Dragon took a deep breath, slowly retreating from his own thoughts.
When he lifted his face, his eyes were sharper, more defined, as if Jason had just given shape to something that had always existed within him, just waiting for the right moment to awaken.
He unclasped his hands, rested his forearms on the table, and said in the firm voice of a man who does not waver:
"Jason... I accept the alliance."
No one breathed.
Dragon continued:
"Your presence changes the equation.
We have reach.
You have impact."
He looked Jason directly in the eye.
"You are a force that none of our enemies can ignore, and working alongside you is the smartest way to win this war quickly."
"You understand the true nature of this war.
You also share the same vision of the world that I want to realize.
That, for me, is enough."
Dragon then extended his hand, a rare gesture coming from him.
"Let's liberate the world."
The room almost exploded with pent-up adrenaline.
Sabo clenched his fists with a smile.
Koala held her breath.
Bello Betty had a big smile on his face.
Robin just watched, but her eyes sparkled; she knew what this meant for the world.
Jason stared at the outstretched hand.
It was the hand of a man who had lived through hell, who had never given up, who had kept the flame of revolution burning when no one else wanted to fight.
Jason respected Dragon's gesture and shook his hand firmly, sealing the alliance with the Revolutionary Army.
"Now that we are allies, let's talk about great secrets and the uncertain future of the world."
He sat down again, keeping his gaze cold and calculating, waiting for everyone to calm down. There was no reason for celebration—this was just a small victory within the natural cycle of things.
Dragon, his commanders, and Robin calmed down, observing Jason's serious expression. It was impossible not to notice his cold calmness, his absolute control over his emotions even after forming an alliance capable of shaking the world if it were known.
Jason took a deep breath, mentally reorganizing the information he was about to share.
"What I am about to reveal here is one of the World Government's greatest secrets.
Anyone who doesn't want to hear it had better leave the room."
Everyone remained motionless, serious, and Jason nodded with satisfaction—formalities completed.
He raised his hand, and a bright, round sphere appeared, floating lightly. A sigh ran through the room: everyone recognized what that sphere was, Jason's Sphere of Truth, capable of answering any question asked and revealing information with absolute accuracy.
Jason placed the sphere in the center of the table. It rolled gently until it stopped and began to emit an intense glow accompanied by a soft hum.
Znnnn~
A holographic projection emerged from the sphere, similar to a screen suspended in the sky, but smaller, floating at eye level. The technology left everyone speechless—something so small, yet so powerful, that it seemed impossible.
The first images showed only the ocean. The vast blue sea, without any reference points. Almost everyone frowned, confused, trying to decipher the purpose of the demonstration. Dragon, however, watched with absolute calm, analyzing every detail with precision, without letting himself be carried away by surprise.
As the images progressed, islands appeared, vibrant cities, full of life... but suddenly, something terrible happened. The islands began to be swallowed by the ocean. Entire cities disappeared under the water, and finally everyone understood Jason's message.
He then transformed the thoughts that were beginning to form in everyone's minds into clear words:
"These are images from 800 years ago to today. And as you can see... the whole world is sinking."
A heavy silence fell over the room. The weight of reality crushed everyone, and even Dragon, accustomed to dealing with the horrors of the world, felt the gravity of what was being shown.
Jason remained calm, cold, observing each reaction. This was not just a demonstration of power or technology. It was a warning, and also a call to action.
Robin, Koala, Sabo, Dragon, and everyone else in the room didn't know how to react to what Jason had just revealed.
It was a bombshell that could shake the world if it were leaked so abruptly. For some, ignorance really is bliss, and now everyone understood why Jason had warned them to leave the room if they didn't want to hear it.
"W-what do you mean... it was sinking?"
It was Morley, the giant okama, who spoke, her voice trembling and filled with fear.
Jason looked at her calmly.
"There were already some clues: islands disappearing without explanation, poneglyphs mentioning submerged kingdoms, Water Seven partially submerged a few years ago... and Wano, if analyzed carefully, shows that the sea level rises year after year."
Jason interlaced his fingers, resting his chin on his hand, observing every reaction in the room as he waited for everyone to assimilate his words.
The shock was visible, and there was an instinctive desire to deny reality, but Jason forced them to think rationally. It all made sense; they just needed to connect the dots.
Water Seven, for example, wasn't just a city built on top of another city; it clearly indicated that the world was heading toward an era of submersion. However, no one seemed to stop and think about how unnatural that was. In the past, Water Seven was located on dry land. Over the centuries, the sea level rose, and the residents, forced by circumstances, began to build houses on top of older ones. This cycle of adaptation continued to this day, a silent testimony to a gradual but inevitable global change.
Coincidentally, this also fits in with the construction of bridges across the four seas.
"That's what the World Government wants. They plan to control the world after the great flood. And how do you think that would be possible?"
As Jason spoke, the image on the sphere changed, showing the flag of the World Government.
"Didn't you ever find this flag... strange? Four circles at the edges, a central circle, lines connecting everything."
Everyone in the room studied the flag again. They were used to seeing it, since they were enemies of the government, but they had never thought about the meaning behind the symbols. That flag did not represent kingdoms, seas, or any clear geographical reference. Something about it always seemed out of place.
"With the information I've shared, what does the World Government have, or had, with four mega-giant structures scattered around the world?"
The conclusion was not long in coming. Jason practically rubbed the answer in their faces, guiding each line of reasoning.
"The four bridges of the four seas!"
Robin was the first to speak, her skin turning pale at the magnitude of the revelation.
"Exactly," Jason confirmed calmly.
"...The World Government knew from the beginning that the world was sinking and didn't even try to hide it. They left it stamped in front of us the whole time."
Dragon spoke, anger overflowing in his words, unable to contain his indignation: the government's arrogance in not even trying to hide its secret was revolting.
"These bridges began construction right when the Old Kingdom fell. The World Government always knew the world was sinking," Robin continued, and Jason simply let her and the others connect the dots themselves. Talking to intelligent minds was always more satisfying.
"The four bridges are population containment structures," Sabo said, trembling at the cruelty and magnitude of the plan.
"When completed, they will connect directly to Mariejois, the center of the world. And when global flooding is complete, the World Government will have absolute control," said Dragon, his voice laden with frustration. If it weren't for Jason, how long would it take him to put these pieces together on his own?
"It's not just bridges," Karasu added, his voice low, almost a whisper. A few feathers fell from his body, as if his own body betrayed his fear in the face of the evil of the plan. "It's a network of railroads, viaducts, and drainage channels, designed to emerge after the flood and allow people to reach only Mariejois."
"In other words, the entire world will become a single ocean, with only one point of dry land: Mariejois."
"People around the world will be completely dependent on the World Government," Koala continued, each word heavy with the gravity of what she was explaining. "They will control drinking water, food, mobility... any resource necessary for survival."
With each passing second, the room fell deeper into silence and tension. Finally, everyone understood the depth and magnitude of the government's plan. When Bello Betty spoke, his deep, tense voice put into words what everyone was feeling:
"That would be the end of piracy. No islands to hide on, no refuges... and it would also be the end of us, the Revolutionary Army."
The weight of his words hung over the room. There was no more ground for bases. The bridges would be patrolled by the PC organization and the Navy. Any rebellion would be crushed before it even began.
"Do you know what's even worse?"
Sabo began, his voice weak, almost a mixture of disbelief and bitterness, as he let out a dry laugh.
"The World Government would present these bridges as necessary for the survival of the world... but would never reveal that they themselves caused the flooding. The bridges would be seen as emergency infrastructure... and, in the end, they would still be the 'heroes' of the story."
With what Sabo said, the atmosphere in the room became even heavier. Discovering something that few people knew about was revolting and terrifying. The meeting took on an extra layer of tension, a weight that could not be ignored. Before, the goal was simply to form an alliance to fight against the tyranny of the World Government; now, everyone there felt the urgency of a desperate race against time, with an invisible noose around each of their necks. Defeat would mean not only the destruction of the Revolutionary Army, but the total enslavement of the world: all peoples subjugated, blindly obeying the orders of the World Government. Except for the world's nobles, who would still retain some power, albeit reduced. The rest of the population would live free in name only, if that were still possible, for real freedom would be nothing but a cruel illusion.
"...Who else knows about this?" asked Dragon, his voice firm, seeking to confirm crucial doubts and ponder every detail. Jason had been expecting this question; he knew that the answer could irreversibly impact future relations, but for him, that was irrelevant. The truth came before any political concerns.
"Just a few bigwigs from the World Government. Vegapunk must have come to the same conclusion, and Roger too, but he's gone now, so it doesn't matter. As for the Navy? Just dogs obeying orders, with no ability to make their own decisions," Jason replied, with a cold, confident calm that contrasted with the horror of the revelation.
Dragon nodded slowly, but there was no relief in his gesture. The contempt he felt for his father persisted, fueled by years of mistrust and disappointment, but at least there was confirmation that he was unaware of the World Government's plan for the world, which was a small comfort amid the chaos.
"This meeting has gone on long enough. Let's speed up the conclusion a little," said Jason, his voice firm and authoritative. There was still much to be done that day, and he had no patience for lengthy strategic deliberations. The ones who enjoyed these meetings were his wives Yeonha and Athena; he preferred to absorb the summaries and then devote himself to tasks that required direct action, and, at night, moments of intense sex.
Jason waved his hand, and the sphere changed again, showing images of before and after. No one noticed the subtle differences right away, but after a few minutes of careful analysis, they noticed that the second image showed a slight decrease in water level. A few centimeters, almost imperceptible, but on an oceanic scale, it was significant, capable of altering currents and tides on a large scale.
"Has the water level dropped?" asked Sabo, hesitantly, doubting that this could be real.
"That happened when you destroyed the Tequila Wolf Bridge, am I right?" Dragon interjected, ever perceptive, as if he could read the patterns of the ocean.
"Yes," Jason replied calmly. "These bridges are megastructures built centuries ago, absurdly gigantic structures, inserted into the seabed and erected by slave labor over thousands of years. They function as 'horizontal dams':
they divide sea currents,
block the natural flow of the tides,
accumulate water in certain regions,
and artificially deform the ocean's relief.
When I reduced one of these megastructures to dust, I allowed the natural flow of the ocean to partially reestablish itself. The water level redistributed itself by a few centimeters, nothing comparable to meters, but noticeable nonetheless. Imagine 700 years of work, instantly turned to dust, and the impact of that on a global scale.
The four bridges cause currents to deviate, creating anomalous eddies, accumulating ocean pressure, and partially blocking water that should circulate freely. If we destroy the other three, the levels will balance out, some islands will stop sinking, frozen or desert regions will begin to stabilize, and ocean pressure will decrease.
Everyone in the room absorbed Jason's every word. The news gave them hope, but no one was under any illusions: the situation was still critical, and the magnitude of the problem was overwhelming.
"This doesn't solve the problem, it just delays global collapse," Jason said with calculated coldness. "Think of it like drilling holes in a giant dam: it provides relief, but it doesn't repair the structure."
Saving the world wouldn't be as simple as destroying a few bridges.
"So... how do we stop the world from sinking? Or is there no way?" Koala asked, frightened, fearing that they were doomed to live under the shadow of the World Government forever.
Jason smiled, a gentle gesture that did not hide the seriousness of the matter. "It's simple. To save the world, we need to destroy the biggest 'bridge' there is: the Red Line."
The shock was immediate. Everyone was speechless. Talking about destroying the Red Line seemed impossible; it wasn't just a simple bridge, but an entire continent, dividing the oceans, the four Blues, and separating the two halves of the Grand Line: Paradise and the New World.
Stopping to think about it, it made sense. With everything Jason had revealed about the four bridges and their impact on the world's balance, the only viable solution was to destroy the Red Line. An almost impossible task, but necessary to save the planet.
"You already understand. If we destroy the Red Line, an artificial construction, the four seas will unite, the currents will finally flow naturally, the sea level will stabilize, the global climate will balance, many islands will reemerge, navigation will become safe, species will be able to migrate, and the world will experience a rebirth. That is Joy Boy's dream. But should we wait for it to happen, or can we take action ourselves and end the oppression now?"
The room fell completely silent. Once again, all the commanders of the Revolutionary Army found themselves shocked on the same day. No one expected Jason to mention Joy Boy, but everything he revealed pointed to and aligned with the legendary pirate's dream: absolute freedom. Destroying the Red Line, connecting all the seas, and creating a unified world—that, in fact, was true freedom.