"What!?"
"Nani?!"
Aramaki and Saleh's mouths hung open in disbelief, wide enough to fit an egg.
Kuzan's expression did not change as he repeated himself.
"You didn't mishear. The Marine will break away from the World Government. From now on, we will serve the people, and also recognize Peach Garden as an allied authority."
This time, silence followed.
Aramaki and Saleh exchanged a long look, slowly confirming that this was not a joke.
Aramaki was the first to speak, his tone full of shock.
"Fleet Admiral, I can understand breaking away from the World Government. But why align with Peach Garden?"
His voice carried more than confusion.
It carried resistance.
Aramaki's past surfaced in his mind.
His family had been killed by Pirates.
From that day, he saw Pirates as absolute evil.
And he had built his entire life around destroying them.
Admiral Akainu's ruthless justice had been his ideal.
His reason for joining the Marine.
His faith.
He trained relentlessly, pushing himself through pain, Haki training, and combat refinement, all for the day he could stand beside Akainu.
Even without a Devil Fruit, he reached Vice Admiral level through sheer effort.
To him, the Marine was simple.
Justice destroys evil.
Pirates must die.
That was all.
But over time, he learned more.
The Marine was not truly independent.
It was an arm of the World Government.
An institution that maintained order, but also controlled the world through force.
And the more he learned, the more he understood one thing.
The World Government was not justice.
It was power.
And power was not always right.
Still, even with that realization, something about Kuzan's statement did not sit right with him.
Peach Garden.
Rolan.
That name alone changed the atmosphere in his mind.
Aramaki's tone hardened.
"Peach Garden belongs to Rolan. I don't need to remind you who he is."
"The strongest Pirate in the world."
"The one who killed Admiral Akainu on Marineford."
His eyes sharpened.
"And now you want us to stand under his influence?"
"Akainu's blood isn't even cold yet."
"You expect us to accept this?"
Saleh nodded beside him, his expression just as serious.
"I agree with Aramaki."
"The Marine has strength. We don't need to rely on a Pirate faction."
"Even if Rolan acted with some sense of justice at Marineford, he is still a Pirate."
"To civilians, Pirates are fear itself."
"As long as Pirates exist near them, peace becomes meaningless."
"And because of Rolan's words at Marineford, Pirate activity across the seas has increased."
"Most of those new Pirates are criminals."
"If the Marine aligns with Pirates, then what becomes of our justice?"
His voice lowered.
"The world will lose faith in us."
Silence followed.
Kuzan listened without interrupting.
Then he finally spoke.
"Good."
That single word caught them off guard.
Kuzan leaned back slightly.
"This is exactly the kind of thinking I expected from you two."
Sengoku, Tsuru, and the others present showed faint approval.
Kuzan continued.
"Now answer me this."
"What is justice?"
Aramaki answered instantly.
"Pirates are evil. Marines are justice."
Saleh hesitated, then nodded.
"That is the standard belief."
Kuzan exhaled slowly.
"I used to believe the same."
His voice grew quieter.
"Absolute justice. Absolute evil."
"But the more you see, the less absolute the world becomes."
"There are Pirates who protect islands better than the World Government ever has."
"There are Marines who abuse power under the name of justice."
He paused.
"And the definition of justice itself…"
"…has always been written by those in control."
Aramaki shook his head immediately.
"I can't accept that."
"I know there are corrupt Marines."
"But Pirates are still evil."
Saleh, however, said nothing this time.
His gaze lowered slightly.
Kuzan noticed that.
And he continued.
"You both understand what the World Government truly is."
"It is an organization that once destroyed a kingdom that ruled this world for centuries."
"Not because it was evil."
"But because it was a threat."
"The Marine is powerful, yes."
"But it is still a military arm under their control."
"And breaking free from them…"
"…cannot be done alone."
The weight of that statement filled the room.
Aramaki's fists tightened.
"So Peach Garden is necessary?"
His tone was sharp.
"Or is this just exchanging one master for another?"
Kuzan's eyes narrowed slightly.
Before he could answer, Aramaki spoke again, his voice colder now.
"Because I won't follow a path that puts Marines under a Pirate's rule."
===
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