Chapter 157: Who Holds the Reins of the Era

The heavy steel frame tilted, collapsing the domed onion-shaped roof.

The roller coaster track broke in the middle, leaving the cable cars hanging precariously from the snapped ropes, swaying with a creaking sound.

The ground was covered in intersecting cracks. Bubble bicycles floated aimlessly mid-air, as if invisible riders were pedaling them forward.

Rorschach lowered his head, staring at a toppled cart at his feet.

He recognized it—it was the barbecue cart of the man named Old Tommy. Rorschach and Skylark had eaten grilled skewers from this very cart just days ago.

Old Tommy, as Rorschach had learned, lived in Water 7.

To support his family, he had braved the risks of the sea to come to the bustling Sabaody Archipelago in search of fortune. He had a wife and children waiting for his return.

Despite his fear, Tommy had once mustered the courage to plead on Rorschach's behalf when Pittman caused trouble—a simple, kind-hearted man.

But now, from a deep crack in the ground nearby, Rorschach could sense the same aura as the cart.

Except...

It carried the stench of dried, rotting blood.

Old Tommy was dead.

He never made it back to Water 7 or to his waiting family.

And like Tommy, many other innocent lives were caught in the crossfire during the massive purge conducted by the World Government and the Navy on the Sabaody Archipelago over the past few days.

All of it traced back to one source: Rorschach .

It was his decision to target Saint Rozwald and his family.

It was his arrogance, thinking he could halt the Great Pirate Era on his own.

If he hadn't attacked Saint Rozwald, Old Tommy wouldn't have died, and countless other innocents on this island would have been spared.

All of these tragedies were the consequences of Rorschach's stubbornness.

"Lwa…"

The silver-haired boy's lips trembled as he stared into the deep fissure in the ground, his gaze falling on the cart nearby.

"Did I make a mistake?"

Wearing the uniform of a Navy Major, with polished black boots, a white officer's cap, and a white Justice cape, Lwa stood nearby. His sword, Ghost Cry, unsheathed, rested in his hand. His eyes were fixed on the skeletal remains of Pittman and his men scattered across the ground.

"Right or wrong… Every choice anyone makes comes with unpredictable consequences," Lwa said, turning to the weary silver-haired boy with a serious look.

"Think of it this way: if you hadn't acted, what would this island look like now?"

"What would it look like?"

Rorschach scanned his surroundings.

He didn't know what Sabaody would have been like if Saint Rozwald and his family had survived.

But at the very least, the Bubble Park would still be bustling with laughter and joy.

Old Tommy might still be alive.

He might still be here, selling his delicious grilled skewers. Or perhaps he'd have taken his earnings back to Water 7 to reunite with his family.

"I'll tell you what Sabaody would have looked like," Ro said, pointing toward a distant grove.

"If you had ignored their actions, first, that little girl named Nisha would have died under the gilded golden pistol."

"Her young parents? They'd likely have died too."

"And the mermaid in the auction house? Who knows what horrors she would've faced."

"Then there are the enslaved people being auctioned off. And the next time, and the time after that, and the time after that... another Nisha, another mermaid, would meet their end because of those people."

Lwa sighed. "If you have the ambition to change this decaying world, don't fool yourself into thinking you can do it without sacrifice. That's nothing but a fairy tale."

"But since you've already acted, don't regret it now."

"Follow through on your convictions, Rorschach. Don't make me regret believing in you."

"The higher your position, the more impactful your decisions become…"

Lwa opened his hand, and a swirl of air currents spun around his fingers.

The next moment, a snow-white Justice cape appeared in his grasp, which he handed to Rorschach .

"This is only the first step you've taken toward shaping this world, Colonel Rorschach ."

A day later, the World Government and the Navy completed their large-scale purge of the 79 Red Mangrove Zones of the Sabaody Archipelago.

From that day onward, apart from some native islanders, the Sabaody Archipelago was restricted to long-term occupation by the Navy and World Government personnel only.

The Navy announced plans to establish a new base on Sabaody, with Fleet Admiral Sengoku personally selecting the base commander.

The Sabaody Navy Base's garrison would be tripled in size and would take over the island's shipbuilding and coating industries.

All coating work was banned unless performed by government-certified coaters.

Furthermore, all ships coated for journeys to the New World would require a permit issued by the Navy. Vessels without such permits would not be allowed to proceed.

Meanwhile, the World Government issued an order to the Navy Headquarters to closely monitor the seas along the first half of the Grand Line.

Patrol warships were instructed to report immediately upon discovering other Yarukiman Mangroves outside of the Sabaody Archipelago and to destroy them without hesitation.

With this, the surge of new Supernovas was forcefully curtailed following the assault on the Celestial Dragons, a move that deeply embarrassed the World Government.

The crackdown on emerging pirates in the Four Seas and the first half of the Grand Line had only just begun.

In the garden of Akainu's residence at Marineford:

A silver-haired boy stood straight on the veranda of a three-story building, wearing a tailored blue military uniform, a white Justice cape draped over his shoulders, black boots on his feet, and black gloves on his hands.

"Sakazuki-uncle, you called for me."

"Come in."

Rorschach slid open the wooden door, styled in the manner of Wano. His first glance was not at Akainu, who had spoken, but at the middle-aged man seated to Akainu's right.

The man was dressed entirely in black, wore dark sunglasses, and sported a slicked-back hairstyle that gleamed under the light.

It was Black Horse Tenzheng!

This was the man who had invaded his dream world with his abilities and introduced himself as the Director of the Navy Criminal Investigation Bureau.

When Rorschach entered, Black Horse's lips curled into a faint smirk.

"Handsome kid. Sakazuki, you've got a good eye. You brought back a fine face for our Navy Headquarters."

"When we recruit in the future, let's just use this boy's image in the advertisements. I guarantee it'll bring some fresh female recruits into this male-heavy Navy."

Akainu ignored Black Horse's teasing and gestured for Rorschach to sit wherever he liked.

The apprehension and wariness Rorschach felt toward Black Horse vanished in an instant when he saw Akainu.

Sitting in the main seat, Akainu's broad chest was exposed, his body sculpted like chiseled rock.

His upper torso was covered with intricate tattoos—swirling cloud patterns and sakura blossoms adorned his left shoulder, arm, and chest. The markings made Akainu seem even more stern and unyielding.

Meanwhile, Black Horse leisurely poured tea from a steaming teapot.

"Did you orchestrate the death of Saint Rozwald's family?"

Rorschach, who had just knelt down, froze entirely at Akainu's question.

Akainu picked up the cup of hot tea Black Horse had poured for him and took a sip.

"Your courage far exceeds what I imagined."

Rorschach sat uneasily, staring at the table in front of him while occasionally sneaking glances at Black Horse across the way.

This action made Black Horse laugh as he poured himself a cup of tea.

"Stop pretending, kid. You dared to kill a Celestial Dragon, and now you're putting on this timid act? Who are you trying to fool?"

With that, Black Horse suddenly flung his cup of hot tea at Rorschach's face.

The scalding liquid splashed out of the cup, hurtling toward Rorschach .

"Whoosh."

Invisible currents swirled in the air, gathering the spilled tea back into the cup.

The cup landed steadily in Rorschach's outstretched right hand.

"Getting better at using your abilities, huh?" Black Horse chuckled and shook his head, pointing at Akainu. "If Sakazuki weren't a close friend of mine, do you think I'd cover for a bold little criminal like you?"

"Apologies, Uncle Sakazuki. I've caused you trouble. I…"

Rorschach still couldn't gauge Akainu's intentions.

"I've already heard from Hibari about your attitude toward the World Government," Akainu said, his imposing face betraying no hint of his thoughts.

He stared at Rorschach , who remained silent, then posed a sudden question.

"Do you know what the World Government fears most about this so-called 'Will of D'?"

"The Will of D?"

Rorschach was taken aback. He hadn't expected Akainu to bring this up.

He recalled fan theories from his past life when he'd read the manga.

"Probably lineage, dreams, hope, the dawn—things like that?"

"It's the spirit of resistance."

"With your current mindset and actions, you could already be considered an awakened embodiment of that so-called spirit of resistance. You are a qualified flame of light. However, the fire you've lit is still small—it doesn't burn brightly enough, and it doesn't illuminate a wide enough area yet."

"And when a flame becomes too conspicuous, it invites the extinguisher…"

Akainu's deep voice echoed through the building, sending shivers through Rorschach's heart.

"Surprised that I'd say such things?"

Akainu set his cup down, picked up a pair of scissors, and began trimming the branches of a bonsai beside him.

"This isn't a secret."

"When you stand high enough, you can see through many things at a glance."

"But seeing clearly doesn't mean you can change things according to your will."

"Sakazuki-uncle…"

Rorschach was genuinely shocked now.

Shocked by Akainu's clarity of thought.

This Akainu was nothing like the rough, unyielding character portrayed in the manga.

On the surface, he seemed like a rigid, iron-blooded soldier who only knew how to bulldoze his way through obstacles.

But in reality, he was shrewd and perceptive—a general both intelligent and courageous.

If not for his extreme personal convictions, he would likely have garnered even more supporters within the Navy.

"Don't place too much importance on the lives of those pieces of trash, and don't underestimate the Celestial Dragons as a group."

"Eight hundred years—how many flames have risen and fallen? No one knows."

"But through it all, they remain in control of the world."

"Don't belittle the Navy's Justice, but don't trust others too easily either."

"Go now."

"Show those old ghosts who hesitate who truly holds the reins of this era!"

(End of Chapter)

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