https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-751-What-Reputation-Does-Old-Man-Have-/13539122/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-753-We-Mustn-t-Disappoint-the-King-/13539124/
Chapter 752: Justice as an Idealistic Act
Chapter 752: Justice as an Idealistic Act
Laya Kingdom was a small island on the border of the G-3 Jurisdictional Waters, famed for its abundant production of Devil Fruits. These Devil Fruits were large, sweet, and vibrantly colored, making them highly popular worldwide. This island nation, a renowned producer of Devil Fruits and a member state of the World Government, had accumulated immense wealth through peaceful development under the G-3 Branch’s jurisdiction.
But recently, the kingdom had fallen under invasion by foreign enemies.
Now, two warships anchored near the shoreline, their stationed Navy crews keeping watch. Further ahead, a group of Navy officers gathered, their faces grim beneath hooded cloaks.
The scene before them was a village choked with smoke. Buildings lay in ruins, and corpses littered the ground—charred, disfigured, and strewn haphazardly. Behind the two cloaked officers, Donald gripped his cross spear, his nose wrinkling at the stench of death.
“This is outrageous,” he muttered.
Kas’s face twisted with rage. “Even in war, such atrocities against civilians are unforgivable.”
The corpses were all elderly women and children—no men. This was a defenseless village, yet its attackers had slaughtered the weak and innocent.
“These were civilians!” Kas hissed through clenched teeth. “Unforgivable. Absolutely unforgivable!”
Wilbur lowered his arms, his expression solemn. “As Mr. Kuro said, every being has a natural identity—Navy, pirate, or soldier. If deaths occur in their roles, no one can be blamed. But civilians have no such identity. No one has the right to harm them!”
“These wicked souls,” Kas growled, “dare speak of Justice?”
Wilbur nodded. “Even as Navy bound by rules, some lines must never be crossed. Justice demands action!”
Though Navy doctrine forbade interfering in national affairs, Justice left no room for hesitation. Kas ordered his men to collect the corpses before marching toward Laya Kingdom’s capital, Fruit Domain.
Unlike typical towns of wood or stone, Fruit Domain’s architecture fused colossal fruit-bearing trees with stonework, creating structures that harmonized nature with civilization. The grandest of these was a titanic tree whose trunk served as streets, its upper canopy transformed into a Palace.
“Navy Officer, welcome, welcome!” King Randolph, a portly dark-skinned man crowned with a Pineapple Crown, clasped Kas’s hands, tears welling in his eyes. “Please, save us!”
“Enemy forces have slaughtered so many of our people,” the king sobbed. “Panic grips the nation—we cannot endure this much longer! As you hold jurisdiction here, I beg you, drive these invaders away!”
Kas tightened his grip on the king’s hand. “Any act that defies Justice will be stopped.”
“Indeed,” Wilbur added, flipping open a worn book. “Page 5, Section 11 of Justice Quotes: ‘Justice is an idealistic act.’ Thus, we shall protect civilians—no one has the right to massacre them!”
Donald frowned slightly. Was that the exact quote? He recalled Vice Admiral Kuro’s words: “Act with conscience.” Had this line been… rephrased for dramatic effect?
“Thank you! Thank you!” Randolph’s voice trembled with relief.
Donald interjected cautiously. “Understand, we are Navy, not your kingdom’s guards. Our orders are to investigate first.”
G-3 headquarters had instructed: Assess the situation before acting. Yet the message was clear—their neutrality was secondary to Justice.
Donald, once a wanderer in the Flower Country, knew Navy’s reputation: powerful but distant. But under Kas’s command, he’d learned this faction treated Navy rules as… disposable parchment. Useful when convenient, discarded otherwise.
Still, he felt compelled to clarify. “Don’t mistake us as your soldiers. Navy acts for Navy.”
“Of course, of course!” Randolph stammered. “Even if you negotiate peace, just stop their invasion! Better yet, strike them down! This year’s taxes—I’ll double them!”
Kas waved him off. “For wickedness, no reward is needed. Who are these enemies?”
“Dressrosa!”
Randolph spat the name, eyes blazing. “That cursed new king—madness grips him! He’s conquering recklessly, seizing lands far beyond his borders. Why here? He’s lost his mind!”
“Dressrosa?!” The Navy officers exchanged glances.
“Dressrosa!” the king repeated. “That damned nation, cruel under Donquixote Doflamingo, grows worse now! With the Seven Warlords of the Sea gone, this madman seeks only conquest! You Navy must act! The World Government must act! I am a member state—a member!”
They knew of Dressrosa’s recent rampages. Unfazed by World Government repercussions, the kingdom’s ambition knew no bounds: conquer, conquer, conquer.
Randolph could not fathom the obsession with territorial expansion. This was the Grand Line—sooner or later, someone else would always seize power. Surely preservation, not reckless conquest, was the true path?
(End of Chapter)
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