After leaving the conference hall, Sakazuki did not immediately follow Orion out of the headquarters building.
He first went to his own office and glanced at the plaque hanging on the wall, his gaze lingering on the words "Absolute Justice" inscribed on it.
After a brief silence, he suddenly let out a deep breath, as if finally releasing the last of his burdens. A smile, one that had not appeared in decades, spread across his face.
Without further delay, he turned and decisively walked out of his office.
As he passed by Borsalino office, the two soldiers standing at the door quickly snapped to attention and shouted in unison.
"LOYALTY!"
Sakazuki raised his hand in a salute and asked. "Is Admiral Kizaru inside?"
One of the soldiers nodded and replied. "Yes, Admiral Sakazuki!"
Without hesitation, Sakazuki said in a deep voice. "Open the door!"
The two soldiers, clearly aware of Sakazuki current status, immediately opened the office door.
Inside, Borsalino was seated at his desk. Perhaps because he was wearing Seastone handcuffs, or perhaps it was just his nature, he appeared listless and lethargic.
"Oh!"
Seeing Sakazuki walk into the office, Borsalino eyes flashed with surprise, and he immediately sat up straight and said.
"How terrifying. I never expected that Orion would actually convince you!"
"Didn't you choose to stand by and watch as well?" Sakazuki, standing before the desk, looked down at Borsalino and said in a deep voice.
"Tell me your true thoughts!"
"What thoughts could I have?" Borsalino raised his handcuffed hands, a look of helplessness on his face.
As a fellow Devil Fruit user, he couldn't normally touch the seastone handcuffs, so without hesitation Sakazuki turned to the two soldiers standing nearby tasked with guarding Borsalino and ordered.
"Unlock the handcuffs. Also, your mission is over, go assemble in the square immediately!"
"Yes, sir!"
The two soldiers saluted in unison and quickly helped Borsalino remove the handcuffs. Once the soldiers left the office, Sakazuki looked seriously at Borsalino.
"You should know very well that you are my only brother at the Headquarters! If you accept the choice I'm making now, can you continue to stand by my side?"
Borsalino didn't answer immediately, he simply moved his wrist a bit then slowly stood up and walked to the window, looking down at the brightly lit Marineford Square.
At this moment, at least fifty thousand people had gathered in the square, and surprisingly no one made a sound, they all stood neatly, looking up expectantly.
"I want to know what means Orion used to make you choose his side like this!" After a brief silence, Borsalino didn't turn around, his gaze followed the figure leaving the headquarters building and heading straight for the square.
"Don't tell me he found out about your crimes—"
"He found my mother!" Before Borsalino could finish his sentence, Sakazuki immediately interjected.
"And took care of her for three years."
"Huuuuuh?"
Borsalino turned back, incredulously saying.
"Is that the elderly lady Orion rescued three years ago? I met her once, she seemed to suffer from severe dementia, having forgotten everyone around her. She left home and wandered around the family quarters looking for her grandson. At that time, I didn't know who her grandson was, so I arranged for two soldiers to accompany her."
At this point, Borsalino seemed to have forgotten what he was saying and abruptly changed the subject by asking.
"By the way, what did you say just now?"
Sakazuki had a question mark over his head, uncertainly saying.
"Can you continue to stand by my side?"
Borsalino shook his head. "The sentence before that."
Sakazuki thought for a moment and tentatively said.
"Brother?"
"Let's go see our mom then."
As soon as he finished speaking, a flash of light shot out from the office and instantly landed in front of Orion home in the family residential area.
...
Having left the headquarters building, Orion and his group also arrived at the entrance of Marineford Square.
As soon as Orion reached the entrance, the soldiers standing neatly on either side raised their hands in salute. The tens of thousands of soldiers standing in the square, along with officers of various ranks from the headquarters, turned to look.
Among the crowd, the female soldiers in Hina line also looked at Orion with anxious hearts.
Orion didn't stop his steps, surrounded by a group of vice admirals including Gion, Hound, Bastille, Strawberry, and Momonga, he walked into the square towards the high platform.
As Orion group passed in front of the first row, all the soldiers and the officers standing at the front stepped forward, straightened their backs, and shouted in unison.
"LOYALTY!"
"JUSTICE!"
Orion raised his hand in return.
When he passed the second row, the soldiers in that row also stepped forward, enthusiastically and excitedly shouting the word "Loyalty" and "Justice" in unison.
Orion still didn't respond but returned the gesture with a warm smile.
Just as Orion passed the third row, before the soldiers in that row could step forward to shout their slogan, a tall figure suddenly burst out from the fourth row, followed by a shout that resonated causing many in the vicinity to feel their ears ringing.
"ORION!"
The shout filled with anger and the tall figure stood opposite Orion, exuding a powerful aura like a moving mountain.
"John Giant?"
Before Orion could react, Strawberry who was right beside him got angry but didn't hesitate, stepping forward into a combat stance alongside Gion, who was on Orion left.
Hound, Momonga, and Bastille, although not immediately in front of Orion, were still on high alert, watching the imposing figure that had suddenly appeared.
They weren't overreacting, the figure blocking their way was Vice Admiral John Giant, a powerful warrior from the Giant race.
Most importantly, John Giant possessed strength and endurance several times that of an ordinary person, and as a vice admiral of the Navy Headquarters, he had the authority to command almost all subordinates within the headquarters.
Facing a fellow vice admiral and a powerful warrior from the Giant race, they naturally had to be fully prepared. If John Giant made any sudden moves, they would undoubtedly rush forward without hesitation, giving him no chance.
"What a mad act, Orion!"
Facing the five vice admirals who could strike at any moment, John Giant didn't dare to rush forward, he merely stood his ground using his height to look down at Orion.
"However, betting on the absolute justice of the Navy, I must stand up to stop you!"
Before he finished speaking, John Giant suddenly drew his massive sword with lightning speed, a surge of battle intent erupting, causing his oversized vice admiral coat to billow wildly, and an invisible pressure surged forth like a tsunami instantly enveloping Orion.
"JOHN GIANT!"
Orion raised his hand to stop Strawberry and the others from rushing out, his expression calm.
"You should have stood up to fight for justice sooner, because if you act now… you will bear the label of a traitor."
As he spoke, Orion stepped forward.
"Boom—"
The moment his foot landed, the ground trembled in response.
Immediately, a wave of terrifying air pressure erupted from beneath him, forming a cloud of red and black flames in an instant and the invisible overwhelming pressure caused the void to emit a low-frequency vibration.
The next second, John Giant who had just drawn his sword, felt as if his body was imprisoned unable to move. The weight above him felt like an invisible mountain pressing down, making it impossible for him to resist, and he knelt down before Orion with a thud.
"This… this is—"
On his knees, John Giant supported himself with his massive sword and using all his strength looked up at Orion, his face filled with horror.
"Conqueror's Haki! You actually… awakened Conqueror's Haki!"