Chapter 394 – Plan to Assassinate the Five Elder
Tsukiyama, who still clung to a faint glimmer of hope, fell into despair the moment he felt the oppressive aura radiating from Sakazuki.
Those who possessed such an aura were people with unshakable conviction.
And conviction was something no threat could bend.
"Sakazuki… I'll die here today," Tsukiyama said hoarsely.
"But I'll be waiting for you in the depths. Mark my words—you're digging your own grave by doing this!"
With that, he drew the long sword from his waist and drove it into his chest.
Blood spilled out as he collapsed, unwilling to let himself be further humiliated.
He had made his choice—and accepted the price that came with it.
---
"Fleet Admiral, we are all…"
"Yes, Fleet Admiral, we're willing to do anything for the Navy. Please, don't kill us!"
"Marshal, we've worked our way up step by step. We never wanted things to come to this."
"We were forced into it…!"
"What filthy excuses!" sneered a rear admiral dispatched by the World Government, his face twisted with contempt.
To him, if these men had shown even a shred of resolve, it wouldn't have mattered.
But to betray everything, only to grovel in fear—such trash was unworthy of trust.
"People who can be swayed by friendship so easily… pathetic," he spat.
"Such worms have no place in the great cause we serve!"
---
He turned to Sakazuki.
"Don't think you'll sit in that chair much longer. You know what this means."
And then, without hesitation, he plunged his own hand into his chest.
Blood burst out as he fell dead where he stood.
Another followed, choosing silence as he ended his own life.
The remaining five, however, lacked such resolve.
Cowards clinging to breath, unwilling to pay the price.
---
In Sakazuki's eyes, the three from the World Government were not the ones who disgusted him most.
It was these five, begging for their lives, that he found intolerable.
"Admiral, we don't want to die!"
"Please, don't kill us. Think of our service to the Navy!"
"We have families too. We've already—"
Their voices cracked as they tried to play the emotional card.
But the very fact Sakazuki had gathered them here was proof of his resolve.
There was no more room for words.
"Borsalino. Do it."
"Make it quick. Announce to the public that they fell in battle, and see to it their families are cared for."
Sakazuki closed his eyes.
Despair fell over the five.
Resistance? Futile. Too many here outclassed them in power.
Perhaps, as Sakazuki said, if Kizaru ended it, at least it would be painless.
---
"Fwoosh… shoop, shoop, shoop…"
Light flashed.
In an instant, the five were dead.
Kizaru's expression didn't change. For him, such things were neither difficult nor unfamiliar.
He had seen enough of the sea to know: the victor wears the crown, the loser is forgotten as scum.
---
When it was done, Sakazuki opened his eyes again.
"I believe everyone understands the situation now. You've all shown your choice."
He let the silence hang before speaking again.
"Next, we strike at the very heart of this rotten order."
"Assault the Holy Land. Kill the Five Elders."
The words hit like a thunderclap.
None of them were surprised Sakazuki wouldn't bend. But to hear him speak openly of assassinating the Five Elders still shocked them.
Such an act would set the seas ablaze.
---
"I agree," Garp said gruffly.
"However, we can't move blindly. The intel came from Morgans. Whether his words can be trusted remains to be seen."
Though Garp knew in his gut it was likely true, the others needed a rational reason to move.
"According to the reports, that man will arrive in two days," Sakazuki answered.
"That gives us time to prepare. When Findus shows his true stance, we strike."
"Understood. We'll follow your lead," Garp replied.
---
"But what of the other names mentioned in the phonograph shell?" Gion asked.
Though she held no objection to Sakazuki's plan, the matter of those names needed clarity.
"Anyone whose name is listed will be detained," Sakazuki said coldly.
"Break their silence. Drag the truth of the World Government's scheme from their throats."
No one objected.
Though they had chosen their path, bitterness remained. For years, they had fought for justice—believing the World Government's interests to be their own. To learn it was all manipulation left a heavy weight on their hearts.
---
"Enough. Return to your posts and steady yourselves," Sakazuki ordered.
"Advisors Sengoku, Tsuru, and Garp—I still need your counsel."
The others bowed their heads and left in silence.
Only Sengoku, Kizaru, Fujitora, and Tsuru remained.
---
"Fleet Admiral, if you send them away so easily, what if Morgans overlooked a spy?" Tsuru asked sharply.
"I've spread my Observation Haki across Headquarters," Sakazuki replied.
"If there's any irregular movement, I'll strike before they can act."
Sengoku frowned.
"Then what is it you expect us to do here?"
"With your authority, you can summon them without raising suspicion," Sakazuki explained.
"There's no need to alarm the enemy prematurely. We'll claim it's a mission at sea—once aboard, they'll be cut off from all contact."
His voice carried a cold precision.
Those outside thought of him as reckless brute force.
But in truth, Sakazuki had risen to this throne not by courage alone, but by ruthless calculation.
His schemes were sharp—even if his heart lacked warmth.
---
Sengoku nodded slowly.
"Very well. Leave it to us. You focus on Headquarters."
One by one, they set out to enact his plan.
The storm was about to break.
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