Chapter 127: The Weight of Justice
It was only then that she deeply understood how crucial a Devil Fruit was for enhancing one's strength. If she wanted to be Ian's reliable right hand, she had to improve her own power as soon as possible.
Once everything was settled, Ian led the three women back to where they had split up and headed towards the corridor T-Bone had taken. Before they even got close, the sounds of a fierce struggle were clearly audible from the brightly lit room ahead.
"Candy! Why won't you give us candy?"
"Let us go! The Master is the good one! You are all evil!"
"Candy! Why hasn't the Master come to give us candy yet?"
"Don't block us! Let us out!"
"..."
Childish voices echoed throughout the corridor. Hearing this, the three women hurried forward to see what was happening.
"Are there more enemies on the island?"
"We've already dealt with three powerful ones, right? How many are left?"
"That's not right. Those voices sound like children."
"Children? Why are there children on this island?"
They spoke with confusion, unable to help but quicken their pace. Ian, riding on Speed's back, narrowed his eyes slightly, and his ability instantly activated forward.
[Five Senses Severance]!
Pfft!
Thud! Thud!
...
From inside the room came the successive sounds of heavy objects hitting the floor. By the door, the pegasus Stronger was crouching obediently and quietly. It seemed Peacock and Doll had completed their mission ahead of schedule and had regrouped with T-Bone.
Creeak.
Ian and his group pushed open the heavy, half-ajar iron door. The scene inside stunned the three women.
Dozens of children of varying sizes, all no older than five, lay unconscious on the ground. They were all dressed in white hospital gowns. The warm, brightly lit decor of the room stood in stark contrast to the grim, industrial structure outside. The room number, B·B, clearly referred to these children.
"Lieutenant General Ian! You're finally here!" T-Bone rushed to Ian's side, his eyes brimming with tears. "They... they are such pitiful children!" He looked disheveled and deeply shaken.
"Lieutenant General Ian, you arrived just in time!" Peacock and Doll were also panting, as if they had just been through an intense battle. Their assigned mission had only involved dealing with miscellaneous soldiers; no battle should have been this physically draining. The reason for their state lay with the giant children now lying on the floor.
Ian had assigned T-Bone to the B.B. room specifically because he understood his character; only T-Bone would have the patience to carefully ascertain the situation.
"These children must have told you something," Ian stated, his voice calm. "They are all test subjects, captured from various places by Caesar Clown with the secret assistance of Joker. What we see here is only a fraction; many more have likely become nothing but cold data." He turned his gaze to Doll. "Doll, your final task as a probationary officer seeking full membership... is to execute all these little devils."
Doll: "!!!"
Ian's icy words sent a tremor through Doll's nerves.
"Lieutenant General Ian, didn't Brigadier General T-Bone just explain? And you yourself said they are innocent test subjects, not Caesar's accomplices! What do these kids know about good and evil? Shouldn't we be getting them to a medical team immediately? When Peacock and I arrived, they were fine. I don't know why they suddenly became violent, screaming for candy... The medical team must have a solution, why do they need to be...?"
Doll desperately tried to defend them and explain the situation clearly. She felt Ian must have misunderstood, mistaken these children for enemies. But no matter what she said, Ian's stern expression remained unchanged.
T-Bone was also confused. "Lieutenant General Ian..."
"Shut up. This doesn't concern you," Ian cut him off, his gaze shifting to T-Bone. Reading the unspoken command in Ian's eyes, T-Bone fell silent.
"These children have been under the long-term control of Caesar's drugs," Ian explained, his tone detached as he relayed the intelligence he'd gathered. "Without the medication, they turn into rampaging Giant Warriors, just as Caesar and the World Government intended. For years, they've been conducting gigantification research in secret. He chose children as test subjects, hoping to solve the problem of gigantification at its root."
As Nami listened, a flash of understanding crossed her eyes, connecting many dots. The East Blue... those children captured by Doflamingo's officers... Joker is Doflamingo... secretly supporting Caesar... So those children were ultimately sent here!
"So... Lieutenant General Ian, you knew all along?" Doll's voice was strained. "They are just innocent test subjects. They don't even know they are test subjects. Why execute them? What kind of mission is this?!"
Doll questioned him again, unable to comprehend Ian's reasoning.
"This is a taboo of the World Government," Ian replied, his voice low. "This matter involves not only a Warlord of the Sea but also a Marine Vice Admiral and a former Naval scientist... If it were discovered that the gigantification experiments themselves were tacitly approved by the World Government, wouldn't that bring utter disgrace upon us? Besides, they are already deeply poisoned; they might not survive even if rescued. It's better to bury the secret completely on this island and maintain the image of justice for the Marines and the World Government. Sometimes, sacrifice is necessary to eradicate evil!"
He fixed his gaze on Doll. "Brigadier General Doll, carry out your orders... Kill them. Do this, and from now on, you're truly one of us."
The dark, ruthless side Ian revealed made Doll tremble from head to toe. Is this... radical justice? Could it be that Marine Headquarters values Ian and is willing to nurture him precisely because of this obsessive need to maintain the 'image of justice'?
She looked at the other cadres standing behind Ian... They all looked calm, as if they had heard something utterly mundane. Doll was the only one who felt something was terribly wrong. Had they become numb after being in this team for so long?
"No! This isn't justice!" Doll stepped in front of the unconscious children, spreading her arms wide as she refuted Ian loudly. "Blindly covering up the facts will only plunge civilians' lives into greater confusion and pain! Is it so hard to admit there are problems within our own ranks? This mission... I refuse to accept it!"
"Since you disagree, I'll do it myself..." Ian took a step forward, his casual stare enough to make Doll's blood run cold. "Doll, you should understand the difference in strength between us. You can't stop me at all. Don't bring trouble upon yourself. Step aside."
He activated his power once more, targeting Doll.
[Five Senses Severance]!
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