"Sengoku, what do you plan to do about Gion?" asked Tsuru, the Chief of Staff, as she looked at him.
It had been half a month since everything happened.
They had long understood what was going on. The moment Kuke appeared at Sabaody Archipelago, Sengoku's suspicions grew serious. The next day, a Navy warship was found abandoned at sea, and it was confirmed that the ship was the one Gion had taken.
Just the ship alone wasn't enough to confirm her betrayal. There was still a chance she had encountered danger. However, upon further investigation, they found Gion's military uniform neatly folded and left behind on the warship.
More clues surfaced.
In the past three months, Gion had discreetly taken many Eternal Poses from Navy Headquarters through various channels. She had even taken Sengoku's personal Vivre Card that he had left at Marineford.
For high-ranking officers, Vivre Cards were always kept for security reasons. They allowed the Navy to track down an officer in case of mistakes, or to offer assistance in moments of danger.
All the evidence pointed to one conclusion: Gion had defected and joined Kuke, betraying the Navy Headquarters.
When Sengoku confirmed this, he was so furious that he couldn't eat for three days.
"Sengoku, you can't hide this for much longer," Tsuru reminded him.
When Sengoku first realized Gion had turned traitor, he had kept it a secret, sharing the information only with Tsuru. He feared what the consequences would be if it became public knowledge. If the World Government found out that the prime suspect in the Holy Land invasion had been aided by Gion's betrayal, the Navy would lose the World Government's trust entirely. Sengoku couldn't even imagine the repercussions of such a scandal. The anxiety had left him sleepless, and new strands of white hair had begun to appear.
He had been concealing the truth for almost half a month, but the time to reveal it was nearing. Gion was highly regarded within the Navy. Her disappearance for half a month without any news was already causing rumors.
"We can only reveal the truth after capturing Kuke," Sengoku said through gritted teeth.
That was the only way to minimize the fallout and provide the World Government with an explanation.
"Fortunately, that bastard has been quiet recently. If he had continued causing trouble, we would've been exposed already," Sengoku muttered coldly, glaring at Kuke's photo.
Hiding now, aren't you? Too little, too late.
…
Enies Lobby Courthouse.
The three-headed judge, Baskerville, was currently presiding over the trial of a group of "criminals." The court was filled with reporters, all summoned by the World Government from major newspapers across the seas. Their job was to document today's events and swiftly spread the outcome of the trials far and wide, shaping public opinion.
"Skora, born on Decco Island, known for his violent tendencies and for committing atrocities such as village massacres. The judgment is as follows: execution!" Baskerville declared, pointing at the burly man with a bushy beard in front of him.
The man, Skora, struggled fiercely, but his limbs were bound by iron chains, and his mouth was sealed with duct tape, preventing him from speaking.
The journalists quickly snapped photos, recording every moment of the so-called trial.
Some of the reporters couldn't help but feel disgusted. Was this what passed for justice? They had heard of Skora before; he was once hailed as a hero on his home island, protecting his people from pirates. He had never killed indiscriminately. His misfortune was catching the eye of the Celestial Dragons and becoming a slave.
And now, he was being branded as a heinous criminal.
"Take him to the execution platform!" Baskerville ordered, ignoring the furious glare Skora gave him.
The entire trial was a farce, staged for the World Government to showcase their righteousness. They wanted to convince the public that the slaves they captured weren't innocent victims but criminals who had been rightfully punished. The government was trying to salvage its reputation.
Whether these people were guilty or not didn't matter. What mattered was what the World Government declared. The accused had no voice.
"Next!"
The next to be brought into the courtroom was a sobbing young girl. She was locked in a cage, her mouth also sealed with tape.
"Koala," Baskerville announced.
The reporters stared at the weeping child, then glanced at the judge. What crime could you possibly charge a girl this young with?
"Koala, only nine years old, yet born with the blood of a demon. She poisoned her parents and was planning to poison her entire village when the World Government intervened to prevent a massacre. She has committed unforgivable crimes. The sentence is death!"
Koala curled up in the cage, her cries muffled by the tape over her mouth, tears streaming down her face. Her wide, pleading eyes searched the room for anyone to save her.
Several of the reporters couldn't bear to watch and turned away. What could they possibly do? This was a World Government institution. They had no power here.
"Next!" Baskerville coldly called out again.
The young girl was roughly dragged from her cage by two Navy officers. Shackled by chains, she was pulled toward the execution platform, desperately trying to claw at the floor, her fingers bleeding as she fought in vain against her fate.
The reporters watched in silence as Koala was led to her death.
"What a disgusting place."
A cold voice suddenly echoed through the courtroom.
"Who said that?!" Baskerville's three heads snapped toward the reporters, his eyes full of rage.
The reporters were just as confused. Who had dared to say out loud what they had all been thinking?
"This filthy place doesn't need to exist."
In the next instant, a flash of light cut through the air. Baskerville's three heads were severed simultaneously, his body collapsing to the ground in death.
"It's Kuke!" a reporter exclaimed, eyes wide in shock as they saw Kuke standing on the judge's podium.