After leaving the conference hall, Sakazuki didn't immediately follow Elio out of the Marine Headquarters building.
Instead, he returned to his own office.
The moment he stepped inside, his eyes were drawn to the plaque mounted on the central wall. His gaze lingered on the bold words engraved into it:
"Absolute Justice."
Silence settled over the room.
A deep breath escaped his lungs, a long, heavy exhale, like the release of a burden he'd carried for decades. Then, slowly, an expression he hasn't had in years emerged.
He smiled.
Without a moment's hesitation, Sakazuki turned and walked out of the office.
As he passed by Borsalino's door, the two soldiers stationed outside quickly straightened their backs and shouted in unison.
"Loyalty!"
Sakazuki raised a hand in salute, then asked in his usual stern tone,
"Is Borsalino inside?"
One of the soldiers nodded.
"Yes, Admiral Akainu!"
"Open the door," Sakazuki commanded.
The soldiers moved immediately, opening the door without hesitation. They knew exactly who stood before them.
Inside the office, Borsalino sat behind his desk.
Whether it was the sea-prism cuffs locked around his wrists or just his usual demeanor, he looked completely drained, slouched, tired, and lethargic.
"Oh?"
A flicker of surprise passed through Borsalino's eyes as he looked up. He slowly sat up straighter and spoke in his usual drawl,
"How terrifying. I didn't think even you would be convinced by Elio."
Sakazuki stepped forward, standing tall in front of the desk, towering over the man he once called a comrade.
"You chose to stand aside and watch?" he asked in a low, serious voice. "Tell me what you're really thinking."
Borsalino raised his shackled hands, palms up.
"What kind of thoughts could I possibly have?" he replied helplessly.
Sakazuki didn't wait.
"Remove the cuffs," he said, turning to the guards. "Your duties here are over. Head to the plaza for assembly."
"Yes, sir!"
The soldiers saluted sharply, then moved to unfasten the sea-prism cuffs from Borsalino's wrists. When they finished, they promptly exited the room.
Now alone with his old friend, Sakazuki spoke again, his tone firm.
"You know this better than anyone, in the Marine Headquarters, you're the only one I ever called brother. If you can accept the decision I made today... will you still stand beside me?"
Borsalino didn't answer immediately.
He rubbed his wrists where the cuffs had left faint marks, then walked slowly to the window. His gaze dropped to the massive plaza outside, now completely packed with soldiers.
At least fifty thousand Marines had gathered. Not a single one made a sound.
They stood in perfect formation, eyes fixed forward, waiting.
"I want to know..." Borsalino's voice was soft, thoughtful. "What did Elio do to make you choose this path? Don't tell me he found something to blackmail you with-"
"He found my mother," Sakazuki interrupted.
Borsalino blinked, stunned.
"What?"
"He found my mother," Sakazuki repeated. "And for the past three years, he took care of her... with care and respect."
For a long moment, Borsalino said nothing. Then he turned around slowly, a rare seriousness in his eyes.
"You mean... that old woman Elio saved three years ago? I saw her once. I remember... she had severe dementia, right? She'd forgotten everyone, wandered away from home, searching for her son."
"I didn't even know who she was at the time," he muttered. "I just assigned a couple of soldiers to stay by her side."
Then, as if struck by a sudden realization, Borsalino furrowed his brow and asked,
"Wait... what did you say just before that?"
Sakazuki blinked. "Will you still stand beside me?"
"No," Borsalino shook his head. "Before that."
Sakazuki frowned, thinking for a second.
"Brother?"
"Come on," Borsalino said, a faint grin tugging at the corner of his mouth.
"Let's go see Mom."
Before the words had even fully faded, a flash of light erupted from the room, Borsalino's body already transformed, streaking across the sky.
In the blink of an eye, he landed right outside the door of Elio's house in the family quarters.
----
After leaving the Marine Headquarters building, Elio and his group arrived at the entrance to Marineford Plaza.
The moment Elio stepped into view, the soldiers lined up neatly on either side of the gate, all raised their hands in salute.
Inside the plaza, tens of thousands of soldiers and officers of various ranks turned their heads toward him in unison.
Among the crowd, the female Marines in Tashigi's unit watched nervously, unease evident in their expressions.
Elio did not stop walking. Surrounded by Vice Admirals Gion, Dalmatian, Bastille, Strawberry, and Hound, he strode into the plaza, heading toward the elevated platform at its center.
As Elio passed the front of the first formation, all the soldiers and officers in front took a step forward, straightened their backs, and shouted in unison,
"Loyalty!"
Elio returned the salute with a calm expression.
When he passed the second formation, those soldiers too stepped forward. Their eyes burned with fanaticism and excitement as they echoed the same cry,
"Loyalty!"
Elio still gave no verbal reply, but a warm smile curved on his face as he saluted them in return.
As he approached the third formation, just before the soldiers could shout their slogan, a towering figure suddenly burst out from the fourth formation, his booming voice rocked the ears of everyone present.
"Elio!"
That furious roar echoed with anger as their massive figure stepped forward, standing directly in Elio's path. Like a moving fortress, he radiated an overwhelming pressure.
"John Giant?"
Before Elio could react, Hound, never leaving Elio's side, stepped forward with a subtle change in expression. Gion, standing on Elio's other side, moved at the same time, taking a battle-ready stance.
Although Dalmatian, Strawberry, and Bastille didn't immediately step in front of Elio, they all focused intensely on the imposing figure that had emerged, completely alert.
It wasn't an overreaction.
This was Vice Admiral John Giant, a fearsome giant warrior.
More importantly, not only did John Giant possess strength and endurance far beyond those of ordinary humans, but as a Marine Vice Admiral, he also held the authority to command all lower-ranked personnel within the base.
Facing such a formidable peer, one of equal rank and of the giant race, their instincts told them to give it their all. Should John Giant make the slightest move, they would strike without hesitation, giving him no chance to act.
"You've gone mad, Elio!" John roared.
Facing five Vice Admirals who could strike him down at any moment, Giant didn't dare make a move. He stood his ground, using his immense height to look down at Elio.
"But for the sake of the Marine's Absolute Justice, I must step forward and stop you!"
The moment he finished speaking, John Giant drew the massive sword strapped to his back with lightning speed. His battle intent surged like a storm, sending his enormous Vice Admiral's coat billowing wildly behind him.
An invisible pressure exploded outward like a tidal wave, crashing toward Elio.
"John Giant."
Elio raised a hand, signaling Hound and the others to hold back. His expression remained calm.
"You should have stepped up to fight for justice earlier," he said. "Because now, by standing in my way... you'll be branded a traitor."
As he spoke, Elio took a single step forward.
Thud.
The moment his foot touched the ground, the earth trembled.
A shockwave burst forth beneath him, a ring of red-and-black flame-like energy erupting outward. The overwhelming pressure, silent but immense, rippled through the air with a low, vibrating hum.
In the very next instant, John Giant, who had just drawn his blade, felt his body freeze as though shackled by invisible chains.
It was as if a colossal mountain had pressed down upon his shoulders, pinning him in place.
He couldn't move.
With a loud thump, the giant warrior fell to his knees before Elio.
"Th-This is—"
John gritted his teeth, using his greatsword to support his massive body. He forced his head up with all his might, staring in shock at Elio.
His voice trembled with disbelief.
"Conqueror's Haki! You've awakened Conqueror's Haki!"