The figure appeared.
Koala and Sabo snapped out of it, straightened up, and called out to the Supreme Commander.
Dragon nodded.
"No need to be so formal."
He took two steps forward, stopping beside the two of them, and looked at the children training below.
"Future Chief of Staff, what are your thoughts on the future of the Revolutionary Army as it stands now?"
Dragon was clearly desperate enough to grab at any straw...
With these scattered bases and uneven Revolutionary Army soldiers, there was nothing he could do at the moment.
All he could do was gather more steadfast seeds for the Revolutionary Army and cultivate them, just in case.
But the root problem was still unresolved.
Sabo thought for a moment.
"Let's gather evidence first."
Dragon looked at Sabo.
"Oh?"
Sabo said confidently.
"You haven't been yourself lately—this is why, isn't it?"
"Our development has been too fast, and the people too uneven. These kids are our preparation for the future."
"Because if that sort of thing really happens, there will be chaos."
"And if we can't control it well enough, the government won't even need to act—we'll collapse on our own."
"That's why those kids down there are the backup plan."
"When the time comes, we'll remove the parasites and replace them."
"It'll hurt us badly, but it won't destroy us completely."
Dragon was momentarily lost in thought, then nodded.
"You're right."
Sabo continued speaking.
"You're worried the purge will cause the people below to lose faith, but it's unnecessary."
"You underestimate your own authority. As long as we gather enough evidence on the parasites..."
"Everyone will stand with you."
"You, the guiding light of this world—you underestimate your own influence."
Dragon blinked slightly.
"Is that so..."
Looking at Sabo, Dragon suddenly chuckled.
"Not bad at all, Chief of Staff."
Sabo laughed a little awkwardly, turning to Koala.
"See that?"
...
East Blue.
On an unnamed island.
In a small village, cooking smoke rose lazily into the air.
After a day of work, people sat in the fields, resting in small groups, preparing to head home for dinner soon.
The older village chief looked at the green seedlings in the fields.
"Ah, this is great. This year will be another bumper harvest."
A young man next to him grinned.
"Really, Chief?"
The chief snorted lightly.
"I've farmed this land my whole life. I can tell with one look whether it'll be a good harvest, you brat. Still doubting me."
The young man asked.
"Chief, did you ever leave when you were young?"
The chief paused.
"Leave? To where?"
The young man said excitedly.
"To the sea, of course!"
"The Navy! Pirates! The Grand Treasure! And the mermaids the newspapers talk about!!!"
"They all sound so amazing."
"I want to see them all."
The chief shook his head.
"What's so good about that?"
"Yourl-san's eldest son joined the Navy when he was young."
"They never even found his body. Only a letter came back."
"Pirates are no different from mountain bandits, you know."
"Just recently, Koray Town was looted by bandits. Hundreds died."
"As for the so-called Grand Treasure and mermaids—nonsense, just stories made up to pass the time."
"How could such things exist?"
"I've lived over sixty years and never seen any of it."
The young man looked disappointed.
"Eh—"
"I see."
The village chief stood up, brushing dirt off his pants.
"Stop thinking about useless things. Work hard—that's what matters."
"Don't keep reading those newspapers. They're worthless and a waste of money."
He turned and called out to the resting people.
"Come on, come on! Time to go home and cook!"
Across the Four Seas... places like this were everywhere.
It was as if civilization itself had come to a standstill.
Many people lived their entire lives in tiny villages like this, learning about the world only from scraps of newsprint.
They talked about things they'd never seen, as if they were just stories made up by the papers.
Completely disconnected from the terrifyingly powerful people who could destroy worlds with ease.
Navy, pirates, Revolutionary Army, New World, the Grand Treasure, the power struggles between all the factions, who ruled the world—none of it had anything to do with them.
They were the majority of this world...
Ninety percent of the world's population—ordinary, everyday people.
...
New World.
Punk Hazard.
Enel led Rosinante and Law here.
"We're here."
This was the valley where Sakazuki had once suppressed Kaido—now the perfect place for training.
Law was stunned, looking at the darkened, magma-hardened monument.
"Dragon Lock Valley..."
Enel smiled.
"This was where one of the Three Emperors of the Sea, Kaido, was suppressed."
"Right here, they gathered plenty of Azure Dragon flesh and blood material."
"Well, kid?"
"Impressive, isn't it?"
Law glanced at Enel and snorted.
"It's not like you did it. What are you so proud of?"
"This thick smell of sulfur and the heat..."
"It was Admiral Sakazuki, wasn't it?"
Enel's eyebrow twitched. You'll be crying soon enough...
"That's right."
"Come on then, let's see the results of your training."
Standing there with a cruel grin, Enel beckoned lazily with one finger.
Law gritted his teeth. Damn lightning bastard...
He drew the short blade at his waist with his right hand, while his left hand stretched out toward the ground.
A semi-transparent dome erupted outward from the center between them.
"ROOM!!!"
The light-film covered a hundred-meter radius around them.
Enel folded his arms, watching Law's performance with a mocking smirk.
Law snorted, flipped his left hand, pointed his index finger at Enel... and flicked it.
The ground beneath Enel split into several pieces, lifting him into the air.
Chunks of earth slammed into Enel again and again, forming a massive ball of compressed soil.
Inside, Enel felt the crushing force and clicked his tongue.
"What the hell... this isn't Skarn's ability, is it?"
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The fanfic is Finished on p@treon/tambeerg. 414 chapters in total