As soon as Fleet Admiral Sengoku spoke, the small conference room fell silent. The reason for avoiding an official Marine Headquarters meeting was the fear that the "scandal" involving the Celestial Dragons might spread to more people.
But judging from O'Neill's attitude, this seemed far more than just a simple scandal.
"Vice Admiral O'Neill." Warren frowned, hoping that O'Neill would catch the warning in his tone.
"Warren, although you are a direct official of the Celestial Dragons under the World Government, I must ask you not to interfere too much in Marine affairs." Sengoku immediately saw through Warren's intentions—was he trying to pressure Vice Admiral O'Neill? Why?
Wasn't this just about the chemical plant leak?
"Vice Admiral O'Neill, tell us everything you know." Sengoku's voice was deep and serious. Warren's expression darkened.
Admiral Akainu remained silent.
"Apologies, but even if I lose my rank as vice admiral, I must speak out. Although the World Government officials on Landis Island forbade any leaks, I can no longer bear the burden of silence," O'Neill declared, making a monumental decision. His demeanor steadied slightly—perhaps, for him, this was a form of release.
"Speak." Akainu frowned. A vice admiral hesitating like this, even being controlled by World Government officials, was unacceptable in his eyes.
Though Akainu would later become Fleet Admiral, he remained a staunch hardliner. His later interactions with the Five Elders and CP0 made it clear that he had his own opinions about the actions of the Celestial Dragons, though his position often forced him to obey.
O'Neill ignored Warren and began to speak.
"There are no civilians left on Landis Island. Only monsters remain. Even the ones still alive—they are no longer human. Five years ago, over 90% of the island's population was wiped out. The few who survived are nothing but wretched souls struggling to stay alive. Not only did we, the Marines, fail to provide aid, but we also sealed off the island, allowing countless survivors to perish one after another. I've had enough—watching helpless civilians die every day while we cut off their only escape route. Meanwhile, the Marines are still conducting their damned 'observations.' Every day, countless comrades die. For what? Just because it's an order from the Celestial Dragons, we must blindly obey?"
As O'Neill finished speaking, it was as if a great weight had been lifted. The guilt and self-reproach that had long tormented him exploded outward.
For years, these emotions had battled against his rank and power. He had suppressed them in his pursuit of status. But now, he could no longer endure it.
Especially after his most recent mission to observe the island. He had lost several guards—men who had been like brothers to him, who had grown up together, enlisted together, and fought side by side.
But could he blame the survivors on the island? No. He could not.
He could only blame himself. If, at the very start of this catastrophe, he had resisted the promises and threats of the World Government's high officials, perhaps more innocent lives could have been saved.
Perhaps his closest subordinates wouldn't have perished one by one while gathering data.
Why had the recent reports blamed the worsening disaster on a chemical plant leak? Because the island's situation had deteriorated to the point where even the Marines and the World Government could no longer control it.
And if they didn't act soon, the eight nearby islands would be next.
That last shred of conscience compelled O'Neill to speak the truth now.
There were things he couldn't even bring himself to say—nightmares that woke him in terror every night. He could no longer stomach eating meat. Every time he recalled his experiences on Landis Island, he felt a wave of nausea.
His words left the room in stunned silence.
Aside from the World Government officials, everyone else—including Akainu and Sengoku—was utterly horrified.
How was this possible?
Landis Island had a population of over a million.
And now, nearly all of them were dead?
"Vice Admiral O'Neill, is what you're saying true?" Sengoku's expression turned more solemn than ever.
"Yes. As of our last observation, the number of survivors on the island is less than 50,000. Five years ago, the recorded population was approximately 1.12 million," O'Neill answered truthfully, his entire being devoid of hope. He had already accepted the consequences of his confession.
"50,000? 1.12 million? Over a million people dead… You bastard!"
In a rage, Sengoku struck O'Neill, warping his face, knocking out teeth, and sending blood flying.
Over a million deaths—this was not just an ordinary incident.
If the public learned of this, the resulting turmoil would be catastrophic, shaking the world to its core.
A million people—this was the population of a major world power.
It was nearly on par with Alabasta. The exact numbers might differ, but the scale was undeniable.
And now, O'Neill was telling him that fewer than 50,000 had survived?
What was Landis Island now?
A hell on earth.
If this wasn't hell, how could an island's entire population be wiped out without his knowledge? And how had the World Government managed to keep this hidden for so long?
"How did this happen? If it was a massacre, the Marines' intelligence network would have detected it."
After his initial fury, Sengoku forced himself to calm down. As Fleet Admiral, he had to consider the consequences rationally. He had to control his emotions.
"Landis isn't a member nation of the World Government. I think we should maintain the current—"
"Shut up! I will handle this matter directly with the Five Elders."
Sengoku cut Warren off, his voice sharp with authority.
Warren's face darkened. But an enraged Fleet Admiral was not someone he could afford to challenge.
Even as a direct subordinate of the Celestial Dragons, he was not on equal footing with Sengoku.
And now was certainly not the time for a confrontation.
"It was an experiment. At the time, Saint Desmeniere was vacationing at Garden Nine. He gathered some ability users and an unknown gas, claiming he wanted to 'create something fun.' But the experiment failed. The lab exploded, covering the island in a dense fog. Most of the population either perished or mutated…"
O'Neill laid everything bare.
"You bastard!"
Sengoku was on the verge of losing his mind. But rationality forced him to control himself.
The truth was out.
"The damage is done. But for now, we cannot let this go public. We must keep this classified. However, issuing a Buster Call isn't the solution either. We must first try to rescue the remaining survivors before making any further decisions."
Despite his burning rage, Sengoku knew that the Five Elders were certainly aware of this incident.
Perhaps they had even been involved.
Experiments on ability users?
He had known about such things for a long time.
But he hadn't expected the Celestial Dragons to personally conduct them.
And this was something that could never be made public.
The consequences would be unimaginable.
Even if he wanted to reveal the truth, the Five Elders would never allow it.
For now, the only option was to save as many survivors as possible and then figure out how to deal with the mutated beings on the island.
Previously, he had thought the mutations were just a small-scale chemical accident.
He had never imagined it was a nationwide catastrophe.
"It's useless, Fleet Admiral Sengoku. Unless we launch an all-out war, the survivors on the island won't listen to us. And there's someone leading them—a figure known as the 'Crimson Queen.' Even a vice admiral stepping foot on that island would be killed instantly."
O'Neill shuddered at the memory.
That was the first time he had encountered her.
If not for his personal guards covering his escape, he wouldn't have survived.
She was terrifying.
A being of pure slaughter.
"The situation on the island is far more complicated than we imagined," Akainu muttered, frowning.
"The Crimson Queen?"
Sengoku narrowed his eyes.
There was a leader among the survivors?
If so, after years of Marine blockades, how could they possibly negotiate?
To the people on the island, the Marines were nothing more than executioners.
(End of Chapter)
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