"?"
Dalton was very confused, and Vivi also didn't quite understand what it meant.
After all, no matter how you look at it, these two people are not needed.
Seeing the other party like this, Cheng Lang sighed.
It's strange to say, they have been oppressed to this extent, why don't these people know how to resist?
Cheng Lang pointed at Wapol.
"When faced with danger, the king's first thought is to escape. Do you think such a king is necessary?"
"No."
Cheng Lang nodded. "If that's the case, why didn't these villagers dare to attack you when you were attacked? You should have guns, right? They dared to attack pirates, but they didn't dare to attack them, who were already pirates? Is it because he was once the king?"
Weiwei was surprised. How did Cheng Lang know all this? Was he actually awake at the time?
Dalton hesitated for a moment, then sighed and seemed to want to say something several times, but in the end he said nothing.
Seeing this, Weiwei explained to Cheng Lang thoughtfully, "Because Walpo is the king of a member state in name only, he has the protection of the World Government. If anything goes wrong with Walpo, those who try to take the throne will be considered criminals and a bounty will be offered. If Walpo dies, the member state will be removed from the World Government and will become a non-member state.
In this way, the Drum Nation, a winter island with no production, will be completely unable to recover. Without membership, its already struggling citizens will lose access to food imports, potentially leading to mass starvation.
Weiwei talked about the current situation of the Magnetic Drum Kingdom.
Dalton nodded helplessly and then began to describe the current situation of Magnetic Drum Island.
Because it is a winter island, the population of the Magnetic Drum Kingdom is sparse, which means they only need to pay a relatively small amount of Heavenly Gold.
As a major medical country, Magnetic Drum Island once had the world's most advanced medical technology. Of course, the population has been increasing due to this cutting-edge achievement, and everything is developing in a positive direction.
But since Wapol came to power, because of his lack of knowledge and his disdain for medical scholars, few people in the country respected him, especially the top doctors, who looked down on Wapol.
Then Doctor Twenty appeared, and at the same time, Wapol used his methods to thoroughly purge the country. The once prosperous Magnetic Drum Kingdom was now depleted in population because of Wapol's violence, and people could even die from a headache or fever.
With a smaller population, less gold will be handed over from heaven.
For Wapol, this was a "wise" choice. Not only did he pay less gold, but he also made it impossible for people in the country to resist him.
After all, the environment of Winter Island makes it easy to get sick, and once you get sick you must seek help from Wapol.
After hearing about the current situation of the Magnetic Drum Nation, Cheng Lang shook his head speechlessly: "Just look at the current situation. Without the reputation of being the best in medical field, how long can your Magnetic Drum Nation last?"
A cold wind blows outside the window.
The cable car swayed gently.
It was as if this country on the verge of collapse could collapse at any time due to a gust of wind.
"Why do you think Wapol is still living a carefree life? Isn't it because of his ancestral wealth and the exploitation of the lower classes? A single cold could lead to all his belongings being confiscated. And as for Dongdao, what will his future hold if his family's wealth is confiscated? He'll probably freeze to death or starve to death in a home with nothing, right?
I think a lot of people have died like this over the years, right?
What started out as a simple attempt to cure a cold ended up ruining a family. Furthermore, there should be a minimum payment required to become a member state. When your country's population is less than 500, do you think you're still qualified to become a member state?"
Cheng Lang touched upon the key pain points of the Magnetic Drum Kingdom in just a few words.
"That's why I said you really need him." Cheng Lang kicked Wapol's head.
"?"
"Let's announce the complete end of Wapol's rule. Wapol's men and Doctor Twenty should have told you their difficulties, right?" Cheng Lang looked at Dalton with a smile.
Touching the stitched wound on his body, Dalton nodded: "If Wapol were still alive, those who were threatened by him would still be in constant fear, afraid of the 'king's' revenge.
But if the king died at this time, what would happen to the twenty doctors who were threatened and the soldiers who were only there to defend the country? They would be liberated. Although the country was gone, the people were still there. There is a country only when there are people. Is a country without people still a country?
As for your membership in the alliance, you don't need to worry about that right now. It's hard enough to survive, and you can use the ships Wapol left behind. You can go to other countries to buy food and exchange supplies, and you can still live peacefully as usual."
Cheng Lang simply said some outrageous remarks.
Dalton was stunned by this.
"Wait...wait, what you said doesn't feel right." Dalton quickly stopped Cheng Lang from continuing.
And Weiwei listened in silence.
"The change of dynasties is a normal development of the times. Fortunately, your enemies are not outsiders, but internal ones. They are the same people no matter how hard you fight. If they were outsiders, you would lose your country and everyone would be enslaved or even killed."
Weiwei's expression became more and more strange as she listened.
Dalton seemed to have noticed another meaning in Cheng Lang's words.
"You mean for me to be king?"
Although his political sense was not very sharp, Dalton still had some awareness after being reminded so many times.
Cheng Lang spread his hands.
"Is what I said so unclear?"
Dalton was stunned for a while, then sighed, "I... am not suitable. I was once one of the evildoers."
"Then you are even more aware of the plight of the Magnetic Drum Nation. If you don't stand up, are you going to wait until everyone is starving to death before you stand up? What will happen to the people who die then?"
"Only those who have come from the bottom of society can better understand the hardships of those at the bottom. You used to protect the country, but now you choose to protect the people. This proves that you already know what is most important to the country. As the saying goes, water can carry a boat, but it can also overturn it. If you support the people, then the people will support you. Every era has things that people of each era should do.
The responsibility of this era has already fallen on you. If you choose to escape, someone else will naturally take over, but the cost will be great."
Cheng Lang looked at Dalton with a smile, waiting for his answer.
Chapter 89: Lang, you are not a noble, you are a candidate for the country, right?
Weiwei, a royal orthodox.
Her Royal Highness the Princess has lived among princes and nobles since childhood.
Sitting in the cable car at the moment.
Listening to Cheng Lang's "treasonous" words, her mood was like a roller coaster. Countless thoughts exploded in her mind, making her unable to understand and even doubt herself.
Just as Cheng Lang said.
Water can carry a boat and it can overturn it.
These words were like a huge wave hitting her heart.
Is a country without people still a country?
But am I wrong?
Weiwei looked at Dalton in a trance, as if he was looking at herself.
"Can I...really?"
Cheng Lang sighed: "If you want to watch the people of Magnetic Drum Country continue to live in dire straits, then just ignore what I said."
"I..shouldn't..say what Mr. Dalton should do?"
It was Weiwei who spoke, and it was Dalton who asked the question.
"Declare the complete demise of the Drum Nation, hand over the culprit, pronounce his crimes, and at the same time announce the establishment of a new nation. Also, publicize the future plans under his agency, such as the goals to be achieved in ten or twenty years. In short... the future development plan of the country.
For you, the best way is to continue and develop as a major medical power. After all, your older generation is still alive and has passed on the knowledge. You have also opened schools to teach children knowledge, even though you have lost your status as a member state.
But when your medical level returns to its former state, you will naturally be able to continue to be a so-called member state."
"As for the pirate problem, your guards should still have a large number of manpower. Of course, the best solution is to build a port. Of course, I don't need to worry about this. Your country has been established for so long, so you should deal with pirates in the same way as before. However, I can provide a little help."
Cheng Lang explained his thoughts with a smile.
After hearing this, Dalton's confusion about the future was dispelled.
"Are you...really a pirate? It's hard to imagine that someone like you would go out to sea as a pirate." Dalton couldn't help but say this.
For Dalton and his friend, who had been taught to be loyal to the country and the king since childhood, Cheng Lang's words were enough.
Seeing Dalton like this, Cheng Lang sighed.
The biggest problem in the world of One Piece is actually the monopoly of knowledge and the isolation of the island.
There is no such thing as going to school for the lower class. Being able to recognize one's own name and understand the newspaper is enough. Anything more does not exist.
Even the nobles probably only know a limited amount of things.
This is actually the so-called policy of keeping the people ignorant.
Monopolize knowledge at the top.
Alrita crossed her legs and looked at Cheng Lang with bright eyes.
"And you're still saying you're not a noble? No, you're not a noble. You're probably the heir of some great nation, right?"
Cheng Lang was called out, and in the end he just sighed helplessly: "Well, you are right. I am the successor of a distant country." (For details, please search the standard answer on AI.)
"A distant country? What country is that?"
"A country that pursues equality for all, where is it..." Cheng Lang briefly described the red thought.
"A country where everyone is equal and full of red ideas." Weiwei listened to this dully, with even more confusion in her eyes. After all, as a member of the aristocratic group, the education she received told her so.
This was a betrayal of her class.
"Well, what do you mean by means of production?" Dalton wondered.
"The means of production, in a nutshell, is land."
"?"
"Let's say you're a lumberjack and you own a piece of land and it's covered with trees; those are your means of production as a lumberjack.
But now these means of production should all belong to the king. The land you plant and the trees you cut down actually belong to the king."
Dalton understood: "Is that what you mean? That's really a wonderful system, communism."
Dalton was seriously burning with the fire of ideals.
Seeing this, Cheng Lang patted the other person's shoulder.
"So the first thing you need to do is declare the demise of the Magnetic Drum Kingdom. You need to become the next king. Of course, you can also claim to be the leader, the leader of the new era system."
Cheng Lang smiled.