Chapter 81: Failed Blackmail

"They've gone this far!" Sengoku shook his head in resignation. Tsuru's actions were a clear sign that brute force wouldn't subdue Luo Ning. They were left with no other option but to resort to tactics that strayed from the Marines' ideals.

Sengoku couldn't deny it – Marine justice had already become corrupted.

"Luo Ning, I believe you should hear this first," Tsuru declared, reaching for the Den Den Mushi in her hand.

"Ah, Vice Admiral Tsuru. What interesting message do you have for me?" Luo Ning's voice suddenly echoed, sending shivers down the Marines' spines. The voice emanated not from Luo Ning himself, but from the Den Den Mushi in Tsuru's grasp.

"What in the...?" Kizaru and the others murmured in confusion. How was Luo Ning's voice coming from the Den Den Mushi?

"It's a clone!" Tsuru exclaimed, her initial plan thrown into disarray. She intended to use the threat of Cocoyashi Village to blackmail Luo Ning, not necessarily into submission, but at least to secure the release of the Celestial Dragons. Now, her plan lay in tatters.

Evidently, the Marine she contacted earlier hadn't revealed the full picture. Things had escalated by the time she arrived.

"I'm well aware of the precarious situation your Marines find yourselves in," Luo Ning continued. "That's why I dispatched a clone to Cocoyashi Village beforehand. According to the information relayed by this clone, there are still Marines who hold onto a sense of justice!"

Luo Ning said with a smirk. At that very moment, in Cocoyashi Village, a group of Marines lay incapacitated on the ground. These were the ones Tsuru had dispatched earlier. But they weren't alone. Standing beside them, clad in civilian clothes, was Smoker.

That's right, Smoker.

Smoker had defied the orders of Sengoku and the others. He'd changed into casual clothes and journeyed to Cocoyashi Village, on the verge of turning against the Marines. The darkness that had consumed them, their willingness to attack innocent civilians, was a sight he refused to witness.

While previous actions hadn't crossed a definitive line, this one had shattered Smoker's faith in the Marines. His belief system had completely crumbled.

So, he had taken it upon himself to come to Cocoyashi Village. If things went south, if the Marines truly made their move, he would too.

However, before he could act, Luo Ning's clone had intervened.

"Did you anticipate our actions?" Neither Sengoku nor Tsuru could fathom how Luo Ning could possess such a deep understanding of the Marines.

"Of course," Luo Ning replied. "Your brand of justice has eroded long ago. You've repeatedly broken the very principles you stand for. Let's be honest, while there are still good Marines, your ranks are overflowing with garbage."

"And those above you set a terrible example," he continued, his voice laced with scorn. "All they care about is saving face. You, Sengoku, in particular, with your so-called absolute justice, are the very reason the Marines are slowly succumbing to corruption."

"Sure, suppressing dissent might prevent a complete collapse on the surface, but it's a slow death. It's like treating a wound by simply bandaging it, neglecting the actual infection. Sooner or later, the wound will burst open!"

Luo Ning held Sengoku and the others in utter disdain. In his eyes, Fujitora, who knelt before Akainu and supposedly "lost face" for the Marines, had actually salvaged a sliver of their reputation. Their inability to accept failure was a sign of an organization teetering on the brink.

Of course, with the World Government as their immediate superior, any internal changes within the Marines would be superficial at best. A true transformation would require a change in leadership and a thorough purge of corruption.

Luo Ning's words stung, their truth undeniable yet unwelcome to those accustomed to the status quo. He wasn't naive enough to believe a few sentences would spark a moral awakening. These men weren't fools.

"By the way," Luo Ning continued, flashing a grin that sent shivers down their spines, "the events in Cocoyashi Village have been live-streamed to surrounding islands. The truth about the Marines' actions will soon spread like wildfire across the seas. You'd be wise to consider the consequences."

Sengoku and the others were thrown into further confusion. Why the sudden blackout and confiscation of Den Den Mushi by Tsuru? Wasn't it precisely to conceal their shameful actions? It mirrored their desperate attempt to silence the broadcasts during the Summit War.

Unlike the previous situation, Luo Ning's clone in Cocoyashi Village had come prepared. Equipped with live Den Den Mushi and strategically placed broadcast screens on nearby islands, the scene had unfolded before a global audience. Reporters were likely scrambling to capture the story. This news wouldn't be contained by Sengoku's desperate measures. The truth was about to be disseminated, and their attempts to control the narrative would be futile.

After all, the live broadcast originated from East Blue, and communication with that region was currently severed. The sole Den Den Mushi capable of contacting East Blue resided in Aokiji's possession, now controlled by Luo Ning's clone.

For now, they could only wait as the news rippled across the seas.

"What good will this achieve?!" Sengoku roared, his voice trembling with the fear of the Marines' reputation being utterly destroyed.

"Why do you ask such a question?" Luo Ning countered, feigning confusion. "The Marines were the aggressors from the start. You yourselves besieged me. Isn't it fair game for me to take countermeasures?"

He regarded Sengoku with bewilderment. How could the Fleet Admiral be so indignant? The blame clearly fell on the Marines, yet he dared to question Luo Ning's actions.

"This all started because you laid hands on the Celestial Dragons!" Sengoku bellowed.

"That's even more ludicrous," Luo Ning retorted. "The world knows the atrocities committed by the Celestial Dragons. Are they blameless? Can you, in good conscience, claim their innocence under the banner of the Marines?"

Luo Ning's words struck a deep chord with all the Marines present. Did they truly dare to utter such a blatant lie? To do so would be to completely shatter the Marines' reputation.

Luo Ning had essentially placed the Marines on a precarious precipice, surrounded by an abyss on all sides. Whichever direction they chose, they faced a perilous outcome. To speak out in defense of the Celestial Dragons would be a fatal plunge. Remaining silent, however, exposed their guilt. Regardless of Sengoku's response, the Marines would be tarnished.