Chapter 75 - Darkness and Justice
A month and a half passed in the blink of an eye.
At last, their long journey ca to an end. They had arrived at Sabaody Archipelago.
Sakazuki and Enel disembarked, watching as a group of governnt agents stepped forward to take over. The latter looked reluctant as he said goodbye to Vegapunk.
For over a month, the two had spent nearly eighteen hours a day together. Whether it was because Enel was exceptionally bright or because all scientists were wired the sa, their discussions had grown so intense they barely paused to eat or sleep.
Vegapunk noticed the look in the boy's eyes.
"It's alright, Enel," he said gently. "We'll et again soday."
Then he turned to Sakazuki.
"Thank you, Mr. Sakazuki, for taking care of
this past month."
The vice admiral gave a slight nod and a reassuring look. Vegapunk smiled, waved at them both, and boarded another battleship under heavy escort.
As they watched him disappear aboard the ship, Sakazuki reached into his coat and pulled out a few bounty posters—nas and faces of pirates currently hiding sowhere on Sabaody. He flipped through them, then tucked them away.
Glancing at Enel, he said, "Co on. It's ti I showed you what real darkness looks like."
The boy nodded faintly, still feeling the weight of parting. "Okay," he said softly, and followed Sakazuki into the distance.
...
So ti later.
They had changed out of their Marine uniforms. Cloaked from head to toe, their faces and forms were completely hidden.
"This is Sabaody Archipelago," Sakazuki began, "The only gateway into the New World. People from nearly every walk of life gather on this island: slave traders, nobles, commoners, fishn, pirates, bounty hunters, marines, governnt officials. Everyone. Here, from tree numbers 1 to 29, those giant mangroves, is what they call the lawless zone."
As he finished introducing the place, they arrived at their destination.
"We're here."
Sakazuki gestured for Enel to follow.
A massive round building lood ahead, with three large characters painted above its entrance: Human Auctioning House.
They stepped inside. After finding seats among the crowd, Enel began observing the space with quiet curiosity.
The place was filled with all kinds of people. A few looked like nobles, proud and untouchable. Others were pirates whose faces matched wanted posters. So even sat with clenched fists, glaring at the man on the auction stage in hate.
Enel's powerful Observation Haki picked up every subtle emotion in the room. Within this small auction hall, he could feel the full spectrum of human nature...
Suddenly, the auctioneer onstage panicked and rushed out.
Sakazuki raised an eyebrow.
Before long, the man returned with a senior staff mber, escorting a Celestial Dragon into the hall. The figure wore a hood, concealing their face, and was led straight to the VIP section.
After ensuring the Celestial Dragon was properly seated, the auctioneer wiped the sweat from his forehead, then quickly rushed up to the stage, and took a deep breath.
"The monthly Human Auction at Tree No. 1 is about to begin!" he announced with enthusiasm. "This ti, we've prepared a fine selection of high-quality slaves. And of course, so popular rchandise will also be featured. We sincerely hope everyone finds a slave that perfectly suits their needs!"
The crowd erupted with cheers.
"Whoooaaa!!"
Not far from Enel, a group of middle-aged nobles were discussing what kind of slave to buy.
"The one I bought last ti broke down in less than ten days," a middle-aged noblewoman said with a displeased tone. "This ti, I'm planning to get a young, strong fishman. They're ten tis stronger than humans, after all."
She giggled behind her hand. "Ohohohoho!"
Beside her, a middle-aged nobleman leaned over and grinned. "I heard there's a princess from so small kingdom up for auction this ti. I'm planning to take her. Hiehiehiehie~"
The noblewoman teased him playfully. "You really do have a thing for pretty girls, as always~"
"Hiehiehiehie~" The man let out a greasy laugh, clearly pleased with himself.
Enel frowned slightly. Treating humans like livestock... had that really beco normal?
With that thought in mind, he turned to look at Sakazuki. But the man remained motionless, his expression indifferent as he stared at the stage.
Suppressing the rising disgust in his chest, Enel withdrew his Observation Haki and quietly watched the stage with Sakazuki.
Onstage, the auctioneer sensed that the crowd's excitent had peaked.
"Next up is Item Number One!" he declared. "The eldest daughter of a musical family from the Kingdom of Toroyati in the West Blue.
"She possesses a voice that leaves the world in awe. A human music box who can sing any song you desire!
"Height: 176 centiters. Weight: 50 kilograms!
"A voice like heaven itself: Loxitia!"
"Ohhhhh!"
As the delicate beauty stepped onto the stage, the crowd roared. The atmosphere hit another climax.
The auctioneer raised his arm and shouted, "As today's first item, we're offering a special deal! Starting at just 800,000 Berries! Everyone, let the bidding begin!"
Paddles went up quickly, and the bidding climbed fast. In just monts, the price shot up from 800,000 to 2.7 million Berries.
The frenzy slowly started to settle.
"Alright! Congratulations to Guest Number 74! Sold for 2.7 million Berries!"
Down below, the noble holding Paddle 74 giggled mindlessly, drool dripping from the corner of his mouth as he stared at the stage.
The sight shattered Enel's view of the world. The shock was unimaginable.
He stood up, his fury surging. He wanted to destroy everything: this filthy auction hall, this entire place. But before he could move, Sakazuki's large hand slamd down on his shoulder, forcing him back into his seat.
"Don't let anger cloud your judgnt. This is just the beginning."
The vice admiral's calm, cold voice reached him. Enel looked up at his expression. It was distant, detached. For the first ti, Sakazuki felt like a complete stranger.
"Think hard about what you did wrong," Sakazuki added, then removed his hand from.
Enel slowly cald himself. The rage faded from his eyes. His face grew blank as he stared silently at the stage. He didn't move until the auction finally ended.
By evening, the two of them left without buying a single slave. They walked through the streets as the sky darkened.
Sakazuki led the way toward their next destination. As they walked, he spoke.
"Have you figured out what you did wrong?"
Enel's voice was cold. "I have."
Sakazuki stopped and turned to face him. "What was your mistake?"
Enel closed his eyes. "My mistake was being too weak."
Sakazuki shook his head. "No. You still don't get it."
He sighed quietly before continuing, "As a Marine, if you can't see the bigger picture, if you let a glimpse of darkness shake your will and make you act on impulse, then that's your biggest failure.
"You didn't consider the consequences at all. If you destroyed that auction hall, yes, you might have saved a few dozen slaves. But then what? You'd be branded a criminal. You'd be hunted down.
"You're a Logia user with the power of the Rumble-Rumble Fruit. If you wanted to escape, no one could catch you.
"But what about your life? You were ant to beco an admiral. Your future could save millions across the seas. Your research might one day shorten the distance between people across the ocean. You would beco soone rembered by history. Your na would be printed in textbooks for generations to co.
"But because of a few dozen slaves, all of that would be destroyed. You'd beco a fugitive on the run. Decades later, when your ti cos to an end and you look back on your life, you'll regret everything you did that day.
"You once had everything others envied, even if just for a mont. But because of one reckless decision, you destroyed it with your own hands.
"And when Vice Admiral Morris reaches the end of his life, you won't even be able to attend his funeral. You'll be forced to stand behind the clouds, alone, watching the island where the ceremony is held. Saying nothing. Crying silently."
"Enough!" Enel roared, his eyes burning red with anger.
Sakazuki's words had exposed the harsh truth with brutal clarity.
So justice simply couldn't be carried out.
"Follow ." That calm voice rang out once more.
Enel, still shaken by Sakazuki's words, followed silently.
Their next destination: the Marine base on Sabaody Archipelago.
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