"Dragon…" Kuma's impassive, mechanical voice was a stark contrast to the revolutionary fervor now consuming his former leader.
He looked at the impatient, almost giddy Dragon and pulled a thick, official-looking contract from the heavy book he always carried, handing it over.
"Sign this contract first."
"..." Dragon took the document, his eyes burning with zeal, but his hand paused.
His gaze couldn't help but drift to the cover of the book Kuma was holding.
The gilded, embossed words on the spine stood out starkly.
'How Fathers Can Quickly Rebuild Relationships with Daughters They Haven't Seen in Years.'
'Daughter? Father? Rebuilding… relationships?'
Dragon's mind, which had been racing with plans for global liberation, screeched to a halt.
Of course, he knew why Kuma had left the Revolutionary Army all those years ago.
It was for his daughter, Bonney.
The girl had been afflicted with a rare, incurable disease, and Kuma had scoured the Grand Line searching for a cure.
It was Dragon himself who had suggested Kuma seek out Dr. Vegapunk.
After that… news had become scarce, and then the rumors of the mindless "Pacifista" PX-0 had begun.
Thinking of this, Dragon's eye twitched.
'Could it be…?'
"Kuma…" Dragon ventured, his voice suddenly, uncharacteristically gentle. "Bonney, she…"
"Yes!"
A real, warm, human smile broke across Kuma's usually stoic face, a sight so rare it was almost shocking.
He nodded, his voice thick with an emotion Dragon hadn't heard from him in over a decade.
"Bonney's illness has been cured. Mike-san… he helped. We've been reunited."
"..." Dragon fell silent for a moment, his own complex emotions churning.
He felt a profound, genuine happiness for his old friend… and an even more profound, staggering awe at Mike's incredible, almost god-like methods.
Curing an "incurable" disease? Reuniting a father and daughter who had been torn apart by the World Government itself?
That wasn't just a favor; that was a miracle.
A life-debt.
No wonder Kuma had pledged his absolute loyalty to this New Marine.
With a heavy sigh, Dragon lowered his head and finally opened the contract.
The first thing he saw was the proud, bold emblem of the New Marine, followed by densely packed, meticulously detailed terms.
"Tsk—!"
When his eyes landed on the section detailing salaries, benefits, and operational funding, Dragon couldn't help but suck in a sharp, disbelieving breath.
The Revolutionary Army commanders behind him, unable to contain their curiosity any longer, craned their necks, crowding around their leader to scramble for a look at the document's contents.
A beat of silence.
And then…
"Tsk— These benefits are... they're way better than what we get in the Revolutionary Army!"
"A monthly salary starting at a million Belly?! Plus all kinds of allowances and bonuses?! Am I SEEING this right?!"
"My god! Did this Mike rob the Celestial Dragons' treasury?! Or did he just loot the World Government's private vault?!"
The commanders chattered excitedly, their eyes practically glowing with a green, envious light.
And who could blame them? Although the Revolutionary Army was seen as the world's greatest threat, their financial situation had always been… dire.
One could even say they lived in extreme, abject poverty.
Every mission was a risk of life and limb, and for what?
A cot in a cold, damp cave and a bowl of thin soup? Their days were tough, bitter, and fueled by idealism alone.
And now, the New Marine was offering not just a shared ideal, but generous, life-changing conditions.
Who could possibly refuse?!
"Mike-san has said," Kuma's calm voice cut through their excited chatter, "that the New Marine will never mistreat any of its warriors. Whether you are a Marine or a Revolutionary, in the future, we will all be one family, fighting for the future of these seas. Therefore, the treatment for the New Revolutionary Army will be exactly the same as that of the New Marine."
He paused, letting that sink in, before delivering the final, mind-blowing payload.
"Moreover, Mike-san has promised that as long as the New Revolutionary Army completes its assigned missions, there will be… additional bonuses."
"Additional bonuses?!"
"Yes," Kuma slowly raised a massive, gloved hand.
"One billion Belly."
The room fell dead silent.
"For every World Government-affiliated nation you liberate," Kuma's voice was a flat monotone, which only made the number sound even more absurd.
"For every corrupt regime you overthrow—one billion Belly in rewards. Non-affiliated nations are five hundred million. There is no upper limit. You can begin immediately. Once this contract is signed, all nearby New Marine forces will provide you with full military support."
"To bring about the true dawn of these seas as swiftly as possible!"
The silence lasted for one more second.
Then, the room didn't just explode with excitement; it went supernova.
"ONE BILLION BELLY! Good heavens, how much money is that?!"
"Liberate one kingdom, get a billion?! What if we liberate ten?! A hundred?!"
"What are we waiting for?! Sign the contract! Sign it now! I can't wait to go free those suffering people! My god, how they've suffered! Let's go!"
"That's right! For the bonus— NO! FOR JUSTICE! CHAAAARGE!"
"Hah—"
"You guys…" Dragon watched as his officers, the most serious and dedicated revolutionaries in the world, descended into a jubilant, chaotic mob, and he shook his head helplessly.
A deep, relieved smile tugged at his lips. He knew what they had all endured.
They were human, too. They had families.
They had sacrificed everything for their ideals.
Now, finally, they could have both.
They could achieve their grand, impossible goal of liberating the entire world, and they could live well while doing it.
What more was there to hesitate about?
Dragon, the Supreme Commander of the Revolutionary Army, the most wanted man in the world, picked up the pen and, with bold, powerful strokes that carved into the paper, signed his name:
Monkey D. Dragon.
"All members of the New Revolutionary Army!" he roared, his voice booming like thunder, filled with an unshakable, world-changing resolve.
"Our target—the ENTIRE WORLD! Move out!"
He paused, his sharp, piercing gaze sweeping over every face, now alight with a new, wild, and well-funded fire.
"Crush all injustice! Let the dawn of a new era shine upon every corner of these seas!"
"OOOH!!!" The officers roared in unison, their voices a single, unstoppable force.
"FOR JUSTICE!"
"FOR LIBERATION!"
"LOYALTY!!!"
The long-dormant war machine of the Revolutionary Army, now backed by the full military and financial might of the world's strongest superpower, roared to life.
Baltigo, the hidden hive, swarmed.
Soldiers rushed to their posts.
The commanders of the four seas, frantic with a new, glorious purpose, sped back to their respective jurisdictions.
The day of the New Marine's grand parade was coming.
It would be a declaration of war on the World Government, and now, it would also be the signal horn for a global, synchronized uprising.
Dragon and his Chief of Staff, Sabo, would return to Marineford with Kuma.
Sabo, ever since learning of Ace's release, had been in a daze, his sealed memories unlocked by the shock.
He needed to see his long-lost brother.
And Dragon needed to personally meet with Mike to discuss the grand strategy for the new world they were about to build.
"Kuma, we owe you a great deal this time," Dragon said, his voice sincere as he looked at his old, taciturn friend.
"..." Kuma merely nodded silently, his duty done.
"Let's go," Dragon took a deep breath, his gaze fixed on the horizon, on the future he had only dared to dream of until now.
"It's time for this world to hear our voice!"
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