The Silencing Order

"Imu."

After Garling uttered the name, his entire body was pulled forward by the restraint chains, and the black crown pattern on his throat began to burrow into his flesh, as if trying to shove the two words back into his skin.

Shanks drew his sword, but instead of striking Garling, he aimed for the spot where the black markings and gold emblem met on Garin's throat. "Don't let that thing close."

Kizaru's beam slashed down simultaneously. "This job isn't easy. A deep cut will silence them, a shallow cut is useless."

Sabo raised his hand, flames swirling around Garling's neck, burning only the outer layer of the crown's markings. "Don't touch the vocal cords, Vegapunk, give me space."

Vegapunk roared, "The black markings aren't a physical entity. Attack records need to be verified by the Sky Screen. Question setter, make it acknowledge that this is testimony protection!"

Lin Qi's keyboard was clicking loudly. "I know."

[Question on the legality of the Silencing Order]

[Question: Does the Throne have the right to Silencing Order on Garling, who has been listed as a key witness, rendering his testimony invalid, unable to speak, or forced to change his story?]

[A. Has the power; the Throne can protect top secrets]

[B. Has the authority; Garling is an insider of the Holy Land]

[C. It may be kept quiet for now, pending internal review before being made public.]

[D. Unauthorized; Silencing Order constitutes witness silencing and testimony contamination, and should be immediately lifted and the original recording of the speech preserved.]

Akainu stood before the Marine Headquarters screen, the edges of the document beside his fist curled from the heat. "Navy Seat, D."

He glanced at him. "Additionally, the original vocalization record has been simultaneously archived."

Akainu said, "Write it in."

Longdao: "Revolutionary Army Seat, D, and requests that copies of the testimony be stored separately."

Makino looked at the black markings on Garling's throat, no longer flipping through the ledger in her hand. "Civilian Witness Seat, D. No one can sew another's mouth shut."

Lumi looked at Garling, her face devoid of pity. "Victim Seat, D. He should say, not for himself, but for those he harmed."

At the temporary Pirate Joint Seat, Buggy stared at the options. "D. Also, anyone who dares to sew my words on their hat, I'll never forgive them."

Marco said, "D."

Jinbe said, "D."

[Answer: D]

[The Throne Silencing Order is Invalid]

[Garling's original testimony protected]

As the Golden Light pressed into Garling's throat, the black crown pattern was pulled apart in circles, like shackles being forcibly removed, and sealed into the Sky Screen evidence panel.

Garling coughed up blood, bent over, but his lips still moved. "You really want to hear this?"

Sabo stared at him. "Enough nonsense, who gave the order?"

Garling looked up at the Black Gate, "The Empty Throne, Imu."

The voice from behind the Black Gate grew deeper, "Figarland, Garling."

Garling laughed, his cough filled with blood. "It's too late for you to call me now."

The Sky Screen immediately picked up the second sentence.

[Testimony Record 1: Garling confirms that the current holder of the Empty Throne, Imu, directly intervened in the repossession and silenced him]

Robin looked at the records. "That's not enough. He only confirmed intervention, not the Evidence-Destruction Chain."

Akainu said, "Keep asking."

Just as Lin Qi was about to ask a question, Garling spoke first, "You're too slow."

Shanks looked at him. "What are you trying to say?"

Garling raised his bound hand and pointed below the Chief Adjudication Platform. "I didn't build the Chief Adjudication Platform. I'm just a user. The Corona Crown, the Old Blood Bank, the Cold Storage Well, the Transfer Order, the Identity-Erasure Order —they're all connected to the same Throne's Evidence-Destruction Chain."

Mia's voice trembled, "The same one?"

Vegapunk's instruments started alarming; "His statement will activate the link verification."

Garling said, "Of course. Because if I admit it, the Throne will have to choose: cut me off, or cut the entire chain."

Lin Qi frowned deeply as he watched the red notifications flooding the screen. "He's forcing the Throne to cut its tail."

Makino said, "Then leave your tail behind."

Lin Qi immediately added the question.

[Evidence-Destruction Chain Integrity Question]

[Question: Should the matters mentioned in Garling's confession, such as the Corona Crown, the Old Blood Bank, the Cold Storage Well, the Transfer Order, and the Identity-Erasure Order, be considered as part of the same Evidence-Destruction Chain for the Throne and be examined as a whole?]

[A. No, each event is independent]

[B. The review should not focus solely on Garling's personal conduct.]

[C. Not to be merged for now, pending further explanation from within the Throne.]

[D. They should be merged; they share a common goal and continuous authority, and should be reviewed holistically using the Throne Evidence-Destruction Chain to protect all related evidence.]

Looking at the question, Garling shut his mouth instead.

The Throne Mark emerged from the Black Gate, attempting to cover the options with a black seal, causing the Golden Light of the Sky Screen to flicker incessantly.

Kizaru looked up. "This time, the pressure is considerable."

Sabo said, "It's afraid of being merged."

Akainu sneered, "Navy Seat, D."

Longdao: "Revolutionary Army Seat, D."

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

Lumi held Xing's hand, "Victim Seat, D."

Buggy said, "D, separating the trials means dismantling their ledgers."

Marco said, "D."

Jinbe said, "D."

As golden votes poured in from all over the world, the voices that would never be repeated finally came from behind the Black Gate.

"World stability is not to be dismantled."

Robin immediately looked up. "It's using the concept of stability again."

Lin Qi didn't wait for it to form a new question; he immediately added a line.

[The guise of stability must not cover up the review of the Evidence-Destruction Chain]

The Sky Screen will incorporate this into the judgment.

[Answer: D]

[The Throne Evidence-Destruction Chain Overall Review Established]

[Garling's testimony incorporated into the chain of evidence]

The scattered black patterns below the Chief Adjudication Platform were connected by Golden Light, and the Name Cards of all the rescued children— the Medical Department, the Old Archive, the Old Wing Well Corridor, the Scrap Platform, the Old Blood Bank —all lit up.

The stars looked up, "Mine is lit up too."

Bonney shielded him behind her. "That's good, it means they can't hide you back here."

Looking at the Golden Light, Garling's face, for the first time, showed no sarcasm. "You think you've won?"

Shanks said, "You'd better not leave anything unsaid."

Garling said, "The Evidence-Destruction Chain is just the outer layer. What truly emboldened the Throne to do this wasn't the Holy Knights, nor the Five Elders, but the Void King Order Archive."

Vegapunk's pen glided across the paper, "The Void King Order Archive?"

Garling said, "All orders issued directly in Imu's name are not kept in the Holy Land's regular archives, nor are they recorded in the Five Elders' signature pages; they are only recorded in the Void King Order Archive. There, it's not a record of who did what, but rather who is allowed to not exist."

Lumi's face turned pale. "Allowed to not exist?"

Mia murmured, "So many people don't have files, not because they were missed, but because they were deleted from the Order Archive."

Dragon looked at Sabo, "This is the source of the Missing Persons List."

Akainu said, "Location."

Garling looked at Akainu, "What right do you have to ask me that?"

Akainu said, "Because you're still alive."

Garling chuckled and turned to Shanks, "Red-Hair, you want to know too?"

Shanks said, "I want to know where the people who were cut from God Valley are."

Just as Garling was about to answer, a new order came from behind the Black Gate.

"The Void King Order Archive shall not be read aloud."

Black stripes appeared on the Sky Screen.

[Royal Name Secrecy Order activated]

[Object: Location, structure, holder, and victim deletion records of the Void King Order Archive]

[The reader will be deemed a traitor to the Throne, and their testimony will be automatically nullified.]

Lin Qi looked at the words and muttered under his breath, "Another attempt to silence us."

Garling raised his head, the Golden Light on his throat still lingering. "Questioner, do you dare ask? If you do, the Throne will extend the secrecy order to everyone who hears it."

Makino looked at Lin Qi, "Don't try to carry this yourself."

Lin Qi pushed the input box to the World Witness Seat, "This question isn't just about whether I dare to answer it or not."

A new title lit up on the Sky Screen.

[Questions for reviewing Royal Name Secrecy Order]