The next day — Marineford Plaza.
The execution platform had already been erected. Reporters swarmed in, and crowds of onlookers poured in one after another.
"Look—someone's coming! My god, it's the Marine hero Monkey D. Garp!"
"N–Not just him! Fleet Admiral Sengoku, Admiral Akainu, Admiral Kizaru—and a whole lineup of Vice Admirals too!"
"Looks like the Marines are taking this public trial very seriously!"
Karl had clearly put in the effort today. He wore a pristine white suit—his most striking one—slicked his hair into a mature, dignified style, and even Raven had taken a bath, now perching quietly on his shoulder.
Sengoku glanced at him from the side and thought to himself, This kid really knows how to show off…
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku, the visual Den Den Mushi is ready. We can begin at any time."
Sengoku nodded and patted Karl on the shoulder.
"It's starting… get ready."
Karl said nothing—only nodded calmly.
Sengoku stepped onto the platform and looked down at the dense sea of spectators. His expression turned solemn.
"Everyone—recently, the issue of corruption within the Marines has caused widespread uproar. As Fleet Admiral of the Marines, I—"
As Sengoku began his speech, the visual Den Den Mushi immediately activated, broadcasting the scene across the Four Blues and to all World Government–affiliated nations throughout the Grand Line.
East Blue · Loguetown
"It's starting, it's starting! That's Fleet Admiral Sengoku—the Buddha, right? What a funny hairstyle!"
"Shh—quiet. Listen to what he's saying."
Grand Line · Sabaody Archipelago
People gathered around the giant screens set up by the Marines, voicing opinions in all directions.
...
"These corrupt Marines believed Headquarters was too far away to reach them. They abused the authority in their hands to deceive the public—yet they failed to realize that their rot, degeneration, and self-serving motives had long since been laid bare."
"The Marines will adopt a zero-tolerance stance toward such behavior! No clumsy scheme of corruption will escape our eyes!"
...
At last, Sengoku set the microphone down and turned toward Karl.
"Next, I invite Marine Headquarters Rear Admiral Karl to take the stage!"
Karl took a deep breath, steadied himself, and walked forward with a faint smile.
The instant he stepped into view of the camera, waves of astonished exclamations erupted from the crowd.
"Look! That's Karl—the world's number-one heartthrob! That face is pure jealousy fuel!"
"Ahhh! Rear Admiral Karl! He's so handsome!!!"
Hearing the reaction, Karl finally relaxed. As expected—looks really are justice. Hancock never lies.
"The net of justice is vast—none can escape!"
"We apprehended all corrupt Marines at the very first opportunity. What awaits them now is the judgment of justice!"
"Corrupt Marine Rat, former Colonel of East Blue's 16th Branch—accepted bribes totaling 54 million Beli from the Arlong Pirates, condoned their burning, killing, and plundering across the East Blue, resulting in the deaths of countless civilians!"
Rat—his body shackled in heavy chains—was dragged onto the platform, face ashen and trembling uncontrollably.
"Rat," Karl demanded, "do you admit your crimes?"
With a thud, Rat collapsed to his knees, wailing.
"I was wrong! I defiled justice! I never should've taken bribes from Arlong's crew! I truly know I was wrong—please, spare me!"
"Now you know you were wrong? Where was that conscience before?"
From below, the crowd roared in unison:
"Kill him! Kill him!"
Karl coughed lightly. The noise gradually subsided, and he continued.
"Given the enormous scale of bribery, the exceptionally severe circumstances, the extremely negative social impact, and the tremendous losses inflicted upon both the Marines and the people—"
"Rat committed multiple crimes, acted with extreme malice, and caused outrage to society. In accordance with the law, he shall be punished severely."
"For combined offenses, the sentence is death—execution to be carried out immediately!"
Rat's face turned deathly pale. After a violent shudder, the ground beneath him was soaked. Karl quietly stepped back.
The executioners on either side raised their massive axes and shouted. The blades fell—
Heads rolled.
"Corrupt Marine Tarter Duke, former Brigadier General of West Blue's 56th Branch—embezzled 274 million Beli of Marine funds, most of which was used for indulgence and private assets. Given that he—"
The first to be judged were all big fish—representative, high-profile cases. Put simply, they were all condemned to death.
Once the major corrupt Marines had been dealt with, a unit of Marines escorted forward a dense crowd of over a hundred prisoners.
"Those people are…?"
"They must be corrupt Marines too. Didn't the papers say there were over two hundred?"
Karl licked his dry lips and continued.
"These corrupt Marines served as accomplices—shielding criminals, aiding evil, and enabling tyranny. By rights, they too deserve death."
"However, as their crimes are comparatively lighter, the death penalty is waived—yet punishment is unavoidable."
"All will be sent to Impel Down, where they will spend the rest of their lives in repentance!"
"What follows is the list of corrupt Marines to be incarcerated."
"Atwood—accepted bribes, oppressed civilians… sentenced to Impel Down Level 4!"
"Delaine—..."
By the end, Karl's throat felt like it was on fire. His task finally complete, he stepped down from the stage.
"Rear Admiral Karl, have some water."
"Thank you."
Sengoku returned to the podium, his voice heavy.
"As Fleet Admiral, seeing so many corrupt elements within the Marines pains me deeply."
"As the saying goes—to prevent repetition, one must learn from punishment."
"At its root, the problem lies in inadequate internal supervision, insufficient checks on power, and imperfect mechanisms for preventing corruption. Weak enforcement gave corrupt Marines room to exploit loopholes."
"Therefore—acting as Fleet Admiral—I hereby announce—"
"The Marine Integrity Commission is officially established!!!"
The crowd erupted in an uproar.
The Marine Integrity Commission—most people could roughly guess its purpose, but they wanted to hear Sengoku explain it himself.
"The Marine Integrity Commission is an independent law-enforcement body within the Marines dedicated to combating corruption."
"Its mission is to uphold integrity and eradicate graft—through prevention, education, and investigation—ensuring corruption has nowhere to hide!"
"The Commission consists of three divisions:
Enforcement Division, Anti-Corruption Prevention Division, and Marine Relations Division."
"Law enforcement, prevention, and education—three prongs working together to strike corruption at its roots!"
...
After finishing the introduction, Sengoku immediately announced:
Former Marine Major Smoker would become the first Director of the Marine Integrity Commission, with his rank adjusted to Brigadier General.
Watching from the side, Smoker broke into a wide grin.
Months of empty promises—finally cashed in.
At last, it was his turn to show what he could really do.
But he knew very well that all of this was thanks to the man standing beside Fleet Admiral Sengoku.
If not for him—
Smoker took a deep breath and silently said from the bottom of his heart:
"Thank you… my brother."
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