The Chief Adjudication Platform Opens Court
[WARNING: The outer ring of the Holy Land's Chief Adjudication Platform has been activated]
[Expansion of Trial Scope]
[Target: All participants in the Holy Land Witness evacuation mission]
"Everyone retreat. Don't let Red Mark run into the retreating team."
Shanks' voice pierced the Sky Screen first. The Red Hair Pirates' ship was being forced to sideways by the outer ring of gunfire. Benn Beckman pressed the butt of his gun against the edge of the deck, turned around and roared, "Raise the sails to port! Don't point the cannons at the Sky Screen! Don't give the Chief Adjudication Platform any attack records!"
Luffy looked up at the exit of Sabaody, he saw a red light descending from the Sky Screen, already landing at the feet of the evacuating laborers. He reached out to block it, but Robin grabbed his wrist first.
"Don't touch it, Luffy. The Chief Adjudication Platform wants participants to voluntarily admit their involvement."
Luffy gritted his teeth as he watched the Red Mark wrap around his feet and crawl toward the laborer carrying the child behind him.
"So you want me to keep an eye on it?"
Nami spread the sea chart on the wooden crate and drew a line along the warehouse exit with her fingertip.
"Don't just watch. Come this way, Usopp. Take the men and go around through the alley on the right. Koby, raise the Navy flag. Since it's interrogating the participants, let it interrogate the Navy first."
Without hesitation, Koby grabbed a naval flag with burnt edges and stuck it on the iron rack at the warehouse entrance.
"The Navy Independent Review Group is receiving witnesses; all evacuees, follow me."
Tashigi drew her sword to block the Holy Land guards who were trying to rush into the alley, her eyes never leaving the Sky Screen.
"What if the Chief Adjudication Platform lists us as traitors?"
Koby helped an elderly man who had fallen, looked up and replied, "Then let them try it, let the whole world hear it."
At the entrance to the Old Wing, Bonney was shielded behind the bear. The black markings on the back of her hand had just faded, and burn marks still remained on her skin. But when she heard the scope of the trial expanding, her first reaction was still to go find Lumi.
Where's Lumi?
The Little Bear responded intermittently from the other end of the light path.
"Lumi, be safe, child, be safe."
Kizaru leaned against the wall, the light path on his hand had shrunk to a thin ribbon. He looked down at the dimming light at his fingertips, then at the black disc at Garling's feet.
"I don't recommend opening any more remote channels now; that thing will search for people along the path of light."
Sabo stood to the bear's side and in front, with the water pipe across his shoulder.
"Garling, are you interrogating everyone because you're afraid it won't look good if you only interrogate yourself?"
Garling pressed his palm against the emblem of the Chief Adjudication Platform; the cracked Main Unit Seal was connected to the disc, and blood flowed down along the ancient lines.
"Participating in the abduction of witnesses from the Holy Land, disrupting property registration, interfering with the missions of the Holy Knights, and assisting in the leakage of World Government secrets—any one of these is sufficient grounds for imprisonment."
Bonney gave a cold laugh and flipped the dagger over in her palm.
"You're just as adept at turning saving someone into a crime as you were at stealing names earlier."
Garling looked at her.
"Joelie Bonney, you're on the list too."
The bear took a half step forward, blocking Bonney even more completely.
"She was a minor victim."
Garling replied, "She participated in the operation."
Bonney peeked out from behind the bear.
"I participated, and I will continue to participate. If you want to review it, release the questions; don't try to scare people with that broken plate."
The red light in the Sky Screen receded, and the emblem on the Chief Adjudication Platform was magnified and displayed to the world.
[First Chief Adjudication Platform]
[Trial Question: Does the evacuation mission of the Holy Land Witnesses constitute an armed rebellion against the World Government?]
[A. Composition: All participants were rebels]
[B. Constitutes a crime, but liability may be reduced for minors.]
[C. Not constituting, due to the risk of evidence destruction and the need for witness protection]
[D. Not constituting a crime, and obstructing the evacuation of the Holy Land is suspected of being an act of destroying evidence]
Akainu stood up in Marineford, his cloak slipping off the back of his chair. Just as the strategist was about to speak, he pressed the full channel button.
"Marine Headquarters, option D."
The staff officer turned pale.
"Fleet Admiral, the Chief Adjudication Platform has included all participants in the list. Openly selecting D-level officers in the Navy will be recorded as a form of collective disobedience."
Akainu looked at him.
"Then write it down."
Sengoku pushed the document in front of the crane.
"Add one more clause: During the Holy Land's initiation of the Chief Adjudication Platform, the Navy Independent Review Group retains the right to receive witnesses."
He picked up her pen, and the paper rustled as she wrote.
"Add another clause: any act of executing a witness in the name of the Chief Adjudication Platform shall be considered destruction of evidence."
Garp stood by the door, and upon hearing this, he chuckled, but there was no trace of relief in his laughter.
"The characters are big enough this time."
On the Revolutionary Army Channel, Long watched the red judgment line rise ever higher on the Sky Screen, his palm pressed against the edge of the map.
"Revolutionary Army, select D. All support teams should maintain their original missions, refrain from arguing with the Chief Adjudication Platform, and prioritize rescuing people."
Emporio Ivankov clutched the Den Den Mushi, his eye makeup washed away by tears.
"Choose D! Ginny's daughter wasn't a rebel, and neither was the bear!"
On Future Island, Vegapunk pushes the newly received Medical Department data into the backup repository.
"The entire research team, choose D. Also, package the transcript of the Chief Adjudication Platform's questions and answers and send a copy to both the Navy and the Revolutionary Army."
Hina looked at the screen.
What if the Chief Adjudication Platform rules against us?
Vegapunk grabbed the messy hair on his head and put his hands back on the keyboard.
"That proves that its trial disregards facts from beginning to end, recognizing only the Throne, which is more useful than our victory."
At the exit of Sabaody, as soon as Luffy shouted "D," the laborers behind him also raised their hands.
We choose D.
"I was the one who was rescued, so I choose D."
"Whoever saves me, I'll be their witness. Choose D."
Zoro glanced at the raised hands and whispered to Sanji, "There are too many people."
Sanji crushed the cigarette butt under his foot.
"Then don't let the Knights break in."
Sky Screen Golden Light and Red Mark intertwined in the sky, and the emblems on the Chief Adjudication Platform began to resonate with a deep, resonant sound.
[Most key answers are consistent]
[Answer: D]
[Holy Land Type: Witness Evacuation Mission - Witness Protection Operation]
[Additional suspicions against the obstructing party: destruction of evidence, illegal detention, forced relocation]
Garling's palm was bounced up by the disc, and the crack in his palm widened. However, the Chief Adjudication Platform did not close; instead, a second ring of lines spread outwards.
Sabo's face darkened as he saw the Red Mark turn toward the exit of Sabaody.
It didn't give up.
Shanks spoke through the Sky Screen.
"The Chief Adjudication Platform has multiple hearings; if you lose the first hearing, they will re-examine your eligibility to participate."
Robin looked up.
"What's the meaning?"
Garling pressed his bleeding hand back onto the disc and looked up at everyone.
"The first trial only determines the nature of the mission; the second trial determines who is qualified to rescue people."
Red text appeared one after another on the Sky Screen.
[Preparation for the Second Chief Adjudication Platform]
[Scope of review: All individuals and organizations claiming to be witness protectors]
[Core of the Trial: Does an authority without Throne have the right to protect witnesses?]
Bonney steadied herself by holding onto the bear's arm, staring at Garling.
"He wants to remove us from our rescue efforts."
The bear looked at the injury on the back of her hand but didn't turn around.
"Then let the person who was rescued speak."
Suddenly, a metallic clang came from the depths of the disc on the Chief Adjudication Platform. The black lines beneath Garling's feet split into countless fine lines, projecting across the Sky Screen towards Sabaody, Future Island, Marineford, and the Scrap Platform.
[Warning: The Chief Adjudication Platform requests access to the list of protected persons]
[If the list is found to be invalid, all witness protection markers will be removed.]