"Cough, cough, Crocodile, can you put me down now?"
Michael lowered his voice and spoke to Crocodile.
"Aren't you now both seriously wounded after clashing with Figarland Garling? Look at the wounds all over your body, and then your pale face. As your subordinate, how could I possibly just set you aside?"
"...I understand what you're saying, but can't you do it another way? Being carried in a princess hold is a bit too much."
"This isn't my fault, blame the difference in our heights."
Crocodile shrugged her shoulders, and with just that one shrug, her astonishing chest pressed forward again.
Michael let out a sigh.
Sure, it felt good.
But he didn't want to enjoy it under the eyes of the public, did he?
He needed to break free from this situation quickly.
So, his face pale gold, Michael suddenly twisted his body and forced himself out of Crocodile's embrace.
He then leaned on "Myōjō" for support, step by step making his way toward the plaintiff's seat.
Spandam met Michael's gaze, and Michael could even see… gratitude in his eyes?
Michael faintly arched a brow. So this kid really was under heavy pressure.
He was actually hoping Michael would stir up an even bigger incident to cover up his own many mistakes.
Although Michael disliked both Spandain and Spandam, in a sense, they were the most suitable CP spies to keep alive in his eyes.
Because they were stupid, malicious, and deeply loved and trusted by the Celestial Dragons.
What's more, with CP spies having died in droves at the hands of Figarland Garling, Spandam would still likely remain heavily relied upon.
"You… can you move aside?" Michael's hoarse voice came out, not loud, but it echoed back and forth in the open-air trial grounds where a pin drop could be heard.
"Ah! Y-yes, of course… please, sit."
As if granted amnesty, Spandam quickly stepped away from the plaintiff's seat, even wiping the chair clean before leaving.
Then he slipped to stand beside the Marine high command.
Before the trial opened, that was exactly where he had been sitting.
Michael turned back, looking at the Marine leaders seated just behind the plaintiff's bench, and gave a light nod, signaling that he was fine.
Then he turned forward, lifted the amplifier, and began to speak:
"Hello everyone, I am Michael the 'Gintaka,' Marine Chief Inspector, who just spoke here earlier."
"As you can see, I have just gone through a great battle. I am the fortunate one, barely managing to support myself to this point."
"But what fills me with grief is that many CP spies have forever closed their eyes because of this incident… including the Five Elders' flagship and two-thirds of the working vessels, all destroyed…"
"And the culprit behind it all is none other than the once highly respected Saint Figarland Garling!"
"As Supreme Commander of God's Knights, he inexplicably launched a devastating assault on the fleet, with no regard for the CP spies on board!"
"I too went through a fierce struggle, and only through a surprise attack did I finally bring Saint Figarland Garling down!"
"And now I am here to press charges, to bring Saint Figarland Garling to trial!"
"I will demand justice for the fallen CP spies!"
Michael's voice trembled slightly, tears welling in his eyes, radiating an awe-inspiring righteousness.
Of course, when he spoke about seeking justice for CP spies, some people already understood…
This guy was about to stir up trouble.
First among them were the Marine high command. At first seeing Michael's condition, they all instinctively stood, ready to rush forward and check on him.
Right now, Michael was someone they could not afford to lose. The Marines of the future still needed his leadership.
Then there were the Five Elders.
Although Michael always thought them not particularly bright, when they suppressed the arrogance born of their overly long lives, their wisdom certainly far exceeded that of ordinary men.
They saw at a glance that though Michael's wounds looked deep enough to show bone, in reality they hardly affected him. Compared to Figarland Garling lying on the ground, Michael's injuries barely counted as light.
And Michael was now playing up the "CP Organization" angle.
Everyone present knew Michael didn't get along with the World Government.
But even if they thought so, since he had proclaimed it publicly before all, they could only swallow their misgivings.
Especially as the Marines began showing signs of slipping free of the World Government's control, the Five Elders had leaned more and more heavily on CP.
At first, many planned to send recruits into the Marines through world conscription to bolster the regional Justice faction. But after careful thought, they decided instead to assign them into CP.
From CP1 through CP9, even the legendary CP0, in recent years these units had reached unprecedented strength.
That was why they had agreed to Spandam's ploy to lure away the enemy, sending CP9's brilliant prodigies to go undercover.
But now…
Figarland Garling had wiped out so many CP spies in a single stroke. How could the Five Elders not feel heartache?
And they did not doubt Michael's account.
After all, he was pressing charges — there must be solid witnesses and evidence.
Besides, the Five Elders knew Garling very well…
And he was absolutely capable of doing such a thing.
"W-what? Vice Admiral Michael! Are you saying… that Saint Figarland Garling slaughtered CP spies?"
The three-headed Judge Baskerville, who had just announced shipwright Tom's acquittal, began sweating profusely from all three faces…
This…
Wasn't this going a bit too far?
Who were they to judge a legendary figure among the Celestial Dragons?
After a sharp intake of breath, they turned again to look toward Michael.
In truth, they didn't want to be dragged into the struggle between Michael and the Five Elders.
"It's fine, Chief Judge Baskerville. I believe the Five Elders themselves would very much like to know why Saint Figarland Garling suddenly went mad and massacred the CP spies."
At Michael's words, Baskerville instinctively looked up toward the Five Elders.
And when he faintly saw them nod, he closed his eyes, drew a deep breath, and raised his gavel again.
"Plaintiff: Marine Chief Inspector, 'Gintaka' Vice Admiral Michael!"
"Defendant: Supreme Commander of God's Knights, Saint Figarland Garling!"
"According to the plaintiff's accusation, the defendant, in a frenzy, slaughtered members of the CP spy organization and gravely injured the plaintiff who tried to stop him!"
"The plaintiff and defendant are now seated. Court is in session!"
Not far away, "Big News" Morgans was joyfully scribbling away at full speed.
On his draft paper, the headline read—
"Shocking! A Celestial Dragon Actually Did Something Like This!"
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