The Navy's Scandal

Atchison knew a lot of things, so he needed to choose something that would have a smaller impact.

Atchison looked up at the sky and, amidst the gazes of countless people, spoke.

"The Mandra Island incident: In order to eliminate the Great Pirate 'Admiral' Ciel Bonaparte, our navy, to prevent Ciel Bonaparte from escaping, did not arrange for the evacuation of the residents of Mandra Island beforehand, and directly bombarded the entire Mandra Island. This incident ended with the complete annihilation of the 'Admiral's' naval force, and the island's residents all perished in the shelling." Atchison recounted the incident calmly.

"You were afraid this matter would be exposed, so your navy silenced you, weren't you?" Rediat couldn't help but sneer.

Atchison did not refute, falling silent; he had already prepared himself before speaking.

Many people unfamiliar with Charles Bonaparte, the "Admiral," are understandably puzzled.

This is where Morgans came in; he quickly obtained some information about this Great Pirate.

"Admiral" Ciel Bonaparte was a Great Pirate nine years ago with a bounty of 500 million Beli.

More importantly, Ciel Bonaparte poses a threat to the Navy and the World Government.

Ciel Bonaparte is Devil Fruit User. While this fruit doesn't significantly enhance his own strength, it allows him to control his subordinates, increasing their power while also enabling him to send them messages remotely.

In addition, Ciel Bonaparte was a military genius, and he had a large number of pirates under his command, which earned him the title of "Admiral".

It's important to know that at his peak, Charles Bonaparte commanded a massive navy of 60,000 men, and through numerous thefts of naval vessels, he built an enormous naval force.

He was a notorious Great Pirate in the New World at the time, and his name evoked memories for many.

This ability brings a higher level of order than the navy, and also has a psychological impact, making one's subordinates willingly submit to one's will.

Its effectiveness in the war was extremely powerful, posing a huge threat to the Navy and the World Government. They also received information that "Admiral" Ciel Bonaparte's pirate crew was plotting to plunder an Affiliated Nation.

With Ciel Bonaparte's abilities and a powerful pirate army, he definitely has that power.

Fortunately, Charles Bonaparte did not have the strength to match the bounty. He used cannon fire to create chaos in their army, and then sent strongmen to infiltrate the island where Charles Bonaparte was staying to carry out a decapitation operation.

In the end, they obviously succeeded. However, the effects of the Army-Army Fruit were not so simple, and Ciel Bonaparte was not weak either. The Navy also suffered huge losses before they were able to eliminate Ciel Bonaparte, destroy this massive pirate army, and also destroy Mandra Island.

Morgans revealed information about Ciel Bonaparte, letting the world know what Great Pirate had been dealt with in that incident.

The sheer size of the army—60,000—was astounding. While it paled in comparison to the armies of those nations, these were, after all, pirates.

Others, however, couldn't help but become interested in the Army-Army Fruit, which, as the name suggests, Devil Fruit specifically designed for armies and war.

For example, the newly established Revolutionary Army, upon hearing of this capability, couldn't help but take it to heart. Obtaining this capability would undoubtedly be of great benefit to them and would have important strategic value.

Rediat's words angered the inhabitants of the world. How could so many people on the island have been wiped out amidst the gunfire? If they saw the navy, they could have asked for help. At the very least, if they had hidden, there would surely have been survivors.

If there's still no news, it's very possible that, just as Rediat said, he was silenced by the Navy.

They couldn't help but feel disbelief, disbelief, and even a chill. Was this the navy that upheld justice?

Upon hearing Rediat's words, Atchison didn't reply. "Now you can let them go, right?"

How could this be? Rediat wouldn't let it go so easily; a cold smile crept across his face.

"It's not over yet. Shouldn't the Navy's justice be based on protecting civilians? Why would you do something like this? Is it because you believe that eliminating pirates is more important than protecting civilians? Therefore, as long as you can eliminate pirates, even if civilians die as a result, in your hearts, it's considered a sacrifice for justice. So, you Navy people have no burden in your hearts, is that right?" Rediat stared intently at Atchison, his words carrying a chilling intent.

Atchison dared not look Rediat in the eye; Rediat's words pierced his heart. He glanced away, looking to the side, and remained silent.

Upon hearing these words, most people in the world were outraged, clenching their fists in anger. Humans are selfish; who would willingly sacrifice themselves for justice without even knowing it?

The Mandra Island incident was an absolute disaster for the island's inhabitants. The military and pirate crews weren't permanently stationed on Mandra Island; they would plunder and leave in a few days. However, due to the Navy's decision, the price for eliminating a single pirate was their lives.

If that's the case, then the Navy is terrifying, even more terrifying than pirates.

Most pirates are primarily focused on plundering treasure. Pirate crews that truly enjoy killing and slaughter wherever they go are relatively rare. Otherwise, in a place like the New World, the inhabitants would have been almost entirely wiped out long ago.

"Stop talking!" Marine Headquarters, along with other Marine General Sengoku.

It's completely out of control. The impact of Rediat's words on the Navy is unimaginable, especially on its reputation among the public. In this era, the Navy is already under immense pressure.

"Admiral Sengoku, I want to know the specifics of this incident, and who made this decision," Kuzan spoke up at this moment, looking at Sengoku with a resolute tone in his voice. "I should have the right to know."

Kuzan, though gradually leaning towards "lazy justice"—believing that "justice" is interpreted differently by people with different stances and changes with their stances, so he doesn't question other people's "justice"—still finds it hard to accept this news. This is no longer for justice; it's a very selfish decision.

"Kuzan, calm down," Tsuru advised from beside him.

"I need to know. This is no different from pirate behavior. If I find out who it is, I will personally clean house." Kuzan was enraged and said coldly, emanating a chilling aura that made people feel cold. However, Kuzan also calmed down. He had no doubt about the truth of the matter. The only thing that could be covered up was a scandal.

This startled the surrounding Marine General. One Marine Vice Admiral was visibly frightened, his body trembling slightly. Some with strong Observation Haki noticed this and instantly recognized who had done it. Kuzan's Observation Haki had been monitoring the entire conference room.

In the next instant, ice condensed from Kuzan's body down the ground, freezing the lower half of the Marine Vice Admiral's body and preventing him from escaping.

The Navy personnel who saw this footage gritted their teeth. They desperately wanted to say that this wasn't how it was, that this wasn't the Navy they knew. However, they didn't know what the Navy personnel who intervened were thinking, or why they made that decision.

How could marines who hadn't reached the higher-ups know what those higher-ups were thinking?

At this moment, the passion in their hearts turned cold. They had joined the Navy with a sense of justice, but they never expected that the Navy would do such a thing. How could they not think about it?

More importantly, the Navy did indeed do this; Vice Admiral Atchison himself said so. How could it be false? Would anyone slander the Navy? Nobody would believe that.

Moreover, they couldn't refute Rediat's words; what they really wanted to know was why. Was it really true?

Rediat wasn't finished speaking.

"Or rather, has the Navy reached the point of disregarding civilian lives? In order to eliminate the pirates' military achievements, it doesn't matter if some civilians are killed indiscriminately. After all, with military achievements, one can get promoted, receive a raise, and gain more power. No one will care if those civilians die."

"This is certainly not the first time something like this has happened; there have been many. This is a relatively large incident. The Navy is such a large organization, and there must be many similar incidents happening all over the world. If possible, please tell us who the high-ranking naval officer in charge of that incident was. I feel that his crimes should be publicly punished."

Rediat's smile sent a chill down the spine of the Marine Headquarters Marine Vice Admiral. He glanced around; Kuzan had his eye on him, and the other Marine General's gazes clearly indicated they were going to abandon him. He could already imagine that countless civilians would kill him afterward, and under such circumstances, he would be utterly powerless to resist.

Now, he could only hope that Atchison wouldn't reveal his name.

Rediat's second conjecture also frightened many people: that in pursuit of military merit, civilian lives were disregarded, and civilians were even indiscriminately killed. There must be such people in the navy.

This situation makes the navy seem like the evil one, whether it's for military merit or putting pirates first, which is unacceptable to the common people of this world.

Atchison remained silent, realizing Rediat's sinister intentions. He hadn't expected that a single incident would lead Rediat to say something so damaging to the Navy, and that his analysis made a lot of sense.

"Are you sure you don't want to talk? You can't hide it. Even if you don't, you can't hide it from the world. I forgot to tell you, if you tell one incident, you can save the lives of a thousand marines, but I'm only giving you two chances. That means you can only save a maximum of two thousand marines." Rediat's words made Atchison's expression change.

"And by saying this name, you can save the lives of another five hundred marines." Rediat smiled. Atchison was already trapped in his scheme and couldn't escape this quagmire.

"Speak. Such an incident might have been covered up within the Navy, but now that it's been exposed, that Marine General will definitely be dealt with. You could say he's doomed. By revealing his name, you're saving the lives of five hundred naval personnel before you die, which can be considered a small contribution."

"It's Nickt." Atchison said the name nervously, which made the Marine Vice Admiral in the Marine Headquarters conference room breathe a sigh of relief.

"Oh? Is that so? One of the men who fought Teach was already doomed to die. In that case, our Night Pirates have cleaned up a major scourge for your Navy. So, shouldn't we give you a medal of honor or something, like a banner that says 'Partners of Justice'?"

Rediat laughed mockingly, causing some people to burst into laughter. Such a pirate crew, with tens of thousands of marines killed at the hands of the Night Pirates, and so many powerful members, the thought of the marines presenting such a banner to the Night Pirates made them want to laugh.

But they knew it was impossible, and even so, they still wanted to laugh.

"However, you're lying. Don't think you can fool my eyes. Tell me, who is it?" Rediat's words made the Marine Vice Admiral, who had just breathed a sigh of relief, stiffen.

The others were stunned. There was a plot twist. Atchison had lied and hadn't revealed the navy officer's real name. This was understandable, as the officer was a high-ranking member of the navy and an important fighting force. They couldn't afford to lose one of them for nothing.

If the two Marine Vice Admiral are no match for "Dark Emperor" Teach, then there's no need to use them; they'd likely be defeated and killed by Teach. Using his name to save the lives of a Marine Vice Admiral and five hundred sailors would be a very worthwhile trade.

However, Rediat saw through it.

Rediat already knew who that person was, but he didn't want to reveal his special ability of Observation Haki.

The only options were to force Atchison to reveal it himself, or to test him one by one. Atchison chose the latter, as this would not expose his abilities but would only demonstrate that his Observation Haki was very strong.

However, Rediat's abilities could not be hidden from anyone. Even though he was at the very bottom of Impel Down and could only see images, Redfield sensed the presence of a kindred spirit. He knew that Rediat possessed the same abilities as him, and like him, he was born with Observation Haki Observation Haki, which grants him the ability to "read minds."

No wonder they're his descendants!

"You won't tell me? Then I'll guess." Rediat didn't give Atchison a chance.