From the moment Ginny, the bride, made her appearance in her unconventional attire, this wedding had completely gone off the rails.
Yet, for once, the entire Baltigo was immersed in a sea of joy.
The Revolutionary Army, which had previously split into two factions, became whole again at this moment.
Arm in arm, they cheered for the union of Ginny and Kuma.
Even if their ideals had diverged, brothers and sisters remained brothers and sisters.
The bonds of revolutionary camaraderie would never change.
Thus, Baltigo remained brightly lit, its festivities continuing from one evening straight through to the next.
Finally, after sending off Kuma—who had drunk an unprecedented amount—and Ginny—who had gotten drunk, sobered up, and was now tipsy again—to their bridal chamber, those who had remained sober all along gathered around a massive bonfire.
The leader of the Revolutionary Army, Monkey D. Dragon.
The elusive Chief of Staff, Michael, whom many had never even seen before.
The two of them sat side by side on the ground.
The others exchanged glances, saw no reason to stand on ceremony, and simply sat down around them.
"Everyone seems to want to have a good talk," Michael observed, looking at the people before him.
Though he hadn't met them often, Michael knew these were the veterans who had followed the Revolutionary Army through battles across the four seas.
In a way, they were the spokespeople for the faction that had retreated to the four seas.
"Chief... Chief of Staff... We've given this careful thought before making our decision."
"Are you planning... to leave the Revolutionary Army?" Michael asked calmly. "To be honest, I expected this day might come... After all, differences in strength can make people consider stepping back."
"Chief of Staff, we're glad you understand us," the opinion leaders said, exchanging relieved glances.
"But I hope... instead of leaving the Revolutionary Army, you'll step back to a supporting role. Return to the four seas and continue to protect and develop our revolutionary bases." Michael smiled.
"Only by strengthening our bases can we ensure the Revolutionary Army thrives endlessly."
"Wh-what!? You'd still accept us... even as deserters?"
"Remember, you are not deserters, but heroes who have stepped back to the second line because you couldn't adapt to the intensity of combat..." Michael shook his head firmly.
"The revolution knows no sequence, nor does it distinguish between high and low, noble or humble. As long as you strive for the revolution, whether on the front lines or in the rear, you are all brave warriors of our Revolutionary Army."
Michael's words moved these opinion leaders to tears.
During this period, they had not only grown distant from their comrades but also struggled with inner conflict.
They were both fearful of the path ahead and deeply felt that their choice was... shameful.
But Michael's speech completely lifted the heavy burden from their hearts.
If even the Chief of Staff said so, then they could finally... rest easy.
Observing the change in their expressions, Michael sighed inwardly.
He couldn't simply transplant the mindset from his original world here.
In this world, the gap in ability between people was even greater than that between humans and dogs.
For ordinary people, not flinching in the face of guns and cannons was already remarkably brave.
But asking them to continue battling the unpredictable natural disasters of the Grand Line?
To fight against Devil Fruit Users?
Or even to stand against giants, fish-men, and Celestial Dragons?
That was pushing it too far.
Without the support of a strong and resilient cultural ideology, these ordinary people had already reached their limit.
Not everyone who embraced the word "revolution" could be compared to the rabbits.
"So, I will arrange your positions and the work to be carried out after you return to the Four Seas," Dragon, who had remained silent until now, stood up and bowed to these people who had followed him from the very beginning.
"From today onward, the Revolutionary Army's rear base is entrusted to you."
...
"What do you plan to do after they return to the Four Seas?"
"What to do? Just let it be." Michael shrugged. "The rear base is all about gathering people, food, and money. Just have them maintain normal operations, ensuring resources are recycled and reusable... Of course, they should also bring a group of scholars from Alabasta back to the Four Seas. After all, the Ohara incident is long past... and the current World Government has no interest in bothering with Ohara anymore."
As Michael and Dragon discussed Ohara in the war room, Olvia happened to walk in carrying a stack of documents.
After a day of wedding celebrations, there was a backlog of work to handle.
"Olvia, you're just in time," Michael turned and said with a smile. "I have good news for you—Robin is now a Marine Headquarters captain."
"A twelve-year-old child, a Marine Headquarters captain?" Olvia paused, then smiled warmly, her maternal instincts shining through.
"That doesn't matter to me. As long as I know she's happy, I'm content."
"No, what I mean is, since Robin is now a Marine Headquarters captain, according to Marine regulations, captains are entitled to their own ships and subordinates... So you'd better be careful. That girl's desire to bring you back to her side is no joke."
"Then I'll wait and see."
"Tsk, how boring. I thought you'd at least be surprised." Michael shrugged, then pulled out a small notebook from his pocket.
"Take this, revise it, then mass-produce it. The entire army must study and adhere to it."
Olvia was taken aback as she flipped open the notebook in her hands.
The more she read, the more astonished she became.
What was written inside turned out to be a series of disciplinary requirements concerning army construction and rear-area development.
It concisely summarized everything an excellent and selfless army should pay attention to.
There were eleven regulations each for army construction and rear-area development.
At the end was a draft title:
"The Twenty-Two Iron Rules of the Revolutionary Army"
Closing the notebook and looking at its cover again, Olvia inexplicably felt that the cover...
Was growing redder the more she looked at it!
Michael watched with satisfaction as the beautiful Olvia displayed her shocked expression, secretly amused.
'Just wait until you all realize that the new military regulations the Marines are about to implement are the same as the Revolutionary Army's iron rules...'
'Hehe.'
"Dragon, now that a large portion of the Revolutionary Army has split off, I think we should enter a period of dormancy for the time being," Michael said, turning around. "Besides regrouping forces in 'Paradise,' we also need to reassess the influence of various factions... After all, the environment of the Grand Line is infinitely more complex than the Four Seas."
"I was thinking the same thing..."
"In that case, you wouldn't mind if I slacked off for a few years, would you?"
Monkey D. Dragon: "???"
-----------------------------
Read 40 chapters ahead and support me on patreon.
patreon (.)com/Newbietranslator