Reaching the end of the street, Robin looked at the fortress entrance guarded by soldiers.
She hesitated for a moment, then steadied her gaze and stepped forward. It was a little unexpected, yet also somehow expected…
At the most important stronghold on the island, the guards did not stop her. They simply asked her name and where she was going, then let her pass, even telling her the exact location and giving directions.
After thanking them, Robin followed their instructions and walked straight toward the elevator.
* * *
Stepping out of the elevator, Robin arrived at the top platform of the fortress. From here, the entire island could be seen clearly, and the strict, overwhelming presence of the place felt even more real.
Robin paused briefly before walking toward the Fleet Admiral's office.
Just as she reached the door, it opened.
Carlo appeared in front of her with a smile. "Done sightseeing? Come in."
She nodded slightly and followed him inside.
The room was simple. Aside from a massive sand table and a world map hanging on the wall, there were only two sofas and the desks belonging to Carlo and Sakazuki. Sakazuki was not in the room at the moment.
Robin's attention was immediately drawn to the map and the sand table. Even with only a vague understanding of the current situation, she grasped the global state of affairs at a glance.
Carlo returned to his desk, poured a glass of water, and handed it to Robin. "No need to be nervous."
She accepted it and said, "Thank you."
Then she hesitated before asking, "Can I… look at these?"
She was referring to the sand table and the world map. The clear markings and territorial divisions of various forces… if such information leaked, it could cause a huge uproar. These should be highly classified.
Carlo shrugged. "It doesn't matter. These things aren't that useful. They just help visualize the territories. If we wanted to, we could flatten the New World in a short time. It's just not the right moment yet."
Robin was stunned. "Flatten the New World…"
Hearing it as speculation was one thing. Hearing it stated so casually was another. She took a deep breath and suppressed the shock.
Glancing around the room, she asked, "Where is the Fleet Admiral?"
Carlo continued reviewing documents at his desk as he replied, "He's in the meeting room next door. He should be back soon. Do you need something from him?"
Robin opened her mouth, but no words came out.
Why did she come here? There didn't seem to be a reason… she had just walked here.
Shaking her head, she said softly, "No… I don't."
Carlo chuckled. "Then take a look around."
Robin nodded. "Okay."
She walked a few steps toward the wall.
The world map showed that most of the Four Blues were already marked under the control of the Revolutionary Army, while only a narrow stretch, the Grand Line, remained under the World Government. It looked small on the map, yet that small area was something the Revolutionary Army still struggled to overcome.
After studying it for a while, Robin turned her gaze to the side.
There stood the massive sand table, displaying the situation in the New World. From it, the Marines' forces had split the Four Emperors into three groups.
Knox and Shanks were positioned on opposite sides. Meanwhile, Big Mom and Kaido appeared to be the main targets, with the Marines' encirclement tightening around them.
Taking in the clear battlefield layout, Robin began to understand why Carlo had said the Marines could sweep through the New World in a short time.
"Divide and conquer…"
But her thinking was still too simple…
Behind her, Carlo, who was working, heard her murmur and spoke. "More or less. We'll first deal with Knox and Red Hair, along with all their forces. After that, we'll tighten the encirclement and trap Big Mom and Kaido inside, wiping them out in one sweep."
Robin turned back, confused. "All of them? Can that really be done?"
She did not know everything, but she knew enough.
Knox was the one who had severely injured Crocodile back then. Over the years, Crocodile had constantly sabotaged his forces from the shadows. When Sakazuki ordered the purge of Knox's arms factories in the Grand Line, much of the intelligence had come from Crocodile.
So she understood just how vast Knox's influence was. He was not simply a pirate. He was more like the largest underworld empire in the world.
Carlo smiled. "Do you see those black lines along the edges?"
Robin answered, "The ones surrounding Knox and Red-Haired Shanks?"
On the sand table, the Marines had cut off their forces. But instead of closing in from the south, they were pushing north, as if driving those forces toward Big Mom and Kaido. The remaining two-thirds of the area was completely enclosed within a black boundary.
What Carlo said next made Robin's pupils shrink instantly.
"Those are all islands within detonation range. When the final battle begins, everything inside that boundary will be blown up.
"Just like I said earlier, we'll first wipe out Knox and Red Hair's forces. The remaining survivors will be hunted down and driven toward Big Mom and Kaido… then eliminated together."
For a moment, Robin thought she had misheard. "Blow up… all those islands?"
Within that marked area, there were at least thirty to fifty islands.
Carlo gave a helpless smile. "Yes. All of them."
Robin still could not believe it. "Those islands… they can't all be pirates."
Pirates alone could not sustain that many islands. There had to be civilians living there. Thirty to fifty islands… that meant at least hundreds of thousands of people.
Carlo clicked his tongue lightly. "Obviously."
His answer made it clear. Those civilians would be buried along with everything else.
A chill spread through Robin's chest. This kind of slaughter was beyond anything she had imagined. It was nothing like villages or towns being destroyed by pirates, where hundreds or thousands died. This was the planned destruction of hundreds of thousands in one move.
Looking at Carlo, who spoke so casually, Robin felt her thoughts tremble. She could not hold back the question.
"Does this count as justice?"
Just as Carlo was about to answer, a voice came from outside.
"That depends on how you define 'justice.'"
The office door opened.
Sakazuki walked in after finishing his meeting. He glanced at Robin, who was holding a cup and looked slightly tense.
"Find a seat."
Then he walked straight to his desk.
Taking a deep breath, Robin sat down on the sofa.
"Define… justice?"
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