Navy: I Didn't!

"Good morning, Grandpa Allison."

"Good morning, our little paperboy from stall number 24."

Allison replied with a chuckle.

He certainly recognized the paperboy in front of him, who was only eight or nine years old. His cloudy eyes couldn't make out whether it was Secco or Lange.

There were many such paperboys.

"Would you like to buy a newspaper? Today's paper is selling exceptionally well!"

"More pirate stories? I don't want to read that."

Allison shook his head. At his age, with white hair, he was no longer interested in pirate tales. He simply tidied up his stall for the day, arranging the wild fruits he had picked in the early morning.

He hoped to earn some money.

He couldn't always pick enough wild fruits to sell at his stall every day.

"No!"

The paperboy said excitedly, "It's about the island. The Navy says they're going to liberate the slaves!"

"What!"

Allison's hunched posture straightened instantly, and a layer of mist uncontrollably formed in his cloudy eyes.

He hurriedly took a warm newspaper from the paperboy's hand, while simultaneously stuffing several fruits into the paperboy's embrace.

His eyes weren't good enough to read the ant-like small print below the headline.

But they were enough to see the headline.

"A Response of Justice, Navy Announces Liberation of Slaves!"

It's real!

This is real!

Allison felt an excited tremor throughout his body and fumbled in his cloth bag for a well-worn magnifying glass.

He carefully read it word by word.

"Navy. Major Arrow leads the team."

"Human Auction House. Completely destroyed."

"It's real, this is real!"

"My Perini can finally return, I've finally waited for this day!"

Moist tears slid down the hilly furrows on his face, falling continuously.

Allison didn't know how to describe his feelings at this moment.

Perini, his daughter.

She was kidnapped and sold into this region when she was fourteen.

Ever since then, the small home he had painstakingly built for half his life collapsed with a bang.

No one appealed for them, no one sought justice for them.

The Marines, the white Marines.

When he attempted to resist, they arrested him instead.

He thought he would never see his daughter again in this lifetime.

Now, he saw hope.

Major Arrow, Allison firmly remembered this name.

And not just him.

The World Economic News newspapers scattered across the island like snowflakes in winter.

In almost every street, every human settlement, people could be seen with tears streaming down their faces or beating the ground and weeping.

They had waited too long for justice!

Some people had even hung up the Marine seagull flag, as if to declare ownership of this place, hanging it high on the tallest eaves.

--

"A response from justice. How wonderful."

Sengoku hadn't expected that he too would be so emotionally complex by a newspaper.

Did he not know about the Sabaody Archipelago incident?

Of course, that was impossible.

But what could be done?

"Nonsense!"

At the conference table before him, someone slammed the table heavily and shouted in reprimand.

"The Navy has never responded to the issue of slavery!"

"Someone like Arrow, who acts so recklessly, should be kicked out of the Navy!"

"Fleet Admiral, we can't discuss this any further, we must deal with the Sabaody Archipelago incident immediately!"

This was a meeting of high-ranking Navy officials.

The attendees were all Vice Admiral rank or higher, and also included some World Government officials.

Clearly, they had all seen the same newspaper.

Sengoku lightly wiped his nose, collecting himself.

As Fleet Admiral, he was long accustomed to not revealing his thoughts in front of subordinates or World Government officials.

"I understand, but the existence of slaves is ultimately declared illegal by the World Government. At least from our perspective, what Arrow did..."

But this was a good dream, Sengoku wished it could last a little longer.

"The CP organization won't tolerate it either."

Beside him, the white-haired Navy Chief of Staff, Vice Admiral Tsuru, reminded him.

She was reminding Sengoku.

If the Navy didn't handle this matter promptly.

The CP organization would deal with it in a more brutal manner.

He seemed to have become somewhat indecisive because of the newspaper's headline.

Sengoku shook his head, mocking himself.

Then, in an irrefutable tone, he said:

"Notify the World Economic News, stop reporting on this news, and simultaneously clear out this newspaper from all islands!"

"Also, block news of the Human Auction House, don't give our enemies any opportunities."

"As for Arrow."

He flipped over a file from the table, on which was a picture of Arrow's somewhat youthful face.

"His promotion has issues of violation. I suggest recalling him to headquarters for questioning."

Arrow's promotion certainly had problems.

A Marine who had barely killed any pirates was rapidly promoted to the rank of Major in two to three years.

It's almost comparable to the Pirate King.

However, as long as the higher-ups don't make an issue of these matters, then everything is fine.

If they do, it all becomes leverage.

"I do not agree."

A government official in a black suit stood up.

"This is no longer just an internal matter for your Navy."

"This Major is suspected of murdering an aristocratic noble of a member nation and plundering the noble's legal property. His actions are no different from those of a pirate!"

"This is not your place to speak!"

Sengoku was equally blunt. He was, after all, the Fleet Admiral of the Marines. Was a mere official going to make him change his mind?

"This is the opinion of the Five Elders."

The official said indifferently.

Is this truly the opinion of the Five Elders?

Not necessarily.

At their level, they wouldn't bother with such matters.

But they wouldn't object to such an opinion either.

Sengoku's face showed no change, but his heart felt a sense of loss.

Justice that reigns supreme.

The Navy, under the control of the World Government, could never achieve it.

Recalling Arrow to headquarters was merely a form of protection for him.

"Then he will be temporarily suspended pending an investigation."

Tsuru, standing nearby, offered a more conciliatory suggestion.

"Today's meeting has another agenda item, which is the matter of dealing with the pirate Ace..."

Sicily had a terrible night's sleep today.

Whether it was the barrage of phone calls from the Navy and World Government higher-ups, or Buggy's heart-wrenching words.

It made him feel exhausted.

Yet, this early in the morning, it was noisy outside the base.

"Why is it so noisy outside? Have we been invaded by pirates!"

He put on a stern face, extremely displeased.

The noble was dead, and his future was gone.

Let alone his future, he would be extremely grateful just to keep his current position.

"Major General!"

Diouf rushed over from the base entrance, holding a crumpled newspaper.

"Sir, they're saying the Navy is going to liberate slaves. Is this true?"

"Liberate slaves?!"

Sicily instantly sobered up.

The last person who shouted about liberating slaves had their bones turned to dust!

He almost stammered out: "It wasn't me, I didn't do it!"