CHAPTER 50:Framed

The Randoluff Theatre Company had always enjoyed a strong reputation among the public. At first, a few staff members casually greeted the approaching Navy with smiles, not taking the situation seriously. But one by one, they were beaten and bruised. The mood immediately shifted; panic swept through the troupe.

Several Marines fired shots into the sky, prompting the troupe's boat to come to a halt on the sea. Inside the cabin, Vivi—currently going by her alias "Gianna"—was sharing a watermelon with Karoo the duck when she heard the commotion. Curious, both came out, each holding half a melon.

They were met with a tense sight: three Navy warships encircled the Randoluff Theater's ship. Dozens of Marines stood ready on the decks, stern-faced, weapons loaded and prepared.

"What's going on?" Vivi frowned, puzzled. She had asked Duddy and Dusky about Randoluff before—though the Navy didn't support his troupe, their stance had been neutral: they neither encouraged nor suppressed him. This hostile posture clashed with what she'd learned. It didn't add up.

"What's the meaning of this? We're a legitimate troupe!" Randoluff, having been rehearsing lines in costume, burst out without changing, visibly alarmed.

The lead naval officer, a stone-faced lieutenant, stepped forward. "We received a report that your troupe is smuggling weapons to pirates."

"That's absurd!"

"A baseless accusation!"

The troupe erupted in protest, but resistance was futile. The Navy insisted on a search, and no one could stop them. Crew members were herded to the deck while Marines swarmed the interior.

Half an hour later, the Marines returned, hauling out three large wooden crates from the cargo hold. They smashed them open, revealing them to be filled with firearms and ammunition.

Randoluff trembled with fury. He pointed at the lieutenant. "You dare use such disgraceful tricks to frame me?! You're tarnishing the honor of the Navy itself!"

The framing was crude—amateurish even. First, isolate everyone on deck. Then spend thirty minutes unsupervised in the hold? More than enough time to plant evidence. Vivi saw through the setup immediately. But not everyone did. When the crates were opened, she noticed several actors eyeing Randoluff suspiciously, their trust faltering.

The Marines pointed their rifles at the troupe. Vivi caught a flash of killing intent in their eyes. As a performer, she wasn't supposed to be armed, so her treasured blade "Huazhou" was stashed in Karoo's backpack. Her hand subtly reached into the bag. If they opened fire, she'd strike first.

"Wait! Hold it! Don't shoot! I won't allow harm to come to my troupe!" Randoluff shouted. "Whoever orchestrated this, come forward! I swear I won't resist!"

After a long pause, a man emerged, descending the spiral staircase of the flagship. Balding, high-cheekboned, and eyes brimming with malice—his appearance matched his soul. The Marines saluted.

The man ignored them and strode directly to Randoluff.

"Well, well. Major Randoluff. Long time no see," he said, sneering.

Randoluff clenched his jaw. "Cobarna."

The man grinned wider. "Lieutenant Colonel Cobarna," he corrected, savoring the title.

"Once so high and mighty. Can you still scold me? Still send me to Enies Lobby? Look at me now—I'm a lieutenant colonel! Hahaha! Bad luck for you, old man! You're a criminal now. Kneel!"

Cobarna wanted to drag the moment out—to humiliate his former superior. But with so many eyes watching, he feigned professionalism.

"Arrest this criminal for smuggling weapons to pirates. If he resists—shoot."

"Yes, sir!"

The Marines surged forward. Randoluff raised his hands calmly, signaling the troupe to stay composed, allowing the cuffs to be locked onto his wrists.

Cobarna, triumphant, gestured to the crates and the troupe. "There's your physical evidence. These are your eyewitnesses. The Navy acts with righteousness and won't wrong an innocent man. Randoluff will be tried at Enies Lobby. Of course… if anyone would like to come forward now and expose his crimes, they'll earn merit. Anyone?"

He scanned the actors with cold expectation.

Randoluff had always treated the troupe kindly. But now, betrayed and accused in public, the pressure to denounce him was crushing. Vivi noticed a few cast members hesitate… yet no one stepped forward.

Cobarna snorted in disdain. "Useless cowards. Take them all!"

One warship led the way, two followed behind, and in the center was the troupe's ship—now a prison barge. Cobarna had his prize. That very day, he set sail for Enies Lobby, determined to present the evidence and crush Randoluff.

"Gianna, what now?" someone whispered to Vivi.

Despite her usual low-key demeanor, Vivi's presence still commanded respect. Her natural charisma—amplified subtly by Conqueror's Haki—drew people toward her.

"Don't worry. Mr. Randoluff used to be a Navy major. The higher-ups won't let this injustice stand."

Vivi herself had no desire to join the Navy. But after following the world's affairs for so long, she still held a sliver of hope in their sense of justice. Whether it was Absolute Justice, Lazy Justice, or Moral Justice—it was still justice, in some form.

That hope, however, was thin.

Randoluff wasn't a civilian. He had connections. Cobarna's sloppily-executed setup wouldn't stand in a real courtroom, would it?

Vivi thought carefully. "Let's trust Mr. Randoluff and the legal system for now. Enies Lobby might still uphold justice."

Even as she said it, her faith wavered. The courts in Enies Lobby were a farce. In her memories, once someone was sent there, the verdict was already decided.

But when she glanced at Randoluff, she noticed something—he wasn't panicking. He was calm. Confident. Perhaps he had a plan. Maybe this wasn't the end.

She decided to wait. To watch. And if things went wrong… she would act.

No matter how corrupt Enies Lobby might be, they couldn't possibly think they'd get away with arresting every single witness.

Could they?