From Pirate to Revolutionary Mentor

Chapter 85 Strategic Shift

"You've been busy lately? Why haven't you come here to have a drink with me?"

Spandane filled both glasses and handed one to Kevin.

The two clinked glasses and drank it all in one gulp.

"I've been wanting to practice with a knife lately, but I haven't had any systematic training before, so I can only start practicing from the basics."

Knife?

Spandam looked at him strangely: "The fourth monster to emerge from the Navy's youth training camp. The first three were Logia-type Devil Fruit users. You're a Haki user, so why are you suddenly practicing swordsmanship? Do you want to become a great swordsman?"

Kevin glanced at him: "You know those three are Logia-type users, right? They're not weak in Armament Haki and Observation Haki at all; I'm still a long way off. Besides, improving Haki isn't that simple, so I'll have to think of other ways."

Spandam, whose combat strength was practically nonexistent, shrugged and skipped the topic altogether.

He doesn't know how to use a knife, but he does have a few Devil Fruits, though they are mostly Zoan-type. Logia-type and powerful Paramecia-type fruits don't apply to him.

Not to mention the even rarer Zoan-type Mythical Beasts.

"We'll have to suspend business to the Grand Line for a while."

"Something happened?"

Spandam poured two more glasses of wine: "A new armed force has gained the attention of the higher-ups, and it's also involved that terrifying guy who killed two Celestial Dragons."

Upon hearing this, Kevin's gaze narrowed slightly, but he still calmly took the glass of wine, took a sip, and said, "What does this have to do with us? If the shipments from the Four Seas to the Grand Line are interrupted for a period of time, we will lose a lot of money."

Spandam let out a breath: "I know. But those rats are active in the Grand Line, and the higher-ups are planning to take action against them recently. Your naval high command should have been informed."

"An armed force needs supplies. I can't even guarantee that some of the goods that entered the Grand Line haven't been bought by them. There are traces of them in the Kingdom of Oicot in the East Blue, and five countries in the Grand Line have been discovered to be under their control. Being suspected for a little bit of Beli at this time could lead to big trouble."

At this point, Spandam noticed Kevin's displeasure.

He didn't want his partners of many years to be unhappy about this. Besides, this person was known as the fourth monster in the Navy. Even if he didn't become a top-tier combatant like an admiral in the future, he was definitely a candidate for admiral with his support.

In this situation, even if one rises in rank, one remains in an equal position, possessing both power and strength.

"Don't worry, it won't take long."

Spandane continued, "Recently, CP0 has deployed some formidable forces, and the traps they set in Sabaody Archipelago are now being used for real. The officials on Mary Geoise can't hold back any longer; when I went there a while ago, it was one of the officials from Don Quixote."

Kevin remained silent for a moment.

"Using real Celestial Dragons as bait? The people up there are getting a bit too bold."

"Bang."

Glasses clinked on the table. Spandam frowned. "I've said it many times: those who wield power should be addressed as 'Sir.' If they hear you doing that, it'll hinder me when I push you later!"

Kevin waved his hand: "Relax, relax, I'm not stupid. We only say these things when it's just the two of us. Are you going to tell on me?"

These words calmed Spandam down considerably, but he still gave Kevin a warning.

It has to be said that the fact that he, with little ability of his own, has been able to climb to his current position, and who knows, he might even be promoted in the future, is all thanks to his ability to flatter and give gifts.

"The wanted poster states that the cloaked man is a user of the Teleportation Fruit. If he wants to escape, I doubt we can stop him."

Spandam scoffed, "Devil Fruit users already have their weaknesses. Before Vegapunk disappeared, the Science Unit developed technology that allowed warships to safely cross the Calm Belt. The P substance contained in Seastone is enough to prevent him from using his powers."

P-substance?

So they are sea stone handcuffs?

Even if you're a Devil Fruit user, you still need to be handcuffed for this thing to work, right?

Kevin didn't ask any more specific questions. It would be too obvious and might arouse suspicion. Spandam's relationship with the World Government was too close, a relationship that needed to be maintained.

However, the bait on the Sabaody Archipelago has been replaced with real Celestial Dragons. We need to figure out how to get them to eat the bait and return the hook to them.

In addition, the revolutionary army's spirit has gained attention several years ahead of schedule, which suggests that Dragon and his group have been making some rather big moves lately.

……

The Grand Line, Baltigo, the island of white earth.

After leaving Enies Lobby after having a drink, Kevin even skipped his afternoon sword training in Shimotsuki Village in the East Blue and came here directly in his true form.

After using Flying Thunder God several times, Kevin, feeling a bit tired, took a couple of breaths and looked at the high-ranking Revolutionary Army officers gathered in front of him.

What's the situation with the Kingdom of Oicot?

As the commander of the Revolutionary Army's East Army, Ginny replied, "That's one of the grain procurement points for the East Blue. Last time we went there, we happened to encounter a pirate invasion. In addition, their king and the East Blue branch made a deal to reduce the population and lower the Heavenly Gold, so we took action when we arrived."

The chief, Dragon, looked at Kevin: "Have you been noticed? You've been making quite a few moves over the past year, it was only a matter of time before you were noticed."

Kevin nodded slightly.

He knew that what Dragon said was true, because because of his existence, the development of the Revolutionary Army was changing every moment.

Vegapunk's laboratory alone produced shock cannons that gave Revolutionary Army members who had not yet awakened their Haki a means of attack.

It's just that some of it is wasteful energy.

In this situation, it would be wishful thinking to expect the Revolutionary Army to have a few more years to develop. The five on Mary Geoise are not idiots, and the CP has so many members, they are not just sitting around doing nothing.

"The World Government has taken notice of the Revolutionary Army, and perhaps because of the Oicot Kingdom incident, they discovered my connection with the Revolutionary Army."

After he finished speaking, Dragon was also stunned for a moment.

It's worth noting that the Cloaked Man's wanted poster was worth a staggering 830 million Berries, and that was the amount for his first arrest warrant.

The reason of attempting to destroy the world is insignificant, but the real reason is the killing of two Celestial Dragons and the mobility of teleportation.

The ability to instantly travel from the East China Sea to the Grand Line, the knowledge of the distance of its teleportation ability, and the terror of this ability are all well understood.

They simply didn't know the extent of Mary Geoise's power; otherwise, Kevin going there every day would have driven them crazy.

Furthermore, the Celestial Dragons harbor great secrets. If too many of those nineteen world noble families were to die, no one knows what the consequences would be. This is the second reason.

Big Bear, standing to the side, then spoke up: "So, are we going to start a war? Our people are already looking forward to it..."

Ivankov interrupted him from the other side: "Bear, you weren't like this before. Besides, we're still in a period of accumulating strength; we have no chance of winning if we start a war now."

Dragon agreed, saying, "We all know Mr. Spark's identity, and the Navy is also part of our plan. But just the Navy alone—Fleet Admiral Sengoku, plus the three admirals who haven't been appointed yet, and Vice Admiral Garp—the disparity in strength is too great."

At this moment, Kevin stood up and pointed to the map on the table, where five points of the Grand Line were marked.

"Avoid their sharp edge, withdraw from these five countries, leaving only a few inconspicuous middle-level personnel, and evacuate everyone else."

Ginny frowned and hesitated: "This is our biggest achievement in over a year. We've already prepared for this round of Heavenly Gold, so they might not find out."

"You're oversimplifying things, Ginny."

Dragon explained, "The World Government's intelligence capabilities are far superior to ours. They won't notice anything before it attracts attention, but once it does, all the past clues will be gathered up little by little by CP's intelligence department."

Ivankov frowned: "But nearly 20,000 people from these five countries have already joined the revolutionary army. If you include their families..."

Twenty thousand?

Kevin was somewhat surprised; there were so many?

It is important to know that joining the Revolutionary Army currently involves assessments, the most basic of which is having a firm ideology.

But five countries... five islands... that's not many.

Ivankov replied, "In just one or two lessons, those young people will realize that we are the ones who truly want to help them. Since the Great Pirate Era began, countless pirates have poured into the Grand Line from all corners of the world. Countless countries that did not align themselves with powerful pirate crews or pay the Heavenly Tribute have been destroyed."

"The member states need heavenly gold. Big Mom's pirate crew, Whole Cake Island, either has delicious food or requires settling down and paying for lifespan. Kaido's Beasts Pirates are even more ruthless. Compared to them, we are much better off."

So it's all thanks to the contrast with its competitors?

Bah! Fellow countrymen my foot! The Revolutionary Army is not a pirate army.

After a moment's thought, Kevin said directly, "Then let's move them all. Using the levitation ability of the talismans and Uncle Bear's transportation capabilities, we can send as many people as we want. Let all those who want to leave go, leaving them an empty shell."

Currently, about 70% of the members in the revolutionary army who have undergone ideological training are able to use Armament Haki.

After being equipped with the shock cannons developed by Vegapunk, these members were even able to reach the level of the elite navy of the Grand Line.

In addition, the number of researchers at Vegapunk's research institute is increasing day by day, and projects are coming one after another, which has greatly accelerated the research and development progress.

"It's impossible to abandon some people."

Dorag shook his head slightly at Ivankov: "The greatest strength of the Revolutionary Army lies in its ideology. We understand why we fight, and we always emphasize the camaraderie among comrades. So don't say things like 'give up' anymore. Also, Ivankov, you need to catch up on the ideological lessons you missed."

Ivankov immediately deflated.

He wasn't really interested in the grand, righteous stuff taught in ideological classes; the beach at home just smelled so good.

However, after not seeing each other for so long, even Kuma has changed, so are the members of the Revolutionary Army eager for a real declaration of war?

Such a highly motivated revolutionary army, coupled with a terrifying number that is already statistically sufficient to form combat power, would truly be an earth-shattering liberation if it were to break out.

Kevin tapped the map on the table: "The evacuation will begin tomorrow. All supplies and property need to be moved. We'll rely on buoyancy and Uncle Bear."

"Furthermore, the Kingdom of Oycot in the East China Sea has been destroyed, and that place will likely be under surveillance as well. We should keep our members away from that area."

At this point, Kevin looked at Ivankov: "Nearly 20,000 able-bodied men, plus their relatives, that's probably around 60,000, right?"

Ivankov sat up straight again; he had witnessed the changes in the revolutionary army over the past year.

In terms of core and planned development, Mr. Spark's role was crucial, and he was equally respected.

"The executions in Loguetown have been going on for almost four years now. During the Great Pirate Era, the mortality rate among the elderly, women, and children is the highest. In addition, the kings of those five countries are all member states. In order to obtain the Celestial Gold, they can only wage war or deliberately reduce the population. Therefore, many of the members are alone, but there are still at least 40,000 of them in total."

A large ship can only transport a few hundred people, so it would take at least a hundred trips.

"These five islands will also be under surveillance. I'll buy you some time. Once you receive my message, remove those sentries, and then have the prepared ships immediately move into port."

Kevin looked at Kuma and Dragon: "Start organizing ideological work tomorrow, and wait for my notification in three days to begin the operation. Also, the relocation location will be a deserted island in the New World for now, under the guise of pirates."

"The guard captain we arrested a while ago used his identity to create a pirate crew, putting on a disguise to operate in the New World."

The New World is a gathering place for pirates, with Big Mom, Kaido, and Whitebeard all having large territories.

These islands are to some extent immune to attacks from the Navy and the World Government. Although the Four Emperors have not yet formed a power structure, this is the balance they maintain.

The World Government needs pirates to put pressure on ordinary people, while the Navy is wary of the possibility of powerful pirates joining forces.

So this is balance.

Being a pirate and being a member of the Revolutionary Army would be two different situations.

Of course, such actions and avoidance will also dampen the morale of the hot-blooded core of the revolutionary army, but it is really not time to fight yet.

Even if he goes all out, a Zanpakuto in its shallow form can't provide any combat power boost; at most, it can only hold off an admiral, and that's all it can do.

With Dragon and Kuma on top, three top-tier fighters would already be the limit.

What about the rest?

The gap in high-end combat capabilities is too large; they can't even fight a single battle. In this situation, if they are discovered, they can only relocate.

This is what a strategic retreat looks like.

As for high-end combat capabilities testing the world government's strength...

At the very least... we need to wait until we can achieve initial liberation.

Although the treasure chest is labeled as the strongest fire-type Zanpakuto, it's still uncertain whether it's actually Ryujin Jakka. But the label "strongest" should be equivalent to Ryujin Jakka, right?

With its initial release reaching 6,000 degrees Celsius and the mobility of the Flying Thunder God Technique, it's definitely worth a try.

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(End of this chapter)