Pirate: I'm an admiral now, what's wrong with taking a little extra money?

The dragon's body stiffened abruptly, a fierce glint flashing in its deep eyes.

Although his identity was not a secret in the navy, few people dared to point it out to his face.

"You investigated me?" Long turned around, his tone icy.

Kane didn't reply. He walked straight to the ship's side, looked at the rolling black waves below, and his tone suddenly became somewhat erratic.

"I overheard Borsalino mentioning in casual conversation that you, as an accompanying officer, had served on missions in many member states? And even... were you present at the Battle of God Valley a few years ago?"

Upon hearing the words "Valley of the Gods," the dragon's pupils contracted sharply.

That was the beginning of his nightmare.

"What do you want to say?" Dragon stared intently at Kane, his voice barely containing the rage that was about to erupt.

"take it easy."

Kane turned his head, leaned against the railing, and stared intently at the dragon.

"I'm just wondering, why would someone like you, who has seen the truth of the world, still wear this coat that represents 'justice'?"

This question reopened the long-standing, bleeding wounds in Long's heart.

He was silent.

The sea breeze howled, making his coat flutter behind him.

After a long silence, Long finally spoke, his voice hoarse and filled with self-mockery: "You find it ridiculous too, don't you?"

He walked up to Kane, snatched the bottle, and without caring whether it was clean or not, tilted his head back and took a big gulp.

The pungent liquor burned down his throat and into his stomach, but it was nothing compared to the searing pain in his heart.

“I was born in the Kingdom of Goa in the East Sea, which is known as the ‘most beautiful country’. But all I saw was the decadent life of the nobles inside the high walls, and the miserable existence of the common people in the garbage heap outside the high walls.”

Long's fingers, gripping the wine bottle tightly, turned white from the force.

“Later I joined the Navy, thinking that this place could change everything. But God Valley…” A painful memory flashed in the dragon’s eyes, “Those Celestial Dragons wantonly slaughtered the slaves on the island for their so-called ‘treasure hunt’.”

"We fought tooth and nail to repel the Rocks Pirates and protect those so-called Celestial Dragons. And what was the result?"

"A wounded young marine was executed on the spot because his blood splattered on a Celestial Dragon's clothes!"

"But our marshal, our government, tells us to be patient, saying it's to maintain world 'order'!"

How ridiculous!

Long slammed the empty wine bottle into the sea, the sound of shattering glass being swallowed by the waves.

"At that time, I was thinking, what are we risking our lives every day to catch pirates? Is it just to protect these scumbags and let them rule over those unarmed civilians?"

The resentment, pain, and confusion that had been building up in Long's chest for ten years finally found an outlet in this moment, facing this seemingly cynical young man.

"Kane, tell me, what exactly is the justice we uphold? If the Navy's justice is simply becoming a tool in the hands of the Celestial Dragons to maintain this corrupt order, then we might as well not have this kind of justice!"

coming!

Kane was overjoyed.

The fish has taken the bait! And it's a fish bigger than ever before!

On the system panel, a series of notifications were being refreshed rapidly.

[Ding! You are now in an in-depth conversation with 'Monkey D. Dragon,' a key figure in the world!]

[Ding! The other party's values ​​are being influenced by you; subversion level assessment in progress...]

[Please note! Every answer you give may trigger a drastic shift in the world line!]

Kane suppressed the urge to burst into laughter, but his face showed an expression of deep sorrow and empathy.

He keenly sensed an opportunity to boost his score.

Looking at the man before him, a man filled with skepticism about the world and about to embark on a different path, he knew that every word he was about to say would be a tailor-made ideological imprint for this future revolutionary leader.

凯恩

He wanted to give this future dragon slayer a little bit of intellectual shock from another world.

Chapter 35 was just for racking up points, yet you want to venerate me as a revolutionary mentor?

As the night deepened, the sea breeze rustled the hems of their clothes, bringing a touch of coolness.

The dragon's eyes were filled with pain and confusion, like a traveler lost in a thick fog, desperately needing a guiding light.

Kane knew his chance had come.

He did not answer the dragon's question immediately, but first cautiously looked around.

After confirming that no one was around, Kane looked at the dragon again, his expression becoming more serious than ever before.

"Dragon, you ask me what justice is. Before I answer you, I have something to tell you first."

He took a step forward, closing in on the dragon's defenses.

"If CP0 heard what you just said, even if you are Vice Admiral Garp's son, you would spend the rest of your life counting cockroaches in Impel Down's endless hell."

The dragon's body trembled, but he did not back down. Instead, he met Kane's gaze with a resolute flame burning in his eyes.

"If telling the truth is treason... then I'd rather be the traitor! If this is the 'order' the Navy upholds, then I'd rather not wear this uniform!"

"Good! Well said!" Kane suddenly smiled, a smile that contained both appreciation and a hint of cunning.

“Now, I will answer your question.” Kane’s gaze sharpened like a knife. “Do you think justice is wrong? No.”

"Justice itself is never wrong. The desire for fairness, for peace, and for freedom from being bullied by the strong is the most basic wish of every living being, and that is justice."

"The problem isn't justice itself. The problem lies with those who stand high above and define 'justice'!"

boom!

These words struck the dragon like a thunderbolt.

He was completely stunned.

Justice is not wrong; the wrong lies in the people who define justice.

Seeing the dragon's terrified expression, Kane nodded in satisfaction and slowly walked to the dragon's side, standing shoulder to shoulder with him.

"Imagine a dragon. This world is like a towering tree."

"If a big tree's leaves turn yellow, you can prune the branches. But if its roots are rotten inside and out, what's the point of pruning the leaves?"

Kane pointed to the seagull flag fluttering overhead, then to the distant direction of Mary Geoise.

"We, the Navy, are the gardeners of this great tree. Every day we diligently prune its branches and catch those pests known as 'pirates.' However, the roots of this great tree called 'The World'—the World Government and the Celestial Dragons—have rotted away completely!"

"If the roots are rotten, no matter how hard we prune, we're just trying to prolong the life of this rotten tree. Do you think this kind of work is meaningful?"

"Instead of futilely pruning the branches, it's better to... uproot it!"

"Uproot it completely..."

Long murmured those four words repeatedly, his body trembling slightly with excitement. He felt as if the blood in his body was burning.

"Then... what should I do?"

The dragon's voice was hoarse, as if pleading for help, "Overthrow them? With what? With me alone?"

"of course not."

Kane smiled.

He began to gradually instill in the dragon the "dragon-slaying techniques" that had been verified by countless people in his previous life, in a way that the people of this world could understand.

"Dragon, why do you think the Celestial Dragons have been able to rule the world without any worries for eight hundred years?"

Long frowned and said, "Because they have a navy, a CP agency, and powerful military force."

“No, that’s just the surface.” Kane shook his head. “Their most powerful weapon is ‘order.’ They set the rules and made everyone in the world used to being ruled by them. They brought kings and nobles into their fold, making them help manage the common people. And our navy is the violent machine that maintains this order.”

"Therefore, if you want to overthrow them, you can't just rely on force. What you need to do is establish a completely new order!"

"A completely new order?" The dragon's breathing became rapid.

“That’s right.” Kane’s eyes deepened. “A single spark can start a prairie fire. Your power alone is limited, but the power of millions of oppressed civilians is limitless!”

"You must go to the most remote and impoverished member states, to the places most oppressed by nobles and pirates. The people there harbor the deepest hatred for the World Government; they are your initial spark!"

“You must tell them that all men are created equal, and no one is born to be a slave! You must give them weapons, teach them to fight, and give them the power to resist! You must unite all forces that can be united—peasants, workers, and even convicts pursued by the navy but with a conscience!”

"What's this called? This is called 'encircling the cities from the countryside'! Starting from the edge of the world, it slowly erodes the foundations of the world government's rule. When your flames spread across the entire world, Mary Geoise's magnificent palace will be as fragile as paper!"

Long listened with rapt attention, feeling as if a magnificent and grand blueprint was unfolding before his eyes.

He pulled out a small notebook and a pen that he always carried with him, and began frantically writing down every word Kane said.

"Surrounding the cities from the countryside..."

"Unite the grassroots..."

"To establish a new order..."

His hands trembled, not from fear, but from unprecedented excitement. These theories were unlike anything he had ever heard of, yet they seemed to contain the ultimate truths of the universe!

He looked up, his gaze fixed intently on Kane, his eyes filled with fervent adoration.

"Kane... how... how do you know so much?"

Kane chuckled inwardly, but maintained a mysterious expression on his face: "I only read some 'forbidden books'."

He can't very well say that these were summaries made by a great man from another world, can he?

"Dragon, remember this," Kane concluded, "to slay a dragon, you must first become a more powerful 'dragon.' But the power of this 'dragon' does not come from bloodline, but from millions of people. You need a slogan, a banner that can unite everyone around you."

"For example... 'freedom' and 'equality'?"

On the last page of the notebook, Long wrote the three words "Revolutionary Army" heavily.

He raised his head, and the way he looked at Kane was as if he were looking at a god.

"Kane, you're the comrade I've been searching for! Come with me! Together, we'll create a whole new world!"

Kane's heart skipped a beat when he saw the dragon's fanatical eyes.

“No, no, no,” he quickly waved his hand, “I have no ambition. I just want to coast along in the navy, get promoted and make a fortune. Revolution is too dangerous and doesn’t suit me.”