Chapter 71: General Kuzan’s Justice
Red Line.
Holy Land, Marie Geoise.
Still in that spacious room, the Five Elders’ faces appeared slightly grave.
“The latest intelligence: Pluto Silbaz Rayleigh appeared in Sabaody Archipelago, intercepted Prince Elus, and rescued Fire Fist Portgas D. Ace. This confirms Fire Fist’s identity—he is that child who wasn’t found back then.”
“The Pirate King’s bloodline?”
“What a troublemaker! Gol D. Roger… even in death, he won’t stay quiet!”
“Didn’t we execute all the children born around South Blue Bartillela Island within the possible time frame back then? How did Fire Fist escape?”
“News from Navy Headquarters says Fire Fist is Garp’s grandson. Fleet Admiral Sengoku had a huge argument with Garp over this.” The one speaking was an old man wearing a flat cap and sporting an incredibly bushy white beard.
As soon as this news came out, the faces of the other four Five Elders instantly turned ashen.
Garp of all people,
Damn it!
“Garp took that child… no wonder! What do we do next? Deal with… Garp?” The bald old man wearing glasses, dressed in a white Taoist robe, and carrying a long sword hesitantly proposed this extremely high-risk suggestion.
“Not worth it.”
An opposing opinion immediately arose.
Another bald old man, with upturned mustache, shook his head in opposition.
“Garp is the Navy Hero. There’s no sufficient reason to act against him, and it simply won’t work. Sengoku doesn’t even know Fire Fist’s true identity yet… Forcing the execution of Garp would only provoke a backlash from the Navy, not to mention Garp’s own combat power. If not handled properly, the Navy… would be crippled.”
The latter sentence was the most important reason.
Garp’s immense martial power not only instilled fear in pirates but also made the lords of the Holy Land wary of him.
“So we just let it slide? He commits such an evil act, yet faces no punishment?”
“As long as Fire Fist’s secret doesn’t leak, everything can proceed as usual.”
“But Rayleigh has already made his move, which is bound to spark associations. This secret may not stay hidden for long. If news spreads that the Pirate King’s son is still alive, it will likely set the Four Seas ablaze.”
“In that case, the Navy will be needed even more to suppress the sea.”
At this point, there was no need for further debate.
The World Government has three armed forces, with the Navy being the strongest. If the Navy’s pillar is broken, the world will completely spiral out of control. The Great Pirate Era… is not just an empty slogan. To maintain the World Government’s rule, keeping the Navy strong is absolutely necessary.
Therefore,
Dealing with Garp is impossible. Even the secret about Fire Fist cannot be revealed to the Navy, to prevent leaks. After all, Revolutionary Army spies are everywhere nowadays. CP0 confirmed there is a high-ranking Revolutionary Army spy in Navy Headquarters, but they haven’t identified who it is.
“In that case, leave it to CP0 to deal with Fire Fist?”
“Even CP0 can’t come and go freely in the New World, and Fire Fist defeated a Navy Vice Admiral head-on… If we send someone, we need to select a sufficiently reliable candidate.”
“How about… entrusting it to the Black Prince?”
Suddenly,
The blond, bearded old man in a deep red suit proposed a new solution.
He continued to explain:
“No need to explain the full story. Capturing Fire Fist was already his mission. It failed this time due to Rayleigh’s interference, which is understandable. However… having him continue this unfinished task isn’t unreasonable. Plus, Eckmond Kingdom itself is in the New World.
Moreover, the Black Prince inherited Umit’s legacy, and his subordinates have been aggressively expanding their influence in the New World recently. Having such a local power cooperate in dealing with Fire Fist would raise the success rate.”
Hearing this,
The others fell into thought.
“Let’s do it that way!” After a brief weighing, the old man with long white straight hair, a long beard, and dressed in a deep blue suit cast the first approval vote.
“That damn Garp, causing this trouble… I have no objection.”
“Worth a try.”
“Fine.”
“Agreed.”
The Five Elders reached a consensus.
Unbeknownst to Prince Elus, trouble had quietly fallen on his shoulders.
————
Sabaody Archipelago, Island 63.
Military port,
“A wasted trip?”
“Sorry, Admiral.”
“It’s not your fault. Encountering a terrifying guy like Pluto and not passing out is already impressive! Even I would find dealing with that monster… honestly, quite troublesome!”
“Uh, yes!”
“What about him? Where did Prince Elus go?”
The tall man stood on the dock, looking around, but the surroundings held only Marines in uniform and craftsmen busy repairing ships in the distance.
“Prince Elus, he… he went sightseeing and shopping. He said it’s a rare chance to visit Sabaody Archipelago, and not taking the opportunity to have some fun would be a waste…” Tina stammered in response.
Though she felt this wasn’t the best time for sightseeing, she had no authority to stop Prince Elus, a king and one of the Seven Warlords.
She could only watch as Prince Elus invited Second Lieutenant Isca to join him, breaking away from the main Navy group to begin touring the island.
“Sightseeing?”
The man tugged at the collar of his deep blue shirt, exhaling a breath of cold air. “Then leave him be. As long as he doesn’t commit crimes, he can do whatever… Also, what’s the situation with that Second Lieutenant Isca now?”
His gaze scanned the surrounding Marines, finding no other women besides Tina.
On his way rushing over by warship, he had received the full details of Vice Admiral Dolo’s battle with Fire Fist and learned of the young female Navy Second Lieutenant Isca. Sympathy made him unable to ignore the matter.
Especially since he was a Navy Headquarters Admiral, and with Fleet Admiral Sengoku too busy for such minor details, he couldn’t pretend not to know.
Caring for subordinates is a superior’s duty.
“That, Second Lieutenant Isca, she, she…”
Tina had never felt this bad. Thinking of what Isca had been through made her mood involuntarily gloomy. “Prince Elus, he…” Suppressing her bad mood, she dutifully recounted the exchange between Prince Elus and Isca.
“Ah! Poaching from the Navy, that’s… tricky!”
The man sighed in mild frustration. “Forget it, that’s for the best! Dolo went too far with this… No, that behavior is already criminal. The military is a violent organization, that’s true, but applying that violence to civilians is a grave error! If we can’t protect civilians, the Navy has no reason to exist.”
Tina, listening intently, nodded in agreement.
The Navy has many factions, with different interpretations of “justice”: Admiral Sakazuki’s “absolute justice,” Admiral Borsalino’s “ambiguous justice,” Admiral Kuzan’s “lazy justice.” Fleet Admiral Sengoku, Vice Admiral Tsuru, and Instructor Zephyr each uphold their own forms of justice.
Influenced by these differing ideals, Tina leaned toward Admiral Kuzan.
Admiral Kuzan—
The tall man before her, dressed in a white suit vest and deep blue shirt, was a Navy Headquarters Admiral, codename Aokiji, one of the monsters standing at the peak of this world.
“For that Second Lieutenant Isca… retiring isn’t a bad thing. Justice isn’t the Navy’s exclusive property. Different identities and positions lead to different interpretations of justice… Though the Marshal’s office has ‘absolute justice’ hanging there, I still believe justice is relative.”
“Alright, enough chit-chat! Next… it’s time for a long-overdue cleanup of the World Nobles’ playground! The filth here is probably enough to make one sick!”
Pluto capture failed.
More precisely, the capture operation didn’t even start before it aborted. This outcome was expected.
Knowing it was likely to fail, they still sent an Admiral to land on Sabaody Archipelago—not just to seize that slim chance, but also to purge the island’s lawless elements. Pluto’s sudden appearance had made the Holy Land’s Celestial Dragons feel threatened.
Generally, no one dares disrespect Celestial Dragons under the threat of a Navy Admiral. Even vile pirates mostly avoid drawing a Navy Admiral’s pursuit over a few scum. Thus, World Nobles’ safety in Sabaody Archipelago is assured.
But that’s just the general case.
Most pirates avoid targeting Celestial Dragons, but there’s always a few who are either recklessly bold or truly powerful. The former are easy—Navy crushes them. The problem is the latter, monsters like Rayleigh, whom even Navy Admirals find tricky.
If Celestial Dragons encounter a monster like Rayleigh, surviving depends on luck.
So,
The Holy Land issued the order to sweep Sabaody Archipelago.
Admiral Kuzan, stationed at Navy Headquarters, was thus saddled with the task.
“Everyone, move out!”
With Admiral Kuzan’s order,
The massive fleet from Navy Headquarters dispersed, sealing off all ports in Sabaody Archipelago. Kuzan rode his bicycle, personally kicking off the island-wide manhunt. Ice froze one wanted pirate after another—some who trekked thousands of miles from the Four Seas to Sabaody, some defeated returnees from the New World, and local bosses casually taken down.
The sea battles were even more intense.
Pirates sensing trouble tried to flee but were blocked by the Navy fleet sealing the ports and sea routes. Continuous cannon fire erupted into full-scale combat.
From this moment on,
Gunpowder smoke and fresh blood became Sabaody Archipelago’s main theme.
This island-wide manhunt lasted a full five days and four nights.
Sabaody Archipelago has 79 groves, a considerable total area, and is a chaotic mix of fish and dragons with countless messy factions. Even with Kuzan leading, sorting out this mess took enormous effort.
In this operation,
Over nine hundred wanted pirates were captured, including many veteran crooks who had vanished for years. Their combined bounties exceeded ten billion Beli.
Additionally, countless lawless groups and organizations were swept away. Over three thousand criminals were arrested. The Navy specially dispatched three large prison ships, packing these scum like sardines aboard, then shipping them to Enies Lobby.
They would face trial at Enies Lobby’s courthouse, then be sent to the underwater prison based on the verdict or directly sentenced to death.
In the end,
No trace of Pluto was found.
It was as if Rayleigh’s appearance in Sabaody Archipelago was mere coincidence. The Holy Land’s lords were naturally dissatisfied, deeming the Navy incompetent, but with the Five Elders silent, this discontent didn’t hinder Navy operations.
······
The sixth day after the “Fire Fist incident.”
Gentle breeze, warm sun, vast blue waves.
The gull flag fluttered lightly in the breeze. Lacking wind support, the warship slowed even in this fine weather.
“Human auctions—aren’t those going to be abolished?”
“Business operations of the Seven Warlords are permitted and protected by the World Government.”
“Even illegal business?”
“Prince Elus, World Government law includes the Slave Law; slave trading is legal business.”
“True, Marie Geoise itself is the world’s largest slave consumption market…”
The conversation location—
Was the living room in the warship cabin.
After finishing the Sabaody cleanup, the Navy began withdrawing to headquarters at Marineford. Prince Elus continued freeloading a ride, hitching onto Kuzan’s warship.
“Still, Admiral Kuzan, don’t you have any opinion on this status quo?” Prince Elus held a teacup, smiling as he said, “The Slave Law… perhaps served some purpose in the past, but with time advancing and eras changing, doesn’t this utterly inhumane system feel outdated?”
Kuzan sat in a hardwood armchair, slightly lowering his head to look at the shorter Prince Elus, saying meaningfully:
“Prince Elus, your words sound similar to the theories the Revolutionary Army promotes.”
Prince Elus smiled, rubbing his teacup, denying it: “I have nothing to do with the Revolutionary Army, but…”
He restrained his smile, saying seriously: “I think some of the Revolutionary Army’s ideals aren’t without merit. At least, I agree with abolishing slavery. People aren’t born to be slaves to others. Though there are classes, wealth gaps, and differences in strength between people, that doesn’t mean the weak have no right to live.”
“Moreover, I always believe humans should die as humans—sick in hospital, old in bed, fallen in battle, or even by suicide as their own choice—not bullied, exploited, and tormented to death like livestock by slave owners.”
Kuzan showed surprise in his eyes.
He stared at Prince Elus like he was some rare creature, but soon composed himself, reverting to his usual lazy, indifferent expression.
“The Slave Law can’t be abolished. World Nobles need slaves, so it must exist. No matter… what you do, it’s useless. You might abolish it in your own country, but don’t think of getting others to follow. The Holy Land tolerates a few unique nations, but won’t allow Revolutionary Army ideas to spread widely.”
“You think no one has ever wanted to abolish slavery before?”
Kuzan said, then abruptly changed the subject to an unrelated question: “The civil war in Alabasta Kingdom… you know about it, right? Newspapers have reported plenty! And I bet you can guess the truth?”
Prince Elus frowned, probing: “You mean Crocodile is involved in the civil war?”
“What else? Alabasta was peaceful for years, never had internal strife. Why did civil war erupt right after Crocodile stayed? Anyone with eyes can see it’s tied to that cunning crocodile.”
“Alabasta’s King Cobra understands the behind-the-scenes dealings. He’s contacted the World Government multiple times for help, but… all his pleas were rejected by the World Government. The Holy Land rejected aid from the Nefertari Family, who once co-founded the World Government, and the reason…”
Prince Elus listened silently.
Kuzan continued: “The previous Alabasta king once proposed abolishing slavery at the World Conference. The proposal was naturally rejected, but afterward, Alabasta Kingdom abolished domestic slavery…”
Hearing this, Prince Elus raised an eyebrow, interjecting: “Don’t tell me the Holy Land is still holding a grudge, so they’re letting Crocodile disrupt Alabasta Kingdom?”
“Exactly.”
Kuzan nodded.
“The World Government ignores it, and the Navy… just stands by too?” Prince Elus instinctively pressed.
“The Navy has no right to interfere in national internal affairs. The Navy’s duty is to fight pirates and maintain peace on the sea, not meddle in World Government member nations’ politics. I agree with that. Military violence agencies shouldn’t interfere in politics, or justice will corrupt.”
“So, Prince Elus, do things like abolishing the Slave Law in your own kingdom. Telling me this… is meaningless.”
Prince Elus was speechless and said nothing more about the Slave Law, just kept drinking tea.
However,
He was laughing delightedly inside!
Admiral Kuzan went to such lengths explaining that abolishing the Slave Law is impossible, yet didn’t outright say he didn’t want to. This subtle choice proved Kuzan also disliked—even despised—this slavery system, meaning there was an opportunity…
Hmm, no need to think too far ahead for now.
For now, confirming Kuzan’s stance was enough. Future matters… would come step by step, like the chance encounter with Fujitora—planting a seed suffices. No need to change anything immediately; preparations aren’t ready yet!
