One Piece : From Slave to Fleet Admiral

Sprinkling seasoning and flour over the chopped meat, he stirred it evenly while preparing the other ingredients in a tense rhythm.

Kizaru continued as he worked.

"The remaining captives on that ship, those without the pirate mark, survived. But from what I later learned, some of the rescued residents became pirates who despised the Marines, some joined the Revolutionary Army and others kept appealing to Enies Lobby for justice—because among those Sakazuki killed were their children, husbands, fathers, mothers, brothers..."

"I once asked Sakazuki about this. His response was that if he had killed them all back then, it would have reduced the numbers of the Revolutionary Army and pirates. He said it was his responsibility, and he would burn every last one of those who became pirates or revolutionaries to ashes."

"After that, Sakazuki indeed followed through. He killed even more pirates and revolutionaries, and his methods grew more extreme. You know, the Marines keeps detailed records of mission completion statistics for each officer.

Most officers have a hostage rescue rate of around 71.27%—meaning out of a hundred hostages, we save about 71. Thanks to my Devil Fruit abilities, my rescue efficiency is higher, around 85%."

"But I'm not the highest. That title actually goes to Kuzan—his hostage rescue rate reaches 92%. However, his pirate elimination rate isn't as high, only about 30%. Most pirates he catches are usually frozen and sent to Enies Lobby for trial."

"But do you know what Sakazuki's statistics look like?"

At this point, Jake was almost entirely focused on Kizaru's narration, paying little attention to the ingredients in his hands.

Even Monet, who was washing vegetables behind them, turned her head and listened intently to Kizaru's words.

Seeing this, Kizaru nodded slightly before speaking slowly.

"Sakazuki's hostage rescue rate is 18%, while his pirate elimination rate is... 99.57%!"

Upon hearing these figures, both Jake—who was already familiar with Sakazuki's temperament—and Monet, who was still washing vegetables, couldn't help but gasp in shock.

With numbers like these, calling Sakazuki an executioner wouldn't be an exaggeration at all.

Observing their reactions, Kizaru sighed.

"Surprising, isn't it? But if you consider that Sakazuki often chooses to kill hostages along with pirates to ensure complete annihilation, it's not hard to understand. According to him, eliminating all the pirates on a ship saves more peoples in the long run—worth the sacrifice of a few lives, even if it means some collateral damage."

"But that's just too..." Monet couldn't help but speak up, though she stopped mid-sentence.

As someone personally mentored and promoted by Sakazuki, she didn't have much standing to criticize his methods.

Jake however, shook his head lightly and said to Kizaru.

"It's far too extreme. Justice achieved through unjust means isn't justice at all."

Kizaru looked at Jake in surprise, stroking his chin as he pondered the words.

After a moment, he smiled faintly.

"Oh~ Jake, you always manage to say things that even I find quite profound~ But be careful next time—don't casually criticize others' sense of justice in front of outsiders. At Marine Headquarters, ambiguous justice like mine isn't exactly common. Well~ We've strayed a bit off-topic. Let's get back to the matter of my house."

As he spoke, Kizaru placed the meat in his hands into the pot.

A faint white smoke rose as his voice continued.

"Earlier, I mentioned my house being warm in winter and hot in summer, right? Plus, I suppose I couldn't quite reconcile myself with Sakazuki's brand of justice. So, I borrowed some money from Marine Headquarters and bought a house elsewhere.

How should I describe it? It's a slight upgrade from the one Marine Headquarters assigned me—just three stories, 500 square meters, with a pool, garden, butler and full after-sales service~ Hahaha."

Kizaru's words lightened the previously heavy atmosphere brought on by the discussion of Akainu's justice.

The aroma from the pot filled the air as Kizaru continued cooking, sprinkling in a handful of chili flakes before adding.

"My house is nice, but it was also expensive. I borrowed a lot of Berries from Marine Headquarters to afford it. Yet, when I moved in, I didn't feel much guilt. Do you know why?"

Hearing Kizaru's question, Jake shook his head slightly before speculating.

"Is it because you believe you've performed enough acts of justice to deserve living in such a house?"

Upon hearing this, Kizaru chuckled and patted Jake's head.

"Of course not~ If I'd truly performed that many acts of justice, the Marine Headquarters would have assigned me the house rather than me taking out a loan to buy it. The reason I feel no guilt is because I know that after purchasing this house, I'll need to perform even more acts of justice—or rather, take on more missions to eliminate pirates—to repay that debt and continue living in such a nice house."

Listening to Kizaru's words, Jake responded with a somewhat wry smile.

"So loans and justice can actually be connected this way?"

As Kizaru stir-fried the dish in his hands, he replied with a smile.

"Justice has never been just some spiritually pure existence—at least that's how I see it. True justice is rooted in the earth, present in everyday life. It shouldn't just be something we pay lip service to, but something commonplace and visible everywhere. Only when it reaches that level can it be called true justice."

"Moreover, to live in a good house, I work hard to earn enough rewards while also delivering justice for civilians harmed by pirates. I earn money to repay my loan while satisfying both my own sense of justice and that of the civilians. What's wrong with that?"

"I feel no guilt because I earn my good house through hard work and no guilt because I earn money by delivering justice through eliminating pirates. As for you, Jake—have you considered that you're only in your teens? If you feel guilty about living in this house now, then work hard to earn money and uphold justice."

"If you feel guilty, then strive forward instead of staying stuck where you are~ How does that saying go? The best time to plant a tree was ten years ago, the second-best time is now."

With that, Kizaru finished cooking the dish.

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