"I believe everyone here understands the purpose of this assembly."
Kuzan's voice spread across the entirety of Brown Square.
"Sabo, Chief of Staff of the Revolutionary Army, the World Government's greatest enemy. He is recognized as the undisputed second-in-command of the Revolutionary Army.
Not only does he possess tremendous strength, but he has also led countless revolutionary operations throughout the world.
Many nations have fallen into chaos, war, and destruction because of their actions.
The peace of the world has been constantly disrupted because of them.
Without question, the Revolutionary Army is the greatest destabilizing force in this era.
Therefore, his public execution carries extraordinary meaning.
Through this execution, we will show the world the determination of the Marines and the World Government to uphold peace and Absolute Justice.
At the same time, this serves as a warning to every force that dares oppose the World Government."
The moment his words ended, the Marines and Cipher Pol agents stationed throughout Brown Square erupted with deafening roars.
"Justice will prevail!"
"Justice will prevail!"
"Justice will prevail!"
The overwhelming voices shook the sky itself.
At this moment, every soldier present felt their blood boil with conviction.
Meanwhile, on a warship stationed outside Kurehimiya Island, Garp, Sengoku, and Tsuru sat quietly on the deck.
Garp casually tossed a senbei into his mouth, looking genuinely surprised.
"How rare. Since when did Kuzan become so good at speeches?"
In his memories, Kuzan had always been half-asleep, lazy, and incapable of speaking properly without pausing every few seconds.
Seeing him deliver such a long speech without fumbling felt bizarre.
Sengoku nodded slowly.
"He really has changed after becoming Fleet Admiral."
Back when he still held the position, Sengoku understood Kuzan's personality better than anyone.
What neither of them knew was that Kuzan had secretly practiced that speech for over half a month.
Fortunately, the result was decent enough.
Inside the Room of Authority.
The Five Elders sat before a massive screen, silently watching the live broadcast.
Saint Peter held a steaming cup of coffee while speaking indifferently.
"I originally thought Kuzan would resist our orders. Surprisingly, he's being obedient."
Saint Saturn let out a cold sneer.
"He understands reality. In the eyes of the World Government, he is nothing more than a slightly larger ant.
He knows resistance is meaningless."
Saint Nusjuro slowly pushed his blade slightly from its sheath.
A chilling glint instantly flashed through the room.
"I only hope this isn't an act. If he shows even the slightest thought of betraying the World Government, I'll personally execute him."
Ever since Kuzan became Fleet Admiral, his behavior had completely differed from Sengoku's.
He ignored many direct orders from the Five Elders and showed little respect toward them.
The Gorosei understood his personality very well.
Kuzan's beliefs fundamentally conflicted with the ideology of the World Government.
Originally, they had intended for Sakazuki to succeed Sengoku as Fleet Admiral.
Unfortunately, Sakazuki had already been sent to hell by Rolan during the Marineford War.
To stabilize the Marines and preserve their dominance over the world, the Gorosei had no choice but to place Kuzan in the position.
From the very beginning, they never truly trusted him.
Because of his increasingly rebellious actions, thoughts of replacing him had already begun forming in their minds.
This public execution of Sabo and Vegapunk was not only meant to bait their enemies out.
It was also a test.
A test to see whether the Marines still possessed absolute loyalty toward the World Government.
Thud!
Saint Saturn slammed his cane heavily against the floor.
"We cannot underestimate our enemies. Even if the World Government stands at the top of the world, arrogance can still lead to defeat."
Saint Nusjuro's face was filled with disdain.
"Hmph. They are nothing but insects.
With the power Lord Imu granted us, we are no longer the same as before.
Even if that so-called strongest man in the world, Rolan, appears here today...
He will die."
...
"Bring them out."
Kuzan spoke calmly to the young Marine beside him.
"Yes, Fleet Admiral!"
The soldier saluted immediately before rushing off.
Soon, the sound of chains dragging against stone echoed throughout Brown Square.
Clank.
Clank.
Clank.
Under countless watchful eyes, two figures slowly walked onto the execution platform.
After several heavy clicks, Sabo and Vegapunk were chained firmly into place.
One stood on the left.
The other on the right.
Vegapunk looked around at the massive crowd before suddenly laughing loudly.
"Hahaha! I spent my entire life serving the World Government, only to end up like this in the end."
Sabo glanced at him in slight surprise.
Inside prison, Vegapunk had cursed the World Government countless times.
Now his tone sounded almost emotional.
Sabo quickly pushed the thought aside and focused on sensing the battlefield around him.
The moment he expanded his Observation Haki, his expression changed slightly.
The military force gathered at Brown Square was more than twice the size of Marineford's forces, both in numbers and overall combat strength.
Even during the Marineford War, when the Whitebeard Pirates and the Ion Pirates joined forces, victory had not come easily.
This battle would be even worse.
As the two prisoners appeared, every Marine and Cipher Pol agent fixed their gaze onto the platform.
Most people only reacted mildly toward Sabo.
Their surprise mainly came from how young the Revolutionary Army's second-in-command looked.
But Vegapunk was a completely different story.
Countless people stared at the old scientist in disbelief.
The legendary genius said to possess technology centuries ahead of the current era looked nothing like they imagined.
He appeared no different from an ordinary old man.
The entire scene was broadcast live across the world.
"You've got to be kidding me. I heard Vegapunk's head was ten times bigger than his body!"
"Your rumors are fake. I heard he was a giant over ten meters tall!"
"Could the Marines have grabbed some random old man to replace Vegapunk?"
"That's Sabo? He's actually pretty handsome! If he survives this, I'm definitely marrying him!"
"You? Stop dreaming. You look like a potato with makeup smeared all over your face."
As the broadcast spread across the seas, the entire world seemed to stop breathing.
Everyone stared at the screens in silence, waiting for what would happen next.
Then suddenly...
Bang!
A furious roar exploded through the air.
"Why did you hide something this important from me, old hag?!"