At the same time,
Marine Headquarters, Fleet Admiral's Residence.
Fleet Admiral Sengoku looked sternly at the uninvited Chief Judge. Unlike in the courtroom, the Chief Judge with three heads had now split into three individuals: Bas, And, and Kerville.
As the Fleet Admiral of Marine Headquarters, Sengoku certainly knew that the Chief Judge was not some three-headed monster. He had always known they were three individuals posing as one, so he wasn't surprised to see the Chief Judge split into three people now.
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku, I believe you can already guess the purpose of our visit."
Just after sitting down on the sofa, Bas, seated on the left, got straight to the point, "That's right, we're here regarding Vice Admiral Elio. The investigation and trial against Vice Admiral Elio was not forcibly initiated by Enies Lobby. In fact, Enies Lobby doesn't even have the authority to intervene directly, since both of us fall under the World Government, sharing equal status."
As he spoke, Bas pulled a document from his coat and handed it to Sengoku, "This is the latest decree issued by the Celestial Dragons."
Hm?
Sengoku's pupils shrank slightly as he stared intently at the document placed before him. It was now clear that the intervention of Enies Lobby into the Marine Headquarters and the trial of a Vice Admiral was authorized by the Room of Authority. What he couldn't understand was why the Room of Authority wanted Elio dead.
As for Vice Admiral Elio, though Sengoku had limited direct interaction with him, Elio's rise to Vice Admiral was not only due to his strong personal ties with officers at various levels within the headquarters, but also because of his formidable strength and dazzling achievements.
The year he became a Lieutenant, Elio single-handedly captured several notorious pirate crews. Although nearly all the members of those crews were executed on the spot through extreme methods, it was precisely Elio's thunderous approach that ensured peace in every town and village he passed through. None have seen pirate activity in years.
In Elio's own words, harsh times call for harsh measures. Imprisonment and reform do little against pirates. When execution is warranted, it must be carried out with no hesitation, or else the ones who suffer will be the common people living at the very bottom of society.
More importantly, Admiral Sakazuki's methods were far more extreme than Elio's. If Sakazuki's actions were tolerated and even tacitly approved, then it was natural to turn a blind eye to Elio's approach to capturing criminals as well.
As for the accusations of embezzlement and bribery against Elio, Sengoku saw it as a youthful mistake, something common for that age. As Fleet Admiral, what he could do was give proper warnings at appropriate times.
Most importantly, Elio had not used his illicit gains for personal luxury, but to accomplish things the World Government failed to do, helping those truly in need.
As Fleet Admiral and someone dubbed a "wise general", how could Sengoku not be aware that corruption has long existed within the Marine? But he understood clearly that while some forms of corruption must be eradicated, Elio's type of corruption actually led to a positive development for the Marine overall.
Seeing that Sengoku still hadn't picked up the document, Kith wasted no time and pulled out another report from his coat, saying seriously, "Fleet Admiral Sengoku, this investigation report is not from the internal audit unit; it is from CP0."
"According to this report, Elio started amassing wealth through various means five years ago and distributed all of his illicit gains to his close associates. In just one year, the amount he accumulated exceeded several billion Berries."
"In the following year, instead of slowing down, he intensified his actions after being promoted to Captain, illegally acquiring more than eight billion Berries through various channels."
"That was also the year he was promoted to Lieutenant and was publicly commended for capturing and executing several pirate crews. He became a hero and idol in the eyes of younger officers and sailors. CP0's investigation revealed that from this year onward, the situation began spiraling out of control. He started forming alliances using his illegal wealth, turning countless officers and soldiers, trapped in hardship, into his loyal followers."
"From that year on, a phrase began circulating throughout Marine Headquarters and even many branch bases in the Four Seas: 'Ask anything of Headquarters Major Elio, and you shall receive.'"
At this point, Bas raised his head and looked at Sengoku, whose face had become extremely grave, "Shall I continue, Fleet Admiral Sengoku? I believe you already know many of these things deep down. For the Celestial Dragons, the Marine is the most massive and efficient force under the World Government, but it is also a double-edged sword. The only way to prevent this sword from becoming a threat is to ensure a balance of power among officers at all levels."
"But everything Elio has done is slipping out of the Celestial Dragons' control. If he is not put down immediately, he will undoubtedly become a major threat in their eyes. You saw what happened in the courtroom. Of all the officers present, at least half ignored your authority as Fleet Admiral and disregarded our judgment, choosing to protect Elio instead ."
"This means that in the eyes of those officers, only Vice Admiral Elio holds true authority. I have no doubt that if Elio had raised his hand to command rebellion, not only would those officers in the courtroom have followed him, but the ones outside would have stormed in as well!"
"Even if Elio has no intention of rebelling, he already possesses the capability and power to do so."
As Kith spoke on and on, Sengoku suddenly sighed.
The message was clear: Elio must die, or the Celestial Dragons will never feel at ease.
Kith hadn't come to negotiate, he came to tell Sengoku not to interfere.
After a brief silence, Sengoku picked up the document on the table and glanced at it. Shaking his head helplessly, he said, "Why did the Celestial Dragons choose this moment? Don't they know the current situation in the Grand Line is already dangerously unstable?
If internal turmoil erupts in the Marine, the situation out there will become completely unmanageable!"
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku, are you worried about the New World?"
Bas smiled dismissively and said, "There are only two things going on in the New World right now. First, the Red-Haired Pirates' captain, Shanks, has risen to prominence, becoming one of the Four Emperors alongside Whitebeard, Charlotte Linlin, and Kaido. Second, there's the Elbaph incident. But rest assured, Fleet Admiral, the Celestial Dragons actually want to see the Four Emperors firmly established. As for the Elbaph incident, it's all being orchestrated behind the scenes by the Celestial Dragons' Holy Knights."
Hm?
Sengoku's pupils contracted again as he stared at Bas in disbelief.
Just then, the transponder snail next to him suddenly rang.
An urgent voice came through, "Fleet Admiral Sengoku, something terrible has happened! More than ten thousand soldiers and hundreds of officers have gathered in Marineford Plaza, and the prison holding Vice Admiral Elio has been taken over by several high-ranking officers from Headquarters!"