Dragon suppressed his irritation, touching his tattooed cheek with a faint sigh. "No. It's just a casual thing."
"Just a casual thing?" Finn smiled, nodding slowly. "Then you really do have a unique sense of style."
Clearly unwilling to discuss the strange tattoo on his face any further, Dragon shifted the conversation. "Speaking of which, regarding the Seven Warlords of the Sea, what authority does the Marine have over the system?"
"Why do you ask?" Finn's tone was curious but guarded.
"Well, I just find it hard to believe the Marines would stay neutral on something like this, right?" Dragon said with a knowing smile.
Finn was silent for a moment, then spoke carefully. "Of course we're not staying neutral. As for the specific authority and details, I can't tell you. But I can say this much: if the Marines disagree with a candidate…"
He raised a finger and pointed directly at Moria. "It becomes very difficult for a pirate like him to join the Seven Warlords."
Moria's expression darkened, his jaw tightening. It was obvious Finn was looking down on him.
But he didn't lash out. Ever since his defeat at Kaido's hands, Moria had learned a hard lesson about humility. He no longer saw himself as invincible.
Seeing that Moria wasn't going to react, Finn stopped needling him and continued. "Not long ago, the World Government was preparing to recruit Craster the Blood Torrent into the Seven Warlords."
"Craster?" Dragon's brow furrowed, his tone hardening. "They're really becoming more depraved by the day. How could they even consider recruiting scum like that?"
Unlike Moria, who had done little beyond disturbing Ryuma's grave in Wano Country, Craster was a true monster. He'd committed massacres, not once but repeatedly. Dragon had no illusions about people like that. If he ever encountered Craster, he'd eliminate him on principle.
"Yes, truly depraved," Finn agreed, his tone light. He paused for a moment, then added, "As righteous Marines, we naturally couldn't tolerate such a thing happening."
Dragon's eyes widened slightly. "I see. So that's why you appeared in the New World?"
"That's right. I've already dealt with him. He'll be spending the rest of his days in Impel Down," Finn said calmly.
Dragon showed no surprise that Finn had defeated someone like Craster. Instead, his expression turned thoughtful. "So what you're saying is that anyone who wants to become a Warlord must first pass a test set by the Marines?"
"That's about the size of it," Finn said with a small smile.
Dragon stood abruptly, adjusting the towel around his waist. He stepped out of his bath and began walking toward Finn's pool, his movements deliberate and unhurried.
Finn didn't move. He simply watched as Dragon approached step by step, then calmly slid into the water beside him.
Now the two of them were sharing the same pool.
"Well then," Dragon said with a smile, "if I asked you to help me secure a position as one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea for someone, could you do it?"
Finn glanced toward Moria in the distance. "You're not trying to get it for him, are you?"
"No. I intend to keep Moria by my side for the next few years," Dragon said openly.
"Really? That's a risky move. Compared to an inconspicuous guy like you, he can't exactly blend into a crowd wearing just a hood and a cloak," Finn said with a dry chuckle.
Before Dragon could respond, Finn spoke again. "If it's not Moria, then it has to be him, doesn't it? The former king of the Sorbet Kingdom. The tyrant, Bartholomew Kuma."
Dragon touched his nose, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "I knew I couldn't hide it from you."
"So that man is a pirate on the surface, but actually a member of the Revolutionary Army?" Finn asked, his tone casual.
"Didn't you already suspect as much back then?" Dragon didn't bother denying it.
Finn leaned back against the pool's edge, considering. "So why do you want to secure him a spot as one of the Seven Warlords?"
"To reform the World Government requires the efforts of many people," Dragon said quietly. "Naturally, I hope to gain more power."
"More power?" Finn raised an eyebrow, not quite following.
"Yes. Ideals are a form of power, but if we rely solely on ideology without sufficient military force to back it up, we won't achieve anything meaningful," Dragon said without hesitation.
"As expected from someone who came out of the Marines," Finn said with a nod. "You understand that clearly enough."
Though Dragon was trying to change the world through his revolutionary ideals, he was also pragmatic. Without strength as a foundation, everything was just a castle built on sand.
"So?" Finn prompted.
"When I appeared at O'Hara, I wasn't actually looking for Ancient Weapons," Dragon explained.
"I figured that out eventually," Finn said, nodding.
"Although I have no intention of seeking Ancient Weapons, I do think we need some new means to check and balance the World Government." Dragon paused, his gaze sharpening. "By the way, have you heard of the Lineage Factor theory?"
Finn blinked, caught slightly off guard. "Dr. Vegapunk?"
"You do know. I heard you had a confrontation with Charlotte Linlin over him," Dragon said with a smile.
Finn's expression shifted, his eyes narrowing. "Even though I fought Charlotte Linlin, and it caused quite a stir, the Marines still implemented a confidentiality policy around the incident. I don't think you have any connections with the Big Mom Pirates, so how did you learn about this?"
Dragon stroked his chin, clearly amused. "Finn, I came from the Marines. You don't think I only have ties to you, do you?"
"Ties…?" Finn muttered, then his eyes widened slightly. "Is Borsalino one of yours?"
Dragon grinned, his tone deliberately mysterious. "Who knows…"
Finn was shaken for a moment, but only a moment. Then he suddenly laughed. "I almost fell for that, you bastard. If Borsalino really was one of yours, you would have admitted it outright when I asked. That mysterious deflection only proves he's not yours. Maybe he's just turning a blind eye to you, the same way I do sometimes."
"Hahahaha. Can't fool you, can I?" Dragon laughed freely.
Just as Finn had said, Borsalino wasn't a member of the Revolutionary Army. Dragon wasn't capable of swaying a veteran like him.
But Borsalino was indeed one of the few people in the Marines who maintained a certain ambiguous connection with Dragon. That alone was intriguing.
"So what you're really saying," Finn began slowly, "is that you want me to help arrange for Bartholomew Kuma to join the Seven Warlords, so that you can use that position to infiltrate the Marine Science Unit?"
His expression hardened abruptly. "Dragon, are you insulting me? Maybe I've been tolerant of you in the past, but that's no reason for you to provoke me at will. Who do you think I am? I'm an Admiral of the Marines!"
He leaned forward, his voice dropping but losing none of its intensity. "I can let you go. I can even help you keep some secrets, because we were once friends, and because your Revolutionary Army holds some value to the Marines. But don't forget, everything I do is based on the interests of the Marines. You're asking me to sell out those interests for your sake? Isn't that a bit too much?"
Faced with Finn's anger, Dragon didn't flinch. His expression remained calm, almost serene. He shrugged lightly. "Don't be so dramatic. I'm not asking you to sell out the Marines' interests. In fact, you could think of this as cooperation."
"Cooperation?" Finn sneered. "Cooperation to leak the secrets of the Science Unit to the Revolutionary Army?"
"Finn, times have changed. You should be able to feel it." Dragon's tone grew more serious. "To be honest, if I hadn't left the Marines so early and decided to establish the Revolutionary Army, I might not choose to leave the Marines now."
When Dragon had defected, Roger hadn't yet become Pirate King. The Great Pirate Era hadn't begun. No one could have predicted that the turbulent tide of change would come so suddenly, that in just a few years, it would engulf the entire world and transform everything.
When Dragon had left, he'd seen no hope for change within the Marines.
But now, looking back, he realized that the Great Pirate Era was also a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the Marines.
That's why he was saying this.
Finn studied Dragon carefully, his voice quieter now. "So?"
"There are many perceptive people in the Marines. You and I both know that. You're one of them," Dragon said softly.
"And then?" Finn pressed.
"Whether they're Admirals or the Fleet Admiral, they all hope for change in their hearts. Your recent actions have shown signs of that, haven't they? Otherwise, you and the World Government wouldn't have clashed so publicly," Dragon continued.
"What exactly are you trying to say?" Finn asked bluntly.
"Let Bartholomew Kuma join the Seven Warlords of the Sea. You can choose to tell Fleet Admiral Kong and Admiral Sengoku about this and see what choice they make. Just treat it as…" Dragon's eyes grew sharp, his tone turning deadly serious.
Before he could finish, Finn interrupted. "Just treat it as covert communication between the Marine leadership and the World's Most Wanted Criminal? Dragon, you've got some serious guts."
"Just as you said earlier, in the context of this great era, the Revolutionary Army and the Marines are not mortal enemies. On the contrary, our existence is mutually beneficial to each other's development, isn't it? Shouldn't we pursue deeper cooperation?" Dragon said without hesitation.
"Why don't you go and tell all this directly to Admiral Sengoku and Fleet Admiral Kong? Why pass it through me?" Finn asked pointedly.
Dragon smiled. "Although I can sense that they have their own ideas, their generation is more inclined to seek stability. By comparison, people like you and me are the true radicals. To be honest, if you hadn't become an Admiral, I wouldn't have even considered deepening cooperation with the Marines."
"Did I give you that much confidence?" Finn asked, genuinely surprised.
"That's right, Finn. I'm very good at reading people's hearts. Although you've rejected me countless times, I'm certain that in your heart, you have no fear of the World Government at all." Dragon leaned back, his expression calm but penetrating. "But you became an Admiral of the Marines. Therefore, I conclude that the relationship between the Marines and the World Government, under the influence of people like you, in the context of this great era, will inevitably undergo new changes in the future. So I want to place a bet on you. On this change. Isn't that reasonable?"
He paused, his expression cooling slightly. "If I win, I gain the secret support of the Marines. If I lose, it's nothing more than the sacrifice of one capable subordinate. Why wouldn't I gamble?"
Finn stared at Dragon in silence for a long moment. Finally, he spoke, his tone tinged with something like regret. "Dragon, compared to before, you've become more ruthless."
Dragon's cold expression crumbled instantly, replaced by a broad smile. "I am the World's Most Wanted Criminal, Finn."