With all those clinging to hope of survival finally aboard the ship, the great vessel of the Revolutionary Army still had not set sail.
Ivankov walked over and asked:
"What are we waiting for, Dragon?"
A faint smile tugged at the corner of Dragon's lips:
"Indeed."
"We're waiting for one more... a kid who will one day carry the banner."
He had already sensed that child.
...
The path of escape that had been extinguished by the storm rekindled slowly.
At some point, a little kid had jumped out, clutching a steel pipe, running breathlessly along this path toward the coast.
Behind him, the flames chased relentlessly...
But his eyes locked onto the faint silhouette of the great ship at the end of the shore, and a joyful smile spread across his face.
It was as if his body overflowed with boundless energy, letting him leave the pursuing fire far behind as he sprinted toward the ship.
This kid was none other than the future Chief of Staff of the Revolutionary Army — Sabo.
Unlike in the original story, though he had still run away from home and lived in the Grey Terminal, because Ace had disappeared, Sabo had always lived alone. But his goal never changed.
He wanted to leave this false nation and family.
He wanted to go to sea, to be free, to become a pirate, to journey across the world and record all that he saw and heard in books for posterity.
Until... he learned of that great fire set ablaze solely for appearances' sake, indifferent to human lives, and his last shred of hope collapsed.
These nobles were beyond salvation...
He had wanted to warn the people of the Grey Terminal, but was blocked by countless soldiers.
And in that moment of despair, he encountered Dragon...
From then on, a goal unlike any he had held before arose within him... He would...
Change this world!!!
Suddenly, a fierce gale surged forth.
It lifted Sabo's body high into the air, carrying him toward the coast.
On the Revolutionary Army's great ship, the corners of Dragon's lips lifted slightly:
"Set sail!!!"
...
Late at night.
A ship wreathed in the image of a colossal crimson dragon sailed the seas — the Revolutionary Army's flagship, the Winter Gramma.
Those who had been rescued earlier, still shaken and tense, had long since fallen asleep.
Unlike in the original tale where the Revolutionary Army spent years fumbling for direction before gaining momentum, now, with the Red Book in Dragon's hands, years of development had given rise to a Revolutionary Army with a complete structure and a clear purpose, flourishing everywhere.
All that was missing was a catalyst to ignite it into full eruption.
Inside the brightly lit conference room atop the cabin, the founding cadre of the Revolutionary Army had gathered.
Beyond Dragon, Bartholomew Kuma, and the Okama King Ivankov — the three highest-ranking officers, there were also the leaders of the Revolutionary Army branches from various East Blue kingdoms.
As the last branch leader concluded his report, Ivankov said:
"So we've developed to this extent already, huh?"
"What are we going to do, Dragon?"
"The World Conference is about to convene. Kings of all nations are heading to Mary Geoise."
"It's the perfect moment when national power is stretched thin."
Dragon shook his head:
"No, we won't do anything."
"The time isn't ripe yet."
Then he strode over to a curtain and pulled.
Swish—
A massive world map unfurled.
All the islands known to mankind were marked upon it — even the location of Mary Geoise atop the Red Line.
On the map, some islands were circled in red.
The majority were circled in black.
And a small handful bore red circles overlapping black ones, an exceedingly rare portion.
Dragon spoke:
"As we can see here."
"Red circles mark islands where the Revolutionary Army has taken root."
"Black circles are member nations of the World Government."
Pointing at the red-overlapping-black islands, he continued:
"Only in this small number of member nations have our ideas begun to spread."
"But it is far from enough."
"The World Government's more than 170 member states still occupy the majority of the world."
"To qualify as a World Government member, a nation must wield either military might or financial power."
"It's undeniable — we are still far from strong enough to overturn them."
"This world is too vast, and the World Government's rule has lasted far too long."
"Before we hold absolute certainty, we cannot act rashly."
"But... that day isn't too far away."
As he finished, a mysterious smile curved Dragon's lips.
Ivankov raised an eyebrow:
"Oh?"
Dragon chuckled:
"By the time the next World Conference comes, we'll be about ready."
"And for that, we have the Navy to thank."
"Look at these World Government nations where we've spread our influence — do you notice a pattern?"
The officers below furrowed their brows, studied the map for a while, then shook their heads.
At that moment, the ever-silent Kuma finally spoke:
"It's the numbers."
"The Grand Line has the most. Next comes the North Blue, then the West Blue, the South Blue, and lastly, the East Blue."
Dragon smiled:
"Correct."
"And do you know why the Grand Line has the most?"
Ivankov answered:
"Because of the oppression from pirates and the government, right?"
Dragon nodded and continued:
"Exactly. The Pirate King, Roger, ignited the Great Pirate Era."
"Across the seas, especially the Grand Line, the number of pirates surged dramatically."
"Countless youths, drawn by the legend of the One Piece, set sail in pursuit."
"Nations everywhere saw their young and able-bodied men flow out en masse, becoming pirates."
"Yet the Heavenly Tribute demanded by the Celestial Dragons never decreased."
"In such circumstances, the lives of those left behind grew precarious."
"The burden intensified. That is why the Grand Line has the most nations receptive to our ideology."
"Because without that man's suppression..."
"Look at the order of the four seas, and think what it reminds you of."
Kuma pondered for a moment before saying:
"Sakazuki, the Cleansing Campaigns."
Dragon said:
"That's right — Sakazuki."
"The Navy Admiral notorious for his brutality."
"His Cleansing Campaigns lasted for years, crushing the Four Seas."
"A huge blow to the rise of the Great Pirate Era, but it also gave us the best time to develop."
"The North Blue was the first place Sakazuki suppressed."
"For a period of time, his brutal methods of suppressing pirates were published by the government in the papers and lasted for months."
"It extinguished the hopes of most young men across the seas who wanted to set sail."
"But after he entered other seas, it didn't take two years before the youth of the North Blue lost their fear of him as well, and they too began going to sea, choosing to become pirates."
"And in the North Blue, under our influence—"
"Those people who could no longer bear the mounting pressure and the World Government's oppression flocked to join us."
"We grew and expanded with astonishing speed."
"So in a way, we even have to thank the Navy."
"For allowing us to spread quietly for years before exploding all at once."
The people below all showed faint, knowing smiles, and Ivankov was grinning broadly as well:
"Perhaps the Navy and World Government would never have imagined that everything they did was helping us."
"Hy~ha!"
Dragon shook his head with a smile:
"That's not entirely fair to say. After all, the intention was good."
"I've encountered Sakazuki a few times."
"He hates evil like poison—brutal, yes, but all directed at pirates."
"Unfortunately, he stood on the opposite side of us."
"And… the Great Pirate Era sparked by Pirate King Roger truly did cause far too much chaos."
"Even someone like Sakazuki, suppressing for years, only managed to delay the rise of the Great Pirate Era."
"Not to halt it completely."
"We must think of solutions in advance…"
Everyone in the cabin nodded. Some had once been pirates, others had suffered at their hands.
Naturally, they all knew exactly what pirates were like...
...
Late at night.
Grand Line, Sabaody Archipelago.
A massive battleship had just docked at the shore, soldiers disembarking in squads, heading toward the commercial district to resupply.
As the bustling island before the gateway to the New World, even in the deep of night countless lights still shone.
Sakazuki stood inside the upper cabin of the warship, gazing through the glass at the busy soldiers below.
Enel sat on the sofa, legs crossed, munching on fruit.
Clack—
The sound of a doorknob turning.
Karol pushed the door open and walked in:
"As expected, no action so far, Admiral Sakazuki."
Sakazuki gave a short chuckle and drew back his gaze from the window:
"Steady. Not bad."
Karol looked curious:
"Why are you so sure the Revolutionary Army won't take bold action during the World Conference?"
Sakazuki narrowed his eyes:
"The intelligence of the Monkey D. family over generations may well have accumulated in Dragon alone."
"He's lain dormant for years. Without absolute certainty, he won't ignite the revolution."
Karol laughed:
"You really do know him well."
Sakazuki shook his head:
"I'm only analyzing from a global perspective."
"From the Elder's point of view, whether pirates or the Revolutionary Army, no matter how much they struggle, they're but ants. And the Elders are gods, gazing down from the heavens."
"But from Dragon's perspective, the World Government is just a giant standing on the ground. Even if they're ants, he believes that if there are enough of them, they'll bite the giant to death."
"'Ants can bite an elephant to death'—that sort of saying."
"But… sayings are still just sayings. They don't exist in reality."
"The limitation of this era lies in the spread of information and the barriers to it. The gap in awareness is simply too vast."
Karol nodded thoughtfully:
"Then what about us?"
Sakazuki chuckled:
"Us?"
"Naturally, we're the ones above in the sky."
After a smile, his expression hardened:
"If nothing goes wrong, in four years, at the next World Conference—"
"That will be when the Revolutionary Army erupts."
"After all, in that booklet he once 'discovered,' there were plenty of secrets."
"Things like the Eight Hundred Year Cycle."
"The deadline approaches. They need stable time to grow strong and consolidate everything."
"When the time comes…"
His expression grew unreadable, but he fell silent.
Karol and Enel's curiosity was piqued, staring eagerly at him.
But Sakazuki still said nothing, only smiling faintly.
Enel waited for a while, then grew impatient:
"And then? Old man!"
Sakazuki said softly:
"Naturally, we do nothing."
"I won't be Fleet Admiral by then. What's it to me?"
"Let Sengoku be the one with the headache."
Karol and Enel both went speechless, black lines forming on their faces.
Sakazuki continued:
"The early Revolutionary Army is destined to sweep across the world."
"That's because most kingdoms in the Four Seas are agrarian states. Overturning them is effortless."
"But once they reach the Grand Line, they'll bleed heavily."
"Being able to establish any foothold will be remarkable."
"The extreme weather and powerful figures of the Grand Line aren't so easily handled."
"The World Government has suppressed technological progress for centuries. The depth of their accumulation is unimaginable."
"The ordinary wooden ships of the Four Seas—what could they possibly use to withstand government-built warships and cannons?"
"Let alone those advanced technologies. You've both seen the destructive power of the weapons developed by the scientists on Punk Hazard."
"In the end, what matters most will be ruthlessness."
"It'll depend on how many people Sengoku dares to order killed, and how many people Dragon sacrifices before he recognizes reality."
"Still, Dragon will probably realize it first."
"Since he walks the path of the people."
"Sengoku, meanwhile, is still deeply loyal to the World Government. Unless he's utterly disillusioned."
"Otherwise, even if he can't accept their orders, he'll still carry them out."
Enel frowned:
"Then the Revolutionary Army has no chance of winning."
"Those weapons from Punk Hazard—the Revolutionaries can't possibly withstand them."
Karol spoke up:
"Not necessarily."
"Those weapons may be devastating."
"But the World Government is still an official authority."
"Without conclusive evidence, they won't commit wholesale slaughter openly."
"It concerns the Government's prestige and public support."
"And besides—why would 'gods' care how many ants there are?"
"In their eyes, no matter the number of ants, they can be crushed at will."
"So most likely, it'll reach a stalemate."
Sakazuki said quietly:
"That's when we deliver them the 'experience package.'"
Karol sighed, Robin coming to mind:
"Industrial Revolution…"
...
Late at night, Mary Geoise.
The grand hall still shone brightly with light.
The Elders sat together, examining the documents in hand.
The Elder with the sword spoke:
"We underestimated this 'Dragon.'"
"Without us even noticing, he's already grown such a massive force."
The burly Elder snorted:
"His ambitions are great."
"The member nations have already been infiltrated. What does he intend, to overturn us?"
The curly-haired Elder with a cane said:
"Let him flail. The ones infiltrated are worthless kingdoms anyway."
"It gives us the perfect excuse to cleanse those embarrassing fools."
"Those nations nearly toppled by pirates long ago should have been replaced already."
"The World Government has no time to constantly manage those failures."
"If a member nation is usurped by pirates, that's a naked slap in the Government's face."
The tall, thin Elder nodded:
"Indeed. Still, since when has the CP organization been this inefficient?"
"Even now, they haven't uncovered the Revolutionary headquarters."
The blond Elder said:
"Not quite. They've already pinpointed around twenty."
The tall, thin Elder sighed:
"That's still too many. Even if Imu-sama's power could wipe them out easily—"
"For the Government, destroying that many nations isn't a good thing."
"If we did, the people of the world would no longer revere the Government, but fear it."
The Elder with the sword adjusted his glasses:
"No rush. The time hasn't come yet."
"Let CP continue investigating. As long as it's kept to single digits, that's enough."
"Ants are still just ants."
"They don't affect the big picture."
"When that day finally comes—"
"No one will care about a few islands."
...
Several days later…
Sakazuki's battleship finally arrived at Mary Geoise.
Glancing at the limp Doflamingo in his hands, he walked toward the massive palace...
-----------
The fanfic is Finished on p@treon/tambeerg. 414 chapters in total