Spandam clicked his tongue.
"What a bore."
"Hey! Give it to him!"
"Let him speak."
Professor Clover leaned in and whispered to Robin beside him.
"Robin, you need to get out of here. Now."
"If you hear what I have to say, you'll become a criminal too."
Robin stared blankly at Professor Clover.
"Professor..."
Under his anxious gaze, she gritted her teeth, turned, and ran off.
...
He handed the Den Den Mushi to Professor Clover. From the other end, a voice belonging to one of the Elders came through:
"You are the authority in archaeology, Professor Clover of Ohara, correct?"
"You've made outstanding contributions to the world's culture."
"And yet, you chose the path of crime."
"What a shame."
Professor Clover responded:
"History belongs to all humanity."
"No one has the right to suppress the curiosity to seek the truth."
"Stop pretending, Elder."
The Elder replied from the other end:
"If you decipher the Poneglyphs, you might awaken the Ancient Weapons."
"If those fall into the wrong hands, they could plunge the world into chaos."
Professor Clover said in a low voice:
"No matter what history holds,"
"As long as it was created by mankind, we should accept all of it."
"If we can fearlessly understand everything,"
"Then no matter what happens, we'll find a way to respond."
The Elder said:
"Your ideas are far too idealistic."
Professor Clover replied:
"Is that so?"
"Or is it because history contains secrets you want to keep buried?"
"Rather than the contents recorded in the Poneglyphs, what we really want to know is why they exist."
"Why did our ancestors record these truths on indestructible stone tablets and scatter them across the world?"
"It must have been because they feared destruction."
"Which means, at the time, there were opposing forces in the world."
"Assuming they were wiped out by some existence..."
"Then their enemies must have continued to exist throughout history."
"And as it just so happens..."
"That was the era when the World Government was founded."
"So is it not possible that the World Government erased the unfavorable parts of history?"
"Through decoding ancient texts and several Poneglyphs,"
"We've discovered that a great kingdom once existed."
"It seemed to possess immense power."
"But now, it's been completely erased."
"Back then, facing the alliance that would become the World Government,"
"They must have realized defeat was inevitable."
"To preserve their ideals,"
"They carved all truths into indestructible stone—the Poneglyphs we have today."
"The existence and ideology of that kingdom... that's your true threat, isn't it?"
"As for the threat itself, we haven't yet discovered it."
"But—"
"Its name is—"
Suddenly, the Elder's voice shouted from the Den Den Mushi:
"Kill him."
Bang—
A gunshot rang out...
The Elder's cold voice followed:
"They know too much..."
"Initiate the Buster Call."
"Target the entire island of Ohara."
"Knowledge is passed down—we cannot allow it to escape this island."
"Not a single person must be spared."
"Leave no one alive."
...
At sea, the Buster Call fleet.
Suddenly, all ten warships' alarms blared simultaneously.
"Buster Call has been initiated!"
"All ships, assume position!!!!"
"Prepare to fire!"
BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM—
Dozens of cannons from each warship rained fire onto the island like there was no tomorrow.
...
On Sakazuki's warship.
Enel silently watched, unable to hold back a sigh.
"So cruel..."
Sakazuki muttered softly:
"Cruel, huh..."
...
On Kuzan's warship.
A lookout raised his binoculars.
"Vice Admiral Kuzan!"
Kuzan snapped:
"What now?"
The lookout swallowed hard and said:
"Without a doubt..."
"It's him!!!!"
Veins bulged on Kuzan's forehead.
"Who?! Spit it out, damn it!"
The lookout shouted:
"It's... Vice Admiral Saul, who escaped!"
Kuzan grabbed the binoculars.
"What?!"
...
BOOM—
A cannonball struck Saul directly on the head.
On the warship, the soldier who fired the shot looked stunned.
"I... I hit him!!!"
"I'm sorry!!!"
Another soldier smacked him.
"Sorry for what?!"
"He's already an accomplice to criminals!"
"Idiot!"
But even he couldn't hide his nerves as he stared at Saul.
Saul shook his head and looked down at Robin in his hand, gently placing her on the ground.
"Sorry I scared you, Robin."
"Wait for me, okay?"
Then he rushed toward the warship at the shore.
"This is the one that fired at us."
"What if Robin had been hurt?"
Saul grabbed the bow of the warship with both hands.
The soldiers on board looked horrified.
"Stop!"
"No! Vice Admiral Saul!"
But Saul ignored them.
"I no longer know what true justice is."
"I just want to protect my friend."
"Prepare to die!!!"
"Anyone who stands against me—there's no happy ending!"
Then, using the monstrous strength of a giant, he lifted the massive warship high into the air.
Countless soldiers tumbled off it.
From afar, Sakazuki saw this and instantly turned his arm into magma.
"Bastard!"
"What the hell is he doing!!!"
"Dark Hound!!!"
A magma hound's head extended infinitely, roaring toward Saul's head at blistering speed.
Holding the warship above him, Saul's nerves screamed with danger.
"Ice Time Capsule!"
Suddenly, Kuzan's voice echoed by Saul's ear.
A blast of frigid air struck Saul's head, freezing his left cheek.
It knocked his head sharply to the right.
BOOM—
The blazing Dark Hound hit, tearing off part of Saul's left cheek along with the ice, and passed through.
Saul staggered, gasping for breath.
Enduring the searing pain, he hurled the warship with all his might at another battleship, then turned and fled.
CRACK!
A flash of lightning exploded in the sky.
Enel's figure appeared above the airborne warship in an instant.
He dropped down and stomped hard on the warship's tilted hull.
BOOM!!!!
The massive ship was slammed upright and splashed into the sea.
Waves rose several meters high.
Then Enel returned to Sakazuki's warship.
Everyone on board looked grim.
Even the mild-tempered Karol wore a dark expression.
"What the hell is he thinking?"
"Aren't the lives of Marine soldiers lives too?"
"Splitting two warships in half like that... people died. Not just one or two."
"He didn't think about the consequences at all."
"And yet he dares to shout about following his own justice?"
"How is that any different from a pirate?"
Sakazuki couldn't hold back his murderous intent.
"Enel, you go supervise Kuzan."
"Make sure he kills Saul himself."
"Then, right in front of him, turn Saul's corpse to ash with your lightning."
"Bullet, you lead a rescue team."
Enel nodded solemnly.
"Understood."
CRACK—
He vanished in a flash of lightning.
Bullet responded immediately and organized his team to dive in.
Sakazuki stared coldly at the shore.
"Damn D..."
It's not just stupidity—they've hidden their malice to the extreme.
Shouting about their so-called justice while mercilessly slaughtering Marine soldiers.
Unilaterally deciding what's right and wrong in this world.
And worst of all, we've got stupid-headed teammates running off to help him.
"Report! Vice Admiral Sakazuki!"
"A refugee ship has just set sail from the island ahead!"
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