One Piece: Burning the Sun God to Ash

After a brief greeting, Sakazuki led the two of them toward the Fleet Admiral's office at Headquarters.

All the way there, Aramaki kept talking nonstop. Sakazuki only nodded occasionally, and Issho could sense the presence of soldiers they encountered along the way…

...

Inside the Fleet Admiral's office.

The few of them took their seats as soldiers entered to pour tea.

Sakazuki sat in the Fleet Admiral's chair and looked down at the two.

"Since the war is still ongoing, I can only give you a simple welcome."

"You two have been with the Marines for some time now."

"What are your thoughts on the current state of the Marines? Feel free to share."

Aramaki exaggerated a little as he spoke.

"No, no."

"Under Sakazuki-sama's leadership, the Marines are absolutely perfect!"

"Hahahahahaha."

Issho nodded in agreement.

"That's right. Under Fleet Admiral Sakazuki's command, even the lowest-ranking Marine soldiers have an unshakable faith. Such an army is truly admirable."

"But…"

He hesitated, not knowing how to put it into words.

Sakazuki noticed Issho's hesitation.

"There are no outsiders here."

"If you have something to say, speak freely."

Issho nodded slightly, thought for a moment, then spoke.

"Fleet Admiral Sakazuki's governing methods are… rather harsh."

"To a certain degree, during combat, many innocent people may be directly slaughtered by the Marines."

"Like with the Germa Kingdom—yes, they betrayed the government and colluded with a Yonko, which is indeed despicable. But that decision came from the kingdom's high command. Wiping out an entire nation, leaving not a single soul behind… this…"

Aramaki, who carried out that mission himself, felt a bit annoyed. It was exactly the kind of mission he liked.

"Hey! Issho!!!"

Before he could finish, Sakazuki raised his hand, signaling him to stop.

Sakazuki looked at the newly appointed Admiral.

"Issho is right. This kind of governing method does indeed harm many innocent people."

"And I can tell you clearly—the number of innocents affected is far greater than you imagine."

"But as Fleet Admiral of the Marines, my first responsibility is to ensure that the soldiers suffer the fewest possible casualties—not to pity the innocent people caught up among the pirates."

"Perhaps you don't fully understand, but as Fleet Admiral, I must consider things from a global perspective."

"We can't tell whether someone is telling the truth or lying. If we let them go just because we feel sorry for a few people, that would be irresponsible toward the lives of Marine soldiers, and also irresponsible toward this world."

"Yes, there may have been innocents in Germa Kingdom. But do you have any idea how much damage their secret year-long supply shipments to the New World could have caused our forces?"

"The purpose of this war is the future of this world—to make the seas a place without so many tragedies."

"To ensure there are no longer so many orphans and widows, no more ruins and broken homes. Every year, hundreds of thousands die at the hands of pirates. Sometimes tens of thousands, sometimes an uncountable number."

"Right now, the Marines have hundreds of thousands of troops deployed around the world."

"The simplest way to wipe out the pirates is to detonate the three End Point islands in the New World and burn them all to ashes."

"But there are millions of ordinary civilians in the New World."

"If you were Fleet Admiral, and you had to choose between the lives of these millions of civilians or the hundreds of thousands of Marine soldiers… which would you choose?"

Issho's lips parted slightly, but no words came out. What he wanted to say was stuck in his throat.

Sakazuki chuckled softly, stood up, walked to the window, and gazed out at the distant sea.

"Just as you can't choose, many others can't either."

"Can the value of life really be determined just by how many people there are?"

"Are the lives of millions of civilians lives, but the lives of hundreds of thousands of Marine soldiers who fight and bleed… not lives?"

"I could do what previous Fleet Admirals did—maintain a balance, minimize sacrifices, and let the sea remain the same as it has been for decades."

"Because no one wants to carry the sin of choosing who lives between millions of civilians and hundreds of thousands of soldiers."

"And the result of that is the same every year: hundreds of thousands dead, hundreds of thousands of families destroyed, millions of lives affected."

"But that has nothing to do with us, right?"

"We can still sleep soundly, live our lives, because pirates did all this."

"As Fleet Admiral, I could choose to maintain balance. As Admirals, you could choose to turn a blind eye. Occasionally showing a little kindness and saving a few unfortunate civilians, and then being hailed as saviors…"

"For eight hundred years, it's always been this way…"

Sakazuki turned to face Issho and Aramaki and asked a question.

"After the announcement of the World Draft, you must have felt the enthusiasm of the people."

"Why do you think so many joined the Marines after the World Draft was announced?"

Aramaki scratched his chin and, with a hint of fanaticism, said.

"Because of Sakazuki-sama's methods."

"Showing no mercy to anyone. That's what people admire the most!"

Sakazuki let out a quiet laugh and turned his gaze toward Issho.

Issho thought for a moment, then answered.

"Because of the pirates…"

Sakazuki nodded slightly.

"That's right, but not entirely."

"Hatred for pirates alone isn't enough."

"They joined because they saw hope."

Issho's expression grew serious, and even Aramaki straightened up.

"Hope?"

Sakazuki walked to the map of the New World war situation hanging on the wall.

"The name Sakazuki might have some influence, but not enough to sway the whole world."

"Hatred for pirates will drive many people to join the Marines, but there are also plenty of cowards."

"What truly makes people all over the world eager to enlist is that we gave them hope."

"Hope for a world where all pirates are eliminated…"

"No previous Fleet Admiral ever had a reputation as cold, brutal, and relentless as mine…"

"But it's exactly because of that reputation that people who have suffered from pirate terror for eight hundred years feel a sliver of security. They believe we will win."

"Can you imagine an island that was once slaughtered by pirates, taking decades to recover…"

"And then, when the World Draft was announced, most of their young and strong rushed to enlist."

"That is hatred carved into their very bones."

"Hatred that even decades cannot erase… hatred…"

"We've given them hope, and they've placed everything on us."

"The justice we carry now is no longer just a word."

"It's hope. It's righteousness. It's the expectation of the entire world."

"This war, in which we hold the banner of justice, we will win. But at the same time… will there be fewer sacrifices?"

"No."

"But someone must make the choice, must carry the burden…"

"When it comes to weighing the innocent lives swept up in this war against the righteousness of the world… I will be the one to decide."

"I will be the one to choose between millions of civilians and hundreds of thousands of soldiers."

"I will be the one to bear the innocent blood spilled and the monstrous sin of this war."

"Even if I must walk this path alone…"

"I will crush the very source of this suffering…"

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The fanfic is Finished on p@treon/tambeerg. 414 chapters in total