The Reckoning Over the First Question

"Review."

Garp stood at the Port of Marineford, his hand, which had just been urging the ship to set sail, now resting on the railing. Cracks in the wooden planks stretched out from his palm to both sides, but he didn't retract it. He just looked up at his name in the Sky Screen.

Sengoku said in a deep voice, "Garp, you don't need to rush to speak."

Garp turned around. "If I don't speak up, am I supposed to let that kid take the blame for me?"

Lin Qi was watching the history exam being reviewed in the Foosha Village Tavern, and unusually, he didn't crack a joke.

"Mr. Garp, I did indeed set this question."

Garp looked at him through the Sky Screen: "Of course, your name is already displayed on the Sky Screen."

Lin Qi rubbed the back of his hand, but was slapped on the shoulder by Makino, so he had no choice but to put his hand back on the counter.

"I thought it was a game."

Garp snorted, "And then?"

Lin Qi was silent for a moment. "Even after finding out it was true, I didn't back out."

Luffy immediately shouted, "That question saved Ace!"

Robin pressed down on his shoulder. "Luffy, let them finish."

Nami looked at Lin Qi: "You need to explain this clearly now, otherwise the Throne will destroy all the evidence."

Akainu looked at the examination questions. "The problem isn't whether the questions offended Garp, but whether they fabricated cause and effect, whether they instigated war, or whether they manipulated emotions for personal purposes."

Longdao: "And, is revealing future scenes beyond what is necessary?"

Lin Qi took a breath, and just as he was about to speak, Makino pushed the water glass towards him.

"Drink first, then we can talk like human beings."

Lin Qi picked up the cup and took a sip, his brow furrowing as it burned.

Okay, I'll speak like a human.

The review options appear on the Sky Screen.

[History Exam Question Review 1]

[Question: Does the first question constitute Lin Qi's malicious manipulation of family ties and war, leading to contamination of the chain of evidence?]

[A. This constitutes grounds for invalidation; all subsequent evidence should be discarded.]

[B. The structure should include removing Lin Qi and restoring the original order.]

[C. Partially constituted, evidence related to the Paramount War is invalid]

[D. This does not constitute evidence contamination, but Lin Qi must bear the risk of questioning, and Garp and other parties involved reserve the right to appeal.]

Garling said coldly, "He exposed a grandfather's hesitation to the whole world, inducing Whitebeard to start the war prematurely and causing internal strife within the Navy. This isn't censorship; it's manipulation."

Garp looked at Garling: "I haven't said anything yet."

Garling looked up. "You are the one being manipulated."

Garp tossed his cloak over his shoulder, his smile tinged with anger.

"I've been at sea for so many years, when did it become your place to take my shame?"

Sengoku whispered, "Garp."

Garp raised his hand. "This question made me lose face, made me get scolded, and made my grandson and Ace see me at my worst. All of that is true."

Luffy lowered his head, his hand gripping the brim of his Straw Hat.

Garp continued, "But the old man in the picture is still the old man, not a fake created by Lin Qi."

The Golden Light in the Sky Screen recorded Garp's testimony.

[Party testimony: Future behavior was not fabricated]

Lin Qi looked at the line and said softly, "Thank you."

Garp glared at him. "Don't thank me yet, I haven't even scolded you."

Lin Qi immediately shut up.

Garp said, "You didn't think through the consequences when you set the question. This is a lesson you need to learn. You can't just let it go just because you saved someone in the end."

Makino nodded. "This is a sentence I should remember."

Lin Qi said in a low voice, "I admit it."

Garp added, "But the Throne wants to use this question to erase all evidence of his crimes, but I refuse to admit it."

Sengoku continued, "The Marine Headquarters testimony, while causing unrest in the first question, also prematurely exposed the risks of future wars, Blackbeard's plan, and the loopholes in Impel Down and the execution process. Damage to the Navy's prestige should not be equated with the corruption of evidence."

Akainu spoke, "Marine Headquarters, D."

The staff officer hesitated, then asked, "Fleet Admiral, shouldn't we discuss this internally first?"

Akainu looked at him. "What are you discussing? How to hide the embarrassing evidence?"

The staff officer bowed his head. "Understood."

Longdao: "Revolutionary Army, D, the question's risks need to be reviewed, but the evidence cannot be invalidated."

Shanks looked at Lin Qi: "The Red Hair Pirates, D."

Benn Beckman cautioned, "Boss, the first question also changed your point of intervention."

Shanks said, "Yes, that's why we should record the risks rather than let the Throne burn them."

The image of the Whitebeard Pirates lit up on the other side of the Sky Screen, with Marco standing on the deck, behind him the fleet that had changed course.

"The Whitebeard Pirates, D."

Ace stood beside Whitebeard, flames flickering in his palm, staring at the image of Lin Qi, his voice slightly hoarse.

"I don't know if I was really going to die in the original future."

Garp gripped the railing tightly.

Ace continued, "But I knew that after seeing that scene, my Pops came to save me, Luffy found out too. I had a chance to live."

Luffy looked up. "Ace!"

Ace smiled at him, then looked up at the Sky Screen.

"D. Lin Qi deserves to be criticized for setting a bad question, but this question isn't a weapon the Throne can use to erase evidence."

Whitebeard sat in the main seat, with his naginata standing beside him.

"I also choose D. I can tell who harmed my son and who is trying to cover up their dirty deeds through the investigation."

The Sky Screen of records kept increasing.

[Party testimony: The Whitebeard Pirates acknowledged the risk assessment but did not accept evidence contamination]

Garling did not interrupt; he waited until the testimonies piled up before pushing a scene into the Sky Screen.

In the video, after Lin Qi sets out his first challenge, he drinks beer and, watching the world shake, remarks, "These netizens really know how to have fun."

The atmosphere in the Foosha Village Tavern suddenly became awkward.

Usopp muttered, "That line really is a bit annoying."

Nami nodded. "Not a little."

Lin Qi covered his face. "Could you please stop playing this part on repeat?"

Makino looked at him. "No, you should look."

Robin said softly, "The Throne will prove his subjective recklessness."

Vegapunk stated, "Rashness is valid, but rashness is not the same as malicious manipulation."

Garling said coldly, "To recklessly wield divine authority is itself a sin."

Lin Qi lowered his hand and looked up at him.

"That Throne held power for eight hundred years, treating people like raw materials, freezing children in wells, and tearing away the personality of bears—what kind of nonsense is that?"

With a swift turn of his blade, Garling's dark light pressed down on the question from the Chief Adjudication Platform.

You are not worthy to be compared to the Throne.

Lin Qi put the water glass down, the bottom of which touched the wooden cabinet with a soft sound.

"Of course I'm not qualified to compare myself to you guys in terms of being bad; I'm far inferior."

Makino glanced at him but didn't stop him.

Lin Qi continued, "For the first question, I was rash, I made a mistake, and I later had the urge to watch the show. These can all be investigated, and I accept accountability from the World Witness Seat."

He looked at option D on the Sky Screen.

"But you can't erase all the evidence against the Throne."

Lumi raised her hand. "Victim Witness Seat, D."

Makino then confirmed. "Civilian Witness Seat, D, and record Lin Qi's reckless proposition."

Lin Qi looked at her. "You add it really smoothly."

Makino said, "You said you accepted it yourself."

Akainu said, "Navy Review Seat, D."

Longdao: "Revolutionary Army Review Seat, D."

Shanks said, "Pirate Witness Seat, D."

The global vote is incorporated into the topic.

[Answer: D]

[The first question does not constitute contamination of the chain of evidence]

[Lin Qi's reckless question setting is considered a violation and will be subject to further investigation.]

[Garp, Ace, the Whitebeard Pirates involved reserve the right to appeal.]

Garp glanced at the line for the right to appeal and snorted.

"I'll put the appeal on hold for now. After I've finished beating up the Throne, I'll come find you in Foosha Village for a drink."

Lin Qi's lips twitched slightly. "Are you still charging for the drinks?"

Garp glared at him. "You still dare to accept it?"

Makino answered for him, "Clear, clear by the cup."

The tense atmosphere eased a bit with that remark, Luffy finally burst out laughing.

Garling did not give them a break, and the Chief Adjudication Platform turned to the second historical question.

[History Exam Question Review 2]

[A list of the top ten Paramount War Ten Great War Criminals in the Marineford War: Blackbeard]

[Subject of investigation: Did Lin Qi use future information to pre-convict someone and undermine a legitimate trial?]

The image of Blackbeard was pulled up to the Sky Screen. He stood at the bow of a ship, his smile not yet fully faded. Upon seeing the question, he slowly put down the wine jug in his hand.

"Hahaha, finally it's my turn to speak?"

Marco's face darkened. "Teach."

Blackbeard spread his hands. "Everyone, listen carefully. This time it's not that I'm afraid of the investigation, it's that Sky Screen wants to ask. That kid Lin Qi pinned something on me before it even happened. What else is that if not manipulation?"

Flames rose from Ace's palm.

"You've already killed Thatch."

Blackbeard laughed, "Killing Thatch was my business. Impel Down and the Tremor-Tremor Fruit, those were things I hadn't done yet."

Garling looked at the world.

"If a crime can be committed even if it doesn't happen in the future, everyone could become a toy for the question setter."

Lin Qi looked at the second question and frowned.

Robin whispered, "This question is more difficult than the first one."

Nami asked, "Why?"

Robin looked at Blackbeard: "Because he'll admit to part of the truth, then use the parts that didn't happen to attack the entire question-and-answer mechanism."

Blackbeard looked at Lin Qi through the Sky Screen, his smile growing even more blatant.

"Come on, question setter, it's your turn to give me a verdict this time."