"It's impossible. We don't yet have enough manpower or strength to launch that kind of large-scale revolution."
Despite being the commander of the Eastern Army and a user of the Pump-Pump Fruit, Belo Betty poured cold water over the discussion. The Revolutionary Army might be far stronger now than when she first joined over a decade ago, but when it came to facing the colossal entity known as the World Government, they were still painfully underpowered.
Trying to topple the World Government by overthrowing its allied nations one by one would be harder than reaching the heavens.
"You're right," Dragon nodded calmly, his voice resolute. "That's why our target is Mary Geoise! We'll strike at the root itself—eradicate the World Government, that parasitic tumor feeding on the people!"
At those words, the room fell silent. Sabo subconsciously pinched his own cheek, wondering if he was hallucinating.
Even the most devoted members of the Revolutionary Army had never once considered directly attacking the Celestial Dragons' sacred homeland.
That was Mary Geoise—the so-called Holy Land, standing atop the Red Line for over eight hundred years, the very symbol of the World Government's supreme authority!
"B-but, Mr. Dragon! Isn't the one attacking Mary Geoise supposed to be that Cosmic Dark Matter Pirates group, the one led by Kaido and Big Mom? Are we… joining forces with them?"
Sabo's voice trembled in disbelief. The Revolutionary Army and pirates were far from allies—one sought to protect the people, while the other preyed upon them.
Cooperating with the relatively honorable Whitebeard or Red-Haired Pirates during the Marineford War was one thing—but fighting alongside the Cosmic Dark Matter Pirates, notorious villains through and through, was another entirely.
To most of the world, Boros—who had subdued two of the Four Emperors, Kaido and Big Mom—was an even greater monster than the Emperors themselves.
Thanks to the World Government's propaganda, Boros's infamy had already surpassed that of the late Pirate King, Roger, making him the undisputed most feared man on the seas.
"No," Dragon said, his eyes turning toward the palace gates. "Our ally is someone else."
A rare smile touched his otherwise stern face. The others followed his gaze toward the doors, where, under the sunlight, a dazzling golden radiance began to take shape.
"Kizaru!"
"It's the Navy!"
"Everyone, be on guard!"
The moment they recognized the figure, chaos erupted among the Revolutionaries.
A name and shadow known across the seas—since the war at Marineford, the world had once again been reminded of that Marine monster's terrifying might.
He was the man who had singlehandedly crushed two Yonko crews and slain the former "strongest in the world." Even Boros, despite commanding the two Emperors, had not managed to strip Kizaru of his title as the strongest.
"Yo~ good morning, everyone."
Kizaru greeted them with his usual lazy grin, looking entirely at ease despite the sea of tense, wide-eyed Revolutionaries glaring back. Some of them were even old acquaintances—especially one particular "queen" whose terrified face said everything.
"Y-you've got to be kidding me!?"
Belo Betty was so shocked that the cigarette slipped from her lips unnoticed. But compared to Lindbergh, whose eyes were nearly bulging out of his skull, she was practically composed.
"The Fleet Admiral of the Marines… is one of us?! Mr. Dragon?!"
Sabo was the first to piece it together, and his voice made several of the older Revolutionaries—those who knew about the connection between Kizaru and Dragon—exchange knowing looks.
Had Kizaru not withdrawn all those years ago, the current leader of the Revolutionary Army might very well have been him.
"Kizaru was the one who led me onto the path of revolution," Dragon declared solemnly. "He is not only my mentor—but also one of the true founders of the Revolutionary Army!"
Strictly speaking, Dragon was the one who officially established the organization—but there was no denying it: without Kizaru, there would never have been a Revolutionary Army at all.
Although in Dragon's view, it was Kizaru—the one who first proposed the ideals of the Revolutionary Army—who was the true pioneer. As for the organization Dragon founded, it was merely the next generation continuing along the path of Kizaru's theories.
Kizaru frowned slightly at those words, but after seeing the glance Dragon sent him, he quickly understood what Dragon meant.
In the future, the Revolutionary Army and the Marines would inevitably walk the same path. Under that premise, Dragon giving up the position of Revolutionary Army leader was not surprising at all.
After all, to the Marines, the Revolutionaries would always be outsiders. But if the Marshal of the Marines himself was also the leader of the Revolutionary Army, then even the most stubborn officers would have no reason to reject the Revolutionaries' inclusion.
With Dragon's Marine background, such measures shouldn't have been necessary—but he had left the Navy too long ago. Even with the reputation of being the "son of the Marine Hero," gaining the full trust of every Marine was nearly impossible.
It was precisely for that reason that Kizaru didn't refute Dragon's statement. Even the Revolutionary veterans, including Ivankov, didn't find Dragon's words strange.
"Uh…"
Sabo's expression twisted in disbelief. His impression of Kizaru was still stuck at the time of the Marineford War—the terrifying figure who seemed like a god or a demon.
And now, Dragon was saying that Kizaru was one of them—the founder of the Revolutionary Army?
That revelation left Sabo completely shaken.
"Hee… heehee… after all these years, you've finally come around, Kizaru~."
Ivankov, who had just recovered from his shock, was about to squeal with excitement—only to freeze under Kizaru's "menacing" glare. His flamboyant face instantly twisted into a nearly sycophantic grin.
Back during the war, Ivankov had once tried to mess with Kizaru using hormone powers—and paid the price when Kizaru showed up afterward and beat him senseless. The trauma from that day hadn't faded even now.
"Come around? Not really," Kizaru said casually as he walked to Dragon's side. "My beliefs have never changed."
The World Government, which had ruled the seas for over eight hundred years, was a monster so vast that even describing it as "too large to topple" was an understatement.
If one truly wanted to defeat such a colossus, the only path was to ignite a war that would engulf the entire world.
Even if Kizaru possessed enough power to end any single battle instantly, it would not change the fact that in any war, the ones who suffered the most were always the common people.
Besides, the World Government had existed for eight centuries—and Im had lived through all of them. No one knew how many hidden cards they still held.
"Um… Mr. Dragon, Mr. Kizaru," Sabo asked hesitantly, "are we planning to overthrow the World Government while the Cosmic Dark Matter Pirates attack Mariejois?"
Sabo was still uneasy around Kizaru. After Marineford, defeating the Marine Marshal had become one of his greatest goals in training.
And now, that very same man was standing among them—as an ally of the Revolutionaries. The realization left Sabo with complicated feelings.
"No," Kizaru answered without hesitation. "In the new world that Dragon and I envision, there will be no need for pirates to exist."
Whether it was due to the worldview he'd held before crossing over, or the decades he'd spent as a Marine afterward, Kizaru had never held any affection for pirates.
It was undeniable that pirates, to some extent, weakened the oppressive authority of the World Government—but more often than not, they were no different from the scum and corrupt officials within it.
The Revolutionary officers nodded one after another.
Though a few among them had once been pirates, most clearly despised those who brought only chaos and destruction to the world.
"So the Cosmic Dark Matter Pirates… are our enemies too?"
Sabo first clenched his fists nervously for his two sworn brothers, then spoke up, his expression uncertain.
With the strength of the Marines combined with the Revolutionary Army's support, overthrowing the World Government wasn't impossible.
But with the Cosmic Dark Matter Pirates in the picture, even Sabo's confidence began to waver.
After all, that was one of the two great Emperor crews—an enormous force made up of hundreds of thousands of New World pirates. And at the top of it all was Boros, a captain whose power was completely unfathomable.
"Exactly," Kizaru declared firmly. "To avoid prolonged chaos, we'll end this in one decisive strike—overthrow the World Government completely while simultaneously eradicating the New World pirates! We'll create a new era!"
If any high-ranking Marine officers had been there to hear it, they probably would've choked on the spot—after all, their new Fleet Admiral had never shown this kind of passion back in Marineford.
But that was what set Kizaru apart from Sakazuki: Kizaru's desire to eliminate pirates came from a wish to protect civilians, while Sakazuki's stemmed purely from preserving the order under the World Government's rule.
"Overthrow the World Government!"
"Destroy the pirates!"
"Long live the Revolutionary Army!"
The moment Kizaru finished speaking, the Revolutionary Army officers erupted in thunderous cheers.
For years, the revolutionaries had fought across the world—yet no matter how hard they tried, they had never truly seen a real chance to topple the World Government.
But Kizaru's arrival had changed that. His very presence was a glimmer of hope. Perhaps… the opportunity to end the old order was finally within reach.
As the massive war Kizaru had orchestrated—one that would reshape the pirate world forever—drew near, countless people were being dragged into it, whether willingly or not.
Yet there were still a few individuals who had no idea what was happening—leisurely enjoying a rare, peaceful vacation.
°°°
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