Inside the Room of Authority at Pangaea Castle…
"What exactly happened, Sakazuki?"
Saint Topman Warcury stared at Sakazuki and questioned him without the slightest courtesy.
Sakazuki frowned.
"I was only trying to teach that old bastard a lesson. He's been acting like this for years, and didn't you people tacitly approve of me dealing with him?"
"Tacit approval does not mean you're free to behave however you please!"
Saint Jaygarcia Saturn leaned on his cane as he reprimanded him.
"Even if Garp never showed up, couldn't you have simply endured it a little longer?"
A vein immediately bulged on Sakazuki's forehead.
"Endure it?"
"What the hell do you mean, endure it?!"
"Do you have any idea what I've been dealing with lately? Endless paperwork, endless problems, and on top of all that, I have to put up with that damn old man!"
"And now you're telling me to endure even more?!"
Saint Shepherd Ju Peter immediately snapped at his tone.
"Watch your attitude!"
"Do you even understand the consequences of losing your temper like that?"
"You unleashed that much magma in Mary Geoise and nearly injured Celestial Dragons!"
"We appointed you Fleet Admiral to command the Marines, not to do something so reckless!"
"You should understand perfectly well that protecting the Celestial Dragons is always one of the Marines' highest priorities!"
After all, Sakazuki's "fireworks" had been visible across the top of the Red Line.
The amount of magma he released had been comparable to one of his major attacks.
No one had been struck directly, but one chunk had happened to land beside Saint Charlos, whose neck had only recently been repaired using the finest medical technology available.
The Celestial Dragon had been so frightened that he jerked backward.
His neck twisted violently to one side, and he fell from the slave he had been riding.
According to the latest medical report, he was now completely comatose and unresponsive.
As far as the Five Elders were concerned, that was hardly a significant matter.
Unfortunately, the other Celestial Dragons had no intention of letting the incident pass quietly.
Saint Ethanbaron V. Nusjuro joined in.
"Someone has now been left permanently unconscious because of your actions."
"A large number of Celestial Dragons are protesting together and demanding that you be removed from your position as Fleet Admiral."
Sakazuki's brow twisted into a knot.
He bit down so hard on his cigar that it snapped.
"You think you can dismiss me whenever you feel like it?"
"What exactly do you people think the Marines are?"
"Who do you think you are, Sakazuki?"
Saint Marcus Mars answered without hesitation.
"The position and authority of Fleet Admiral were granted to you by us."
"If we wish to replace you, then we can replace you."
"The only reason we have not done so is because the Marines are one of the World Government's public faces, and changing Fleet Admirals too frequently would damage our authority."
"What qualification do you have to compare yourself to a Celestial Dragon?"
"And then there's Kuzan."
Nusjuro, who oversaw financial affairs, picked up the subject.
"What exactly did you do to drive him out of the Marines?"
"Someone with that level of combat power is now wandering freely across the seas as a bounty hunter."
"Do you understand what that means?"
"When the Marines arrest pirates, we are already part of the World Government. Naturally, we do not need to pay ourselves the bounties."
"That money never has to leave our hands."
"But now Kuzan is operating independently."
"With his strength, large numbers of pirates carrying enormous bounties will inevitably be captured by him in the future."
"Impel Down may even need to be expanded."
"And every bounty paid out to him will be money leaving the World Government."
"All because of you."
Sakazuki stared at them in disbelief.
"What the hell are you talking about?"
"If large numbers of high-bounty pirates are being captured, isn't that a good thing?"
"How did this suddenly become about money?!"
"Pirates should be captured, yes, but not in massive numbers over a short period."
"Especially by someone as powerful as Kuzan."
"If he starts dragging groups of criminals with enormous bounties to the World Government for payment, what we'll be paying won't be some ordinary expense."
"It could become an enormous, unpredictable financial burden."
"Because no one knows how many pirates someone like him could capture."
The more they spoke, the more irritated Sakazuki became.
"Then what was the point of setting those bounties in the first place?!"
"Aren't they supposed to encourage people to capture pirates?"
"And now you're complaining that you might actually have to pay them?"
"It isn't that we refuse to pay."
"The problem is excessive financial outflow."
"Have you calculated how great a loss that could become for the World Government?"
Then their tone shifted.
"If things continue in that direction, we may be forced to raise the Heavenly Tribute demanded from member nations."
"Or reduce the Marines' operating budget."
"Of course, nothing has reached that point yet."
"But such measures are always available to us."
"Whether we actually need to use them…"
"That will depend on your attitude."
"After all, the Marines are merely one department beneath the World Government."
"If everyone started behaving like Kuzan, constantly questioning this and doubting that, what would become of the organization?"
"So the Marines need to fulfill the role expected of a tool."
"Do you understand?"
"Ask about what you are permitted to ask."
"Keep your mouth shut about what you are not."
"And obey the orders you are given."
"Compared to Kuzan, you have always been easier to control."
"That is one of the reasons we chose you."
"You understood that from the beginning, didn't you?"
Sakazuki went still.
Now he finally understood.
The magma incident in Mary Geoise was merely an excuse.
Their real purpose today was to use Kuzan's departure from the Marines as leverage to put the newly appointed Fleet Admiral in his place.
At last, Sakazuki understood what Sengoku had meant when he said being Fleet Admiral was a miserable job.
He also understood that the Five Elders' last few words were both an offered way out and a test of his loyalty.
Even so, the moment they reduced the Marines to nothing more than a tool, anger surged through him.
"Hmph!"
"You don't get to tell me how to do my job."
He paused.
"As long as an order comes from the World Government, I will naturally obey it."
The answer was deliberately vague.
It was Sakazuki's silent protest.
Back when he was merely an Admiral, he had been a soldier receiving orders.
He had not needed to consider whether those orders were right or wrong. He simply obeyed the World Government and carried out his Absolute Justice.
But now, although his devotion to Absolute Justice had not changed, he was the man giving orders.
He had far more to consider than before.
He was no longer a killing weapon the World Government could simply point wherever it pleased.
And he would not bow his head on behalf of the entire Marine organization.
At the same time, he could not allow the Five Elders to arbitrarily raise the Heavenly Tribute. Too many ordinary people across member nations would suffer.
Nor could he allow them to slash the Marines' funding.
So he resorted to the methods Sengoku had taught him for dealing with these old monsters…
Along with a touch of Borsalino's attitude toward work.
The result was a deliberately ambiguous answer.
He had said that he would obey.
He had never said the entire Marine organization would unquestioningly obey everything they demanded.
"As long as you understand."
"Perform your duties properly."
"We will suppress the consequences of this incident for you."
"But if something like this happens again, prepare to lose your position."
"Hmph!"
Sakazuki clenched his fist, fury still boiling inside him.
With one final snort, he turned and left.
Once he was gone, the Five Elders began discussing the real reason behind their effort to pressure him.
And the key to everything was Aramaki.
Naturally, the World Government had known when Aramaki disappeared.
They had no intention of simply allowing such a powerful and obedient subordinate to vanish without explanation, so they had dispatched Cipher Pol agents to investigate.
Not CP0.
Ordinary Cipher Pol operatives.
They soon located him.
The problem was what happened afterward.
Back in Wano, Aramaki had overheard the entire conversation surrounding Garp's plan to establish a Marine branch there.
And shortly after being released from Impel Down, he accidentally let the information slip.
The Cipher Pol agents who had found him immediately noticed the implication and reported it to the Five Elders.
A little further investigation revealed that Marine Headquarters had suddenly received a large group of people from Wano.
It did not take much imagination to understand what had happened.
Sakazuki had never reported any of it to the World Government.
In truth, the Five Elders did not care particularly much about Garp attempting to establish a Marine branch in Wano.
But it gave them a perfect opportunity to warn Sakazuki and remind the new Fleet Admiral exactly where he stood.
As for all that nonsense about bounty payments causing catastrophic financial losses to the World Government…
It was merely a clumsy excuse.
The true wealth controlled by the World Government was far beyond anything Sakazuki could imagine.
Unfortunately, Sakazuki had believed them.
Even so, in his own mind, that meant he had taken responsibility for Kuzan.
After all, he was the one who had driven Kuzan from the Marines.
Even if Kuzan had chosen to become a bounty hunter afterward, Sakazuki was willing to shoulder whatever consequences followed.
So—
'Kuzan.'
'If you've chosen to become a bounty hunter, then follow your own wishes.'
'Follow the justice in your heart.'
'And capture as many pirates as you damn well please.'
…
Meanwhile, in the East Blue…
Kuzan was in the middle of a conversation with Issho when his nose suddenly began to itch.
"Ah—ACHOO!"
Kuzan rubbed his nose.
"Did I catch a cold?"
He paused.
"No, with my body? That doesn't make any sense."
"Someone must be talking shit about me."
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