Ohara, the coastline.
Saul ran madly, protecting Robin behind him.
Part of his head had been blown off, and his consciousness was beginning to blur.
Suddenly, Kuzan's voice rang out behind him:
"Ice Block: Partisan."
Two ice spears pierced through the air with a sharp whoosh.
Relying on Observation Haki, Saul twisted his body forcefully, narrowly dodging the ice spears.
But he couldn't keep his balance and fell to the ground.
Crack——
A bolt of lightning struck in front of Saul. Enel's figure materialized, cutting off his escape.
Enel cast a glance at the young Robin, then looked indifferently at Saul.
Kuzan, dressed in a black coat exuding cold air, landed behind Saul.
Saul stared in disbelief.
"Kuzan…"
Kuzan remained expressionless.
"Ara ara."
"If the Buster Call were stopped by a former Marine, it would be a complete joke."
Saul propped himself up and said hoarsely:
"Kuzan, are you proud of this attack?"
"You've got it backward!!!"
"You should know!"
"This whole incident—it's nothing but a warning to others!!!"
"For that, the government is willing to wipe out all of Ohara!"
"Ohara is just a scapegoat!"
Kuzan's eyes were hidden beneath his sunglasses, his expression unreadable.
"If this is for the sake of the world, then it can't be helped."
"Besides, these scholars really did break the law."
"Justice changes form depending on where you stand."
"I'm not going to question your sense of justice."
"But…"
"If you try to stop us..."
"Then I can't just sit back and watch."
BOOM——!!!!!!
The evacuation ship in the distance exploded into a giant fireball on the ocean.
All four people on the shore suddenly turned their heads toward the ship.
Shock appeared on the faces of Enel, Saul, and Kuzan.
Robin was terrified—this moment would haunt her for the rest of her life...
On the battleships out at sea, all the soldiers stared in disbelief at the warship that had opened fire.
"What!!!"
"This…"
"H-How could this be."
"That's Vice Admiral Sakazuki's ship…"
"Why…"
...
One minute earlier...
Aboard Sakazuki's warship.
"Report! Vice Admiral Sakazuki!"
"An evacuation ship has been spotted leaving the island ahead!"
Sakazuki turned his head to look.
A few seconds later, his cold voice rang out...
"Open fire."
...
Watching the massive fireball and the sinking ship,
the entire sea fell into silence.
On a distant battleship, an officer next to a Vice Admiral murmured in disbelief:
"This… went too far, didn't it?"
Vice Admiral Plukon, an older man aboard the ship, turned around, his arm a blur.
PA!
The officer clutched his face and fell to the deck, looking up at Vice Admiral Plukon in alarm.
Plukon glared coldly at him.
"Where did you get the courage to question your superior?"
The officer lowered his hand, hurriedly got up.
"My deepest apologies."
"I have failed in my duties."
Vice Admiral Plukon stared at him for a few seconds, then let out a soft sigh.
"Do you understand what the Buster Call really means?"
The officer recalled the information in his mind:
"The Buster Call is authorized by the Government and carried out by Marine Headquarters."
"It's an indiscriminate, destructive attack on a marked location."
"Its purpose is to completely eliminate anything and anyone that threatens the rule of the Government."
Plukon looked at the remains of the evacuation ship, now sinking in silence.
"Exactly…"
"Complete elimination..."
"Then tell me—why do you think the Government arranged an evacuation ship?"
The officer suddenly thought of something, his eyes wide with disbelief.
Plukon murmured:
"No one would believe in a government that slaughters the innocent."
"But the purpose of a Buster Call is total annihilation..."
"The moment the Golden Den Den Mushi was activated, those people were already dead."
"But the Government can't carry that sin."
"You can't bear it. I can't bear it either."
"No one dares shoulder that guilt and infamy."
"But if we let them escape, no one would be able to bear the consequences either..."
Vice Admiral Plukon closed his eyes, unable to look at the sea anymore.
"After tomorrow,"
"the whole world might condemn Sakazuki."
"But today, on this ocean, the soldiers carrying out the mission—have no right."
"Sakazuki took all the guilt and disgrace upon himself."
"No one has the right to slander him..."
...
Ohara, the coast.
Saul glared at Kuzan in fury.
"This is what justice looks like to you?!"
"You can still sleep at night after seeing that?!"
He raised his massive arm and slammed it toward Kuzan.
Boom——
Kuzan dodged with a grimace.
"I never wanted to go as far as he did."
Saul's massive fist struck the ground, sending up a cloud of dust.
But Saul didn't follow up. Instead, he turned and picked up Robin, charging away.
He hadn't gotten far—
Crack——
A bolt of lightning struck Saul's right calf.
His entire leg exploded into fragments from the high-voltage lightning.
He used a thread of Haki to shield Robin in his palms, but even so, her body went numb instantly.
Enel slowly approached, his expression unreadable.
"About that cannon fire just now,"
"I'll ask Sakazuki-san about it later."
"But."
"Justice? A clear conscience?"
"When you lifted that warship, when soldiers fell screaming, did you think about justice?"
"When you slammed one warship into another, did you think those soldiers were innocent?"
"Did you feel at peace with yourself?"
"And what gives you the right to shout moral high ground!!!"
BZZZZ——
A piercing screech rang out.
In Enel's hand, a spear formed—lightning compressed into solid form—aimed directly at Saul.
Saul froze, stunned, Enel's words echoing in his mind...
Suddenly, Kuzan's voice came from afar:
"Time Capsule!"
A wave of freezing air shot from Kuzan's hand, freezing the ground in its path.
It struck Saul's leg, spreading ice up most of his body.
Enel turned a cold gaze toward Kuzan.
Kuzan's calm voice rang out:
"Stand down, Enel."
"I'll take care of him myself."
Enel looked at Kuzan deeply.
"You'd better hurry, Vice Admiral Kuzan."
"Your earlier actions... Sakazuki-san was not pleased."
"And now… I'm not pleased either."
He then threw the thunder spear into the sea.
BOOM——
A massive mushroom cloud rose into the air. The wind and heat fused into a hurricane, sweeping across the world.
Kuzan took a deep breath, didn't respond to Enel, and walked over to Saul, slowly extending his hand.
Saul saw Kuzan's hand rest on his body. With no time to think, he shouted to Robin:
"Run! Robin!"
"Don't look back!"
"Run to the sea!"
"In this life, you will never truly be alone!"
"When you're sad, use what I taught you."
"Smile like this!"
"Somewhere on the sea in the future, there will be friends waiting for you!"
"Go find them!"
"Run!!!"
Kuzan's cold voice rang out:
"Ice Time..."
A giant ice sculpture of a frozen giant formed instantly...