The Dawn System's First Public Trial
"Luo, they're going to attack the village."
Lin Qi stepped out of the Cellar; the streets outside the Tavern were deserted.
The Holy Knights retreated to the rooftops on either side and ceased their attack, clearly having received orders to withdraw.
A row of black dots appeared on the distant sea.
The helper leaned against the doorframe, looking out.
"That's the navy?"
There were no flags flying on the ship.
Let's run.
The chef picked up the tin box containing the money.
"Go through the back of the mountain; there's an old road leading to the village."
Lin Qi turned to look at the system page.
[After the Initial Terminal leaves the bound area, all beneficiaries inherit the Accomplice Mark.]
"You can leave."
The helper asked, "And you?"
"I have to watch the shop."
"Only half the shop is left."
"And there's Cellar."
"You just said the Cellar wasn't in the lease."
"Let's calculate now."
The cook stuffed the money box into Lin Qi's arms.
"Enough talk, let's go."
"After I leave, everyone who answered the questions will be chased."
"They're already in pursuit."
"They're not the same."
What's different?
Lin Qi flipped the Den Den Mushi over so the two could see the list.
Countless names scrolled down the screen.
Some people only answered one question, some received system rewards, and some only submitted the names of the missing people from God Valley during the live stream.
"Press confirm, and they'll all be considered accomplices."
The helper watched for a while.
"Why is this system calculating the accounts so randomly?"
"I taught you."
What did you teach it?
"You can't owe money for drinks."
A new broadcast came from the sea.
[The Extinction Device is entering its final charging phase]
[Estimated launch time: 60 seconds]
Luo's voice came from the Cellar passage.
"Lin Qi, are there any new permissions on the Black Stone Slab?"
There will be a public trial.
"Open."
"Witness Points are required."
How much is left?
"Once you've used them all, that's it."
"Just survive this round."
Who is the subject of the public trial?
"World Government."
Lin Qi stared at the page.
[The Dawn Public Trial will access all witness records from the Initial Terminal]
[Once activated, it cannot be revoked]
[Operators will permanently lose their private question-answering privileges]
"You can't set questions anymore?"
Vegapunk stated, "Private access will disappear; the issues must be publicly reviewed."
Who is responsible for the review?
"I don't know yet."
"That doesn't sound like a good deal."
Luo said, "The cannon has forty seconds left."
"I know."
"Lin Qi."
"Don't rush me, who's responsible if I press the wrong button?"
A white light rose from the sea outside the village.
More than a dozen warships turned their guns to the same position, and the personnel on deck had already evacuated into the protective compartments.
The two knights also left the rooftop and boarded the airship that was parked at the entrance of the village.
Lin Qi returned to the Cellar.
The voice of the First Patient came from the darkness again.
"Once the public trial begins, you will also be tried."
What have I done?
You've changed the question.
"That's allowed by the system."
"What the system allows doesn't mean there won't be consequences."
Lin Qi placed the Den Den Mushi in the center of the Black Stone Slab.
Why do you talk like one of the Five Elders?
The people in the Cellar fell silent.
Only twenty seconds left on the countdown.
The helper stood at the top of the stairs.
"Boss, are you going to press it or not?"
"Weren't you going to run away?"
"The cook took the money box back."
"So what?"
He refused to run empty-handed.
The cook yelled from behind, "That's this month's wages!"
"I'll owe you for now," Lin Qi said.
"You always say that."
"If you survive, you'll be rich."
Where did the money come from?
"Seek compensation from the World Government."
Lin Qi pressed the confirm button.
The world's screens turned from black to blood red.
The warship, which was charging, simultaneously lost control; the white light from the cannons got stuck in the firing tubes, neither extinguishing nor firing.
A golden scale rose from the stone slabs of the Cellar.
[The Dawn Public Trial has begun]
[Evidence for this public trial came from 134.27 million witnesses]
[The party under trial: the World Government]
The Marine Fleet began calling command.
"Launch program locked!"
"Backup control is ineffective!"
"Disconnect the Den Den Mushi relay!"
The order from the Holy Land arrived immediately.
[Execute all correspondents]
[Shut down all civilian Den Den Den Mushi) across the sea area]
Vegapunk connected twenty-seven lines to the public trial footage simultaneously.
"They want to disconnect the live stream."
Luo asked, "How long can it last?"
"The government relay station won't last ten minutes."
What about civilian lines?
"Connecting."
The Revolutionary Army's signals were also added.
The bear projects a map of the sea area onto the screen.
"The relay of 320 civilian nodes has been completed in the East Blue, and the number is still increasing in the North Blue."
"Who organized this?" Dragon asked.
"Local doctor."
The scene then cuts to a clinic in North Blue.
An elderly doctor placed his Den Den Mushi) on the windowsill, and the nearby pharmacy and fishing boats were also receiving a signal.
The Medical Department issued a warning.
[Unauthorized broadcasting of an illegal trial will result in the revocation of one's medical license]
The old doctor adjusted his glasses.
"You must first prove that you are qualified to issue these certificates."
More lines are lit up.
A stack of medical records fell to the left side of the Public Trial Scales.
Lami's nine awakening records, the death registrations of the sixteen children, Garp's duty recordings, and the destruction confirmation letter that Saint Garling just showed are all included as evidence.
Saint Garling demanded the deletion of the last copy.
[This document is classified as World Government secret]
The system provided a response.
Evidence submitted voluntarily by the defendant cannot be withdrawn.
Lami looked at Luo.
He took it out himself.
"Um."
"Can I take it back?"
"Cannot."
"That's too early."
"It's still in the system."
The Five Elders' authority is now integrated into the balance scale.
[World Government Refuses to Accept Trial by an Illegal System]
[Demand the immediate return of the Ancient Throne]
The scales did not respond to the request, only giving a one-hour deadline for the defense.
[Please have the defendant overturn the authenticity of Trafalgar's medical records.]
[If the overthrow is not completed by the deadline, all privileged directives of the World Government will be permanently nullified.]
Government agencies around the world have come to a standstill.
The Port tax order could not be stamped, the naval conscription order lost its authentication, and even the Celestial Dragons' order to clear the area was marked as pending.
Outside the Tavern, the knights who were preparing to leave were refused boarding by the airship.
[Privileges temporarily frozen]
Lin Qi poked his head out of the Cellar.
Are you leaving?
No one answered.
The first question appeared on the Public Trial Scales.
The four answer boxes expand one by one.
[Please identify the true mastermind behind the order to inject the civilians of God Valley with the Amber Lead solution thirty-eight years ago.]
The first option is the King of God Valley from back then.
The second option is the former Director of the Medical Department.
The third option is Doctor Trafalgar.
Before the fourth option was fully displayed, the Five Elders forcibly inserted a mute command.
The next moment, the highest line of the Marine Headquarters was connected by the Public Trial System.
On the screen, Garp is standing outside the warship's command room.
The encrypted Den Den Mushi in his hand was still transmitting the Five Elders' orders.