[If we reach 100 Power Stones this week, I'll release 10 bonus chapters as a thank-you to everyone's support!]
....
late at night.
In the Governor's office of the 1st branch, Borsalino sat on the sofa, occasionally drinking tea from the cup in front of him.
In addition to him, there were two other people in the office who did not leave.
That is Rosen's right arm.
Doll.
Douglas Bullet.
Ever since Rosen left Branch 1 several hours ago, the three of them had not left the office, waiting for his return.
"Admiral Kizaru."
"Can I ask you something?"
Doll saw that Borsalino was worried and very uneasy, so he took the initiative to speak, breaking the silence in the office.
As Rosen's adjutant, she needed to explore the road ahead for her boss in advance.
Even if we cannot pave the way forward, we must determine how many stumbling blocks there are in Rosen's way and who these stumbling blocks are.
"Tell me about it."
Borsalino glanced at Doll and saw that he was Rosen's adjutant, so he did not refuse.
"if."
"I mean, if the Governor finally finds out that the one who killed Mr. Zephyr's family was not someone else, but..."
"Celestial Dragon."
As soon as Doll said this, the atmosphere in the entire office suddenly became extremely depressing.
Although the Marine Headquarters strives to maintain the purity of justice, it is undeniable that the Marine Headquarters is a subordinate agency of the World Government and was established by the World Government.
The two seem to be at odds with each other, but there is an inseparable connection between them.
For example, in the headquarters, many Marine officers cannot distinguish whether they are upholding the justice of the Marine or the justice of the world government.
Even the admirals of the Marine are no exception to this.
"As expected, you get to be like your boss, like your subordinates."
"You! You are really the same as my junior."
"You always like to ask me some dangerous questions. Don't you know what justice I uphold?"
Although Borsalino was mentally prepared, he couldn't help but twitch his lips when faced with such a sharp question from Doll.
How could he answer?
As a naval admiral, his every word and action often represents the will of the headquarters.
If you say something wrong, or even a wrong word, once it reaches the ears of the Five Elders, the problem is likely to be magnified infinitely.
Especially extremely sharp questions like Doll's.
"Ambiguous justice."
"Of course I do."
"It's just that the Governor once told me that no matter how ambiguous a person is, there will always be a day when he will make a decisive decision, and no matter how ambiguous justice is, there will always be a time when it will be unwavering."
Doll picked up the Fair Cup and poured the tea into the cup in front of Borsalino:
"Among the students taught by Mr. Zephyr, apart from the Governor-General, only you, General Kizaru, still remembers him after graduation and keeps working hard for him."
"Frankly speaking, I am also ashamed of my inaction. After all, I am also one of the students taught by Mr. Zephyr."
"But at this point, my opinion is unimportant. Only the Governor-General and people like you, who stand at the pinnacle of the Marine Headquarters and whose every move can determine the direction of the headquarters and justice, are crucial."
She put down the justice cup.
"You can choose to avoid it today, but when you face it in the future, you won't be able to avoid it anymore."
"Admiral Kizaru."
Doll spoke word by word.
"And you?"
"What are you going to choose?"
Borsalino took the teacup, took a sip of the tea, and asked instead of answering.
"Me?"
"I've already staked everything on the Governor."
"I firmly believe that he is a man who can change the Marine and even the world."
Doll looked out the window at the pitch-black North Blue:
"When the Governor-General and I first arrived here, I clearly remember that the North Blue was a chaotic and disorderly place, a pirate paradise second only to the Grand Line."
"And today, half a year later, North Blue has a new name."
"Pirate Cemetery."
"I'd really like to see this cemetery expanded to include the East, South, and West Blues, and then the Grand Line's Paradise and the New World, to bury all the artifacts of the Great Pirate Era."
"Until that day comes, I can be the enemy of the whole world, even though my personal power is insignificant in front of the world."
This moment.
Doll's eyes became more determined than ever before.
"Sometimes, I really want to be like you. Whether it's the future or justice, it's always so clear."
"But the higher you stand, the more you lose control of yourself."
"Ambiguity is sometimes not only a matter of justice, but also a duty."
Borsalino shook his head, his tone very complicated.
When Doll heard this and was about to speak, a burst of purple light suddenly came from the night sky covering the North Blue outside the window, as if cutting the night sky in half.
Not only her, but Borsalino and Douglas Bullet also turned their heads and looked out the window at the same time.
Under the gaze of the three people, Rosen piloted the complete Susanoo and landed from the top of the sky to the first branch.
Snap
A moment later, the door was pushed open.
The tightly closed office door was pushed open by a hand, and then Rosen walked in from outside.
No one noticed that the sleeve of Borsalino's hand holding the teacup was wet with tea.
The hand holding the Ama no Murakumo sword, which could have crushed the elderly Rayleigh to the point of gasping for breath, trembled for the first time.
It can be seen that he is very uneasy.
After all, Doll was not the only one who thought so. He also suspected that it was the Celestial Dragons who killed Zephyr's family.
Therefore, the more he investigated the deaths of Zephyr's family over the years, the more ambiguous Borsalino's justice became.
"I found it."
Facing Borsalino's complicated gaze behind his dark glasses, Rosen walked up to him and sat opposite him.
"Yes, a Celestial Dragon?"
Borsalino took a sip of tea, his voice revealing a complex and incomprehensible tone.
"It's still unclear who killed Zephyr's family."
"The only person we've found so far is the one whose whereabouts were wiped out by Cipher Pol."
"It's Buckingham."
Rosen's words made Borsalino feel relieved. At least he didn't have to make a choice between his own justice and the World Government.
"How could it be her?"
Borsalino suppressed his complex emotions; he was a little confused.
The World Government went to great lengths just to erase Buckingham's whereabouts at a certain time.
In other words, it is about Buckingham's whereabouts during the time when Zephyr's family was murdered.
This is obviously not common sense.
After all, given the weight of Buckingham, it is not worth the World Government doing this.
"CP0 is already investigating."
"I think there will be an answer soon."
"No matter what happens next, you don't need to interfere anymore, Senior."
Rosen said calmly.
"…"
Borsalino's face froze, but his heart felt warm.
He knew that Rosen didn't want to be caught between the World Government and Marine Justice, making it difficult for him to be on either side.
Compared to Doll's request for an answer from him, Rosen's approach made him both moved and ashamed.
I am a senior!
What's the result?
Rosen is investigating the case of Mr. Zephyr's family.
The name Buckingham was found from CP0 by Rosen who had set up the scheme for half a year.
Rosen had even thought about the sharp problems he might encounter later.
From the moment we met.
Borsalino discovered that his junior always argued with himself and always handled problems by himself.
He would never delegate the task to others, nor would he make things difficult for him, and he would never use the name of justice or the brotherhood between them to force him to make a choice.
"How shameful!"
"I should have worn a pair of darker glasses before I came here."
"but."
Borsalino took off his glasses and gently wiped the lenses with a tissue, as if to wipe away the dust on justice:
"Thank you."
"Junior."
"Your adjutant is absolutely right. You are someone who can change the Marine and the world."
A moment later.
He put his glasses back on and gave Rosen a bright smile.