The World of Pirates.
Marine Headquarters, Marineford–Courtroom of the Judiciary Division.
At the highest seat of the courtroom sat a judge with three heads. Six eyes gleamed with an unsettling light as they all stared directly at the defendant's seat.
To the judge's left, Fleet Admiral Sengoku of the Navy Headquarters looked solemnly at a stack of documents in front of him.
Seated in the jury section were all the senior officers of Marine Headquarters.
In the first row sat two of the Navy's three Admirals: Sakazuki and Borsalino.
Flanking the two Admirals were Admiral candidates: Vice Admiral Gion and Vice Admiral Tokikake.
Behind them were other Vice Admirals, including Onigumo, Doberman, and Momonga, all seated in order.
Like Sengoku, the Admirals and many Vice Admirals present looked serious, all gazing at the empty defendant's seat.
On both sides of the courtroom, dozens of Marine officers were gathered. As the trial had not yet begun, they whispered quietly among themselves.
"Silence!"
Suddenly, the judge raised his gavel and struck it down forcefully. "The trial begins!"
After a brief pause, the three-headed judge looked toward the courtroom doors and spoke in unison: "Bring him in!"
At the same time...
Outside the courtroom.
Wearing a Vice Admiral's uniform, Elio stared blankly at the tightly closed courtroom doors.
Unknowingly, six years had passed since he accidentally transmigrated into the world of One Piece.
During those six years, he had trained hard and mastered the Navy's Six Powers (Rokushiki), Armament Haki, and Observation Haki. He also honed his swordsmanship to the level of a great swordsman, and a year ago, he unexpectedly awakened Conqueror's Haki.
Of course, none of that was the most important part.
What mattered was that when he first joined the Navy, it wasn't out of any lofty pursuit of justice, but simply to survive longer in this world.
So, while training to improve his strength, he also did his best to build good relationships with his colleagues.
He firmly believed that no matter the world, even one ruled by the strong like this pirate world, life wasn't just about fighting. Social connections were universal.
Through his interactions with others, he gradually discovered that the lower-ranking Marines lived extremely difficult lives. They had to be prepared to risk their lives fighting powerful pirates at any moment, while also worrying constantly about making ends meet.
Marine soldiers' salaries were negligible, and the higher-ups always talked about justice to cover up the issue.
As someone with no family in this world, Elio didn't care much about his own pay, he just needed a place to sleep and a canteen to fill his stomach. But other soldiers didn't have that luxury. They had families to feed.
So whenever he received his salary, he used it to help comrades in need.
Gradually, more and more Marines became his friends. Whenever they went on missions to hunt pirates, those he had helped would always rush ahead to shield him, creating a wall of protection to keep him safe.
As his strength and reputation grew within Headquarters, he came to the attention of senior officers.
After completing a year-long mission outside the base, he joined the officer training program. Upon completing the six-month program, he was promoted to Ensign and received both subordinates and a decent pay increase.
Using the convenience of his position, he began collecting "illegal funds" and redistributing them to the subordinates who needed help. Not only that, but he also secretly colluded with bounty hunters. He would intentionally let certain pirates escape, then tip off those bounty hunters to capture them, splitting the bounty.
Over time, his strength soared, and his rank rose quickly. Within just a few years, he had become a Vice Admiral.
By the time he achieved that rank, he had helped over ten thousand Marine soldiers. Many of them, now free of personal worries, threw themselves into the cause of justice and stood shoulder to shoulder with him.
Some became his direct subordinates. Others, moved by gratitude, saw him as a figure of belief.
But good fortune doesn't last forever.
When he diverted a large amount of government funds to help several struggling officers, he was caught by the Navy's Internal Investigation Unit and eventually arrested.
Just as Elio was staring blankly at the courtroom doors, they suddenly swung open.
Two bailiffs quickly approached him, standing straight and saluting. Despite his status as a criminal, they showed him no contempt, only admiration.
"Vice Admiral Elio!"
Before Elio could respond, the dozens of Marine officers standing behind him stepped forward in unison.
Hearing this, Elio turned around and swept his gentle gaze over the group of fanatical-looking officers, then smiled slightly.
Without hesitation, he raised his head and chest and strode into the courtroom.
Woosh~
As soon as Elio entered, nearly all the officers seated on both sides of the courtroom stood up, turning to face him. Some showed fanaticism, others clenched their fists, and many looked eagerly toward him. Of course, there were also a few whose nervousness made them sweat profusely.
Those showing eagerness and admiration were all people he had helped in the past. But those sweating nervously were the ones who had secretly worked with him. If Elio exposed them during the trial, they would be sharing his fate.
Elio ignored those who stood and walked straight to the defendant's seat. Then he raised his head slightly and looked at the three-headed judge.
Seeing this, the officers who had stood up turned back around, all eyes on the judge.
"Vice Admiral Elio!"
Feeling the sudden surge of invisible pressure, the judge swallowed hard before striking his gavel again and speaking gravely:
"The evidence of your embezzlement and bribery is conclusive. According to the Internal Investigation Unit, you've embezzled a total of 200 billion Berries since joining the Navy. Do you admit this?"
"I do," Elio nodded.
"Very well." The judge secretly sighed in relief and continued, "But the investigation team spent three full months searching everywhere and only found 120,000 Berries at your residence. So, where is the rest of the 200 billion Berries? Did you have accomplices who shared the loot with you?"
The courtroom instantly fell silent.
Some were deeply moved by the fact that Elio embezzled 200 billion but kept virtually none of it. They knew how much he had helped them over the years, but hadn't realized he had left himself with nothing.
Others, however, were on the verge of suffocation at the judge's question; if Elio named them, they too would face prison.
"No one else was involved!"
At that moment, Elio's voice rang out like a bell, clear and forceful in every officer's ears.
"I spent it all myself."
"You're lying!" The judge raised his voice sharply and barked, "According to the investigation, you own no assets, live in government-assigned housing, and haven't changed your furniture in six years. How could you possibly spend 200 billion Berries alone?!"
Elio remained calm.
"I enjoy lighting my cigarettes with Berries."