Before the Final Offensive

Although everyone knew Ace meant no harm, they still could not help glancing at Jozu and the others.

It was merely instinctive, but they began pondering Ace's words. Ace was right—what if someone refused to accept the outcome of this vote?

As they thought, everyone shifted their attention away from Jozu and onto Leo.

Leo gave them a slight nod. He rather approved of and appreciated their argumentative spirit, then continued explaining, "There are two steps. First, we need to reach a consensus on the bottom line."

"What does a bottom-line consensus mean?" Leo gave an example. "Debts must be repaid, and murder must be answered with death. No one has any objections to that, right?"

Everyone nodded in unison.

If the Nine Red Scabbards had not so viciously killed twenty-one Revolutionary Army comrades this time, the Revolutionary Army had originally intended to capture ten of them alive.

Duke Inuarashi, Master Nekomamushi, and Kawamatsu had all been captured alive through overwhelming force. But they had committed murder. As the saying went, debts must be repaid, and murder must be answered with death. The lives of only five Nine Red Scabbards were far from enough to repay the lives of twenty-one comrades.

Therefore, even Jozu and the others had no objections to the executions of Kawamatsu, Duke Inuarashi, and Master Nekomamushi. If Momonosuke had been an adult, no one would likely have objected to killing him either. They would only have praised Oden's descendant for having guts.

"So, what should be done if someone violates this overarching principle during a vote?" Like the most patient teacher in the world, Leo instructed these "students."

The meeting room fell silent once again. Everyone continued thinking, yet they still could not find a solution in this proposition.

Sabo was indeed Sabo. Although he had