"Host observed: Wind‑Wind Fruit user. Confirmed: ability to turn any part of the body into wind."
The System's long‑absent voice resonated inside the mind of Shirogai's clone.
Is this the Logia‑type Wind‑Wind Fruit?
Shirogai watched the man approaching with a soft smile. His aura was powerful yet composed, and a gentle breeze seemed to follow him, billowing his green overcoat from some unseen source.
"Hmm?"
Revolutionary Army Commander Dragon noticed the faint smile on Shirogai's face, and his eyes narrowed as he spoke in a low, thoughtful tone:
"So you only need a Devil Fruit user in front of you to identify and comprehend their Devil Fruit power. My intelligence was wrong; you don't need them to activate their ability."
Dragon quickly connected this observation to Shirogai's unique Devil Fruit gift and realized that Shirogai had perceived the nature of his Logia‑type Wind‑Wind Fruit without needing to see it used.
"Hee‑haw! So it's true! I had sensed this about God‑King Shirogai's ability, but there was no proof until now!"
Captain Ivankov of the Revolutionary Army's Grand Line forces made bizarre gestures with their hands behind Dragon, screeching like a cackling bird.
Shirogai smiled as he watched Dragon take a seat.
"It seems this is not our first meeting, right, Dragon?"
"That's correct. Our first meeting was likely about a year ago."
Dragon's grin was sharp, his eyes fixed on Shirogai — a young man who, in a single year, had grown far beyond anything Dragon had imagined possible. There was even a hint of regret in his voice as he continued:
"At that time, your ability was not yet remarkable. Although I sensed something extraordinary about you, I didn't approach because Luffy was present."
Whoosh!!!
A powerful gust of wind blasted Luffy and Sanji, who were trying to run back, sweeping them both backward through the air.
"Huh! What a strong wind!"
"Ah ah ah, why did the wind suddenly pick up!"
Luffy and Sanji twirled through the air like ragdolls before landing with heavy thuds.
"Oh, it seems you don't want to see Luffy," Shirogai said to Dragon with a composed smile.
"Luffy…"
Dragon's expression grew complex as he watched Luffy struggle to get up. He exhaled deeply.
"A father who, due to duty, cannot spend every year beside his own child, must feel unsure about how to act… seeing him grow silently into a man."
Shirogai quipped casually,
"So giving up family time for work — is that the hardship of the world's most notorious criminal?"
Dragon curved his lips into a fierce grin.
"The criminal most feared and despised by the World Government's highest ranks has long since passed the torch. You, Shirogai, have taken my place and become the thorn in the World Government's side."
Shirogai narrowed his eyes slightly.
"Oh? Is that so?"
Dragon continued with ferocious certainty:
"Without question! The World Government's proclamations may be lies, but their bounty reveals their true intent. A bounty of ten billion Berries shows exactly how badly they fear you."
"…."
The pair fell silent for a moment.
"Hahahahaha."
"Heh heh heh."
After the quiet, the leaders of the two most powerful resistance forces in the world shared smiles.
"It is truly a pity that those World Noble sirs can still eat and sleep soundly," Dragon said ruefully.
Shirogai met his gaze with a calm smile:
"If one day I can make the World Nobles restless and sleepless because of my existence, that will be the day my goal draws near."
Dragon looked at Shirogai with approval.
"Oh? It seems our aims align. Both of us seek to topple the hegemonic rule established by the World Nobles and return the world to its rightful owners."
"Return? Let the people in the future handle that. What I do is simple: I beat up the ones I find detestable, knock them off their pedestals, and walk away."
Shirogai leaned back on the sofa, relaxed and composed.
"In essence, what I do is no different from what Luffy excels at: confronting those who bring suffering, sending them flying, and then moving on. I challenge the problem creators. How the aftermath is repaired is up to future generations."
"It seems you understand why I'm here."
Dragon's lips curved into a feral smile. In Shirogai's seemingly offhand words, he understood his position clearly.
What the Revolutionary Army does in the future is its own concern. The Sky Island Alliance exists only as a counterbalance to the World Government. What it chooses afterward is separate from him.
"But to be honest," Shirogai continued calmly, "your worldview is too narrow, too one‑sided."
Shirogai straightened, his gaze steady and unyielding as he looked at Dragon — a strategist unparalleled in this world, yet still constrained by conventional thinking.
"Dragon, instead of worrying that the future Sky Island Alliance and Air Force might harm your Revolutionary Army," Shirogai said deliberately, "you should consider this:
On the day the World Nobles truly vanish, will your Revolutionary Army become complacent in the absence of a common enemy, breeding internal dissent and division? Will it wither from within due to individual ambition and selfish motives? You would not want to see the Revolution collapse due to its own internal fire, right?"
"…."
Dragon paused, thoughtful. He did not interrupt. Even if he detected a hint of sarcasm in Shirogai's words, his expression remained composed. Dragon was not one to fly into a rage at a slight grievance; he was always calm, always thinking comprehensively.
Shirogai was no ordinary individual. In Dragon's eyes, Shirogai was not just any pirate: he was, like Dragon's old acquaintance Dr. Vegapunk, a man who had eaten the Brain‑Brain Fruit.
In a single year, Shirogai had built a military force the Revolutionary Army could not match — one that openly challenged the World Government.
If there were three people Dragon constantly watched with caution, Shirogai would certainly be among them, likely at the very top of that list. Furthermore, Shirogai was not someone to casually provoke others or speak without reason. Dragon had collected intel on him, analyzed his behaviors — toward enemies, allies, ordinary people, and pirates — and had formed a comprehensive assessment.
Shirogai's mention of the Revolutionary Army's potential internal decay must be grounded in reason.
"You think there is a flaw in the Revolutionary Army's development?" Dragon asked thoughtfully.
"You preach the power of the people," Shirogai replied, his voice steady and deep as he stood, facing away from Dragon and Ivankov, "but you do not grant the people the ability to resist authority on their own. That is ironic. If the Revolutionary Army seizes power, how do you know you won't become what you sought to destroy — another World Noble?"
Shirogai turned slightly and fixed Dragon with his gaze.
"But I am different. I will give people weapons capable of killing every tyrant in the world. I will let them choose their own path. I do not care if they misuse these weapons, even if it costs them their lives. Nor do I care how the world evolves afterward."
Shirogai paused, eyes unwavering.
"Any organization will decay. Whether the World Government, the Revolutionary Army, or the Sky Island Alliance, all will face corruption and downfall. What has been divided for ages will unite. What has united for long will divide again. I do not rely on human kindness; I rely on the future generations who will mend this world when it breaks."
He sat back down, a faint smile playing on his lips.
"Dragon, if you do not prepare now for the possibility that the Revolutionary Army may one day become a new evil dragon, and if you do not teach the world how to slay dragons, then what will you do when your own Revolution becomes the very thing you fought against?"
Dragon was silent for several heartbeats, contemplating Shirogai's words.