"So this is the most powerful nation in the first half of the Grand Line, Paradise?"
"Doesn't seem all that impressive."
"Don't flaunt your limited knowledge... With 600,000 standing troops, mysterious sky island technology from unknown origins, and collaborative technological advancements from neighboring Germa Kingdom... Forget about us spies—even the Five Elders would put on appropriately polite smiles when facing Alabasta's King Cobra."
"...Is it really that impressive?"
"Obviously."
Among the CP9 team, Kaku and Jabra were conversing.
They had been in Alabasta for several days now.
And the funniest part was, they weren't spending CP organization funds for this operation... because it was unauthorized.
Instead, they were using Tom's Shipbuilding Company severance pay.
Honestly, it was quite generous.
When they first saw the amount, even Rob Lucci's expression had shifted slightly.
When leaving, Kalifa had even muttered...
"If our plan fails... maybe we should just come back to work here? The pay is way better than CP9..."
No one responded to her.
But judging by everyone's expressions, they seemed to tacitly agree with the suggestion.
"We've gathered plenty of intelligence in Alabasta already, chapapa!" Fukurou whispered.
"I thought this would be difficult, but... the Revolutionary Army isn't even trying to hide their presence here."
"But don't forget—we're here to join the Revolutionary Army... not for tourism."
"Join the Revolutionary Army... Look over there."
Kalifa raised her head, pointing to the other side.
There, unmistakably, stood a Revolutionary Army office that had clearly been established for who-knows-how-long.
Just sitting openly on the main street.
The CP9 members exchanged glances, feeling a strange sense of helplessness for the first time.
The more openly the Revolutionary Army operated, the more inexplicably guilty they felt.
As spies, they dreaded encountering so-called "righteous forces" or organizations with close ties to local kingdoms.
And the Revolutionary Army was both.
"Why are you loitering outside the Revolutionary Army office?" A hooded man passed by them. "If you need help, enter and turn left. If you want to join the cause, enter and turn right. If you're just civilians visiting, go straight ahead—someone will give you a tour... After that, return to the entrance and choose left or right."
With that, he took a few steps forward.
The large hood completely obscured his face, and Rob Lucci frowned—he couldn't see the man's features...
Only a strand of platinum-blond hair peeking out from the side of the hood.
"So... which direction will you choose?" The hooded man's voice carried clear amusement.
"I have time today. If you go straight, I can give you a proper introduction."
The CP9 members looked at each other—they'd never encountered someone this casually friendly before.
Despite their current appearances as either assassins or spies, this man was effortlessly chatting with them?
And from the sound of it... he seemed to be a Revolutionary Army member himself!
"Sir, we've long admired the Revolutionary Army... so we came specifically for a visit."
"Oh, good, then follow me." The hooded figure didn't seem surprised by their attitude.
"To be honest, the Revolutionary Army offices in these countries along the Grand Line are basically the busiest local institutions... except for Alabasta. As a major and powerful nation, Alabasta truly has no need for the Revolutionary Army's assistance... so it appears relatively idle."
With that, he walked ahead of them, leading the way as he stepped through the entrance of the Revolutionary Army office.
Just as he said—straight ahead.
The corridor immediately inside seemed deliberately constructed by the Revolutionary Army as a space for visitors to learn about their cause.
Along its walls were not only details of the Revolutionary Army offices and various departments of their headquarters but also the history of the organization itself.
Yes, history.
The Revolutionary Army had recorded their entire detailed history spanning over a decade since their founding along this very hallway.
For Rob Lucci and the others, this was the first time they were learning about the Revolutionary Army's history from its own perspective.
To be honest, it was a massive shock to their worldview.
After all, most CP9 members were orphans gathered from various regions.
Even someone like Kalifa, who inherited her father's position in CP9, was essentially no different from an orphan due to the lack of familial warmth.
Because being an orphan isn't just about having no parents.
For these spies who had been indoctrinated since childhood with the specific worldview of "loyalty to the World Government," viewing this decade-long history through the Revolutionary Army's lens was both astonishing and devastating.
It could easily be described as a massive worldview reconstruction therapy.
A sledgehammer first completely shattered their original beliefs, only for new ones to be rebuilt from the ruins.
"The origins of the Revolutionary Army trace back to a long, long time ago... Have you heard of the legendary God Valley Incident? The very event that made Monkey D. Garp the Marine hero." The hooded figure chuckled softly.
"If Monkey D. Garp hadn't teamed up with the Roger Pirates back then, the Rocks Pirates might have slaughtered every last Celestial Dragon present that day... even with that so-called God's Knights in attendance."
"W-what... The God Valley Incident was Monkey D. Garp cooperating with the Pirate King?" Kaku's voice trembled.
"N-no, that can't be right? Wasn't it Monkey D. Garp who turned the tide single-handedly?"
"Oh, come now. I hold Garp in very high regard... but the World Government is clearly treating the whole world as fools... And the funniest part? They seem to genuinely believe it themselves." The hooded figure continued walking as he spoke.
"But let's not dwell on that. What I want to say is this—the Revolutionary Flame and the Hand of Liberation in our Revolutionary Army today? They were slaves who survived the God Valley Incident..."
"Slaves? The two public faces of the Revolutionary Army were originally slaves?" Kalifa murmured.
"Those two have been renowned for years..."
"Young one, one's origins are nothing to be ashamed of." The hooded man didn't turn back.
"What does being born a slave signify? Merely a lower starting point, that's all."
"The Revolutionary Army has never cared about origins—not even your past allegiances..."
After these words, all the CP9 members fell silent.
They simply followed behind the talkative hooded figure, listening as he recounted the entire history of the Revolutionary Army.
They were merely curious.
But...
Curiosity is often the best beginning.