Then, in a tone dripping with disdain, he said, "Such a vicious attack on him? Hmph, don't you know this guy bears the terrifying title of 'Massacre Soldier' that strikes fear into people's hearts? If you do know, then why don't you try guessing how exactly he earned such a fearsome epithet?"
Lancelot paused, his gaze sweeping over the two people present.
Then, he slowly began, "Let me tell you this: the so-called 'Massacre Soldier' earned his notorious reputation precisely by joining his cruel Captain Kid in burning, killing, plundering, and committing every conceivable evil act across the lands."
"Moreover, this man takes pleasure in slaughter, which is how he acquired such a title. The number of innocent commoners who have died by his blood-stained hands is simply beyond count... Faced with such a vicious and ruthless individual, if we do not strike with equal ferocity, how can we ever face those who have suffered unjustly?"
"Had he been willing to submit to me obediently and come under my control, he might still have been able to use his abilities to accomplish some merits and atone for the monstrous crimes he committed in the past. Alas, he stubbornly refused my goodwill. Since that is the case, he cannot be allowed to live!"
"Because for a deranged pirate like him, every additional moment he breathes means hundreds or thousands of ordinary people face the threat of death. Therefore, my mercy is reserved only for the kind and innocent common folk. As for these pirates who have committed countless atrocities, I have always firmly believed in one principle—those who comply will prosper, while those who resist shall perish. There is absolutely no third possibility beyond these two!"
Rayleigh frowned but quickly relaxed his expression.
Then, with a stern face and an icy tone, he said, "The dawn of an era is inevitably accompanied by bloodshed and sacrifice. This is the law of historical development, unavoidable."
It was as though the sacrifices were not living beings but mere names written on paper.
Upon hearing these words, Lancelot couldn't help but freeze momentarily.
He widened his eyes, staring incredulously at the person before him—Rayleigh.
After all, how could such words possibly come from Rayleigh's mouth?
In Lancelot's impression, this was not Rayleigh's style at all, yet now he was uttering such "shocking" remarks.
Lancelot furrowed his brow, thinking to himself, 'Could it be that Rayleigh is no longer the simple swordsman he once was? These words sound more like the rhetoric of those revolutionaries!'
At this thought, Lancelot couldn't help but shake his head, finding it somewhat absurd.
Immediately after, Lancelot burst into laughter as if he had just heard the most ridiculous joke in the world.
Once his laughter subsided, he looked at Rayleigh with a mocking expression and sneered, "The so-called 'era' you speak of—could it be the one triggered by that guy Roger's casual remark before his execution, which ignited the 'Great Pirate Era'? Hahahaha... utterly preposterous!"
Indeed, Roger's name resounded across the Four Blues, revered by the world as the "Pirate King."
He possessed boundless wealth, illustrious fame, and supreme power.
As the captain of the Roger Pirates—the first and only crew in history to successfully conquer the "Grand Line"—and the legendary holder of the great treasure "One Piece," his achievements were truly remarkable.
Even as a Marine, one had to express genuine admiration for Roger's accomplishments.
However, this admiration was solely for Roger's achievements, it did not extend to the pirate forces he represented or the Great Pirate Era he had brought about.
In fact, they stood in opposition to these.
"Just as I hold deep respect for the two legendary pirates, Whitebeard and Shiki. Yet, this admiration does not mean I approve of their actions. In my eyes, whether it is the renowned Whitebeard, the unruly Shiki, or your celebrated captain Roger, without exception, they are all venomous beasts wreaking havoc upon the world!"
"Although Roger amassed boundless wealth and fame, the so-called 'Great Pirate Era' he created plunged an already turbulent world into even greater chaos. Influenced by him, countless people rushed headlong into the tumultuous seas, resolutely embarking on the path of piracy—a road drenched in blood and slaughter. For the heinous crimes these individuals committed recklessly at sea, Roger bears undeniable responsibility."
Upon hearing these remarks, Rayleigh's expression changed drastically.
For him, he could endure all manner of personal insults, but he absolutely could not tolerate anyone speaking disrespectfully of his beloved captain.
His eyes blazed with fury as he retorted loudly, "The true culprits plunging this world into chaos and disorder are not Roger, but those arrogant World Nobles standing atop the world!"
"They are like insatiable vampires, endlessly sucking the blood and marrow of this world. They are the root of all evil... The people have long suffered under their oppression and exploitation—it's only a matter of time before they rise up in rebellion. Roger's emergence merely added momentum to the inevitable, accelerating this destined conflict that was bound to erupt."
"Hahahaha...."
Lancelot burst into uproarious laughter as if he had heard the most ridiculous thing in the world.
"Earlier you said that the dawn of a new era inevitably requires sacrifices. But who gave you the right to decide this era? Why should innocent people become sacrificial offerings in the era you created and defined?"
"And now you claim Roger's emergence merely added momentum to the inevitable, accelerating this destined conflict that was bound to erupt!!!!"
"What a casual 'merely'—how many lives has this 'merely' buried?"
"In my view, Roger isn't even comparable to Rocks. At least Rocks directly assaulted the Holy Land... confronting what you call the root of evil. If Roger had led your entire Pirate Crew with Rocks to storm the Holy Land back then, I might have genuinely respected him... Instead, he joined forces with Garp to eliminate Rocks."
"Perhaps he believed Rocks ascending to that position would be even worse than the World Nobles. But... he shouldn't have imposed his personal ideology on the next generation, on the future. The next generation and the future should belong to the next generation themselves—they should be the ones to create their own future."
"Not using one's own ideology to manipulate the next generation, making them bleed, and causing the entire world to bleed for it."
There was one more thing he didn't say: there was more than one way to solve the problem.
And Roger had chosen the most foolish one.
In comparison, Dragon is far more responsible and visionary than Roger.
This is the difference between a true revolutionary and a pirate.
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