Koby, you'd better think carefully about the consequences of attacking me. Aiding the enemy in battle and attacking your own comrades are both capital offenses! Besides, I am now a brigadier general in this unit, your superior! I order you to stand down!"

Koby closed his eyes, then suddenly opened them: "Shave!"

"Hmph! Another charge of disobeying orders!"

Aaron snorted heavily and began to move.

The next instant, two figures appeared.

Aaron grabbed Koby by the neck and said coldly, "Koby, you disobeyed orders, betrayed your country in battle, and attacked a high-ranking officer during wartime—all three are capital offenses!"

Bellmare quickly cried out, "Brigadier General Aaron, spare Koby! He won't do it again!"

Aaron snorted and said, "You were lucky that headquarters didn't pursue the matter when you deserted during the Marineford War. I'm not that easily fooled!"

Koby's neck was being gripped, his face turning bright red, and he couldn't speak.

Helmeppo cried out, "Coby is Garp's disciple! If you kill him, you'll be court-martialed! I urge you to think carefully!"

"I hate it when people threaten me."

Aaron applied force with his hand, and a soft "click" sound reached everyone's ears.

Aaron released his grip, and Koby lay limp on the ground, no longer breathing.

The lark felt a pang of pity and turned its head away.

Finbdi scoffed, "Damn it!"

Bellemere was stunned, collapsed to the ground, utterly distraught.

Blackbeard was also taken aback for a moment, then gave Aaron a thumbs up: "Not bad, not bad. Although you're a Marine, you're even more ruthless than pirates! I have to say, I'm starting to admire you. If we weren't on different paths, I'd love to have a couple of drinks with you!"

Aaron said coldly, "Blackbeard, you're next."

"Ha ha ha ha! Brigadier General Aaron, are you really going to abandon these civilians? Just let me kill them?"

The black-bearded man's narrowed eyes flashed with a fierce light, as if he were determined to take Aaron by surprise.

But deep down, he wasn't entirely confident. Aaron could kill even marines without hesitation, let alone civilians; besides, he was Garp's disciple.

Garp's disciples, who on the entire ocean would dare to lay a hand on Garp's people?

Aren't you afraid of Garp's retaliation afterward?

By this time, Bellemere had realized what was happening and roared, "Aaron! I'm going to report you to headquarters! I'm going to report this to Lieutenant General Garp! You're not getting away with this!"

Aaron said in a deep voice, "Naval Headquarters Lieutenant Bellmare, listen to my command!"

Helmeppo jolted, but then, remembering something, he immediately shouted, "Aaron, you have no right to order me around! Don't forget, I joined SWORD Squad, which means I've already left the Navy!"

The man with the black beard raised an eyebrow: "SWORD Squad? What kind of organization is that?"

Aaron said in a deep voice, "Berumeber, you disobeyed orders and leaked naval secrets; that's a capital offense too!"

"Finger gun!"

Aaron swayed, and his right index finger was already poking Bellumeber's forehead.

Bellmare stared wide-eyed, unable to believe even in his dying moments that Aaron would attack him.

Aaron pulled out his finger, letting the red and white fluid drip down.

Blackbeard knew he couldn't threaten Aaron, but the thought that killing civilians would disrupt Aaron's peace of mind made him grit his teeth and shout, "Kill these civilians!"

Upon hearing the order, the dozens of pirates immediately prepared to attack.

"Who dares!"

Aaron roared, unleashing a torrent of powerful and domineering Conqueror's Haki.

"Buzz..." The entire island seemed to be shaking.

Not only did the dozens of pirates lose consciousness with their eyes rolled back, but of the men Blackbeard brought, only a few officers remained standing.

Even those few people shook their heads before regaining their senses.

Wang Zhi coughed twice, his voice weak and feeble, "Blackbeard, you didn't expect your men to be so easily defeated..."

Enraged, the black-bearded man slammed a punch into Wang Zhi's face: "Die!"

Wang Zhi fell to the ground, the mocking smile on his face still frozen.

"Godfather!"

The four guardian deities were filled with grief and roared in unison, "Blackbeard! I'll kill you!"

"Bang bang bang..."

A gunshot rang out, and the four henchmen fell to the ground, their eyes wide open in death.

The black-bearded man laughed loudly, "Aaron, the troublemaker is dead. Now it's your turn to fight me. You got lucky last time. Garp won't be here this time, will he?"

Aaron snorted, "Last time you were fast. This time, it won't be so easy."

The black-bearded man grinned broadly: "You're still as good at bragging as ever! Men! All of you, attack together and take them down!"

Apart from Bages, who was a hothead and moved immediately upon hearing the noise, the others remained standing and did not make a move immediately.

Halfway there, Burgess realized something was wrong and stopped.

"Hey, what are you doing? Why aren't you getting on?"

Shiliu said, "I just lit this cigar. Let me finish it first."

Katrin Demey said, "I'm a woman, how could I steal your thunder?"

Poison Q coughed twice: "I'm not feeling well, I want to see a doctor."

"Damn it, you're a doctor, aren't you? None of you are going to help? Do you really think I'm stupid?"

Burgess grumbled and backed away, but still felt it wasn't safe enough, so he retreated to Blackbeard's side.