Who Gets to Cut the Hostage Line

"Who has the authority to sever the hostages' bonds?"

When Lin Qi read the message aloud, no one in the Tavern responded. Only the computer fan spun faster and faster, the Golden Light at the edge of the screen trembling under the pressure of the black lines.

Makino closed the ledger.

"First, ask if cutting it will hurt the child."

Vegapunk immediately took over.

"If it is cut by external force, the Maintenance Bay Protection Zone will be subjected to a backlash. Xinggang has just come out of the Cryogenic Pod and cannot withstand a second freezing."

Bonney held Xing tightly, her arms tightening and then relaxing, as if afraid that she might hurt him if she used too much force.

"Then don't force it."

Sabo stood in front of her, the flames burning along the black chains, but not touching them directly.

"The chain connects to Garling and the foundation; if it breaks, the vibrations will be transmitted back."

The bear looked in the direction the black chain extended.

"The pain needs to be pushed away."

Bonney immediately turned her head.

"Dad, no."

The bear did not avoid her gaze.

"If this is the only way..."

"There's no other way!"

Bonney practically yelled it out, but as soon as the words left her mouth, she immediately looked at Star in her arms and forced herself to swallow the rest of her sentence.

Xing gripped her sleeve, her lips moving slightly.

"Don't."

Bonney lowered her head.

"You just got a name, don't talk like an adult."

The problem statement is generated from the Sky Screen at this moment.

[Hostage Binding Severance Question]

[Question: When Garling used the victim protection zone on the Chief Adjudication Platform's bench as a binding point to prevent restraint, who should be qualified to cut off the restraint?]

[A. Garling himself can cancel it.]

[B. Throne, recyclable after the Chief Adjudication Platform is processed]

[C. Holy Knights, can be disassembled internally]

[D. Confirmed by representatives of victims within the bound protected area, executed by on-site rescuers, witnessed by multiple parties, and the cutting process must not transfer harm]

Garling looked up at the stars.

"The child can't even speak properly, why do you want him to confirm?"

Lumi immediately stood up.

"Victims are not just represented by Xing."

Garling said coldly, "You're in the distance."

"I'm in my seat."

Lumi pressed the Name Card against the Sky Screen, and the gold patterns on the card lit up.

"You just acknowledged the Victim Seat, and now you want to say I don't count?"

Robin spoke from the Sabaody side.

"The key to option D is that the harm must not be shifted. If Garling attempted to place the cost of cutting off the child's life on the child, it should be considered a secondary act of homicide."

Akainu said, "Navy Seat, D."

Longdao: "Revolutionary Army Seat, D."

Buggy raised his hands, his face grim.

"Pirate Joint Seat D, let me make this clear first, don't make me go down and cut things up, I don't do that kind of work where I'll get chopped up by that old man."

Marco glanced at him.

Nobody told you to get off.

Jinbe said, "Pirate Joint Seat, D."

Makino said, "The Civilian Witness Seat, D."

Lumi looked at the stars.

"Victim Seat, D, I confirm, do not shift the blame onto him."

[Answer: D]

[Eligibility for disabling has been granted]

[Conditions for execution: 1. Confirmation by the Victim Seat; 2. Voluntary participation of on-site rescuers; 3. The cost of cutting off the victim's life must not be borne by a minor victim; 4. If Garling attempts to shift the blame, evidence of destruction of evidence will be automatically added.]

Before the judgment could be settled, the Family Crest on the back of Garling's hand was already pressed against the Chief Adjudication Platform.

"Then I'll add more."

Tiny Red Mark lit up on the inside of the black chain, Red Mark, like living creatures, crawled toward the remains of the star's Cryogenic Pod.

Bonney cursed and backed away, clutching Star.

The bear raised its paw, and its paw-like ability repelled the approaching Red Mark, but the Red Mark returned from the other side of the foundation after being repelled.

"It's looking for the original registration path," Sabo said.

Mia's voice was strained.

"The star's serial number hasn't been abolished yet; the registration remains in the chip inside the Cryogenic Pod."

Vegapunk immediately shouted, "Destroy the chip!"

Garling said, "Destruction registration, that is, destruction protection certificate."

Lin Qi's input box lit up.

"Then abolish the serial number first, and keep the name."

The theme of the Sky Screen should follow.

[Number Deletion Question]

[Question: Since the underage victim has Zixuan her own name and been included in the Protection List, can her old registration number still be used by the Throne to transfer harm?]

[A. Yes, the old ID number takes precedence over the name]

[B. Yes, the refrigeration registration remains valid until it is cancelled.]

[C. Partially possible, but only for maintenance of the Chief Adjudication Platform]

[D. No, the old number indicates an illegal detention record, which can only be used for evidence preservation and cannot be used as a basis for control or transfer of criminal charges.]

Lumi pressed the button the fastest.

"D."

Bonney, holding Star, looked up and called out, "Star, listen to me, your name is Star, not your number."

Xing leaned against her chest, her throat still hoarse, but she tried her best to raise her wrist.

Bonney looked down at him.

What do you want to say?

Xing looked at the number sticker on her wrist.

"Don't want."

Xiong reached out and carefully peeled the number sticker off his wrist.

When the numbered sticker came off his skin, Xing winced in pain, and Bonney immediately covered his eyes.

The bear placed the numbered stickers into the Sky Screen light.

"As evidence of a crime."

[Evidence Received: Illegal Number Label]

[Name Star Priority Increase]

[Old numbering control path frozen]

The Red Mark on the black chain were forced to stop and instead crawled toward Bonney and the bear.

Garling's voice came from the Chief Adjudication Platform.

"The protector can bear the responsibility."

Bonney gritted her teeth.

I knew you'd pull this.

The bear raised its paw.

"I'll do it."

"Dad!"

Bonney.

The bear interrupted her for the first time, his voice not loud, but it made Bonney stop speaking.

"This isn't a decision made for you; it's my own choice."

Bonney held Star in her arms, her eyes reddening.

"You always say it's voluntary."

The bear looked up at the Sky Screen.

"Request to share the costs."

Lin Qi immediately accepted the question.

[Severance Cost-Sharing Question]

[Question: During the hostage-tying and cutting process, if Garling attempts to shift the cost to the protector, is it permissible for multiple adult volunteer rescuers to share the burden, thus preventing the underage victim from being borne by a single protector?]

[A. Not allowed; the cost must be borne by the bound object]

[B. Not allowed; the guardian should bear the responsibility alone]

[C. Allowing the designation of a successor to the Throne]

[D. Multiple adult volunteers are permitted to share the burden under the witness of the Sky Screen, and their personalities, names, and the validity of their testimonies shall not be altered.]

Sabo raised his hand.

"I'm in."

Kizaru's light flashed briefly on the outer ring of the Chief Adjudication Platform.

"I'm joining in too, but don't expect me to write any moving testimonies."

Akainu stared at the screen.

"The Navy may assign adult officers to share the workload, but this must be voluntary and cannot be ordered."

Koby immediately stepped forward.

"I volunteer."

Tashigi gripped the knife.

"I'm willing too."

Luffy raised his hand over the Sabaody.

"Me too!"

Nami grabbed him by the back of his collar.

"Your backlash hasn't subsided yet, don't interfere recklessly."

Luffy looked at her.

But Xing will feel pain.

Robin held down the Straw Hat.

"You can witness, you don't necessarily have to bear it. If your Straw Hat Index is stirred up again, Garling will find a new thread."

Luffy gritted his teeth and finally placed his hand on his Straw Hat.

"Then I will bear witness."

Shanks looked at him without saying a word, but simply pushed his sword out of its sheath a little, then slowly pushed it back in.

The Sky Screen curtain has been lowered.

[Answer: D]

[Voluntary Cost-Sharing Channel opened]

[Candidate adult volunteers: Kuma, Sabo, Kizaru, Koby, Tashigi, Mia, Ka Mi Er, Dan]

Dan stood at the exit of Sabaody, leaning on a wooden stick, and paused for a moment when he heard his own name called.

"Does this old bone of mine count?"

Ka Mi Er, far away in the Navy Protection Zone, twitched the corner of her mouth.

"Your mouth can open a door with your curses, of course it counts."

Dan snorted.

"Then count me in."

Mia exclaimed urgently, "I'm not a combatant!"

Vegapunk said, "You can share a small portion of the pain sensation without having to endure the impact."

Mia looked at Xing's pale face in the Sky Screen and placed her hand on her name tag.

"I volunteer."

Garling's face darkened.

"Are you treating this trial like a charity list?"

Buggy shouted from the Pirate Joint Seat, "Shut up! Didn't you find it ugly when you used children as chains?"

Marco said, "Execute it."

Jinbe voice, "Don't give him another chance to change the order."

Cutting begins.

The black chain was marked segment by segment with Golden Light. Kuma's paw-like ability first pushed out the outermost layer of pain. Sabo burned away the marked outer shell with flames. Kizaru used a light path to guide the recoil to the open ground. Koby and Tashigi each caught two small streams of backflow. Dan's old markings lit up, and he gritted his teeth and cursed, "What's Throne? Using children as door bolts, you dare to sit in the sky?"

The Sky Screen was immediately confirmed.

[The old pattern serves as counter-evidence]

[Hostage Binding Pollution Reduced]

Ka Mi Er's voice followed.

"The Gatekeeper's record states that the Chief Adjudication Platform's bench is not Garling's private property, and the victims inside the maintenance cabin do not belong to any family."

Mia added.

"According to the Medical Department records, Xing's cold storage was registered as unlawful detention."

Lumi held the Name Card above her head.

"The Victim Seat confirmed that Xing was not a hostage."

Bonney hugged Star and looked down at him, asking a question.

Can you tell me? It's okay if you can't.

Xing looked at the Sky Screen, her lips wet with water, her voice so soft it was almost drowned out by the alarm.

"I'm not."

Golden Light from the Sky Screen pierced through the black chain.

[Confirmation of my own intention]

[Hostage Binding and Cutting]

The black chain broke off from the foundation, and the recoil did not fall onto the star. Instead, it was divided into many tiny golden-red dots by the Voluntary Cost-Sharing Channel, which landed on the arms or shoulders of the adult volunteers.

Koby grunted, and Tashigi's scabbard hit the ground, but she steadied the sword.

Kizaru looked at the red dot on the back of his hand.

"Ouch, that really hurts! And nobody's going to reimburse me for this."

Akainu said coldly, "Write it into the Navy's budget review later."

Kizaru glanced at him.

"The Fleet Admiral's words sound more agreeable than before."

Garling's Chief Adjudication Platform was bound in one corner, and black light leaked out from his body, yet he still stood on the table, his face even more sinister than before.

Lin Qi stared at the screen.

"Can it be peeled off now?"

Vegapunk said, "He can be stripped of his authority at the Chief Adjudication Platform, but he still holds the seal of command of the Holy Knights on the ground."

Garling pulled his longsword out of the crack, and a black crown appeared on the blade.

"You severed the hostage situation, but you forgot that I still have military orders."

He raised his hand, and red military command symbols lit up simultaneously on the outer ring of the Holy Land and the exit of Sabaody.

[Holy Knights On-Site Command Activation]

[All knights will abide by the Final Protection Protocol]

The Golden Light in the Sky Screen rapidly turned the pages.

[WARNING: The main team of the Holy Knights is breaking free from the question-and-answer restrictions]

[If the home team responds, Garling can receive a military escort to escape the scene of investigation.]

Shanks looked towards the makeshift Pirate Seat.

"Buggy, Marco, Jinbe."

Buggy's expression changed.

"What?"

Shanks said, "Don't be a coward when it comes to voting."

Buggy yelled, "Who's a coward!"

The main issue of the Sky Screen has resurfaced.

[Should Garling be relieved of his on-site command and listed as the main culprit in the destruction of evidence?]

[Final voting begins]