Tsugikuni Yoriichi felt that his plan had been quite perfect, but he had made one major mistake: when deducing the battle situation, he had judged others by his own standards.
He had believed that the Marines attacking Whole Cake Island would, like himself, at least make a basic distinction between their enemies. While it was impossible for them to leave ordinary civilians completely untouched, they should not have launched indiscriminate destructive attacks like Akainu.
This was simply treating human lives like grass. Akainu's actions matched his position, but they had absolutely nothing to do with the word "Justice" emblazoned on his coat.
To the native residents of Whole Cake Island, Akainu's actions were far more vicious than those of pirates.
"Admiral, if the Marines all follow Akainu's attack pattern and use a 'Buster Call' to bulldoze through Whole Cake Island, then even if we obtain its territory after the war, it will mean very little."
"With no population left, Whole Cake Island will need to be rebuilt from scratch. The population will also need to be resettled and relocated. The time and funds required would be impossible to calculate."
"Should we make some slight adjustments to our plan?"
Kuma stood by the rail not far from Tsugikuni Yoriichi. Seemingly unable to bear watching the tragic scene on Bean Island any longer, he lowered his binoculars and pressed a hand to his temple. Only after steadying himself did he speak to Tsugikuni Yoriichi.
Kuma was kind by nature. Sometimes, even when facing utterly vile pirates, he would reveal his compassion at inappropriate moments. Seeing the Marines launch a horrifying assault comparable to a Buster Call under Akainu's leadership had inevitably reminded Kuma of some painful memories.
His sympathy overflowed.
When the World Government had exterminated the Baccania Tribe, had his people