"Why did it have to turn out like this!!"
The intercepted transmission of a certain pirate echoed quietly within the CP9 Chief's office.
"Kuro and the Fleet Admiral worked so hard! Even Spandine, as much as I dislike him, tried his best...!"
It was supposed to be a communication between pirates, but the voice heard now belonged to a Marine girl.
The girl who followed that pirate around like a chick, true to her name, was screaming.
"Everyone worked so hard! Why is the situation getting so much worse!!?"
"...Little girl."
A small amount of static mixed into the sound.
Even without seeing it, Spandine knew what that sound was.
He was choosing his words.
The pirate holding the receiver was choosing the words to say to the girl who was likely tearing up beside him.
"...The Celestial Dragons have become too accustomed to ruling. They get everything they want simply by wielding their absolute power. They eliminate those in their way when the opportunity arises. They have repeated this as their path to success."
After a brief pause, the pirate finally spoke.
It was a completely ordinary line.
They seemed to have applied minimum encryption, but it would be exposed immediately.
"However... they never understood that repeating the same success is synonymous with repeating the same failure."
That pirate is broadcasting this openly to ensure it is heard.
"Besides... this is just a maybe, but..."
A ploy. ...Or rather, it was likely a check acting as a warning.
"This is entirely my speculation. I have no proof, just a feeling... but the Celestial Dragons—the World Government—during these last 800 years..."
"...Have never won."
–
One of the five men gathered in the Room of Authority stood up involuntarily.
"Ah, it makes perfect sense when you think of it that way," Kuro murmured. "For these 800 years, the World Government has merely maintained a state of not losing. I believe that despite spending such a long time, they have remained unable to secure a complete victory."
The transmission should be cut.
In the first place, it should have been done the moment he started speaking.
But they couldn't.
They couldn't stop it.
There were too many people who saw value in this man's words.
"Normally, if an objective hasn't been achieved after 800 years, the standard move is to review the strategic goals somewhere along the line," Kuro's voice continued relentlessly. "Despite this, the World Government foolishly refuses to change its goals."
One of the five who had once plotted to recruit Kuro.
The Warrior God of Justice was holding his head in his hands.
"Tequila Wolf—you can tell just by looking at that bridge where the two royals of Mopuchi were sent. Since 700 years ago, it has continued without a single change in policy. The fact that something appearing seemingly useless is continued endlessly implies there is an unknown reason behind it. It means there is a unified strategy within the World Government, and it is still ongoing."
"Most likely, for the World Government, the battle isn't over yet. The war has been continuing all this time."
"However, the only ones who share that awareness... are likely only the Five Elders. The Celestial Dragons believe themselves to be the victors despite not having grasped true victory. They haven't experienced the process of winning... no, far from experiencing it, they haven't even inherited it."
"That is why they can only squander what is under their dominion. Normally, a ruler would become a governor through time and experience, but they remain nothing more than mediocre rulers no matter how much time passes. Despite holding the power to rule the world, they remain ignorant of the world."
"And that is hopelessly distorting the world."
"—That is why I told you!!!" screamed the Warrior God of Justice.
The remaining four said nothing at the old man's scream.
"That we should not make an enemy of him!!"
Only the tall man who remained standing instead of sitting turned his eyes toward the old man—Saint Warcury—but remained silent.
"Even if he is—" Warcury gritted his teeth. "Even if he is the man who could become the second Nika...!!!"
–
[Navy Headquarters, Marineford]
— Naturo Kingdom has declared its secession from the World Government! Nearby Base G-472 and Base 328 have sided with them and defected!!
— Base G-121, communication remains cut off! Send an investigation fleet immediately!
— "Report. We have arrived at the port town of Glee in the Petty Kingdom but... there's nothing here. It's empty... just a few corpses, but no sign of other people... the shops and houses too... Ah, how could... why is it like this..."
While intercepting the black cat's transmission, reports resembling angry roars continued in the conference room.
These were gruesome reports that made the hellish scenes float before their eyes, despite not physically being there.
"Send Headquarters' ships to the branches we can still contact! Increase patrol density around them and restore order!" Sengoku barked orders, his face grim.
The situation that the pirate—who had been cooperating with the Marines until the other day and whose voice was now echoing—feared the most had begun.
Even though he risked danger to appear at the Holy Land and cooperated to stop it, the situation had turned into a hell surpassing even that.
"Kuro, can't you do something!?" Hina yelled. "With your mind—"
"It's impossible. Now that the situation has occurred, any option that could solve this in one go has already vanished."
"But—!"
"I even considered the heretical tactic of pinning the responsibility on the Golden Lion or Gecko Moria's corpse manipulation capabilities... but to end the undeniable major incident of the Holy Land raid with the impression of victory, the Government has already massively publicized the Marines' exploits. ...And I lent a hand in the aftermath processing, too."
"...!"
"Moreover, they widely announced that there were no casualties among the Celestial Dragons. The conditions are too poor to fabricate a fake story now."
The pirate's voice coming from the transmission was filled with anguish.
It was clear just from his voice that he was truly trying to squeeze out any countermeasure he could think of.
"I can't tell from here how much of an impact this has had on the Marines. ...However, if units start declaring independence as local warlords..."
"...What... will happen?" Hina asked, dreading the answer.
"The distrust of the World Government by various nations will become definitive. Even if they manage to hide the Celestial Dragons' barbarism, many countries will see a fatal flaw in the Government's ability to rule. Whether they try to raise their standing within the Government based on that, or part ways... either way,"
"The leadership and enforcement power of the Government and the Marines will drop significantly. Delaying the progression of the situation will likely be the best we can do..."
Everyone present, every brave general and wise strategist who had supported the Marines—even the Fleet Admiral was left speechless.
They were certain that this would happen, and they could think of absolutely no move to overturn this situation.
Against the damage that would only continue to swell, they had nothing but mundane, symptomatic treatments that would likely be ineffective.
Somewhere—we must make a move to turn the tables somewhere! But... far from having the personnel to execute it, we can barely even grasp the current status!!
"What was everything we did for...?"
"Don't think such foolish things, Hina," Kuro scolded.
"But! We trained, we defeated pirates, we even calmed down the Holy Land... it was supposed to be just the beginning!"
The voice of the girl, whom Kuro had kept close as a potential key to resetting relations in a worst-case scenario, echoed out.
The voice of the girl who straightforwardly admired Marines was hoarse.
Sengoku suddenly remembered the face of that official.
The desperate face of a courageous official who risked his life trying to make a preemptive move against the situation.
"Like this, there's no meaning in the Marines...!"
Just like back then, before he realized it, Sengoku reached for the cloak on his back and gripped it tightly.
"Justice is...!"
He gripped it so hard that the two characters for 'Justice' carried on his back seemed to distort violently.
"No meaning at all!!" Hina sobbed.
"There is," Kuro's voice interjected, soft but firm. "...The meaning of Justice will never disappear."
"But!"
"After all," Kuro said, "aren't you crying?"
At the voice that came through, Sengoku's hand loosened.