Sakazuki looked steadily at Enel.
"As for whether killing them was right or wrong—
There's no simple answer.
From a moral standpoint,
We were wrong.
But from the perspective of justice—
They're pirates.
They have to die.
Their very existence is a mistake.
They drift between justice and evil.
A few acts of heroism, and people call them heroes.
They deny the evil that pirates stand for, yet also reject the justice the Marines represent.
But what's the reality?"
By now, Enel's gaze had grown resolute.
"The reality is, pirates like that are rare.
Sure, some save people—but it's pirates who slaughter and plunder, too…"
Sakazuki nodded.
"Exactly.
You're learning.
There are rotten apples in the Marines, and good people among pirates.
But do a few exceptions erase Marine justice?
Do they absolve the evil of piracy?
Every year, pirates massacre civilians—far more than the population of this town.
Every year, Marines die protecting the innocent—also more than this town's entire population.
People like Blake—pirates who do a few good deeds—
Twist the line between justice and evil.
That's unforgivable to the Marines who fell in battle, and to the civilians slaughtered by pirates."
Enel nodded in agreement.
Sakazuki continued,
"These past two days, I've shown you so much—
To tell you: there's no absolute light or darkness.
Those who achieve great things can't act on emotion alone.
There's darkness in the Marines, and light among pirates.
But sometimes, you have to choose.
Even if, in the future, some island is massacred and plundered
Because the Music Note Pirates are gone—
They still had to die.
They were pirates worshipped as heroes. Their will lives on in this island,
Influencing the next generation.
If we spared them just because they hadn't done wrong,
Then piracy on these seas would never end."
Sakazuki gazed into the distance.
"The road to the light is always paved with thorns.
You can't stop just because you fear sacrifice or feel pity.
Countless have fallen on the eve of dawn.
At the God Valley incident, the Four Blues' branch soldiers were wiped out layer by layer.
At the Skagri Sea Battle, G4 branch was annihilated, over twenty thousand headquarters Marines perished.
The memorial at Marineford isn't just a list of names—
Those were living, breathing people.
And that's only a fraction of the sacrifice.
There are far more dead soldiers and civilians than anyone could ever count.
We bear the world's future on our shoulders.
We must make choices—and bear the consequences.
Will you choose mercy and let the world die a slow death,
Or draw your blade and fight back from the brink?
What will you do?"
In that moment, Enel seemed to grow up all at once.
"Fight back from the brink."
Sakazuki nodded.
"Good. Fight back.
This path will be soaked in blood and sacrifice—
Civilians, soldiers, family, friends.
But there's no turning back.
If you look back at the fallen, you'll soften, you'll hesitate.
But that exposes your weakness—and everything will be lost.
Since the beginning of time, every revolution has come with blood and sacrifice.
What ends an age of chaos—
Is the sword, not words.
For now, we bide our time and build our strength.
When the moment comes, strike with thunder, reshape the world,
Sweep all the trash into the dustbin of history.
The new world won't be perfect—
Where there's light, there'll always be shadow.
But… at least it'll be better than this."
Enel nodded, hard.
The two stood together, watching the sun set for a long, long time...
Suddenly, Sakazuki let out a rare, gentle chuckle.
"Come on.
Lesson's over."
Beneath the setting sun, their shadows stretched long and farther still, fading into the twilight…
A few days later, on Palini Island.
A Marine warship glided slowly into the harbor.
A surge of Observation Haki swept across the entire island.
On deck, Garp couldn't wait any longer—he leapt off the ship with a booming laugh:
"Hahahahaha! Found you!"
"Sengoku!!!"
His voice echoed across the island as his figure zipped through the air.
At that moment, Sengoku felt something—a familiar presence was closing in fast.
His brow furrowed. To be safe, he turned to the scruffy child beside him:
"Rosinante, go hide inside."
The dirty little Rosinante blinked, then nodded softly.
"Okay."
He ran into the house.
Moments later—
BANG!
A figure crashed to the ground. Garp grinned ear-to-ear at Sengoku:
"Hahahahaha! Finally found you, Sengoku!"
Sengoku frowned.
"Who are you? Have we met?"
Garp froze, eyes wide.
"I'm Garp! Don't tell me you've lost your memory?!"
Sengoku couldn't figure out this guy's intentions, but his instincts said he meant no harm.
In fact, he felt oddly familiar—like an old friend. He nodded, uncertain.
Garp flashed a huge grin, clenching his fist and coating it in Haki.
"Must've banged your head during the Skagri Sea Battle.
One more whack should fix it."
Sengoku eyed Garp's wicked smile and felt a chill.
He tried to dodge, but with his memory gone, his reflexes just weren't enough.
"Bone Crusher!"
With a shout, Garp vanished.
In the next instant, under Sengoku's horrified stare, Garp's fist shattered his glasses and slammed into his forehead.
Sengoku was sent flying, smashing through the house and a line of trees before finally crashing to the ground, unmoving.
Rosinante saw Sengoku crash through the house and ran to him, crying in worry.
And sure enough—Garp's punch had "cured" him.
But the concussion left his head spinning, and the sudden rush of colliding memories left him dazed and unable to stand.
Still, he could sense everything around him.
Rosinante tried to shake Sengoku awake, but he didn't budge.
From afar, Garp sauntered over, picking his nose.
"Stop shaking him, kid. He's fine."
"Where'd you come from? Did Sengoku pick you up?"
"Move aside—Sengoku's not fixed yet. I'll give him a few more punches."
Rosinante's small frame spread his arms wide, blocking Sengoku protectively.
Garp widened his eyes, feigning menace:
"You wanna taste my Fist of Love?!"
Rosinante gulped, fear in his eyes, but he didn't back down.
Garp raised his fist, grinning:
"Well, in that case—"
Suddenly, golden light erupted behind Rosinante.
"GARP!!!"
Sengoku's furious roar thundered out.
A golden giant a hundred meters tall appeared, white light blazing in its palm as it crashed down toward Garp without hesitation.
WHOOOM—
Garp looked up at the incoming shockwave and burst out laughing:
"Hahahahaha! Looks like you're back to normal, Sengoku!"
Armament Haki surged as he raised his fist to meet the blow.
Sengoku bellowed,
"Go to hell, you bastard!!"
~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~
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