As soon as Elio finished speaking, the surrounding Marine officers of various ranks pulled out red sashes from their uniforms and tied them around their left arms, then looked at Sakazuki with fervent expressions, clearly ready to strike at the slightest abnormality from him.
However, Sakazuki paid them no mind.
Even though all present were Marine Headquarters officers of at least Ensign rank, including even a Vice Admiral, if a battle were to break out, he alone would be enough to annihilate them all.
Of course, he had no intention of doing so.
Because he was very curious about where Elio found the courage to say such outrageous things, claiming to replace the Fleet Admiral right in front of one of the Marine Headquarters' strongest Admirals.
Elio knew full well that a single sentence from him wouldn't convince Sakazuki to stand by his side, and might instead provoke his furious wrath.
Seeing that Sakazuki didn't react much, Elio turned and walked to a nearby chair and sat down.
Two jailers, now dressed in officer uniforms, quickly brought a chair and placed it behind Sakazuki.
Seeing this, Sakazuki didn't hesitate and sat down facing Elio.
Elio didn't waste time and got straight to the point, "Under normal circumstances, when high-ranking officers in the Marine Headquarters are involved in corruption, the investigation should be led by the Inspector General's office. But this time, the investigation targeting me was not led by the Inspector General, but instead executed by Enies Lobby."
"From the moment the chief judge of Enies Lobby appeared in the Marine Headquarters courtroom, I knew that regardless of the investigation's outcome, I was destined to die!"
"At the time, I simply thought it was Vice Admiral Onigumo plotting in the shadows. His little tricks wouldn't make much of a wave, so I didn't take it seriously. But based on the intel I have now, the one who truly wants me dead is not Onigumo, but CP9's top officer, Spandine!"
"Admiral Sakazuki, you should know Spandine better than I do!"
"Spandine is a cowardly man who fears death. He climbed to the top of CP9 over the corpses of his colleagues, using shady, despicable means! To him, promotion and power are everything. Any obstacle in his path to power is something he will remove without hesitation."
"Now that he's targeting me, how could I possibly let him get what he wants?"
"Of course, someone like Spandine is nothing but a clown in my eyes. The reason the chief judge from Enies Lobby came to the Marine Headquarters to judge me is not entirely due to his collusion with Spandine. The two of them alone wouldn't have enough power to shake my influence here at Headquarters!"
"The real force behind this is the Room of Authority."
"As for why..."
At this point, Elio shook his head slightly and chuckled, "Naturally, it's because the Room of Authority does not want the Marine Headquarters to be completely united in solidarity. If the Marine, this massive war machine, ever became fully united and pointed outward together, the threat it would pose to the World Government would far surpass that of the lawless pirates in the Grand Line, or even the Revolutionary Army that's been stirring up trouble worldwide in recent years!"
"Just imagine, what would happen if the Admirals, Vice Admirals, officers of all levels, and ten thousand elite Headquarters soldiers were all loyal to a single person? Without the Marine, what would the World Government use to counter the increasingly rampant pirates that emerged during the Age of Exploration? What would they use to deal with the newly formed balance of the Four Emperors in the New World? What would they use to stop the Revolutionary Army from spreading rebellion across the globe?"
"The World Government needs a complete reshuffling!"
"The Celestial Dragons, who sit high above enjoying every privilege while doing nothing, must not be allowed to exist. And the growing pirate threat in the Grand Line and across the four seas must be purged as well!"
"And all of this is not because I'm facing a life-or-death decision now. No, I have been planning this since I was first promoted to Ensign!"
"To be honest, the money I embezzled and obtained through illegal means wasn't just 200 billion Berry. I never kept a detailed count, but it was definitely more than that! Of course, I could never spend such a large sum myself, and I never intended to. I never cared for a life of luxury and indulgence. That's why the investigation team only found a few hundred thousand Berry in my home!"
"Because I gave all the money to those who truly needed it, like the people standing here."
At this point, Elio turned his head and looked at a brigadier general to his left, "This is Lieutenant Modo. He has a righteous heart and was prepared to sacrifice his life for justice, resisting all temptations! But though he protected those who needed protection and stood firm in his ideals, he couldn't protect his wife and daughter. During an off-site mission, his hometown was attacked by pirates, and both his wife and daughter were killed."
"When I learned about it, I immediately returned to his hometown and helped him hunt down the pirates who killed his family! But because of this, he was charged with desertion by his previous base and thrown in prison!"
"I helped him, not only allowing him to take revenge, but also transferring him to Headquarters. With his own efforts, he became a Lieutenant!"
"There are many officers like Lieutenant Modo in the Headquarters. And not just here. Across the four seas, at least half the senior officers in the Marine bases are my people. The moment I give the order, they will come from all directions to support me in claiming the title of Fleet Admiral."
At that, Sakazuki's face turned dark. "Are you threatening me?"
"No, no," Elio waved his hand, his tone as calm as ever, "This is not a threat, but a sincere invitation. I believe you've observed my actions on various missions over the years, and you have some idea of how I operate!"
"In my view, a chaotic era requires extreme measures. All the criminals that emerged from the Great Pirate era must be purged, and for that, sacrifices are necessary!"
"So even though many officers at Headquarters keep their distance from you, I've always respected you and hoped we could stand side by side to accomplish something earth-shaking! For justice!"
Hearing this, Sakazuki slowly raised his head and looked intently at Elio, his voice low and heavy, "Your justice is to start a rebellion and seize the position of Fleet Admiral?"
Elio smiled and shook his head, "I told you, I will not enjoy this glory alone. Taking the position of Fleet Admiral is just one part of the plan."