Nusjuro spoke coldly, "Just another fool who inherited the will of D. They failed eight hundred years ago, and they're even less likely to succeed now. But one after another keeps showing up… what a nuisance."
"Let them stir up trouble," Warcury added. "We shouldn't move directly, but we can let them wipe out those useless nations. In the end, as long as that 'thing' exists, we can cleanse everything at any time. This world will always remain in our hands."
Mars said thoughtfully, "We still shouldn't get careless. The 800-year mark is approaching, and those 'lights' will definitely appear and shake the world. Keep an eye out. Find those 'lights' and hand them over to Imu-sama. But this Dragon… the chance he's one of the lights is probably low."
Saturn narrowed his eyes slightly. "True. But we can't say for sure. Have CP0 look into it."
Adjusting his glasses, Nusjuro dismissed the concern. "It's a minor matter. Just leave it to CP0. What's most important now is the operation in Flevance. We must make sure nothing goes wrong. If it fails, the government's credibility will suffer greatly."
"The preparations are complete, and the lockdown has already begun," Saturn confirmed. "Soon, everyone will only know that the famed 'White City' Flevance…was destroyed by a terrible epidemic."
* * *
South Blue, Sorbet Kingdom.
Inside the palace, Kuma, who had decided to follow Dragon, asked with a hint of confusion, "Isn't starting operations in all four seas at once a bit too ambitious? The government will likely catch on soon."
Wearing a dark cloak, Dragon responded, "Do you know about Ohara?"
Kuma gave a nod. "The government claimed they were researching forbidden knowledge capable of destroying the world."
Dragon glanced at the map spread out on the table. "That's right. But do you know how long it took the government to find proof that Ohara was studying forbidden knowledge?
"They searched for decades, no, even centuries. Countless scholars were arrested, all in hopes of finding evidence that connected them to Ohara, so they could justify their destruction. They could've wiped them out immediately, but they didn't. Do you know why?"
Kuma fell silent, then shook his head in uncertainty.
Dragon continued, "Because they're too arrogant. So arrogant, they no longer see themselves as human… but as gods. And gods, to show how different they are from mortals, must appear 'merciful.' They need evidence. They want you to die feeling it was deserved.
"That's exactly why I'm developing our movement in the non-affiliated countries across the Four Blues. As long as it doesn't involve member nations, they won't intervene. They've placed themselves on such a pedestal that they must constantly uphold their pride and authority.
"I don't know what trump card they hold. But if the entire world is set ablaze, no one can stop it; even a god can't stand against the will of the world."
"So that's what it is… but aiming for the whole world… that's a bit much…" Kuma murmured in deep thought.
He still felt Dragon was overconfident. After all, it was the entire world.
But the man simply chuckled. He reached into his cloak and pulled out a book, handing it over.
Taking it with a puzzled expression, Kuma looked at the cover.
"Oppression and Resistance."
While Kuma flipped through the pages, Dragon explained, "Back then, I was lost too. But after I read this book, everything became clear. The wisdom of our ancestors is boundless. They laid out a path for us, and dissected the very foundation of this world.
"The government's biggest mistake was underestimating that terrifying man, Roger. He struck at the very root of their power, and they didn't even notice. What we need to do now is throw on more fuel to make it collapse even faster."
He then stopped talking and stood quietly, watching Kuma read the book.
A few hours passed in a blink.
It wasn't until he reached the final page that Kuma finally snapped out of it. He closed the book and exclaimed in awe, "So this is the origin of the word 'revolution.' So... what they overlooked was the force of productivity."
Dragon agreed. "Yes. They failed to realize that the world has fallen out of sync. The Calm Belt and Reverse Mountain, the distance between islands, plus the Sea Kings, pirates, and more... all these factors. They've made communication in this world nearly grind to a halt.
"Aside from a bit of development in the Grand Line, the people of the Four Blues live exactly as they did eight hundred years ago. Most of the population in the kingdoms of the four seas are still farmers. But the nobles haven't changed. And after eight centuries of accumulation, their exploitation and oppression has only gotten worse.
"Maybe it wasn't so obvious before, since there were always countless young people to replace the old farmers and take up the burden. But when Roger started the Great Pirate Era, everything changed.
"Because of that oppression, because they were unwilling to live ordinary lives, the young people left. They set off from their homelands in the Four Blues, heading toward the Grand Line. They left in wave after wave. In less than ten years, this entire generation will be gone."
Kuma spoke up, "And when they're all gone, the crushing weight of oppression will fall on the old and the children. When there's no way out... rebellion is inevitable."
Being a king himself, he only needed a moment of thought to foresee what would happen, and it chilled him to the bone.
Dragon's silhouette slowly faded into the breeze.
"Rebellion? No. A revolution."
Whoosh!
A gentle wind blew through, and he vanished without a trace.
Kuma turned toward the door, his gaze softening.
Standing there was the Queen Dowager of the Sorbet Kingdom, Conney. Her once-dark hair had begun to turn white. She was holding a baby dressed in pink.
"Why are you carrying her yourself, Conney-san?" He quickly stepped forward to take the baby from her arms.
Conney replied, "She's shy, and won't let anyone else hold her. This little rascal is all yours now. I'm going to rest. I'm worn out."
But the big grin on her face made it hard to believe she was tired at all.
"Take care, Conney-san."
The old woman waved and left with a smile.
Looking down at the baby with soft pink hair in his palm, Kuma's face brightened with warmth. He reached out with a finger and touched her tiny hand as she stretched it up to him.
"Bonney~"
The little girl named Bonney giggled and pointed at the bear ears on his hat.
"Bear~ Bear~"
* * *
Marine Headquarters, Marineford.
Another day, another alarm...
Bzzzt! Vmmm! Bzzzt!
Within the Fleet Admiral's office.
After reading through an urgent dispatch, Kong sat down with a weary look, clearly frustrated. "Damn it, not a single moment of peace. Tsuru, what do you make of this?"
As the brains of Marine HQ, Vice Admiral Tsuru furrowed her brow.
"Hard to say. This time, both Knox and Big Mom have mobilized nearly half their forces. They're only two emperors currently ruling the New World, so for them to deploy such a large portion of their fleets like this..."
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