Chapter 286
The presence that had descended upon the Chamber of Authority was not a physical gaze.
It had been something far colder and more distant, an authority touching the room for only an instant before vanishing again.
The Five Elders understood what it meant.
Director Dapus did not.
All he saw was Saint Ethanbaron V. Nusjuro's hand tighten around his sword as the composure of the other Elders hardened at the same moment.
Whatever had just happened belonged to a level of the World Government that even the field director of an Aegis Execution Unit had no right to question.
"It was... that person," Nusjuro said quietly.
Dapus lowered his eyes at once and asked nothing further.
The atmosphere in the room had changed completely.
What had begun as Dapus's proposal for disposing of a dangerous former asset was no longer being treated as an optional measure.
One of the Elders finally turned toward him.
"Continue with your operational proposal, Director."
Dapus felt his throat tighten.
"Understood."
"He must be erased completely."
Dapus's eyes hardened as he accepted the order.
The pressure of an authority even greater than his own had introduced something almost feverish beneath his earlier cruelty.
"No remains and no loose ends. That time bomb cannot be allowed to remain in this world."
"What is the cleanest option?" Nusjuro asked.
"Directly mobilizing the Marines or Cipher Pol would attract too much attention."
Dapus reached inside his clothing and produced a sealed dossier.
"Sengoku and Garp would be our greatest obstacles, and Zaraki's reputation within the Marines is already far too high. If we issue an explicit order against him, we risk provoking unrest inside the organization itself."
He placed the dossier on the table.
"As for working with a lunatic like Kaido again..." His expression darkened. "That would be no different from inviting a tiger into your own house. There are too many variables."
Dapus pushed the file toward Nusjuro with two fingers.
"But we can make use of the goodwill Zaraki himself has accumulated."
A cruel smile touched his mouth.
"Remember Alabasta and Dressrosa? Both kingdoms owe him enormous debts, and their rulers have publicly expressed their gratitude toward Zaraki more than once in communications with the Government."
Nusjuro's eyebrow lifted slightly as he began to understand.
"Debts of gratitude are among the hardest things in the world to repay," Dapus continued, his voice turning glacial. "Sometimes they also make the sharpest knives."
"I've already sent a 'request' to both kingdoms in the name of the World Government. They will jointly sponsor an elaborate banquet as thanks for everything Zaraki has done. The venue will be a neutral island along the Paradise half of the Grand Line, and the invitation will name only one guest."
He paused briefly.
"Zaraki."
Nusjuro opened the dossier and read the page once.
That was enough.
The muscles in his otherwise expressionless face twitched, his pupils contracted, and veins rose across the hand holding the document.
"You intend to use that package?"
For once, genuine displeasure entered his voice.
"On a neutral island sponsored by two member kingdoms?"
His grip tightened around the file.
"Those demolition stores, Aegis teams, and false-flag vessels were prepared for an operation with no civilian presence. If Cobra's or Riku's delegations are anywhere near the site when it begins, the political consequences will be worse than the problem we're trying to solve."
"They won't be there," Dapus replied calmly. "Alabasta and Dressrosa will sponsor the invitation in good faith, but the actual reception will be handled through a neutral World Government venue. Their rulers never need to know the site has been compromised."
He leaned back slightly.
"And the version presented to the world will be simple: former Marine special envoy Zaraki encountered an unidentified hostile force. A catastrophic battle followed, the attackers were destroyed, and the venue was lost in the fighting."
A faint curve appeared at the corner of his mouth.
"A tragic end for a former hero. Believable enough, provided nothing survives to contradict it."
"But Zaraki isn't an idiot."
Another Elder finally spoke. Saint Marcus Mars regarded the dossier warily.
"That man is calculating, and the true limits of his strength remain unclear. What if he's still concealing more?"
"He's been pushed harder than at any point in the last several months," Nusjuro said as he closed the dossier. "But while he's still surrounded by Garp, Sengoku's people, and a returning Marine fleet, attempting anything now would be foolish."
Dapus nodded.
"The voyage back to Marineford takes three days. That's enough time to position everything we need. We act only after his resignation is formally completed and he's outside direct Marine protection."
Nusjuro narrowed his eyes.
"The net had better be something he cannot simply cut through."
Dapus rose and returned to the enormous window overlooking the cloud-covered Red Line.
"Then I'll prepare the Purification Protocol and hold it until authorization is given."
One of the Elders answered from behind him.
"Do so."
Dapus's reflection stared back at him from the glass.
"This time, failure is not permitted."
At the summit of the world's power, the preparations quietly began to spread outward, all centered on the man preparing to remove the coat of Justice from his shoulders.
...
Three days later, the enormous Gates of Justice opened before Marine Headquarters — Marineford.
The harbor still bore traces of the recent emergency mobilizations and repairs, but its usual relentless activity had already resumed.
Dozens of Marine warships entered the crescent-shaped bay in formation, battered vessels finally returning from the campaign.
At the front sailed the Oni Slayer, its hull still covered in rough temporary repairs from the battles it had endured.
Zaraki stood at the bow.
Sea wind caught the coat draped across his shoulders, snapping the enormous word Justice behind him—the familiar symbol of the Marines he had served for so long, perhaps now for the last time.
The docks were packed.
Fleet Admiral Sengoku stood at the front of the waiting formation, with Vice Admiral Tsuru, several senior Vice Admirals, and rows of Marine officers behind him.
The reception was formal and solemn, but beneath that discipline lay a heaviness no one had managed to hide.
The flagship settled against the dock, and the gangway descended.
Zaraki walked down at an unhurried pace.
The Senzu Bean had already erased the injuries left by his battles, leaving his movements steady and his body completely restored.
What remained was harder to conceal.
One brutal death match after another had left enough killing intent around him that his presence itself seemed sharper than before, and ordinary Marines who met his eyes instinctively looked away.
"You've worked hard, Zaraki."
Sengoku stepped forward. Beneath his familiar seagull-shaped cap, his normally severe expression carried a complicated mixture of relief, regret, and deeper concern.
His gaze briefly shifted toward the ships behind Zaraki.
Hancock and her sisters were nowhere to be seen.
Once the route away from the remaining Beasts Pirates forces became safe, the Kuja vessel had separated from the Marine formation.
Jinbe had remained with them long enough to help clear the dangerous waters before continuing along his own route.
"Fleet Admiral."
Zaraki greeted him with a slight nod.
"We've received reports from Totto Land," Sengoku said, lowering his voice. "Charlotte Linlin remains severely wounded. The Beasts Pirates have withdrawn as well."
He placed one hand on Zaraki's shoulder.
"You did well."
Then his expression darkened.
"But you also went far beyond anything we expected."
Sengoku paused.
"I've read your resignation. The Five Elders are very interested in what you intend to do next."
The emphasis made the warning clear.
This was not simple curiosity. They intended to watch him.
"I know."
Zaraki's answer was brief.
He looked across the dock.
Some of the faces were familiar, while many were not.
Among the younger Marines in particular, however, admiration and almost fanatical excitement were impossible to hide.
They stared at him as though someone they had only read about in newspapers had suddenly stepped out of the stories and onto the pier in front of them.
Something inside Zaraki stirred faintly, that old response tied to battle.
He drew a slow breath before speaking.
His voice was not especially loud, yet it carried clearly across the harbor as the surrounding noise died away.
"Effective today, I, Zaraki, formally resign from my position as Marine Headquarters special envoy."
For several seconds, the harbor fell completely silent.
Thousands of eyes fixed on him with shock, confusion, disbelief, and regret.
This was the man who had grievously wounded an Emperor and then defeated Dracule Mihawk in a public duel, a Marine whose accomplishments had become impossible for Headquarters or the rest of the world to ignore.
Now, at the moment when his reputation had reached its greatest height, he was leaving.
"Zaraki!"
"Why?!"
"Please don't leave!"
The silence broke as voices erupted throughout the docks.
Officers shifted uneasily in formation, while younger Marines shouted openly despite their superiors standing only a short distance away.
Sengoku raised one hand.
The disturbance gradually subsided.
He looked into Zaraki's calm eyes and sighed.
"I've already made arrangements. Once your discharge is complete, a fleet of elite warships will escort you wherever you choose to recuperate. Until you're safely clear of this political mess, they'll remain responsible for your protection."
It was the last protection Sengoku could offer him as Fleet Admiral, and as far as he could go without openly defying the World Government.
Zaraki shook his head.
"No need, Fleet Admiral Sengoku."