A long time?
Sengoku, Garp, Tsuru, and the many Marine soldiers couldn't help but fix their gazes on Luo Chen.
Everything, from start to finish, had only been about a month.
Yet Luo Chen had gone from a mere Lieutenant Commander of an East Blue branch to a powerful criminal who now required two Marine Admirals to capture.
They found it hard to imagine how he had done it. Such a rapid rate of improvement was unheard of and unseen.
Sengoku's gaze swept over Aokiji and Kizaru. Although both had changed into fresh "Justice" overcoats, the injuries on their bodies and faces were still present.
He had faced two Admirals alone and still managed to injure them. Luo Chen's strength was likely extremely close to that of a Marine Admiral.
"Take him away. Lock him in the prison," Sengoku ordered.
With so many Marines present, it wasn't convenient to converse much with Luo Chen.
Back at Marine Headquarters, Aokiji and Kizaru finally relaxed completely, allowing the regular Marines to escort Luo Chen to the prison.
He was already in Sea-Prism Stone handcuffs, rendering all of his fruit abilities unusable. In Marine Headquarters, which was full of powerful fighters, he couldn't escape even if he had wings.
After Luo Chen was led away, Sengoku asked Aokiji, "Why don't I see Vice Admiral Gmil, Vice Admiral Dalmatian, and the others?"
Aokiji silently shook his head and said, "Vice Admiral Gmil is severely injured and was temporarily placed in a hospital in Water 7 for treatment." "Dalmatian and the others... were all killed in action."
Sengoku, Garp, and Tsuru trembled upon hearing this.
"Killed in action?" Sengoku asked in disbelief.
Garp and Tsuru also stared intently at Aokiji. With two Marine Admirals present, Luo Chen still managed to kill Dalmatian and over ten other Marine elites?
Aokiji didn't know what to say and could only nod silently.
Kizaru sighed from the side. "Luo Chen has mastered a clone ability. The clones' strength isn't much weaker than the main body's. He can create at least three. The two of us were held up and couldn't provide rescue in time."
Hearing this, Sengoku, Garp, and Tsuru had complex expressions, and for a moment, they didn't know what to say.
They understood that Aokiji and Kizaru had definitely tried to save them. Since they couldn't, it only proved how powerful Luo Chen was.
Garp said in a heavy voice, "It's a good thing we caught him. If we let him run free on the seas, the Marines would surely suffer even greater losses."
Sengoku nodded slowly. "Luo Chen destroyed Marine bases, caused numerous Marine casualties, slew a Celestial Dragon, and stole the Heavenly Tribute. His influence is extremely vile. Only by capturing him can the Marines restore their prestige."
"The sacrifice of Vice Admiral Dalmatian and the others will be remembered by all of the Marines."
He looked at Garp. "Notify all the newspaper reporters. We will hold a public trial for Luo Chen, and then he will be transferred to Impel Down to await execution."
Garp was stunned and instinctively looked at Tsuru. Didn't Tsuru usually handle these things?
Vice Admiral Tsuru said nothing, turned around, and walked away.
Sengoku sighed. "Garp, I'll have to trouble you."
Garp opened his mouth. He still wanted to go to sea to see his grandson. But since Sengoku was asking, it wasn't right to refuse.
"Fine," Garp grumbled, and went to find someone to contact the newspaper reporters.
"Kuzan, Borsalino, you've worked hard. Go and rest," Sengoku said to the two. "In a few days, the news of 'Fire Fist' Ace's execution will be spread. We must remain vigilant, even here at Headquarters."
Aokiji nodded and then left.
Kizaru, on the other hand, rubbed his head helplessly.
Executing "Fire Fist" Ace would inevitably lead to another great war.
And this time, the enemy would be far stronger than Luo Chen. It would likely be that man known as the strongest in the world—Whitebeard!
...
Marine Headquarters, inside the prison.
Luo Chen was held in solitary confinement, sitting cross-legged on the cold, damp floor.
The prison was rather dim. Across from him and on both sides were also cells.
'Marine Headquarters' prison... They should be transferring me to Impel Down after this, right?' Luo Chen thought.
If he couldn't get into Impel Down, this whole trip would have been for nothing.
Just then, the sound of footsteps came from the distant corridor outside the prison.
Luo Chen slowly raised his head. Soon, a white-haired old woman appeared in his line of sight, wearing a Marine "Justice" overcoat on her shoulders.
Her eyes and expression were very complex, but the most obvious was guilt.
This confused Luo Chen. 'Could it be that my original body had some other identity? Like being Vice Admiral Tsuru's grandson?'
Tsuru spoke. "Luo Chen, I am Marine Headquarters Vice Admiral, Tsuru."
"I know. The 'Great Staff Officer' of the Marines," Luo Chen said with a smile and a nod.
He was curious why this fellow "Wise General," the Great Staff Officer, had come to see him.
Tsuru was silent for a moment, then asked, "The incident in East Blue... what is the real truth?"
Luo Chen was stunned. 'For Tsuru to ask this, does she know something?'
His eyes narrowed, focusing on Vice Admiral Tsuru's aged face.
"Genzo's words were completely true. I also found out who that Marine Vice Admiral was. It's Onigumo."
After speaking, Luo Chen retorted, "What do you know? And when did you know it?"
Vice Admiral Tsuru was a true high-level figure in the Marines.
If she had doubts about the truth of East Blue, then what about the rest of the Marine high command?
What about Sengoku and Garp, who were extremely close to Tsuru? Did they all know?
'When did the Marine high command realize Onigumo was a problem?'
'If they knew long ago but still kept my wanted poster active, sending people to capture me time and time again...' Luo Chen couldn't stop the anger and killing intent from rising in his heart.
He had always felt that there were still many righteous people in the Marines. Especially Sengoku, Garp, and Tsuru. Aokiji also counted as one.
'No, Sengoku has always resolutely carried out the World Government's orders. He has justice in his heart, but it's the World Government's false justice.'
'But Sengoku doesn't seem like the type to persecute an innocent person.'
'If the Fleet Admiral is like that, then the Marines are truly rotten to the core.'
Luo Chen's thoughts raced, his gaze intense as he waited for Tsuru's reply.
Vice Admiral Tsuru made him realize that the Marine high command was not completely ignorant of Onigumo and the truth of East Blue.
"Perhaps it's too late to say this now," Vice Admiral Tsuru sighed softly. "But I found out... after you were in Loguetown."
Luo Chen's body trembled. He stared at her. "You knew. Does Sengoku know?"
Tsuru nodded slowly.
Luo Chen gritted his teeth. "If that's the case, why did you still issue a warrant for me?"
If the Marines had been willing to revoke the wanted poster back then and let Onigumo atone for the dead Cocoyasi villagers, he would have been able to accept it.
But the Marines didn't. Fleet Admiral Sengoku didn't.
They played dumb, let the mistake stand, and forced him into a corner, forcing him to kill a Celestial Dragon, steal the Heavenly Tribute, and harm Marines...
Now, things had come to a point where neither he nor the Marines had any room to back down. Both sides were destined for a fight to the death.
Tsuru was silent.
She said, "I'm very sorry. I wasn't able to prevent all of this from happening, nor could I stop the Marines from persecuting an innocent, good person."
In Vice Admiral Tsuru's heart, Luo Chen was by no means an evil person. Even though he had killed many Marines and a Celestial Dragon.
Tsuru couldn't lump him in with those pirates who were overflowing with evil.
Luo Chen's original intentions were good.
He eradicated the scum of the Marines, Captain Nezumi of the branch. He killed the fish-man pirate Arlong, saving the villagers of Cocoyasi and twenty other villages.
Then, he reported the matter truthfully to Marine Headquarters.
But what he got in return was an endless pursuit from the top to the bottom of Marine Headquarters, which also implicated the lives of hundreds of civilians.
If it had been Tsuru, she would have also taken extreme measures, resisted the Marines, and cried out against the injustice.
Luo Chen's eyes gradually grew cold. "Saying this now is useless."
Tsuru's body trembled. Leaving behind a "Sorry," she turned and left.
'It's true. It's useless.' Luo Chen was locked in prison, and only a death sentence awaited him.
Things had already come to this. No matter what was said or done, it was too late... Tsuru's heart was filled with guilt and remorse.
She had come here to apologize, only hoping to lessen the guilt and remorse in her heart, even just a little.
However, it hadn't.
'What should I do? Publicize the truth?' Vice Admiral Tsuru stared blankly down the dim prison corridor, muttering to herself.
[Reviews - Power St0nes - Comments are highly appreciated to keep me going.....(+50 chapters) patre0n.c0m/talecrafter]