Robin covered her mouth, looking at Sauro's ice sculpture in disbelief.
Recalling Sauro's words, she covered her mouth, stifling her cries, and ran towards the distance.
Enel and Kuzan did not stop her.
To kill a little girl not even up to their knees... they simply couldn't bring themselves to do it.
Enel looked at Sauro's ice sculpture and raised his hand.
Kuzan said coldly:
"Sauro is already dead."
"What do you want, Enel?"
Enel glanced at Kuzan sideways, and lightning flashed from his hand:
"Five hundred million volts · Refinement."
The lightning surging from his arm instantly turned into a lightning pillar several meters thick, directly engulfing Sauro's corpse.
Under the extreme voltage, Sauro's ice-sculpted corpse gradually melted into black charred lumps of unknown substance.
"Ice Age · Fowl of the Mouth!"
A gigantic ice bird lunged at Enel.
Enel's eyes flashed with a cold glint:
"Thirty million volts · Thunder Bird!"
A phoenix-shaped thunderbird of the same size instantly pierced through the ice fowl, its power undiminished, and charged towards Kuzan.
Kuzan, looking at the charging electric bird, instantly condensed an ice blade in his hand, imbued it with Haki, and directly shattered it.
The ice fowl that had charged at Enel, after being pierced by the electric bird, showed signs of melting.
Enel's golden ornament on his wrist instantly melted into a long staff, and with a casual swing, he smashed the ice fowl.
Flinging the golden staff in his hand, Enel looked across:
"Vice Admiral Kuzan attacking a colleague, do you also intend to betray the Navy?"
Kuzan's face was cold:
"Sauro is already dead, there's no need for such humiliation."
Enel said indifferently:
"This is just a warning to Vice Admiral Kuzan."
"Don't meddle in some matters casually."
"And more importantly, understand your place."
"When that traitorous Marine just now was lifting the warship,"
"Why did you rush to save him instead of the Marine soldiers?"
"If there's a next time, it will be Uncle Sakazuki who comes."
"You wouldn't want to face him, would you?"
Kuzan's expression was blank, but the spreading frost emanating from his feet and creeping outwards indicated his inner turmoil.
Enel snorted coldly at this.
He was completely unconcerned about Kuzan's unease.
As for why Enel dared to speak so dismissively,
it was because even two Kuzans wouldn't be enough for Enel to defeat.
In terms of background, Enel had Sakazuki, Moria, and Vegapunk supporting him, while Kuzan could at most pull Garp.
In terms of abilities, the Goro Goro no Mi was a natural counter to the Hie Hie no Mi, and combined with Enel's lifelong training, it completely countered Kuzan.
Enel was only a Rear Admiral due to his age and Moria's protection; otherwise, he would have been an Admiral long ago.
Therefore, he really couldn't speak kindly to such a foolish person.
"Think it over carefully, Vice Admiral Kuzan."
With that, he transformed into lightning and disappeared, returning to Sakazuki's warship.
----
On Sakazuki's warship.
Enel solidified his form and stood beside Sakazuki.
He stood with Sakazuki, looking at the island dyed red by the relentless artillery fire that stained the sky.
After a long while, Enel slowly spoke:
"That evacuation ship..."
Sakazuki glanced at him:
"Can't hold back any longer, huh?"
"What do you think is the reason?"
Enel pondered for a moment:
"Because they broke the law?"
Sakazuki nodded:
"That's part of the reason."
"On this sea, no one can question the legitimacy of the Government."
"They knew it was impossible, yet they did it."
"They violated the Government's laws, violated the Government's taboos, all for the sake of pursuing empty ideals."
"Living in their own world."
"Ultimately, it involved the people and things on the entire island."
"But that's not the main reason."
"Do you know what a Buster Call is?"
Enel said:
"Authorized by the Government and assembled by Headquarters."
"It's a indiscriminate destructive attack on the area that sent the signal."
"To completely eradicate all things and people within a region that pose a threat to the Government's rule."
Sakazuki said:
"It seems you paid attention in school."
"Correct, it's an indiscriminate destructive attack to eliminate those who threaten the Government."
"But regarding the Buster Call attack you witnessed today,"
"What do you think of its power?"
Enel frowned:
"For the strong, destroying the Buster Call fleet is a matter of an instant."
Sakazuki said:
"Yes, for the strong, it's a matter of an instant."
"But how many strong individuals are there in the world?"
"This world is ultimately composed of ninety-nine percent ordinary people."
"Titles like Marine Admiral or Pirate Emperor might not carry much weight in the Four Seas."
"Their entire lives, the most fearsome people they might have encountered could be the butcher in town."
"They can't imagine the power of the strong."
"But, if you were to bring ten warships to their doorstep,"
"What do you think would happen to them? Twenty? Forty?"
Enel began to understand:
"They would fear, and because of fear, they would be easier to rule."
Sakazuki said:
"Exactly, that's it."
"The purpose of establishing a Buster Call has never been about destruction."
"Its purpose is singular."
"It is deterrence."
"Because of the inhumane nature of the Buster Call,"
"it can deter the ninety-nine percent of ordinary people on the seas."
"Although there are many newspapers and communication channels in this world,"
"they still can't imagine the terror of the strong from these alone."
"But they know what happens when cannonballs land near them."
"If they were allowed to escape."
"Do you know what would happen?"
Enel took a deep breath:
"The means of deterring the sea would be shattered."
"No matter how you explain it then, no one would believe you."
"People only believe what they want to believe."
Sakazuki said:
"Indeed, when they escape."
"Countless unscrupulous newspapers will emerge that day, spreading rumors about the myth of the Buster Call being broken."
"Don't expect them to have any conscience; that's impossible in any era."
"When the weapon that deters the world and the nations loses its effect,"
"the consequences would be immeasurable."
"And,"
"if the Navy doesn't do this, the Government will send others to do it."
"But then it would be the Navy's dereliction of duty."
"Someone has to take the blame for this."
At this moment, Kuzan slowly walked over.
He had arrived when Enel was questioning Sakazuki, and he wanted to hear what Sakazuki had to say.
But after hearing Sakazuki's words, he became even more confused.
He stepped forward and said after a moment of silence:
"Isn't there any other way?"
Sakazuki chuckled without turning his head:
"Another way?"
"The world doesn't operate according to your wishes."
"Their fate is only life or death."
"Death is their best outcome."
"Life would be endless torment."
"If they choose life, releasing them into the sea is impossible, and the Government wouldn't allow it."
"Sending them to the Great Impel Down is also not an option."
"There's only one path: escort them to a labor camp."
"In the icy wilderness, wearing thin clothes, they would labor day and night to construct."
"That massive project in the East Blue has been ongoing for seven hundred years."
"Where do you think the people come from?"
"They are criminals from all over the world and their descendants who have been reproducing for generations."
"Do you think this kind of life is kindness to them?"
"Your kindness brings them only endless torment and darkness."
"As for the sin of bombarding the evacuation ship,"
"you don't need to bear it, agonizing and doubting yourselves over it."
"Did you go crazy from spending too much time with that idiot Garp?"
Kuzan clenched his fist and turned to leave. He knew that Sakazuki was absolutely right...
But it was precisely because of that that it was hard to accept. Sakazuki's words were like knives piercing his heart.
Not only could he do nothing, but he also couldn't bear that sin...
Sakazuki sensed Kuzan turning to leave and didn't say anything.
Having said all that, if he still turned out to be like that lazy fellow, he would be beyond salvation.
Sakazuki looked at the fiery red island in the distance and said:
"Idealistic notions that pop out of nowhere are simply ridiculous."
Enel looked at the island and nodded.
The artillery fire continued to fall, and Ohara, engulfed in flames, resembled hell on earth...
----
Within the Tree of Knowledge.
As the flames intensified, the scholars trapped inside could no longer throw books into the lake outside the window.
A feeling of suffocation surged, and they slumped to the ground.
Dr. Clover watched the burning books, tears streaming down his face:
"This... is the history chosen by humanity?"
"Shallow humans..."
Olvia closed her eyes, and in her final moments, she finally thought of her daughter.
"I'm sorry, Robin."
"I didn't even say a word as a mother to you..."
"I'm sorry..."
Boom——
The Tree of Knowledge, planted five thousand years ago, collapsed.
----
Evening, Ohara.
In a corner of the back mountain shore.
Robin, who had run all the way here, suddenly stopped, looking at Kuzan in front of her with horror.
Kuzan sat on a reef, a wooden boat placed in front of him, and said without turning his head:
"Justice can sometimes turn people into weapons."
"I don't know if this is right or wrong."
"But I've decided to let you leave this island."
"I want to see what kind of seed Sauro protected with his life will grow into."
"You have the freedom to resent anyone."
"But also be grateful that you've saved your life."
"Live as discreetly as possible. I've created an ice path on the sea."
"Following the ice path, you can reach the next island."
Kuzan stood up and walked behind Robin:
"But remember, I am not your accomplice."
"On the contrary, if you commit any offense,"
"I will immediately apprehend you."
Robin turned around abruptly:
"My mother is still on the island, can you save her..."
Kuzan's emotionless voice rang out:
"There are no longer any survivors on this island."
"But if you wish to die, that is your freedom."
Ultimately...
Two figures, one large and one small, departed in opposite directions...