The Sin of a Tribe

The moment the words were written, the whole world was in an uproar.

At the outer harbor of the Marine Headquarters, the soldiers looked at each other, their expressions changed.

"Erasure Order."

"This kind of thing can be written into the file?"

"That's tantamount to admitting that they really did commit genocide."

"Shut up."

Akainu glanced at the marine who had spoken.

"Don't tell anyone what you heard today."

The marine's lips moved, thinking that the whole world had seen it, so what was the point of him saying anything? But seeing Akainu's expression, he swallowed his words.

In the Sabaody Archipelago, Rayleigh stood at the bar entrance, his glass of wine lingering in his hand for a long time.

"I see."

Shakky watched him from behind the counter.

You already guessed one thing.

Rayleigh nodded.

"I suspected they weren't giant hybrids in the usual sense."

"I never imagined they did this kind of work in ancient times."

Shakky leaned back in her chair.

"The one who carries the fire is most likely to be burned."

Rayleigh did not respond.

He simply stared at the wooden plank in the Sky Screen that had been stuffed into the child's arms.

"That child later became a bear."

"But when he was a child, the first thing he learned was to memorize."

On Future Island, Bonney was already crouching on the ground.

Is that plank still there?

Vegapunk looked at the bear.

"They're probably gone."

"But the memories remain."

The bear's paws slowly tightened.

"Exist."

He spoke.

Bonney looked up at him.

The bear's eyesight hadn't fully recovered, but it could already see.

"I remember the lines left by my father."

Bonney's throat tightened.

Why didn't you say so sooner?

The bear looked at her and paused.

You were too young then.

I don't want you to remember these things so early.

I want you to learn to run first.

Bonney's nose suddenly stung with tears.

"You taught me to run first, but you got captured by them yourself."

"You still say you're fine?"

You still say everything will pass.

The bear's paw landed on her shoulder.

"Sorry."

Upon hearing those three words, Bonney couldn't stop her tears.

I don't want your apology.

I want you to live.

I want you to always remember me.

"I want you to stop treating yourself like someone you can just throw away."

The bear did not avoid her cries.

He simply nodded slowly.

"Good."

Vegapunk turned around and wiped his face.

"Sky Screen did this on purpose."

Sabo asked.

"What did you mean by that?"

Vegapunk looked up.

"They deliberately exposed their clan's past to the whole world."

"So that the World Government can no longer say they are a group of people 'deserving to disappear'."

"It's dragging out those who should be blamed, one by one."

Long spoke calmly.

"That means it's time for the person who actually gives the order to do it."

The Sky Screen seemed to have heard those words as well.

Golden Light spread out again, and new information emerged.

[Additional Explanation.]

The purge of the Buccaneer Tribe was not a case of out-of-control local repression.

That was a long-term, systematic erasure.

[From file deletion and alteration, bounties for stigmatization, and population dispersal, to concentrated hunting after adulthood.]

[All steps stem from direct commands from the Holy Land.]

Sabo suddenly looked up at the Sky Screen.

"Direct access to the Holy Land."

That means someone is personally monitoring it.

Robin's voice was very soft.

"And this person knows what the Buccaneer Tribe are really capable of."

Kizaru raised his hand, and the light at his fingertips flickered in mid-air.

"I'm starting to get curious."

"Who would do something like this for the sake of an entire tribe?"

Aokiji looked at him.

"You really want to know?"

Kizaru lowered his hand.

"Think."

"But I'd rather see how they explain themselves tonight."

There has been no response from the World Government.

But the Five Elders' silence was uglier than any response.

When Saint Saturn spoke, even the air seemed to be compressed.

"The connection between the Buccaneer Tribe and the Sun Will must not be allowed to continue."

"They are approaching not only Ancient Kingdoms."

"They also came close to a name that shouldn't be mentioned."

Imu's voice drifted out from deeper within.

"Keep watching."

"Let them say everything they have to say."

Inside the maintenance bay on Future Island, Vegapunk looked up at the source of the voice in the darkness.

"So you really are afraid of this."

Bonney looked up.

"Who am I afraid of?"

Vegapunk did not answer immediately.

"I fear their clan has touched the sun."

Sabo frowned.

"What sun?"

Vegapunk raised his hand and pointed to the Sky Screen.

It's not the sun in the sky.

"It's the kind of sun that smiles and pulls people up."

Luffy stood up on the other side.

"I understand."

Nami turned to look at him.

"What do you know?"

Luffy pressed down on his Straw Hat.

They are not bad people.

"They've just been carrying things for other people."

"If they hold on until the end, everyone will see them as people who should disappear."

Chopper's eyes also reddened.

"This is outrageous."

Usopp's mouth was dry.

"What's frightening is that the world can actually treat this as something that's perfectly normal."

Robin remained silent for a moment.

This is where history has been erased.

"When a bad thing is repeated long enough, the bad thing itself becomes known as the rule."

The images in the Sky Screen have changed again.

The wooden house was now surrounded by men in white.

The voices outside the door grew harsher.

"The Buccaneer Tribe men, come out!"

"The woman stays."

The bear's father stood inside the door, unarmed.

What are you looking for?

"That's what the man in white outside said."

"Find the items that should be sold off."

The man chuckled.

You're even afraid of children.

The man in white spoke in a cold tone.

It's not the children we're afraid of.

"What I fear are people like you who remember things."

The man turned and glanced at the bear.

Did you hear that?

"That's the answer."

"They're not afraid of us being strong."

"They're afraid we'll remember."

The bear stood still, still holding the plank in its arms.

"Then how am I supposed to remember it?"

The man raised his hand and pointed out the window.

"To see the sea."

"Look at people."

"Let's see who's lying."

"Let's see who's using other people's lives to write the rules."

After you finish reading, pass on what you remember to the next generation.

"Don't let the fire go out."

The people outside started banging on the door.

The woman pushed the bear back a step.

"Go to the back."

The bear shook its head.

I'm not leaving.

The man pressed down on his shoulder.

You must leave.

You're still too young.

"You can't stand up for us yet."

The bear cried, but he didn't make a sound.

"And what about you, Father?"

The man said.

"I'll just stand there for a while."

You need to stand for a while.

At this moment, the Sky Screen issued a new judgment.

[The reason for the execution of the Buccaneer Tribe Eradication Order has been confirmed.]

[Reason 1: They can withstand pain, making them suitable as subjects for sustained experiments.]

[Reason two: The ability to remember erased information makes them suitable as informants of danger.]

[Reason three: It can inherit the Sun Will, making it suitable as a vessel of hope.]

[Conclusion: It must disappear.]

Bonney bit her lip hard.

"Suitable as a test subject."

"Suitable as an insider."

"Suitable as a vehicle for hope."

"They cut people into three pieces and then killed them one piece at a time."

The bear closed its eyes briefly.

"I see."

Vegapunk looked at him.

"What do you understand?"

The bear raised its head.

"Why don't they just want to kill me?"

"What they want is for this race to be completely forgotten."

The dragon looked at him.

"That's why you were transformed into that."

The bear did not answer.

But his silence already gave the answer.