Chapter 174: Doflamingo: I Won't Let You Walk Away, Revolutionary Army
"Is that so?"
Dragon revealed a gratified smile, not unlike the way Garp had looked at him earlier—tinged with pride.
He stood tall and declared in a deep voice, "I am your father, Monkey D. Dragon. I am the leader of the Revolutionary Army. My dream is to overthrow the World Government and the Celestial Dragons—to create a world where everyone can stand tall."
His voice echoed down the street.
Inside Captain Nezumi's Den Den Mushi, Sengoku's furious voice roared, "Stop inciting the people! You are the most evil organization in the world, demons who bring ruin to justice and peace. You deserve to be erased from the pages of history!"
"The Revolutionary Army dares to call itself righteous after stirring up wars everywhere?"
"What a joke."
The surrounding Marines sneered in unison.
They were well aware of the Revolutionary Army's actions—fleeing Marine pursuit, stirring commoners to rebel, inciting slaves to rise and destroy kingdoms.
Sengoku was right: these people were warmongers, a menace to the world.
Some Marines had even fought in suppression campaigns, having lost comrades to mobs of manipulated slaves and citizens.
So their hatred of the Revolutionary Army ran deep.
"How terrifying."
"Go die, Revolutionary scum!"
"Useless Marines can't even capture them. Now I have to live in fear every day."
Behind the image broadcasted by the Den Den Mushi,
countless eyes burned with disdain toward the Revolutionary Army.
Among them were nobles, commoners, pirates, and power-hungry warlords.
The nobles hated the Revolutionary Army bitterly, terrified that one day, while they slept peacefully, some rebellious slave would kick in their door, take everything, and burn their estates to the ground.
The commoners feared them as well. Though abused by pirates and nobles alike, they had long since resigned themselves to their fate, no longer believing any group could truly change the world.
Especially with the Navy and World Government relentlessly spreading negative propaganda about the Revolutionary Army.
To the masses, they were nothing more than a rebellious faction aiming to topple the World Government.
Pirates and warlords scoffed as well.
They had strength, wealth, women, and power. The ideals of the Revolutionary Army were, to them, childish and laughable.
Especially since they knew the overwhelming strength of the World Government and Navy Headquarters—they didn't believe the weak Revolutionary Army could succeed.
"The weak have no voice."
Fang Yi watched the center of the Island of Death with interest.
In the original story, the Revolutionary Army appeared to be a powerful force. A leader like Dragon who could command the winds, an insider like Bartholomew Kuma leaking intel from within the World Government, and a cadre of powerful officers.
But in the real pirate world, the Revolutionary Army was a small, struggling organization only a few years old.
Constantly hunted and forced into hiding, held together only by the unyielding will of its officers.
Compared to the World Government with influence across all four seas, they were even less threatening than the Four Emperors.
They were targeted not because of their strength, but because their ideology was dangerous. The World Government didn't want others to follow their example.
Faced with the contempt of the world,
some of the young new recruits in the Revolutionary Army began to waver. But when they looked to their leader and saw his unwavering gaze, their panic eased.
Not just Dragon, but also the two Revolutionary officers who stood firmly by his side.
Though imprisoned in Impel Down for years, long separated from the Revolutionary base in Baltigo, their resolve had never once wavered.
Dragon stood motionless, expressionless.
"Revolutionary Army, huh?"
Luffy grinned and gave a thumbs-up. "Pretty awesome!"
He didn't understand what the Revolutionary Army really was. A few words couldn't explain it.
But as long as their ideals didn't violate his own sense of right and wrong, as long as they didn't hurt others, he would respect any dream.
"Hahahahahahaha!"
Dragon didn't expect that kind of answer from his son. He laughed and said, "Then I won't go easy on you. I won't hand over the center reward of the Island of Death—not even to my own son."
He meant every word. When it came to the Tower Guardian, there would be no mercy.
Luffy's gaze sharpened. "No need. An adventure's only fun when you give it your all."
At that moment—
A streak of emerald fire-tinged sword aura shot toward the departing Revolutionary Army.
Dragon reacted instantly, raising both arms and summoning the Wind Dragon Claws to block it.
The fiery blade clashed with the storm, creating waves of heat that made the street tremble.
"Leader of the Revolutionary Army, I am Dracule Mihawk. You're strong—strong enough to make me draw my blade."
Mihawk didn't care much for pointless battles.
But if his opponent was powerful, he'd take interest. The only disappointment was that Dragon was not a sword user.
"Mihawk?"
Dragon's expression changed slightly.
He didn't need intel. News of the world's strongest swordsman was known across every sea. Even Red-Haired Shanks had only fought him to a draw.
Garp and Smoker alone couldn't stop the Revolutionary Army.
But if Mihawk joined them… the outcome was uncertain.
What now?
Dragon was troubled.
The Wind Dragon's power was immense, but the wind magic he had used so far was only a fraction of its potential. If he could unleash it all, the problem would be solved.
But that kind of power couldn't be activated just by shouting or sheer will.
In this Trial Tower, the only way to grow stronger was through reward points.
And he didn't have enough left for a power boost.
Unless… he pooled all the Revolutionary Army's resources and converted them into points. But doing so would mean halting their activities across the seas for a while and focusing solely on gathering funds.
Just as he prepared to do that—
A mocking voice echoed through the air.
"Hmm-hmm-hmm-hmm…"
A nearly invisible string zipped through the air, striking Mihawk's black sword with a sharp metallic ring.
Sitting atop a wall with legs crossed, wrapped in a pink flamingo-feathered coat, was Heavenly Yaksha Donquixote Doflamingo, another of the Seven Warlords of the Sea.
"Mihawk, the Marines are getting too strong. If we let the Revolutionary Army go now, lone wolves like us will be used as cannon fodder later."
He glanced at Dragon with a cruel smile.
He had no love for the Revolutionary Army.
Even though he had been cast out of Mariejois, Celestial Dragon blood still flowed through his veins. That was something no one could change.
And he still dreamed of regaining his noble status.
To him, any group that stood against the Celestial Dragons was an enemy that had to be destroyed.
Just not yet.
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