In this instant, Dragon recalled events from more than twenty years ago.
Back then, Roa had punished him a total of two times.
The first time was because he wanted to freeload off Roa's weapon, which resulted in the exposure of their headquarters' location. The Navy's encirclement came immediately, followed by the relentless retaliation of the radical faction from Flevance. Many comrades died in battle, and Dragon himself was severely dealt with by Bullet and King, who came knocking.
The second time was for trying to use Roa's power to rescue Kuma from the Charlotte Family. This punishment was even more brutal.
Not only was Ginny taken by Roa, but the Revolutionary Army was also forced to launch successive uprisings without adequate preparation. The final outcome was the tragic death of a large number of Revolutionary Army cadres and even more of the incited populace.
That time, the entire North Blue was practically awash in blood, and the Revolutionary Army, which had just begun to take shape, was instantly reduced to its original state. What pained Dragon even more was the death of countless ordinary people who, unable to bear the heavy burden, had finally plucked up the courage to rise up and resist.
Both punishments had caused Dragon immense suffering.
And now, was a third time about to come?
Even for someone as composed and calm as Dragon, his heart couldn't help but be filled with shock and fury at this moment.
"Roa, what are you trying to do now!"
His unconstrained Conqueror's Haki violently spread out.
The green cloak on Dragon's body billowed, and the very earth trembled with his anger.
Sabo and Law, whose strength was insufficient, even paled slightly and involuntarily retreated two steps.
"Oh, not bad."
Of course, this amount of Conqueror's Haki was no more than a gentle breeze to Roa. He raised the corners of his mouth, his face radiating an air of unhurried, leisurely amusement. "Besides developing the Revolutionary Army, you haven't neglected your own training all these years, huh? Very good, very good."
Judging by the aura he displayed, it was no less than that of Big Brother Kaido before his lineage factor surgery.
However, it was not surprising. In this world where personal strength dictated everything, if the leader of the Revolutionary Army, who had vexed the World Government for so many years, didn't possess this level of power, what was the point of claiming to be an enemy of the World Government?
He might as well go home and sell sweet potatoes.
"However, even though your strength makes me feel quite pleased,"
Roa said with a smile, "the punishment still can't be avoided."
"Roa!!"
Dragon had always been a composed person.
He knew his identity. As the leader of the Revolutionary Army, he bore the lives and safety of countless comrades!
No matter when or what, he absolutely could not be impulsive and must maintain calmness.
Any decision made in a moment of emotional frenzy could bury a huge number of his comrades, and even cause suffering for the populace who supported them!
This was also a truth he had comprehended from Roa's two punishments more than twenty years ago.
But now, at this very moment, facing Roa's smile, Dragon couldn't control himself!
No matter how composed and calm he was, the hatred from twenty years ago, combined with the current dread, simultaneously surged into his heart. Dragon instinctively threw a punch.
If he couldn't stop Roa, what kind of persecution would the Revolutionary Army suffer this time?
Dragon dared not imagine. He simply followed the deepest impulse of his heart and launched an attack.
"Storm Dragon King!!"
His right hand formed a claw, and his arm transformed into a wildly spinning tornado. Incredibly potent dual-colored Haki simultaneously wrapped around his claw.
A black hurricane suddenly slammed towards Roa!
This one strike could effortlessly bore through a mountain!
But.
"So cool."
Roa raised his right hand, and a black lightning crackled from his darkened palm.
Then, he grabbed Dragon's wrist.
The violent hurricane instantly ceased, and Dragon's Dragon Claw could not advance another inch.
"What??"
Law, clutching his long sword, instantly paled upon seeing this scene.
Dragon was his mentor, and he understood this man's strength better than anyone!
He acknowledged that he possessed some strength, but he was still insignificant before Mr. Dragon; in the truest sense of the word, he couldn't even withstand one serious attack from Mr. Dragon!
But, such a powerful Mr. Dragon, with a full-force strike, couldn't even shake Roa?
This fellow was as incredibly powerful as the rumors claimed!
"We can't worry about that now!!"
Ivankov had already taken a stance and shot out, "Let's go together!"
Then, in the next second, Dragon was tossed by Roa and slammed directly into Ivankov's body.
The two instantly turned into tumbling gourds, rolling and flying out together in a heap.
"Woooo!"
Morgans watched this scene and couldn't help but laugh gleefully, exhibiting a sense of schadenfreude. "You made the biggest mistake, Dragon!"
"Seriously, not only do you refuse to obediently accept the punishment, but you actually try to resist?"
Roa shook his head somewhat helplessly. "Alright then, I'll play along with you."
"Who's afraid of you!"
Law pointed the tip of his sword at Roa. Although cold sweat was pouring down his forehead, the young man still mustered his courage. "Bring it on, Roa!!"
Thanks to Zephyr, they were aware of the events of the great battle that occurred at Mariejois.
Even Law understood how terrifyingly powerful this man before them was.
But they couldn't just stand by and watch him carry out some damn punishment, could they?
"Let's go, Law!"
Sabo rushed at Roa one step ahead of Law.
"Dragon Claw Fist! Dragon's Breath!"
With both hands clenched into fists, he thrust towards Roa, and a shockwave of Haki roared forth.
"How curious."
Roa didn't pay attention to this guy's attack, merely surprised that the plot had been altered to this extent, yet this youngster still became a Revolutionary Army cadre.
Was this the decree of fate?
Of course, sentiments aside, a lesson still needed to be taught to the young man who didn't know his limits.
A pitch-black hand of Haki abruptly materialized, crushing Sabo's Haki shockwave with a slap, and then swatting him to the ground like a fly.
"Sabo!!"
Seeing his good brother struck down, Law subconsciously cried out in alarm.
In the next moment, the exclamation turned into a cry of pain.
The pitch-black hand of Haki seized Law's body and dragged him towards Roa.
"Paramecia, Ope Ope no Mi,"
Roa looked at the man, who was older than himself, with keen interest. "Is your case also destiny?"
He still acquired the Ope Ope no Mi and still became a survivor of Flevance.
However, it was good.
The importance of the Ope Ope no Mi was self-evident.
Although Roa felt that the world didn't need anyone else who could truly live forever besides himself.
Not even his friends, women, or subordinates should be able to stand alongside him.
But, this was his current thought. What if he changed his mind hundreds or thousands of years later?
The existence of the Ope Ope no Mi and Pure Gold gave him the chance to reconsider.
"Aargh!"
Law was completely unable to answer Roa's question.
The hand of Haki had squeezed his entire skeletal structure almost to fragments, and the agonizing pain only allowed him to continuously shriek.
"Roa!! Don't lay a hand on the children!"
A hurricane struck, and Dragon roared, his flailing fists wrapped in a blade-like gale.
But.
Roa's body swayed slightly, his form dissipating like a phantom.
Dragon's anxious expression instantly turned into one of shock.
What happened!
He couldn't sense Roa's aura anymore!!
"Bang."
Appearing abruptly in front of Dragon, Roa punched him in the chest.
His unmatched brute strength, supplemented by Conqueror's Haki, which only Imu could surpass in the entire world, instantly caved in Dragon's chest, causing the Revolutionary Army leader's body to bend like a boiled shrimp.
"Wah!"
Dragon immediately spat out a mouthful of blood, which even contained fragments of internal organs, and his body flew backward like a cannonball.
However, he didn't fly far. Another hand of Haki formed out of thin air and grabbed him as well.
"Tsk tsk, how pitiful."
Roa looked at Dragon, who was pale-faced with blood profusely gushing from his mouth, and shook his head with some pity.
He had become stronger again.
But this time, it wasn't an increase in power level but in technique.
His Conqueror's Haki had evolved to a superhuman realm, and the advanced application of Conqueror's Haki was naturally not limited to just Conqueror's Coating.
The technique called Observation Haki Killer was essentially a high-level application of Conqueror's Haki.
And after the evolution of his Conqueror's Haki, this move had also transformed to a higher level.
The original Observation Haki Killer could only prevent the opponent from peering into his future. It was a move only useful against true masters and completely useless against opponents who couldn't use advanced Observation Haki to foresee the future.
But now, the further advanced Observation Haki Killer had become a true Observation Haki assassin.
Not only could his future not be peered into, but now, ordinary Observation Haki also struggled to detect Roa's aura.
And with Observation Haki completely ineffective, even against an opponent like Dragon, even though Roa only used his human form, it was still enough to instantly determine the outcome.
"Hahahaha! Now you know what kind of idiotic mistake you made, Dragon!"
Morgans laughed heartily, acting like a lackey riding on his master's power. "Why didn't you just obediently accept Boss's punishment?"
"Agh..."
Blood continued to pour from the corner of Dragon's mouth, but his bloodshot eyes were still fixed on Roa.
All the Haki in his body surged, attempting to break free from the restraint of Roa's Haki hand.
But.
"It's better not to struggle."
Roa chuckled softly.
Dragon suddenly heard footsteps, many of them, very dense footsteps.
He turned his head in astonishment.
He saw figures approaching this location, one after another.
His pupils instantly contracted to pinpricks. Dragon disregarded the pain in his body; cold sweat had already drenched him.
"What's wrong with all of you?"
This was the Revolutionary Army headquarters. Except for the few army commanders who had been sent out to establish branch divisions, the high-ranking officials of the Revolutionary Army were all concentrated here.
And now, those who were approaching with strangely fanatic smiles were precisely the cadres that Dragon relied on.
It wasn't just them; many grassroots cadres and even soldiers were also approaching!
However, at this moment, their eyes were pitch black, with only their pupils eerily pale.
"Boss!"
Everyone bowed deeply to Roa in unison, greeting him loudly with fanatic tones.
"..."
Sabo, who had been slammed into the ground like a fly and was now struggling to climb up, looked blankly at these people he was intimately familiar with.
"Everyone, what's wrong?"
"Roa!!"
Dragon spun around in a rage.
No matter how composed he was, his tone at this moment carried a desperate, demonic quality. "What exactly have you done!"
Although it now seemed that a large portion of these cadres were certainly Roa's spies, it was impossible for everyone to be his people!
They were being manipulated!
This fellow Roa possessed the ability to manipulate others, just like that fellow Imu!
Everyone was being controlled by Roa!
"Yes, what exactly is going on?"
Roa stroked his chin, muttering to himself, "Could it be that my charisma is so strong that everyone chose to abandon the darkness and embrace the light?"
"...You bastard!"
Dragon's body was trembling.
But he didn't even dare to struggle now.
"Alright, since the farce is over, let's talk about the punishment now."
Roa raised the corner of his mouth, scanning the Revolutionary Army higher-ups he controlled. "The World Government should no longer be able to resist, so next, you will resist the expansion of the pirates."
"Yes!"
The controlled followers responded to Roa's command in unison without hesitation.
"What?"
Dragon was greatly alarmed, looking at Roa in disbelief. "Roa, what are you trying to do!"
Even Law, who was in agonizing pain at the moment, felt a deep sense of bewilderment.
What did he mean by having people block the expansion of his own forces? What was this guy thinking?
Roa completely ignored them, merely speaking to himself. "However, the Sea Kings are blockading the North Blue right now, and your army is also finding it difficult to move. In that case, mobilize the populace who trust you to bravely fight back."
"You must fight with courage, fight with style!"
"Yes! Boss!"
The high-ranking officials of the Revolutionary Army nodded heavily without hesitation.
"No! Roa! You can't!"
Dragon finally understood what Roa intended to do, and his voice was almost frantic. "You can't do this!"
Roa, this man knew too well how to cause people anguish and collapse!
"That's strange, Dragon,"
Roa said to him with a smile, "The World Government will soon abandon this sea area, and the entire North Blue is about to fall into my hands. Who else can the people of this sea area rely on now?"
"Isn't it just you, the Revolutionary Army, who fights for the people? How can you abandon the people of this great sea now? Are you just going to let them be ravaged by me?"
"..."
Dragon's face was blank.
It was precisely because he knew what the sea ruled by Roa would become that he had secretly aided the World Government this time.
But now that the World Government was defeated, if he truly incited the populace to stand up and resist, what would the result be?
The Haki hand gripping Dragon loosened, and the leader of the Revolutionary Army slumped to the ground.
Roa walked up to the man, patted his shoulder lightly, and said earnestly, "I have high hopes for you, Dragon."
"If the world is left with only despair, people will eventually become numb. But if hope exists, it's different."
"I want you to be the hope of this world. Don't disappoint my expectations."
"..."
Dragon couldn't help but stagger backward at this moment.
Even a man like him, who had weathered every storm on the high seas, couldn't help but feel a chilling fear rise in his heart at this moment.
Monster!
This... monster!!
"In any case, the resistance is left to you,"
Roa said. "Even if you fail this time, it doesn't matter. As long as hope remains in your hearts, then everything is not over yet!"
"Fight, Dragon, lead the people of this sea area and bravely fight!"
"I'm rooting for you!"
Today was Positive Energy Roa!
"Roa!!!!"
In this instant, Dragon's eyes turned crimson, and he had almost completely lost his sanity, rushing towards Roa regardless of the consequences.
But.
"Ugh!"
A muffled groan suddenly came from behind.
Dragon instinctively looked back and saw a high-ranking Revolutionary Army cadre, an old acquaintance of his, thrust a knife directly into his own neck. With blood splattering, the man softly collapsed.
"I told you not to mess around."
Roa chuckled softly.
"...Roa..."
Dragon's voice and his shoulders trembled together. This towering man's backbone collapsed at this moment.
He knelt before Roa like a collapsing monument, his forehead heavily touching the ground, his voice choked with sobs.
"Stop this now. It's my fault. It was my idiotic mistake!"
"I beg you, if you want revenge, take my life. Don't make things difficult for innocent people anymore!"
"Oh, very sincere."
Roa, who could easily perceive the emotions in human hearts, naturally knew Dragon's pain and plea at this moment.
But.
"I refuse."
Roa chuckled, lifting his foot to step on Dragon's head. "You are not allowed to imprison them. Once I find out that they have lost their power, I don't know what the next punishment will be like."
Dragon's head was pressed into the ground by Roa's foot, and his tears stained the dirt.
"Alright, that was satisfying."
Roa stretched languidly, then looked back at the bewildered Law.
"Hmm, you, brat, will come with me as collateral."
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