Under the night sky.
"No money? How disappointing."
Gurd lost interest and waved his hand dismissively.
"No sincerity at all, yet you come to consult me. These days, even paying for a drink with a lady costs money."
"Don't ask—trade secrets!"
"I can guess your intentions, but even if I answered, it wouldn't help. My experience can't be applied to your situation."
Dragon remained silent.
Gurd had already said everything, leaving him momentarily at a loss for words.
But for the sake of his burning questions, even if it meant humiliating himself, he couldn't leave. This concerned the future of the Revolutionary Army.
Gurd took a sip of tea, his eyes shifting.
"Why are you still standing there? If you've got nothing else, go home and get some sleep."
"Mr. Gurd."
Dragon sighed inwardly and pulled out a pocket watch from his coat, handing it to Gurd. "This is the only valuable thing I have on me."
"Oh? An antique."
Gurd picked up the pocket watch and examined it, finding it quite appealing.
It had a vintage charm.
Inside was an old photograph of a family of three, though the image had faded beyond recognition over time.
"Hmm?"
The more Gurd looked, the more uneasy he felt.
The dark-haired man in the photo—why did he look so much like Garp?
Damn, he's a Pirate.
Garp was nothing but bad luck to him!
Snap!
Gurd quickly shut the pocket watch. He wanted to return it but couldn't bring himself to—it might come in handy someday.
Better keep it for now!
"Since you're sincere, go ahead and ask your questions. But I don't have much time, so make it quick."
"Mr. Gurd."
Dragon's eyes were shadowed with gloom.
"I want to change the current state of the Revolutionary Army!"
Since its founding nearly twenty years ago, the Revolutionary Army had gathered many like-minded comrades, yet their situation remained dire.
Always hiding, never secure.
Just two years ago, even Ivankov and Inazuma had been captured and thrown into Impel Down.
"That's a sneaky question!"
Gurd rubbed his chin.
The scope was too broad, leaving him unsure where to start. Besides, his understanding of revolution was only superficial.
Given the Revolutionary Army's dire straits, if he were Dragon, he'd probably just rally his comrades and become a Pirate, aiming for the title of one of the Four Emperors.
How great would it be to carve out a territory as a Pirate!
Wait—he had an idea!
A mischievous glint flashed in Gurd's eyes as he asked mockingly, "Dragon, do you know what the biggest problem with the Revolutionary Army is?"
"..."
Dragon shook his head slightly.
There were many issues, and while he could pinpoint the most severe one, he wanted to hear Gurd's opinion.
Gurd sneered.
"It's you!"
"Me?"
Dragon was stunned.
"That's right—you!"
Gurd spoke with absolute certainty.
Explaining revolution was too complicated, and his own knowledge might not suffice. It'd be easier to just PUA Dragon directly.
"Over the past decade or so, your revolutionary ideals have spread far and wide, achieving some results. The Revolutionary Army has toppled many tyrannical regimes."
"Countless people have thrown themselves into the revolution without hesitation, yet the Revolutionary Army hasn't grown much. You're still scurrying around like rats."
Gurd's eyes gleamed with scorn.
The Revolutionary Army—the World Government's most feared enemy—had only a handful of Army Commanders with decent strength.
They weren't even as formidable as a Four Emperors' crew.
Carrying the banner of revolution yet failing to attract numerous strong individuals to join is inherently perplexing.
No matter the era, there's never a shortage of martyrs willing to throw themselves into the flames.
This can only mean there's something wrong with the leader.
Gurd's gaze gradually turned sharp: "The reason is simple—you care too much about the revolution, to the point of being cold-blooded, while neglecting the hearts of your people!"
"..."
Dragon fell into thought.
He had come to the New World primarily to observe how Gurd rallied people's hearts, hoping to apply it to the Revolutionary Army.
"Dragon, in the eyes of your comrades, you must seem like a steady, reliable, meticulous leader who's hard to approach, right?"
"No rebuttal?"
"Seems I guessed correctly."
Gurd was merely speculating.
After two meetings, Dragon gave him a stifling impression—like some unapproachable, domineering CEO, always wearing a stern face, impossible to read.
He didn't like making friends with this kind of person.
As a subordinate, unless you were familiar with him, you'd probably be too nervous to even breathe properly in Dragon's presence.
"Being aloof isn't necessarily bad, but at the very least, you should make your subordinates feel they can rely on you, that they can entrust their lives to you. But what have you done?"
Gurd's words cut straight to the bone.
"Ginny, the commander of the Eastern Army, was captured by the Celestial Dragons and reduced to the most pitiful slave. What were you doing during that time? Did you even try to save her?"
"Ivankov, commander of the Grand Line Army, and his deputy Inazuma are still locked up in Impel Down. How many backup plans have you made to rescue them?"
"Former officer Bartholomew Kuma is now one of the Royal Seven Warlords of the Sea, loyally eliminating the World Government's enemies like a dog. Have you even tried to pull him back?"
"Gabul—ah, never mind him."
Three pointed questions in a row.
Dragon lowered his head, his expression unreadable.
"If even Army Commanders can be abandoned, what does that say to the other officers? What does it say to the rank-and-file? What does it say to the rebelling people?"
"How can they trust you?"
Gurd slapped his thigh, spittle flying.
"The other day, when I fought Red Hair and took just a tiny, tiny loss, my big brother Kaido didn't say a word—he just chased the Red Hair Pirates for three days and nights, painting the sea red with blood!"
"Now that's what I call a leader!"
"And you? Swallowing your pride for the so-called 'bigger picture.' Pah! What bigger picture? You're just a spineless coward!"
"Wake up already! The Revolutionary Army is made up of normal people. Passion alone isn't enough to sustain them. Even if you don't pay them, at least show some warmth now and then!"
"Even just for show!"
"Stop obsessing over your revolution and care about your subordinates' feelings once in a while. They're your greatest asset in growing stronger."
"I'm thirsty—let me grab some water."
Gurd picked up his thermos and took a sip, sneaking glances at Dragon's reaction from the corner of his eye, secretly pleased.
Heh, this PUA feels great.
Dragon's eyes were clouded with gloom.
"What do you think I should do?"
"Simple!"
Gurd grinned.
"They took Ginny? Then you take a Celestial Dragon hostage! Ever heard of prisoner exchange? If they refuse, execute the hostage—worst case, it's mutual destruction."
"Ginny's spirit in heaven would understand!"
"Ivankov in heav—oh, he's not dead yet. Well, he'd understand too!"
"If we can't capture the Celestial Dragons, then grab high-ranking officials of the World Government, or Navy admirals! Failing that, we can always abduct kings of affiliated nations!"
"And that Vegapunk—let's seize him too. That'll guarantee the World Government caves in!"
"Stop being so timid! You're already being hunted by the World Government every day—what difference does it make if you get more radical? You'll still be hunted regardless!"
"Those with nothing to lose don't fear those who have everything to lose!"
Dragon's face darkened.
Gurd did have a point, but if they actually went that far, the Revolutionary Army would become nothing more than a terrorist organization.
Gurd stood up, stretching before turning to head back inside.
"Dragon, our conversation ends here."
"Let me leave you with one final piece of advice."
"In this filthy, rotten world, when facing enemies ten or a hundred times stronger than you, the only way to defeat them is to be even more ruthless than they are!"
"Peace will never come from weakness."
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