They only had time to contemplate these issues at night, lying in their beds.
Alistair's training schedule was packed: morning calisthenics, marching drills, musket drills, and afternoon Haki training. Even the pirate recruits, strengthened by ample food and salted meat, began to train in Haki.
They no longer wanted to leave; they were fully committed to the great cause of human liberation.
Lying in their hammocks, their minds wandered freely, contemplating whether they were exhibiting surrender tendencies.
The truth was, without Alistair clearly pointing it out, everyone harbored such thoughts to some degree.
Even in a nation liberated for seventy years, many well-off people held the belief that "the emperor wasn't at fault, it was those below him." Others believed, "I don't need the state. I'm fed by my parents, and I built my own business with my own hands. I've paid my taxes, the state needs me, not the other way around."
But they were all wrong; they were all leaning towards something, too black and white.
But once Alistair pointed this out, the Marines and pirates quickly changed their minds.
No one was a fool. Many were limited by their perspectives and knowledge, but when someone with Alistair's strategic vision explained the issue, they quickly understood.
At some point, someone started it.
The quiet cabin suddenly buzzed with conversation, everyone sharing their thoughts and insights.
Regardless of whether they were pirates or Marines, they actively discussed their ideas, trying to persuade each other. Their voices grew louder, attracting others to join the discussion. They argued fiercely until late into the night…
The next morning, everyone's eyes were bloodshot.
Alistair didn't ask why. He didn't shy away from the scheduled training. Except for the initial days when he hadn't fully integrated, he participated in all training, leading by example.
Everyone knew his physique wasn't good; perhaps a lingering ailment from his time as a Celestial Dragon's slave. Yet he persevered, inspiring everyone. Who would dare to slack off after seeing even the weak Alistair's dedication?
Did they have no self-respect?
Because of this, they trained extremely hard. The arduous training allowed them to forget their worries; a blank mind made them more receptive to education.
This was a common practice in armies before World War II.
After the Cold War, most armies became lax, and this practice was abandoned. Some technologically advanced nations, seemingly powerful, might not even be able to defeat two of our top students in a real fight.
Only a few nations in this world are truly capable fighters.
An army that doesn't know who they fight for, that overemphasizes freedom and individuality, won't last long.
An army is meant to erase individuality and forge unity and discipline. It either becomes steel or slag; there's no other option.
Even with individuality suppressed, they could still accept new ideas; they didn't become mindless clones. Their steps and thoughts became aligned, transforming them into true "comrades."
How else could someone free-spirited and chaotic become friends with someone orderly and neutral? Does that even make sense?
When orderly and neutral soldiers go to war, a free-spirited deserter disrupts morale. How can you fight alongside such a person?
Therefore, an army must eliminate such free-spirited individuals or expel them.
It's that simple.
Only comrades of the same faction can win on the battlefield; otherwise, survival itself becomes a problem.
After a day of intense training, Alistair sat on the railing in front of the captain's cabin. Everyone sat on the ground, their faces showing anticipation and eagerness.
They had spent the night thinking, each with their own ideas and reasons. They couldn't wait to share their thoughts.
"Ace, you go first." Alistair chose someone most likely to lean towards freedom.
Ace's brother Luffy was utterly free—absolute freedom, anarchy, no pirates, no restrictions, free to roam the sea.
In One Piece, he's a protagonist, so his chaos always leads to good. But what if he did evil? What if he became bad?
Then he'd be Blackbeard. As Luffy's opposite, Blackbeard is the epitome of evil freedom.
The only difference between them is good and evil. If Blackbeard did good, he'd be Luffy; if Luffy did evil, he'd be Blackbeard. Their goals are the same: to live freely on the sea.
Ace, at first glance, seems like Luffy, a free spirit. But actually, he craves family, belonging, acceptance. He's the one who truly values order.
Whether this order comes from Whitebeard or the Marines is irrelevant. Without his pirate bloodline, he could have found this order and acceptance in the Marines.
Alistair wanted to see how far Ace's ideological awakening had progressed, so he called on him.
Ace hadn't expected to be chosen. He stood up, troubled by how to express his thoughts, finally clearing his throat and saying, "I think, even if the Marines are doing evil, some Marines aren't our enemies, they might even be our friends."
Encouraged by Isuka's intense gaze, his thoughts flowed freely: "Like Isuka and her men. They're not so different from pirates. One is driven by desire, the other by superiors. They're all puppets, but if we instill our ideology, they can break free, becoming real people."
"Well said," Alistair clapped lightly after Ace sat down. "This brings up a new question."
"Who are our friends?"
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