"What kind of Navy hero is that?!"
"If we let them walk away, what were we fighting for?!"
"Fleet Admiral, where is our justice?!"
The voices started scattered—but quickly spread.
Xiao's mockery and Doflamingo's sharp words had cut deep. Once doubt was planted, it grew fast.
Marines began looking around.
Sakazuki had fought Edward Newgate head-on.
But what about the others?
Kuzan and Borsalino had stepped in—yet Luffy still stood.
Monkey D. Garp had struck Blackbeard instead of pirates.
And now Ace had been rescued.
"Was this… arranged?"
"Were we sent here to die for someone's reputation?"
Exhausted soldiers dropped to one knee, staring blankly at fallen comrades.
On the other side, the Whitebeard Pirates began withdrawing in formation. Whitebeard himself pulled Ace back, preventing him from rushing toward Luffy.
He had long been prepared to die if necessary.
But now?
The Navy wasn't even pursuing.
The battlefield had shifted into something else entirely.
Kuzan stood still.
He understood the truth.
He had aimed for Luffy's shoulder.
It had been subconscious. A moment of hesitation.
He hadn't expected it to be noticed.
Hadn't expected it to become the crack that shattered morale.
And this entire war was being broadcast.
The damage wasn't local—it was global.
From the smoking ruins, Sakazuki stood up again.
Magma dripped from his arm.
His eyes burned.
"The Navy's justice is not a stepping stone for anyone."
His voice cut through the noise.
"We fight to eliminate pirates. That has not changed."
"Whitebeard must die. Ace must die. And Straw Hat—"
"He must die."
The magma around him boiled violently.
"We don't complain. We don't hesitate."
"We execute justice."
He turned toward Kuzan.
"Aokiji."
"Kill Straw Hat. Now."
The meaning was clear.
The Navy needed blood.
It needed proof.
It needed a head to restore its banner.
Kuzan did not move immediately.
He looked toward the execution platform.
Toward Sengoku.
Only the Fleet Admiral could decide this.
Sengoku's face was dark.
Blackbeard's scheme had forced his hand.
If Luffy lived—
The Navy's credibility might not recover.
If Luffy died—
Garp would break.
Seconds passed.
Heavy.
Long.
Finally—
Sengoku closed his eyes briefly.
Then he opened them.
"Kill."
One word.
Clear.
Cold.
Final.
The order fell across Marineford like a blade.
From this moment on—
Straw Hat Luffy's life was no longer a personal matter.
It had become the price for the Navy's justice.
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