Robin covered her mouth in disbelief as she looked at the ice statue of Saul.

Thinking of Saul’s words, she stifled her sobs and ran off into the distance.

Enel and Kuzan did not stop her.

Killing a little girl who wasn’t even as tall as their knees… they couldn’t bring themselves to do it.

Enel looked at Saul’s frozen statue and raised his hand.

Kuzan said coldly:

“Saul is already dead.”

“What are you trying to do, Enel?”

Enel glanced sidelong at Kuzan, lightning flashing from his hand:

“500 Million Volts.”

The lightning burst from his arm, instantly turning into a pillar of electricity several meters thick, engulfing Saul’s corpse completely.

Under the extreme voltage, Saul’s frozen corpse gradually melted into an unrecognizable blackened mass.

“Ice Block: Pheasant Beak!”

A massive ice bird flew toward Enel.

A cold gleam flashed in Enel’s eyes:

“30 Million Volts: Thunderbird!”

A thunderbird in the shape of a phoenix, equal in size to the ice bird, pierced through it in an instant, its momentum unbroken as it charged toward Kuzan.

Kuzan, seeing the incoming lightning bird, instantly formed an ice blade in his hand, infused it with Haki, and slashed the bird apart.

As for the ice bird that had been flying toward Enel, it began to melt after being pierced by the thunderbird.

The golden ornament on Enel’s wrist instantly melted into a long staff. With a casual swing, he shattered what remained of the ice bird.

He twirled the golden staff in his hand and looked across at Kuzan:

“Vice Admiral Kuzan attacking a fellow comrade—are you thinking of defecting from the Navy as well?”

Kuzan’s expression was ice-cold:

“Saul is already dead. There’s no need to disgrace him like this.”

Enel replied indifferently:

“This was just a warning for you, Vice Admiral Kuzan.”

“Don’t meddle in things you shouldn’t.”

“And you’d better remember your place.”

“When that Navy traitor lifted a warship just now…”

“Why did you rush to save him instead of the Navy soldiers?”

“If it happens again, it won’t be me who shows up—it’ll be Sakazuki-san.”

“And you wouldn’t want to face him, would you?”

Kuzan’s face remained expressionless, but the frost spreading out from beneath his feet betrayed his inner turmoil.

Enel snorted coldly at the sight.

He didn’t care in the slightest about Kuzan’s agitation.

And the reason Enel could speak with such disdain…

Was because even two Kuzans wouldn’t be enough to defeat him.

In terms of background, Enel had Sakazuki, Morris, and Vegapunk behind him. At best, Kuzan had Garp.

In terms of ability, the Rumble-Rumble Fruit was the perfect counter to the Ice-Ice Fruit. Combined with the training Enel had received since childhood, he completely overpowered Kuzan.

Enel was only a Rear Admiral because of his age and Morris’s protection—otherwise, he’d already be a Vice Admiral.

So when dealing with idiots like this, Enel didn’t even bother being polite.

“Think it through carefully, Vice Admiral Kuzan.”

With that, he transformed into lightning and disappeared, returning to Sakazuki’s warship.

…

On Sakazuki’s warship.

Enel reformed his body and stood beside Sakazuki.

Together, they watched the island in the distance, its sky dyed red by the endless bombardment.

After a long silence, Enel finally spoke:

“That evacuation ship…”

Sakazuki glanced at him:

“Couldn’t hold it in any longer, huh?”

“What do you think the reason was?”

Enel thought for a moment:

“Because they broke the law?”

Sakazuki nodded:

“That’s part of it.”

“In this sea, no one can question the legitimacy of the Government.”

“They knowingly acted against the rules.”

“They defied the Government’s laws, broke its taboos, all for some hollow ideal.”

“Living in their own little world.”

“And in the end, they dragged everyone and everything on the island down with them.”

“But that’s not the main reason.”

“Do you know what a Buster Call is?”

Enel said:

“Authorized by the Government and formed by Headquarters.”

“It launches indiscriminate, destructive attacks on targeted areas.”

“Meant to completely erase any people or things within a region that pose a threat to Government rule.”

Sakazuki said:

“Looks like you paid attention in class.”

“Exactly. Indiscriminate, devastating force, purging all threats to the Government.”

“But after seeing today’s Buster Call firsthand…”

“What do you think of its power?”

Enel frowned:

“For a strong person, wiping out the entire Buster Call fleet would only take a moment.”

Sakazuki said:

“Yeah. For the strong, it’s nothing.”

“But how many strong people are there in this world?”

“This world is made up of 99% ordinary people.”

“Titles like Admiral or Pirate King may mean nothing outside the Grand Line.”

“For most of them, the scariest person they’ve ever met might be the town butcher.”

“They can’t even begin to imagine the power of the strong.”

“But if you park ten warships outside their homes…”

“What do you think they’ll do? Twenty ships? Forty?”

Enel started to understand:

“They’ll feel fear. And because of that fear, they’ll be easier to control.”

Sakazuki said:

“Exactly.”

“The purpose of the Buster Call was never just to destroy.”

“It only exists for one reason.”

“Deterrence.”

“Because of its inhumane nature…”

“It can strike fear into the hearts of the 99%.”

“Sure, there are newspapers and communication lines in this world.”

“But none of that can make them truly understand the terror of the strong.”

“They can understand what it means to have cannon fire raining down around them.”

“If we let those people escape…”

“Do you know what would happen?”

Enel took a deep breath:

“Our tool to intimidate the seas would be ruined.”

“No matter how we tried to explain it afterward, no one would believe us.”

“People only believe what they choose to believe.”

Sakazuki said:

“Exactly. If they escape…”

“That same day, unscrupulous news outlets will flood the public with stories of the Buster Call’s failure.”

“Don’t expect them to have a conscience. That’s never going to happen, no matter the era.”

“And once the weapon that deterred the world, that kept nations in line, loses its power…”

“The consequences will be unimaginable.”

“Besides…”

“If the Navy doesn’t do it, the Government will send someone who will.”

“And then it becomes the Navy’s failure.”

“Someone has to take the blame.”

At that moment, Kuzan slowly walked over.

He’d arrived when Enel had first asked Sakazuki the question, hoping to hear his answer.

But after hearing everything Sakazuki said, he was left more lost than before.

After standing silently for a while, he said:

“Is there really no other way?”

Sakazuki let out a small laugh without turning around:

“Another way?”

“The world doesn’t turn the way you want it to.”

“Their fates are only life or death.”

“Death might be their best ending.”

“Life would only mean endless suffering.”

“If they chose life, they couldn’t be set free. The Government wouldn’t allow it.”

“Sending them to Impel Down is impossible too.”

“That leaves one option: forced labor.”

“In the freezing cold, wearing rags, building day and night.”

“That giant project in the East Blue has been going on for 700 years.”

(T/N: Probably about: Tequila Wolf is a massive stone bridge in the East Blue, which has been under construction for centuries.)

“Where do you think the labor comes from?”

“From prisoners around the world and the descendants they’ve birthed for generations.”

“Do you really think that kind of life is kindness?”

“Your so-called kindness only brings them more suffering and darkness.”

“As for the sin of bombing the evacuation ship—”

“You don’t have to carry that burden. Don’t sit there drowning in self-pity.”

“Spend too much time around that idiot Garp, and your brain turns to mush.”

Kuzan clenched his fists and turned to leave. He knew Sakazuki was absolutely right…

But that made it all the harder to accept. Sakazuki’s words cut deep, like a knife in his heart.

He couldn’t do anything.

He couldn’t even shoulder that kind of guilt…

Sakazuki sensed Kuzan leaving but said nothing.

If, after all this, he still chose to become that lazy man again, then he was beyond saving.

Sakazuki looked toward the burning island in the distance:

“Always spouting their naive ideals—what a joke.”

“‘Save them’…”

“With what? With words? With dreams?”

Enel stared silently at the island, understanding Sakazuki’s burden.

Everyone wanted to be the good guy, but who would carry the weight, the sin, the blame…

Foolish idealism…

The endless barrage of cannon fire continued to rain down.

Ohara, engulfed in flames, had become a living hell.

…

Inside the Tree of Knowledge.

As the fire raged on, the imprisoned scholars could no longer toss books into the lake outside the window.

The choking smoke grew heavier, and they collapsed to the floor.

Professor Clover looked at the burning books, tears streaming down his face:

“So… this is the history humanity chose.”

“How shallow people are…”

Olvia closed her eyes tightly. In her final moments, her thoughts turned to her daughter.

“I’m sorry, Robin.”

“I never even got to say a single word to you as your mother…”

“I’m sorry…”

Boom—

The Tree of Knowledge, planted five thousand years ago… collapsed.

…

Evening, Ohara.

At a secluded spot along the backshore cliffs.

Robin had run all the way here but suddenly froze in terror at the sight of Kuzan ahead.

Kuzan sat on a boulder, a small wooden boat in front of him. Without turning his head, he said:

“Justice can sometimes turn people into weapons.”

“I don’t know if that’s right or wrong.”

“But I’ve decided to let you leave this island.”

“I want to see what kind of person the seed Saul protected with his life will grow into.”

“You’re free to resent anyone you want.”

“But be grateful you’ve survived.”

“Try to live quietly. I’ve frozen a path across the sea.”

“Follow that ice road, and it’ll take you to the next island.”

Kuzan stood and began walking in the opposite direction from Robin:

“But remember—I’m not your ally.”

“On the contrary, if you ever break the law—”

“I’ll come for you myself.”

Robin suddenly turned around:

“My mother’s still on the island. Maybe we can save—”

Kuzan’s voice came, cold and emotionless:

“There’s no one left alive on this island.”

“But if you want to die, that’s your choice.”

In the end…

One large and one small figure walked off in opposite directions…

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep