Bullet: ...
Seeing that Bullet remained silent, Wayne continued, "Bullet, I know your past. At eight, you were betrayed by fellow child soldiers. At thirteen, you became a national hero, only to be sold out by general Douglas, who gave you your name..."
"From then on, you stopped trusting anyone, believing only in your own strength. Am I right? Do you have anything to add?"
"Trust brings destruction, power brings freedom." Bullet's voice was low and hoarse. This was the iron rule he had lived by for half his life.
"Do you know why you suffered betrayal?"
Bullet's eyes flashed with those unforgettable scenes—the jealous gazes in the child soldier camp, the cold blade piercing his back, general Douglas's twisted face amidst the gunfire... "Lack of strength, carelessness and arrogance, trusting others."
"Wrong! Completely wrong!"
"Think carefully, Bullet!"
"When you were a child soldier, the army's deliberately set up medal system alienated comrades who should have cooperated, turning them into competitors. Your overwhelming combat strength made you an object of collective jealousy and fear among your peers. They wouldn't see you as a comrade, because you were a stumbling block to them getting medals!"
"As for your adoptive father, general Douglas, he only saw you as a tool, a war machine to help him achieve glory."
"When the enemy nation was destroyed and the war ended, you, a weapon that was too sharp, naturally became a potential threat to the new order. Therefore, he had to eliminate you so that his rule would be more stable. He was never your comrade."
"So... you weren't betrayed by comrades, but rather, you only considered them your comrades."
"But they never were!"
Bullet's eyes suddenly widened, his pupils dilated, and his body even trembled uncontrollably.
The details he had deliberately forgotten or distorted now surged back like a tide. He wanted to refute Wayne, but the words caught in his throat.
After a long while, Bullet squeezed out a few words with difficulty: "You're right."
Bullet slowly lowered his head, looking at his scarred body: "They were never my comrades."
"But now, I can no longer trust anyone!"
The seed of trust had long been completely burned, leaving behind only scorched earth where nothing could be sown.
"Me too." Wayne walked up to Bullet, looking directly into his bewildered eyes.
"That's why I only believe in communities of interest."
"Communities... of interest?" Bullet frowned, this unfamiliar term confusing him.
"Exactly." Wayne extended a finger, lightly tapping the air. Under his control, the stones on the ground gathered in the air.
"A community of interest is a group of people who temporarily come together because of a common goal or need."
"In this community, what maintains the relationship is not trust, nor is it so-called emotional bonds, but tangible interests."
"Take this Buster Call, for instance. I want this sea to be more chaotic, the more chaotic the better."
"And you, Bullet, what do you want?" He pointed at Bullet, "You need a grand enough, shocking enough stage to prove your strength!"
"So..." Wayne spread his hands, smiling at Bullet, "We hit it off immediately!"
"Because we have common interests, I took the risk to come down and save you."
Bullet slowly raised his head, his voice low and hoarse: "I understand. You came to save me for your own interests, so that I can continue to stir up trouble on the sea, right?"
"Doesn't that suit your intentions?"
Talking about feelings with Bullet? That would be an insult to his intelligence, and also asking for trouble.
Interests are the strongest bond, and also the easiest knot to untie.
Of course, this method is only for people like Bullet. For others, Wayne still believes more in loyalty or... affection?
In short, Wayne has always adapted his approach to the person or situation, as long as it works.
This approach is similar to Rocks', only Wayne's is an upgraded version.
Big Mom wanted a place to safely have children and build her Totto Land;
Whitebeard wanted to adopt a bunch of sons and build a big family at sea;
Golden Lion wanted to establish his own faction and achieve great things;
As for Kaido... Kaido during Rocks's era could only sit at the kids' table for meals, so who cared what he wanted to do?
In short, the fact that Rocks could gather such a group of people onto one battle ship showed his charisma and strength.
However, the hidden dangers of doing so were obvious: the team lacked cohesion. If what Rocks wanted to do didn't align with their individual interests, or if Rocks' power wasn't enough to suppress their ambitions, a breakup was only natural.
The God Valley Incident is the best proof. Garp and Roger could temporarily team up against Rocks, but the most of the powerful figures on Rocks's ship were nowhere to be seen.
If even one person had intervened at a critical moment, the outcome and the course of history would have been completely different.
Rocks lost because he overestimated himself and underestimated human nature.
Whereas Wayne and Bullet's relationship was built from the start on an exchange of interests that didn't interfere with their core goals; simple, direct, and efficient.
Additionally, with a common goal, it's still possible to cultivate loyalty.
"Hahaha! Interesting..." Bullet licked his somewhat chapped lips, "If I become your partner."
"What do I need to do? And what can I... get?"
A hint of a smile flashed in Wayne's eyes. He knew Bullet had taken the bait.
"What you need to do is very simple."
"Constantly fight! Constantly challenge! Go challenge all the strongest individuals standing at the pinnacle of this sea."
"Until you become the undisputed strongest in the world!"
"And I will clear all obstacles for you, provide the stage and intelligence you need... I will be responsible for your every challenge, allowing you to display your power without any reservations!"
"Until you are strong enough that you no longer need any of my help!"
"You..." Wayne's voice suddenly rose, "will be the Chief Partner of the 'Chaos Ladder'."
"Chaos Ladder?" Bullet's eyebrows raised slightly, a hint of amusement flashing in his eyes, "Don't tell me that's an organization name you just came up with on the fly?"
"Precisely!" Wayne admitted frankly, "My codename is, well... Chaos."
"And you belong to the Horsemen of the Apocalypse..." Wayne lightly tapped his chin with his fingertip, as if deep in thought: "War, Famine, Pestilence, Death."
"Which one do you choose?"