Chapter 19: The Marines: I Don't Have It!
"Good morning, Grandpa Allison," a boy said.
"Good morning, our little newspaper delivery boy number 24," Allison replied with a smile.
He certainly recognized the newspaper delivery boy in front of him, no more than eight or nine years old, but his cloudy eyes couldn't precisely distinguish if he was the boy Seko or the boy Lange. There were many newspaper delivery boys like that.
"Do you want to buy a newspaper? Today's newspapers are super popular!" the newspaper delivery boy said cheerfully.
"Another one of those pirate stories? I don't want to read it," Allison shook his head. At his age, pirate stories had long lost interest. He simply set up his stall that day, displaying the wild fruits he had gathered early in the morning, hoping to earn some money. He didn't always collect enough fruit to maintain his stall.
"No!" the newspaper delivery boy said. "It's about the island. The Marines say they are going to free the slaves!"
"What!"
Allison's hunched body straightened instantly, his cloudy eyes fogging up uncontrollably. He hastily took the newspaper from the vendor and put several fruits in the boy's arms.
He couldn't see the fine print, like an ant, under the headline. But he could read the title clearly.
"Justice's Response: The Navy declares the emancipation of slaves!"
Really! It was true!
Allison felt a tremor of emotion all over his body. He rummaged through his bag and pulled out a worn magnifying glass. He carefully read every word.
"Marine. Lieutenant Yaro leads the team."
"Human auction house. Completely burned down."
"Really, it's true! My Perini has finally returned. I have finally waited for this day!" he thought.
Wet tears ran down the wrinkles on his face. Allison didn't know how to describe his feelings. Perini, his daughter. Trafficked to this area at fourteen years old. Since then, the small family he had worked so hard to build for half a lifetime had fallen apart.
No one spoke for them, no one sought justice for them. The white Marine Navy arrested him when he tried to resist. He thought he would never see his daughter return. Now, he saw hope.
"Major Yaro," Allison remembered this name.
And it wasn't just him.
The newspapers from the World Economic News Agency were scattered throughout the island like winter snowflakes. In almost every street, in every human settlement, people were seen crying or pounding the ground with their fists. They had waited too long for justice!
Some had even raised the Marine's seagull flag, hanging it high on the tallest eaves as if declaring ownership of the place.
"A response of justice? Great!" Sengoku exclaimed.
Sengoku did not expect a newspaper page to make him feel so complicated. Did he not know about the Sabaody Archipelago? Of course not. But what could he do?
"Nonsense!" someone at the conference table in front of him hit the table and shouted: "The Navy has never responded to the problem of slaves! Someone as reckless as Yaro should be expelled from the Navy!"
"Marshal, we can't keep talking about this. We must deal with the Sabaody Archipelago incident immediately!"
It was a meeting of the Navy's top brass. The attendees were all of vice admiral rank or higher, and even some World Government officials. Apparently, they had read the same newspaper.
Sengoku blew his nose lightly, trying to calm his emotions. As Marshal, he had long been accustomed to not revealing his thoughts to his subordinates or those of the World Government.
"I understand, but slavery is always illegal under the World Government. At least, what Yaro did, from our perspective..." Sengoku said.
But it was a dream, and Sengoku wanted it to last a little longer.
"The CP organization won't tolerate it either," the gray-haired Vice Admiral Tsuru, the Navy's Chief of Staff, reminded him from his side.
She reminded Sengoku that if the Navy did not address this matter promptly, the CP organization would deal with it more cruelly. It seemed that the newspaper headline had made him a little indecisive.
Sengoku shook his head and scoffed at himself. Then, in an unyielding tone, he said:
"Inform the World Economic News Agency to stop reporting this news and confiscate this newspaper throughout the island! And also, block any news about the human auction house. Don't give our enemies any opportunity."
"As for Yaro..." he said.
He turned a page on the desk; Yaro's youthful face appeared on it.
"His promotion violates the rules. I recommend calling him to headquarters for questioning."
Of course, Yaro's promotion had its problems. A Marine who hadn't even killed a few pirates had been promoted to major in just two or three years. Almost as powerful as the Navy King. But as long as the higher-ups don't make a fuss about these things, there's no problem. If they do, they will have something to reproach them for.
"I don't agree," a government official in a black suit stood up.
"This is no longer an internal matter of your Navy. This major is suspected of murdering nobles from allied nations and plundering their legitimate goods. His actions do not differ from those of a pirate!"
"You have no say here!" Sengoku said bluntly. After all, he was a Fleet Admiral. How could any official make him change his mind?
"That is the opinion of the Gorosei," the official said indifferently.
Was it really the opinion of the Gorosei? Not necessarily. Their positions would not justify such consideration. But they would not object to such a suggestion either. Sengoku's expression remained unchanged, but a sense of disappointment lingered within him. Justice reigned supreme. Under the control of the World Government, the Navy could not call Yaro to headquarters; it was simply a form of protection for him.
"Then suspend him temporarily, pending an investigation," Tsuru offered in a more conciliatory opinion.
"There is another topic on today's meeting, which is about how to deal with the pirate Ace..."
Sicily slept poorly today. Whether it was because of the bombardment of phone calls from the higher-ups of the Navy and the World Government, or because of Buggy's heartbreaking words, everything left him exhausted.
It happened that, early in the morning, there was still a lot of noise outside the base.
"Why is it so noisy outside? Have the pirates invaded us?"
He frowned and was in a very bad mood. The nobles had died, and his future had vanished. Not to mention his future, he would be very lucky to be able to keep his current position.
"Major General!"
Diouf hurried out of the base door, with a crumpled newspaper in his hand.
"Sir, they said the Navy was going to free the slaves, is it true?" he asked.
"Free the slaves?!" Sicily exclaimed, who woke up instantly.
The last person who shouted to free the slaves was almost dead!
He almost repeated: "I won't do it, I didn't do it!"
- - - - - - -
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