"Revolutionary Army?"
Upon hearing Crocodile's words, Sora's brows furrowed slightly.
Although she had been confined to the infirmary for a long time, she had always stayed informed about everything going on outside.
Especially regarding the Revolutionary Army.
It reignited a passion within her that she hadn't felt in a long time.
If she were still that young girl who hadn't married Vinsmoke Judge, she absolutely would have joined the Revolutionary Army—to fight for the liberation of nations under tyrannical rule.
But now...
She seemed to be one of the Revolutionary Army's targets?
Even though she wanted to transform the Germa Kingdom into a country where people could live normal, happy lives, the former rule of the Vinsmoke family, along with their ambitions to conquer the entire North Blue, couldn't be erased.
"Oh? Dragon and the others have already arrived?" Michael raised an eyebrow. "That was quick."
Michael nodded, but he caught the sorrow on Sora's face.
He walked forward with a smile and said,
"My dear sister, you don't need to worry. Our Revolutionary Army isn't made up of extremists. Sure, we overthrow brutal regimes, but many peaceful nations have formed cooperative relationships with us."
"...What do you mean, 'your' Revolutionary Army?" Sora quickly picked up on the key word.
"Michael, aren't you a Rear Admiral in the Navy Headquarters? How did you suddenly become part of the Revolutionary Army?"
"No no no, Sis, your wording's a little off. I didn't suddenly become part of the Revolutionary Army..." Michael helplessly spread his hands. "The truth is, the Revolutionary Army was formed under my guidance. Yours truly is not only a Rear Admiral of the Navy Headquarters, but also the Chief of Staff of the Revolutionary Army... though I don't spend much time with them."
"Is that... even possible?"
"Of course not." Michael stood by the large window, spreading his wings. "That's why, as my sister, you must keep this a secret for me. Otherwise, my career in the Navy is finished."
With that, he flipped and leapt into the air, tracing an arc through the sky before soaring upwards.
"Tch, what a show-off."
Crocodile lit another cigar, raised his long legs that had nowhere to go, gave a nod to Sora, and then turned into sand and vanished by the window.
"M-Mom." Sanji swallowed nervously. "Rear Admiral Michael is... my uncle?"
"...You couldn't have reacted any slower?" Reiju couldn't help but complain.
...
Outside the Saint Germain.
The Revolutionary Army's fleet, led by the Wind Granma, was approaching in grand formation.
Michael hovered in the air, watching the fleet. Although the lineup looked impressive, the disparity in the types of ships made it feel a bit like a patchwork force.
But that was only from Michael's past-life perspective.
In reality, aside from the Navy, no other force had the capability to fully standardize their ships for warfare.
Most of the Revolutionary Army's ships had been brought by new members joining their cause or donated by allied nations in support.
Although the ships were mismatched, their roles were clearly defined, and the formation itself was simple and efficient. Even if they faced a large-scale naval battle, their combat strength likely wouldn't falter.
This alone showed that, despite the chaotic equipment, the Revolutionary Army's overall military quality was steadily rising.
But as the Revolutionary Army's forces continued to grow, Michael found himself rubbing his chin in thought...
After all, his path was about uniting every force that could be united.
Without strict military rules and discipline to rein them in, given how chaotic the world of One Piece was, there would definitely be someone like Teach popping up.
"What are you mumbling about now?" Crocodile walked alongside Michael, giving him a curious glance. "You plotting another twisted idea?"
"...You really see me like that?"
"Of course. If you weren't, would you have forced me to turn back into a woman?"
"You obviously enjoyed it, you bastard!"
"You're the one who told me I didn't have a choice," Crocodile exhaled a puff of smoke with a grin. "If there's no choice, then all that's left is to enjoy it."
"You've got some nerve."
Michael shrugged, gave his wings a flap, and flew toward the lead ship, Wind Granma. Crocodile wasn't far behind, keeping pace.
After landing on the deck, they saw Dragon and the Revolutionary Army officers waiting.
"Chief of Staff, the Revolutionary Army fleet is fully assembled!" Karasu waved at Michael. "Ready to attack at any time!"
"Uh, there's no need for that." Michael stopped the excited Karasu, then walked over to Dragon and said, "The Germa Kingdom has already changed hands."
"Changed hands?" Even Monkey D. Dragon's eyes widened. "What happened—wait, no, what did you do?"
"Ahem, well, I just happened to help the queen of Germa Kingdom launch a coup." Michael slung an arm around Dragon's shoulders, chuckling. "Now, the royal family of Germa is no longer the Vinsmoke family—it's the Maria family..."
"Maria family? Never heard of them. Is that the queen's maiden name before she got married?"
"Exactly. Also, there's one more thing I need to tell all of you..."
Michael scanned the group. Ivankov, Ginny, Kuma, and Olvia—all the Revolutionary Army officers—were looking at him curiously.
Though Michael didn't spend much time with them, as Chief of Staff, he was deeply respected by the officers for being someone bold enough to juggle multiple identities and stir up the seas.
Whenever Michael had this kind of tone, it was never a small matter.
"What is it? Hurry up and spit it out, Michael-san!"
Among them, Ginny was the most impatient. She couldn't stand it when Michael spoke in drawn-out pauses like this!
If she could beat Michael in a fight—
She'd definitely give him a proper beating!
"I need to reintroduce myself. My name is Michael—full name: Maria D. Michael..."
"What do you mean by that?" Ginny froze on the spot. "Are you saying that the queen of Germa Kingdom... is your relative?"
"To be precise, my long-lost older sister," Michael said with a smile.
"I always knew she existed, but I'd never been able to find her..."
"Who would've thought that in helping her with a coup, I'd accidentally turn myself into royalty too."
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