Beyond the Index

"All testimonies outside the catalog?" Robin placed her hand on the edge of the whiteboard, the pen she was copying veering off course, leaving a black mark on the paper, but she didn't erase it. "It's not about releasing the catalog; it's about using the catalog to devour everyone outside of it."

From Vegapunk's end came a series of erratic machine noises. He pushed a small screen in front of the camera. "The Master Page rules are covering the outer chain of evidence: Luo Ya's name field, the Void Seven books, Mia's paper records, and Rayleigh and Buggy's testimonies are all being added to the catalog candidates."

Upon hearing his name called, Buggy pulled his hat brim down. "Hey, what do you mean 'candidate'? I didn't agree to live in that lousy book."

Rayleigh stared at the enormous, unbound book on the Sky Screen, his cup remaining still. "It divides testimonies into two categories: those included in the catalog are under its jurisdiction, while those not included are forgotten by the world."

Akainu said coldly, "This is evidence destruction, not a record."

"What's more troublesome is that it disguises the destruction of certificates as public disclosure, leading the public to believe that the more complete the catalog, the better."

Makino stood beside Lin Qi. The scorch marks on the computer screen had just faded, but black ash was seeping from the keyboard crevices. She pressed a damp cloth against the corner of the table to prevent the wood from being burned through. "Then let the whole world know that the Master Page doesn't automatically represent the truth."

Lin Qi stared at the prompt, his fingers hovering over the keyboard, not immediately dropping them. "I can't ask whether it should be made public; the Throne has already sealed the deal."

Robin said, "To determine the nature of the catalog, first determine whether it is an evidentiary catalog."

Lumi immediately looked up, "And another question: can people outside the catalog be removed?"

Xing held the Name Card, the gold thread still connecting it to Luo Ya. "Is Luo Ya in the catalog?"

The Void Seven of pages came from inside the door. "Luo Ya was once on the Master Page, later changed to Zero of the Gate. The old entry was folded: The Folder, The Throne."

Luo Ya stood before the narrow white doorway, her hand still pressed against her chest, as if she had just learned to put her name back into her body. "I don't want to go back to Yeli."

Sabo shielded him with the flames. "Then we won't go back."

Kizaru's fingertips traced the path of light, his voice tinged with weariness, "Young man, that's easy for you to say. The whole book is awake; I don't want to be relegated to the margins of the table of contents."

Koby raised his arm, which was covered in Armament Haki. "Block the black page first, don't let it touch Luo Ya."

Tashigi held her knife horizontally in front of Mia. "Mia, keep reading the margins of the Master Page, don't look at the text."

Mia's pen paused on the paper, then continued writing, "The first page only has rules, no names. The second page is sealed, and the seal is the King's Name Seal."

Lin Qi typed out the first question, and the Golden Light from the Sky Screen blocked the sound of the giant book turning pages.

[Master Page Nature Review Question]

[Question: Can the Master Page of the Void King Order Archive define which testimonies are valid and invalidate all testimonies outside the directory?]

[A. Yes, the Master Page represents the highest record for the Throne.]

[B. Yes, all noise outside the directory is background noise]

[C. It can be included in the Master Page first, and then explained by the Throne.]

[D. No, the Master Page itself is evidence to be examined, and the validity of the testimony cannot be determined unilaterally. Testimony outside the table of contents is still preserved according to the multi-party verification rule.]

The voice from behind the Black Gate gave no time for the voters to vote, directly pressing down a line of black text on the Sky Screen.

[The Master Page is the central hub of the Memory of the World; those who oppose the Master Page oppose the Memory of the World.]

Buggy pointed at the line of text and yelled, "Stop talking about the world all the time. When did the world ever ask you to keep its accounts?"

Akainu pressed the vote button, "Navy Seat, D, Evidence cannot be used to judge evidence."

Longdao: "Revolutionary Army Seat, D."

Makino glanced at Lin Qi and pressed the button. "Civilian Witness Seats, D. No one can pretend someone who isn't on the list doesn't exist."

Lumi said, "Victim Seat, D, the name cannot be eaten by the book."

Buggy slammed his hand on the Pirate Joint Seat. "D, I live on the sea, not on paper!"

Marco said, "D."

Jinbe said, "D."

[Answer: D]

[Master Pages Type: Evidence Pending Examination]

[Rules for preserving testimony outside the catalog remain in effect]

The black text on the first page of the unsealed giant book was surrounded by Golden Light, but the seal on the second page immediately cracked open, revealing a dense array of numbers. The numbers did not reveal the names of the individuals, but they began to spread to the screens of viewers around the world.

Vegapunk shouted, "It's changed its approach! Instead of erasing testimonies, it's using a sea of numbers to drown them out. Ordinary people won't be able to tell which ones are true!"

Robin frowned. "Information Contamination."

Akainu said, "Don't use technical terms, just ask if we can distribute unverified numbers."

Lin Qi nodded and placed the second question on the board.

[Unverified ID number scattered question]

[Question: Does the Master Page have the right to distribute unverified victim identification numbers worldwide to obfuscate existing chains of evidence and name verification procedures?]

[A. Has the right; the number belongs to the Order Archive]

[B. Having the right to do so means being open and transparent]

[C. Can be distributed but not explained]

[D. Numbers that are not authorized or have not undergone protection procedures must not be publicly disseminated; they should be desensitized, sealed, and verified item by item according to the rescue index.]

Lumi pressed D first, "I don't want the children to be numbered and hung in the sky."

Xing nodded in agreement, "The numbering will hurt."

Upon hearing this, the remaining black mark on Luo Ya's neck lit up again. He moved his hand from his chest to the number and tried to say, "Don't have the number."

Void Seven (blank) "My rejection of this record is established."

Akainu said, "Navy Seat, D."

Longdao: "Revolutionary Army Seat, D."

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

Buggy said, "Pirate Joint Seat D, take back those flying ships."

[Answer: D]

[Distribution of unverified serial numbers suspended]

The numbered tide on the Sky Screen receded back to the Master Page, but the second page did not close. Instead, it dragged the already preserved chain of testimonies to the edge of the page. Luo Ya's name column, the Void Seven books, Rayleigh's testimony, Buggy's interjection, and Mia's Receipt were all framed in a black square.

After Robin clearly saw the title in the box, his voice tightened, "It needs to be merged into the Throne version."

Mia read the following text aloud, "Throne's Composite Narrative, Luo Ya, a relic from God Valley, became a legitimate gatekeeper after being taken over by Figarland, the Roger Pirates' testimony is circumstantial evidence contaminated, and the question setter's interference caused the record to become disordered."

Buggy nearly flipped the railing over the seating area. "How dare it write 'I, the Great One, pollute'?"

Shanks looked at Garling, "Was the takeover of Figarland legal?"

Garling didn't avoid his gaze. "The decree from back then stated it was legal."

Shanks asked, "Who gave the order?"

Garling said, "The Throne."

Rayleigh put down his cup. "Then it's not legal; it's self-written and self-approved."

Lin Qi had already typed in the third question; the lingering heat from the keyboard had burned his fingertips red. Makino pushed the damp cloth over, but he only touched it with the back of his fingers before continuing to type.

[Throne's Composite Narrative Review Question]

[Question: Does the Throne have the authority to rewrite multiple, preserved testimonies into a single Throne version and, by its own decree, prove that Figarland's takeover of Luo Ya was legitimate?]

[A. Has the right, Throne version takes precedence]

[B. Has the right, the God Valley is explained by the Throne]

[C. The Throne version can be used first]

[D. No right; the Throne is the party involved, and its overall narrative must be subject to reverse review; a self-approved order cannot alone prove its legality.]

The voice from behind the Black Gate finally crackled with anger, "You are denying the name of the king."

Akainu said, "Navy Seat, D."

Longdao: "Revolutionary Army Seat, D."

Makino pressed the button. "Civilian Witness Seat, D: The person who made a mistake in the accounting cannot stamp it to make it correct."

Lumi said, "D."

Buggy pressed the button on the Pirate Seat until it rang loudly, "D, no matter how beautifully the Throne is written, it can't hide the fact that it stole children."

[Answer: D]

[Throne's Composite Narrative Retracted]

The black square was torn apart by the Golden Light, Luo Ya's name returned to the independent evidence box. At this moment, Void Seven's book body turned to a Blank page, with only an expanding circular hole in the center of that Blank page.

Void Seven's voice trailed off in the middle of the page, "The Master Page will begin extracting the core of the writer's work. Once that's complete, I'll only have the tool pages left."

Bonney was still gripping his exposed, paper-thin arm. "Stop playing dead. Weren't you talking just now?"

Void Seven answered slowly, "Void Seven doesn't pretend, Void Seven gets slapped."

Sabo said, "Lin Qi, ask about the core's ownership."

Vegapunk said urgently, "It's not just Void Seven; the author's core is connected to the Master Page index. Forcibly dismantling it will release even more unverified names."

Robin immediately added, "It must be limited to protecting only the core of the personality; the full list must not be released."

Lin Qi typed out the problem statement.

[Scribe Personality Core]

[Question: Does the Master Page have the right to extract the Void Seven and restore them to tool pages without willpower?]

[A. Has the authority; the writer is a tool of the Order Archive]

[B. They have the right; disclosing records should strip them of their dignity.]

[C. Can be extracted and backed up later]

[D. No right; the core of the Void Seven personality types should be protected and its record index sealed; the list must not be disclosed without proper procedures.]

After the vote passed, the round hole on the Void Seven page was sealed with Golden Light. However, the third page of the Master Page was turned at this moment, and a string of unfamiliar old numbers rolled out from the bottom of the page, landing right in the restraint circle at Garling's feet.

When Garling saw the number, the mockery on his face finally vanished.

Shanks asked, "Do you recognize him?"

Garling looked up at the narrow white door, his voice hoarse, "This is the first batch of receipts for the Void King Attendant."

Robin immediately asked, "How many people are up there?"

Void Seven answered for him, "Seven people."

Luo Ya looked up, "I'm not the only one?"

A rustling sound came from deep within the Master Page, and a new system notification appeared across the entire screen.

[The First Void King Attendant Intake Record have been activated.]

[Will the former names of the seven Void King Attendant be made public?]