Inside the Rip-off Bar, Rayleigh downed several gulps of liquor in quick succession, his expression indescribably odd as he stared at Jake.
"You... you're not joking with me, are you? Whitebeard, Red Hair, Sengoku—those guys actually agreed to your crazy ideas?!"
"If I were here to joke with you, I would've just called you on a Den Den Mushi instead of going through all the trouble to come here and chat. As for whether the matters regarding Whitebeard and Red Hair are true, you can ask them yourself.
But you must have heard about the recent Celestial Dragon Hunting Season, right, Rayleigh-san?"
At the mention of "Celestial Dragon Hunting Season," Rayleigh's expression instantly darkened with anger.
He looked at Jake, his eyes filled with an indescribable emotion—somewhat regretful, yet furious.
"I don't know. If I had to delve into the details of every Hunting Season, I'd have been driven mad by now. Even someone like you in the Marines must find it hard to stomach, no?
Given your age, I'd have thought Sengoku would wait a few more years before telling you about such things. Why bring it up now?"
Seeing this, Jake smiled and said to Rayleigh.
"This Hunting Season was different from the past. Are you sure you don't want to hear about it?"
Rayleigh's expression turned grim.
He took a sip of alcohol and muttered unhappily.
"How could it be any different? No matter what, innocent civilians still end up dead, don't they?"
At this, Shakuyaku took a slow drag from her cigarette before exhaling lightly.
In a sultry voice, she chuckled at Rayleigh.
"Rayleigh, you might actually want to hear about this Hunting Season. It's not like anything you've experienced before. I only found out at noon today and planned to tell you tonight, but now that the person involved is here, it'll be more interesting coming from him."
Hearing this, Rayleigh looked at Shakuyaku curiously, puzzled.
"No matter how much it changes, it can't possibly be interesting, can it? What exactly happened?"
Jake cut straight to the point.
"The Marine Headquarters collaborated with the Whitebeard Pirates. Not only did they evacuate the civilians who were originally meant to be prey from the island, but they also replaced them with prisoners from Impel Down, disguising them as villagers for the Celestial Dragons to hunt..."
By now, Rayleigh's face was a picture of shock—yet the corners of his mouth couldn't help but curl upward.
"I only needed to hear that one sentence to change my opinion of you, Rear Admiral Jake! Hahaha! Making those idiot Celestial Dragons do the Marines' dirty work, turning them into executioners for once—that's not a bad idea at all.
As long as no civilians died, this operation was already a perfect success!"
Shakuyaku, still smiling faintly, glanced at Rayleigh.
"Don't get ahead of yourself, Rayleigh. Didn't you hear that young Jake here still has more to tell you?"
"There's even better news than that?!"
Seeing Rayleigh's eager expression, Jake nodded.
"After the Celestial Dragons finished slaughtering the Impel Down prisoners and were on their way back to the Holy Land, they encountered an unprecedented tsunami. Despite the Marines' desperate efforts to save them, the Celestial Dragons suffered heavy casualties.
In one fell swoop, dozens of Celestial Dragons died, and subsequently, riots broke out among them. To cover up their crimes, the leader of the God Knights, Saint Garling, took advantage of his position during our later discussions and had us eliminate even more Celestial Dragons.
In short, the number of Celestial Dragons who perished during this Hunting Season far exceeded those who had died of natural causes over the years."
Listening to Jake's barely suppressed laughter, Rayleigh couldn't help but burst into hearty laughter himself.
"Hahahaha, fascinating! Young Jake, you're truly the first person I've met in all my years with such audacity. Even my captain, Roger, never had such a mad idea as yours!
Someone like you is bound to stir up a massive storm in this world.
So, could you tell me why you sought me out? Or rather, what do you need me to do for you?"
In response to Rayleigh's words, Jake replied softly.
"I've already answered your question, Rayleigh-san—a coated ship, and to act as our guide."
"I know, and I've agreed to those. What I'm asking is whether there's anything else. You understand what I mean. You didn't come to me just for these things. This island is hardly short of coating craftsmen."
At this, Jake's smile widened.
He looked at Rayleigh and said.
"I knew you wouldn't be satisfied with the world as it is, Rayleigh-san. If possible, I'd like to ask for your assistance in the future movement to overthrow the World Government."
Just as these words were spoken, Rayleigh happened to take a sip of his drink.
Unable to hold back, he spat it out in shock.
Amidst a fit of coughing, he wiped his mouth and stared at Jake in disbelief.
How many times had he been shocked like this now?
"Cough, cough! Are you sure you didn't misspeak?! Jake! Do you realize what those words you just said represent?"
"I do. They represent overthrowing the World Government."
"You're a Marine. Your duty is to protect the World Government."
"I am a Marine, but my duty has never been to protect the World Government. The only ones I protect are innocent civilians.
The current World Government is, aside from Pirates, the greatest threat to the lives of ordinary people. Once the Great Pirate Era ends, the next thing to dismantled will be the so-called World Government.
The Celestial Tribute and the Celestial Dragons—these ancient shit should have been put to rest long ago. Who created the world doesn't matter. What truly matters is ensuring people can live well. If the Creator made a world like this, then let him enjoy this damned world alone.
If the Creator doesn't care about these things, then I'll be the one to change them!"
Rayleigh looked at Jake and suddenly chuckled before saying.
"You know, before my captain turned himself in, he once told me a prophecy—that 20 years later, a young man with the initial 'D' in his name would end the World Government's rule. That young man would be a Pirate.
But now, the prophecy I once firmly believed in might be shattered on this very day."
"You're neither a pirate, nor does your name carry the letter D."