Wayne curled his lip and said,
"This island's practically next door to Sabaody. Don't tell me you really didn't know what they were up to. And I've never gotten along with Slaive, you know that."
"I couldn't stand leaving that filth unchecked. It just didn't sit right with me."
Kizaru fell silent for a moment. He had heard rumors about what was happening on the Island of Slavery. But for one, the island wasn't an official member of the World Government, so it fell outside their jurisdiction. And for another, Slaive had been working in close ties with the Celestial Dragons, which meant the government often turned a blind eye.
"Sheesh… how terrifying," Kizaru muttered. "But honestly, you don't act much like a pirate. You're more like one of Dragon's revolutionaries."
Wayne's expression darkened. "Old man, don't go throwing around accusations. I could sue you for slander. I'm a pirate through and through no strings attached!"
It wasn't a joke. The Revolutionary Army was viewed as the greatest enemy of the World Government, even higher-priority than pirates. At least the Seven Warlords could live with some stability, but revolutionaries? They were always on the run, hiding from one island to the next.
Does that mean the Revolutionary Army was weak?
Of course not they were powerful. But compared to the World Government, which had ruled the seas for over eight hundred years? Not even close.
If they really had the power to topple the government, they wouldn't be sneaking around freeing nations one by one. They'd have stormed Mary Geoise directly.
Wayne lit a cigarette and casually offered one to Kizaru.
Kizaru waved it away. "Try this one instead."
He handed Wayne a gold-edged cigar.
Wayne extinguished his cigarette and lit the cigar instead. He took a long draw, exhaled a smoke ring, and chuckled.
"This is some premium stuff. Better than what I've got. What, does an admiral's paycheck cover this kind of luxury? Or are you dipping into some corruption fund?"
Kizaru blew out a ring of his own and smirked. "Hey now… be careful throwing around accusations like that. I could sue you for defamation. This is admiral-exclusive stock."
"Anyway… why did you turn down the Navy's invitation back then? If you'd joined, they probably would've handed you cigars like this by the case."
It was true. The Navy had once tried to recruit Wayne, even offering him a rear admiral's rank right out the gate. But Wayne refused.
Wayne thought for a moment, then pointed to the unconscious Celestial Dragon, Saint Charlos.
"I don't like criminals, sure but the Navy isn't the only way to deal with them. Just thinking about working for scum like that makes my skin crawl."
"Besides, if I had joined the Navy, would I even be allowed to take down monsters like Slaive? What if some higher-up ordered me to stop and dragged me into a court martial? No thanks."
Kizaru's expression shifted. He couldn't deny it. The Navy didn't prioritize justice above all else. It prioritized stability.
They'd bowed to Shanks to end the war at Marineford. They'd made a monster like Whitebeard Jr. a Warlord.
For the sake of peace, they were willing to make all kinds of compromises.
The two of them sat in silence for a while. There wasn't much more to say. Their ideologies were too different.
Wayne stubbed out the cigar and turned to the still-unconscious crowd, shouting,
"Hey! If you're just lying there because the ground's cold, you can get up now. You've got a country to rebuild!"
It was time to take care of the aftermath not just the corpses of Slaive's enforcers, but the future of this nation.
Wayne pulled out a Den Den Mushi and made a call.
"Moshi moshi~ this is Daniel. Who's calling?"
"It's Wayne. I'm on the Island of Slavery. Everything's taken care of. Get a team down here immediately we need to stabilize things."
Daniel's voice trembled with excitement on the other end.
"Y-yes, boss! I'll lead the team personally!"
When the call ended, Daniel stared at the receiver in awe.
"In just one day… the boss wiped out Slaive, one of the rulers of the Dark World. His strength… it's godlike!"
He was shaking with emotion. Serving under a man like Wayne was a dream come true.
Kizaru, watching Wayne put the Den Den Mushi away, pursed his lips again.
"Hey now… is this really okay? That island was about to join the World Government. Shouldn't the Navy be the one handling this?"
Wayne shrugged. "I don't mind either way. I'm not planning to expand my influence here in Paradise. If you guys can manage it, be my guest."
With that, Wayne's body flickered into lightning and vanished into the horizon.
Kizaru sighed and pulled out his own Den Den Mushi, calling headquarters to request support.
…
Three days later
Wayne stood atop a hill, calmly smoking a cigarette as he watched the Marines hustle to maintain order below.
It was honestly better this way. Let the Navy take care of law and order.
He had also told Daniel to head to Sabaody and wait for further orders. Though they were under the Seven Warlords system, it was best to avoid direct contact with the Navy unless absolutely necessary.
It was just too risky. Wayne himself was fine he was confident in his strength and could escape if needed.
Suddenly, a group of villagers approached him.
"Big Brother Wayne! We brought you some noodles!"
Vivian came forward with a steaming bowl of ramen, her grandfather and several other villagers standing beside her. Their eyes were filled with gratitude.
Wayne blinked in surprise, then took the bowl with a smile. In no time, he finished the meal and gave a thumbs up.
"Tastes amazing."
The villagers chuckled, though their smiles seemed to carry something unspoken.
Wayne reached out and gently patted Vivian on the head.
"What's wrong, Vivian? You brought all these folks with you. Something on your mind?"
The villagers hesitated. Finally, Vivian gathered her courage.
"Big Brother Wayne… could you stay here?"
Over the past few days, she had learned more about who Wayne really was a big shot from the Grand Line.
They hadn't known anything about the outside world before. But through the Marines stationed here, they'd heard that Wayne was a fearsome pirate.
Even if the word "pirate" didn't sound great… to them, Wayne was the best person in the world.
And none of them wanted to go back to life under the World Government not with monsters like the Celestial Dragons around.
Wayne paused, then slowly understood what they were asking.
They wanted to live under his banner.
He scratched his head. This was complicated. The Navy the strongest force in the seas was already planning to incorporate the nation as a member state.
And the root of the problem, Slaive, was already dead.
Wayne had no reason to stay.
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