Three days later, Dressrosa.
"This operation... truly astonishing, Mr. Michael!" Donquixote laughed uproariously while examining freshly printed newspapers and newly delivered intelligence.
"An angel descends to mete divine punishment upon sinners, then rescues the last survivor of the Nefertari line... I'd give anything to see the expressions on those Ancient Kingdom bastards' faces!"
"Don't celebrate prematurely, Donquixote. This is merely the beginning." Michael set down his spoon - the cream soup was pure torture to his palate.
"Remember what comes next is the main event... I'll make a grand spectacle to draw the Ancient Kingdom's attention while you unite nations already estranged from them. Once we reach critical mass, the fence-sitters will begin leaning our way - if not joining outright, at least withdrawing support from the Ancient Kingdom... Then we decisively eliminate those still stubbornly allied with them."
The classic strategy: "Win over some, divide others, suppress the rest."
Easy to describe in a few sentences...
But the actual workload would be monumental.
The number of nations at this time was no less than eight hundred years later, perhaps even more since pirates had yet to emerge... and powerful individuals staked their claims in the New World through sheer strength.
So according to Michael's calculations, the number of nations was likely even greater than eight centuries later.
As for the nations in the world of pirates... well, those who know, know.
To put it bluntly, they could basically be categorized as "village-level nations," "county-level nations," and "city-level nations."
Genuine major powers were exceedingly rare.
Dressrosa, though not vast in territory, was one of the wealthiest nations, and with such prosperity came a louder voice in global affairs.
Thus, there was no issue in making it the spearhead of the rebel forces, tearing apart the alliance of the Great Kingdom.
"I've heard this so much over the past two days, my ears are practically calloused... In short, I just follow your instructions, right?" Donquixote sighed. "After all, my life and fortune... are entirely in your hands now."
"Spare me the pitiful act, will you?" Michael clasped his hands together, smiling amiably. "After spending this much time together, I've come to realize... you're not the true leader of this so-called rebel army, are you?"
"...Was it that obvious?" Donquixote chuckled awkwardly, hesitating over whether to take a bite of the bread in his hand. "I mean, I am still the king of a powerful nation..."
"Whether you're a king or not has nothing to do with your rank in the rebellion," Michael said sharply, his expression turning stern.
"What I do know is that in an uprising like this, the true leader wouldn't be someone as weak as you... Though given your Devil Fruit abilities, I assume you handle intelligence operations?"
Cough, cough!
Donquixote cleared his throat and resignedly stuffed the bread into his mouth, chewing halfheartedly before swallowing.
Then he stood up and bowed deeply to Michael.
"It seems I could never hide anything from you, Mr. Michael."
"Oh? So you'll take me to meet the real leader of your rebellion now?"
"Yes... Please, follow me."
As Michael and Donquixote stepped out of the castle, Toki—now robust as a young bull under Michael's care—came running toward them, carrying a frail girl with sky-blue hair and crimson eyes on her back.
"Father! Are you going out with King Donquixote!? We want to come too!"
"Fine." Michael nodded without hesitation, scooping both girls into his arms.
Lily, now thoroughly cleaned up, made Michael nod approvingly.
At first glance, it hadn't been obvious, but now—aside from those red eyes—she was the spitting image of a Nefertari woman.
Perhaps those eyes simply hadn't been passed down in the lineage.
"Uh, Mr. Michael... is it really alright to bring two little girls along?" Donquixote hesitated.
Not that he minded them knowing the rebel leader's identity...
But was it too soon to expose them to all this at such a young age?
The overly righteous King Donquixote couldn't help but wonder.
"One is six years old, harboring the unspoken hatred of her parents being killed by the Giant Kingdom's guard and her homeland destroyed by the Lunarian Race."
"The other is eight, carrying the blood-soaked vengeance of her entire family slaughtered until only a pair of siblings remained."
"It's not a matter of whether they can endure this… but the fact that they have been enduring it from the very beginning."
"Even if they can't bear it… they must grit their teeth and push through."
Michael lifted the two girls slightly higher in his arms.
"But as their future guardian, I believe in them both… The flames of vengeance will one day bring that lofty kingdom to its knees!"
"You are nothing like the angel I imagined," Donquixote chuckled helplessly. "Truly worthy of being called the Archangel of 'The End'..."
Michael stepped forward, heading toward the gate.
"Bringing an end to what should perish… is that not another form of rebirth?"
...
Just as Michael, Toki, and Lily followed Donquixote to the location of the rebel leader…
In God's Nation atop the Red Line, representatives of the major races erupted into fierce argument.
"Damn it! Who is this man with six Wings?"
"Could he be some stray hybrid of your Lunarian Race?"
"The Lunarian Race never intermarries with other races… A hybrid? Absolutely impossible!"
"Don't rush to conclusions just yet. We can't rule out the possibility of a Devil Fruit."
"Rather than his abilities or race, what I want to know is—whose side is he on?! Is he remnants of those rebel forces from before, or part of a new faction?"
Within this "Divine Council," the Lunarian Race, who held the most seats, remained largely uninvolved in the ongoing argument.
Only when the voices gradually subsided did they slowly speak up.
"This sudden appearance—there's no information about him. We can't confirm his identity, nor even his true gender!"
"The only certainty is that he disabled an entire squad of Baccarat guards and left his epithet hovering over Mary Geoise..."
"The Archangel of the End..."
"Is this a declaration... that he intends to bring about our end?"
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