Marine Headquarters Building.
Having witnessed a completely different Marine force from what he remembered along the way, Dragon's mood was somewhat complicated.
Though their interaction had been brief, he had already gained a relatively comprehensive understanding of the current Marines through Borsalino.
Combining this with his observations, he reached one conclusion.
What the Revolutionary Army could accomplish, the Marines could do with ease—and what the Revolutionary Army couldn't, the Marines could still achieve.
For a fleeting moment, he felt an inexplicable worry for the future of the Revolutionary Army.
He even began to think that, with the emergence of a Marshal like Orion, the Revolutionary Army seemed somewhat redundant.
With Gion and Hina leading the way, and given that few in the current Headquarters still remembered his past service in the Marines, Dragon made his way unimpeded to the door of the Fleet Admiral's office.
"Report!"
Gion didn't recklessly push open the office door.
Instead, she stood before it, saluted and announced, "Marshal, Dragon has arrived!"
"Come in," Orion's voice came from inside the office.
With permission granted, Gion turned to Dragon with a smile and personally opened the door for him.
"Dragon, please."
Watching the office door pushed open by Gion, Dragon didn't immediately step inside.
Instead, he slightly raised his head to look into the office.
What met his eyes was a desk piled high with various documents and the Fleet Admiral seated behind it, now lifting his gaze to meet Dragon's.
Before Dragon could react, Orion, who had been sitting at the desk, stood up with a smile and said.
"Welcome back to Marine Headquarters, Monkey D. Dragon!"
"Hmm?"
Dragon's pupils contracted slightly.
Though Orion's smile was amiable, his every movement carried an indescribable pressure.
Especially when Orion uttered the words 'Welcome back to Marine Headquarters' beads of cold sweat involuntarily formed on Dragon's forehead.
Clearly, Orion already knew everything about him.
After a brief moment of stunned silence, Dragon stepped into the office without showing any outward reaction.
Seeing this, Koala who was following him, didn't dare to slack off.
Her palms sweated nervously as she curiously studied the young Fleet Admiral standing behind the desk.
She had seen photos of this Fleet Admiral, especially the grand group photo taken after Orion's successful coup to ascend to the position, which had spread worldwide through major news outlets.
As a reserve cadre of the Revolutionary Army, she naturally kept up with news from all factions.
However, unlike the triumphant figure in that group photo, the Orion standing before the desk now, even with a smile, exuded an aura of overwhelming strength that made Koala unable to meet his gaze.
"Everyone, take a seat!"
Once Gion and Hina also entered the office, Orion walked over to the nearby sofa.
While gesturing for Dragon to sit, he nodded gently at the young girl beside him with a warm smile.
The comforting expression instantly made Koala, who had been tense to the point of suffocation, feel as if bathed in spring breeze, followed by a sense of relief.
Though Hina usually carried herself with cool detachment, she was impeccably professional at work.
No sooner had Dragon, Koala, Borsalino and Gion taken their seats, Hina who also served as the Fleet Admiral's secretary, promptly brought them warm water and then stood by Orion's side.
"Hina you sit down too!"
Orion patted the empty spot beside him and said with a laugh.
"This meeting between me and Dragon is informal. Everyone, relax!"
Hearing this, Hina didn't hesitate and sat down beside Orion with natural ease.
"Dragon, how does it feel to return to the Marine Headquarters?"
As soon as Hina sat down, Orion continued speaking as if he was catching up with an old friend.
"How much do you think the current Marines resemble the past?"
"To be honest, I'm astonished!"
Dragon replied with a serious expression, "And also very curious—how did you come up with the Number Inheritance system? I believe that once this system is fully implemented, the Marines will become invincible."
"A mere numbering system has you astonished?" Orion shook his head with a smile. "Don't be in a hurry to be surprised. There will be many more systems to come. That's precisely why I sent Borsalino to meet you at the Revolutionary Army's headquarters!"
"Moreover, your dream of eliminating the noble class and building a harmonious, free, equal and dream-filled new world aligns very closely with what I aim to achieve!"
"However, what I want to know is whether you're fighting purely for all the oppressed people—"
At this point, Orion suddenly shifted the topic, his gaze sweeping towards Dragon.
"Or is there also the tangled web of grudges and affections between the D Clan and the nineteen Celestial Dragon families of the Holy Land mixed in?"
"If that's another layer of the reason, even if the World Government is eventually overthrown by the Revolutionary Army, the rulers of this world would merely change from the Celestial Dragons to the D Clan! Before long, the D Clan would become the new Celestial Dragons!"
Hearing this, Dragon abruptly raised his head and locked eyes with Orion for several seconds before saying solemnly.
"How could the D Clan ever become Celestial Dragons?"
"The Celestial Dragons are just a title."
Orion waved his hand with a smile. "The reason you'd say such a thing is because the D Clan are the losers. If they were the victors, could you guarantee that after centuries of rule, the D Clan wouldn't develop a privileged class?!"
Dragon frowned slightly. "The D Clan advocates peaceful governance, not the dictatorship of the Celestial Dragons! That's why they're called the Natural Enemy of the Gods! Fleet Admiral Orion, given your current delicate relationship with the Holy Land, you should understand this dynamic!"
"I see now!"
Orion nodded. "What you aim to do is overthrow the world order, liberate all member nations and return these countries to how they operated before the World Government was established."
"Yes." Dragon answered bluntly.
Orion narrowed his eyes. "Eight hundred years ago, the World Government didn't exist and it was during this time that the first pirate, Joy Boy, emerged. Historical records show that wherever Joy Boy went in his mission to liberate the world, he brought laughter and freedom, which led to more and more people joining his cause!"
"And precisely because of this, the original twenty nations formed an alliance."
"Have you ever considered why Joy Boy sought to liberate the entire world, or why the original twenty nations formed an alliance?"
"What do you mean?" Dragon frowned again.
Orion patiently continued, "Before the World Government was established, every nation in the world operated independently, and their rulers oppressed, exploited and enslaved their own people!"
"Joy Boy liberated these nations, bringing laughter and freedom to the people—there's nothing wrong with that. In fact, it was truly noble."
"But let's assume Joy Boy had ultimately become the victor and ruled the world peacefully. To prevent the reemergence of rulers who would enslave and oppress their people, and to manage the growing number of Devil Fruit users as human ambition expanded, he would have had to establish an organization similar to the Marines to maintain world peace!"
"With such a military force, there would inevitably be officers at various levels. As these officers gradually gained power, their ambitions would grow!"
"It's entirely possible that another World Government could eventually emerge!"
By this point, Dragon's brows had furrowed so deeply they formed a pronounced crease.
Combined with his lack of eyebrows and the square tattoos on his face, his expression looked particularly fierce.
Seeing Dragon fall silent, Orion took a sip from the water glass before him and continued.
"After this informal meeting, all revolutionary plans and deployments will be suspended. Several nations have already been liberated by the Revolutionary Army. What you must do now is implement your policies in these liberated countries—let me see whether you truly serve the people or simply seek to wrest power from the Celestial Dragons!"
"This is not a negotiation with you."
"Under the current circumstances, this is your only option!"
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