Chapter 34: A Promise of Justice
"Uncle T is silent again. Peacock, you speak up and tell everyone. What new jobs will the mother and daughter have?" Ian turned to look at Peacock, as if he had to get an answer.
Judging by Peacock's behavior at the scene, she had already known about the Human Auction House. The girl who had been laughing and joking on the boat now wore a serious expression.
"They will be bought by wealthy individuals at the auction..."
"And what work will they do after being bought?" Ian pressed further.
Peacock took a deep breath and avoided Ian's gaze. "They will become slaves!"
The bloody reality was spoken aloud. Nami and Skylark fully understood the dark side of the world.
Nami's eyes trembled slightly. "How could it be... why is it like this..."
Skylark bit her lip tightly. "What did they do wrong..."
Nami, whose home had been occupied and who had once been a prisoner herself, could deeply understand this pain. Skylark, who yearned for peace, couldn't believe such a "legal place" existed on the island.
"Since it's a place under the care of the World Government, even if they are really auctioning people, they must be criminals, right? I guess... that mother and daughter must be unforgivable murderers. They deserve this fate!" Ian's harsh words stirred everyone's emotions.
Finally...
T. Bone, who had been suppressing his emotions for a long time, couldn't hold back any longer.
"No! Commodore Ian, that mother and daughter are clearly not criminals! They... they... are just ordinary civilians! But I... but I can't save them... I'm not worthy of talking about justice!" T. Bone's tears burst forth like a dam breaking. His body lost control, and he knelt heavily on the ground as if atoning for his sins.
Being able to feel the pain of others means taking responsibility for being unable to change their painful fate. This was T. Bone's tragic flaw. And so... when facing the attack of a desperate refugee, what made him unable to dodge wasn't the sharp blade, but the self-blame in his heart.
"It's useless. Even if we had acted just now, they still wouldn't have survived. The collars they wear are actually ticking time bombs to prevent them from escaping! If they show any signs of trying to flee, they'll be killed by the bombs. Damn it! Little Garp is right. The guys who created those dark rules are the real trash!" Peacock kicked the tree in frustration, causing the ground at its roots to shake violently.
Seeing the atmosphere was almost set, Ian officially got to the point!
"If I have a way to save those innocent people, would you be willing to cooperate?" Ian finished the last bite of his apple and glanced at the people present.
"Really? Is there really a way to save them? I'm willing to cooperate, Commodore Ian!" Skylark ran up to Ian in small steps and agreed hurriedly.
"Commodore Ian, I do too! Why should ordinary people be bought and sold? Why should they become slaves to those people!" Nami was outraged. She had long guessed that if they encountered any injustice, Commodore Ian would definitely find a way to solve it. It had been that way in the past, and it would be that way in the future.
"I am Commodore Ian's adjutant. I will do whatever Commodore Ian orders and will never disobey." Hope shone in Peacock's eyes, though she didn't know what Ian's plan was.
The three women expressed their opinions one after another, leaving only T. Bone still on the ground.
"Uncle T, you're already a grown man. How long are you going to cry? What about you? Are you in or not?" Ian stepped closer and reached out a hand to pull him up.
T. Bone grabbed Ian's arm, his voice trembling. "Commodore Ian, is there really... is there really a way to save them? We can really rescue them, right?"
Ian exerted a little force and pulled T. Bone up. Then, he patted his back and said solemnly, "I promise you, I will rescue them!" Immediately, he changed his tone and smiled slyly, "But, my plan... I need all of you to cooperate well. Hehe!"
...
New World, Onigashima.
Headquarters of the Beasts Pirates, one of the Four Emperors.
Gulp, gulp...
Gulp, gulp...
"Go get more wine! Why did you prepare so little today? Didn't that bastard Orochi deliver the wine to Onigashima on time yesterday?" Kaido, the "King of Beasts," casually crushed a wine barrel and questioned the three people present with an unhappy expression.
"Brother Kaido, there is still plenty of wine. Before we drink, shouldn't we discuss the matter between Doflamingo and the 'SMILE' fruits?" One of the three raised a question. They had followed Kaido for many years and knew his temper well. If Kaido got drunk, nothing could be discussed today.
Hearing this, Kaido picked up the newspaper from the ground and looked at the front-page news. "That bastard Joker, is this the guy you're talking about? Commodore Jock Ian... 'Adjudicator of the Sea'... 'My goal is to eliminate all pirates!' What an arrogant fool! Wants to kill all the pirates on the sea? He's really courting death! We don't have enough Devil Fruit users right now, so let Joker take advantage this time. Hey, you three! Who's going to kill this guy for me?"
...
That afternoon.
Grove 66, Sabaody Archipelago, Marine Base.
Ian, who had taken over as base commander, delivered a personal speech on the training ground within the base. There was no helping it; Sengoku had praised him so highly. It would be unreasonable not to say a few words on his first day in office.
In addition to the 750 elite Marines Ian had brought from Headquarters, there were also 200 permanent Marines stationed at the base. In total, nearly a thousand Marines were under his command. This was all the combat power Ian could currently mobilize.
It sounded impressive, but when applied to the vast Sabaody Archipelago, on average, only a dozen or so troops could be allocated to each grove—far too few. As a hub area, countless pirates and criminal groups came and went. With less than a thousand Marines, it was no wonder there were so many lawless zones they couldn't manage.
Apart from the patrol upon landing on the island, Ian had no other plans for the day.