Sea Calendar 1492, February.
At the Marine Headquarters port, after more than a month at sea, Karol finally guided Sakazuki's warship safely home.
Standing at the bow, Karol stretched lazily, inhaling the salty air deep into his lungs.
"Ahhh—"
He turned, calling out to the crew behind him.
"All right, everyone—take a day off. Do as you please!"
A cheer erupted from the Marines.
"Yes, sir!!"
With a faint smile, Karol was the first to disembark, making his way straight toward Sakazuki's residence.
—
Sakazuki's home, study.
Books lay scattered across the desk, some open, some stacked haphazardly. In the center, Sakazuki sat hunched over a battered little booklet. Its orange cover was faded, the edges worn—clearly a relic from years past.
The pen in his hand was specially crafted. The words it left behind were oddly dull, almost as if time itself had faded them. Each line looked like it had been written ages ago.
As soon as Karol reached the front door, Sakazuki sensed his arrival.
Before Karol could even knock, Sakazuki's voice drifted from the second-floor window,
"Come up to the study."
Karol glanced up, then with a light step, vaulted straight to the window. A nimble flip, and he landed inside.
Sakazuki was still writing, eyes fixed on the page.
"Give me a moment."
Karol grinned.
"Hai hai~"
He wandered the room, but nothing new caught his eye. Watching Sakazuki scribble away, curiosity got the better of him.
"What are you working on, Vice Admiral?"
Sakazuki let out a quiet chuckle.
"Something that could change the world."
That piqued Karol's interest.
"Oh?"
He stepped closer just as Sakazuki finished the final word and set down his pen. The last page lay open before Karol.
"..."
"We organize ourselves. We seek out the truth.
We show the people of the world what equality and freedom truly mean.
Even if we fail, the government's reaction alone proves we are right.
The seed has been planted.
One day, it will take root and sprout.
Revolution!
Victory is inevitable!"
—Booth Byers, Final Testament.
Sea Calendar 1427, March 7th.
Just reading that page made Karol's eyes go wide.
"Vice Admiral Sakazuki… If this ever got out, not even killing ten Whitebeards could make up for it!"
Sakazuki smiled, flipping back to the first page and handing the booklet to Karol.
"Start from the beginning."
Karol took it gingerly, then began to read.
The only sounds in the room were the slow, measured breaths of Karol—and the soft rustle of turning pages.
Time slipped by.
At last, Karol finished the final page. He wiped cold sweat from his brow.
"I take it back. Even wiping out every pirate in the world wouldn't be enough to atone for this. If this book ever spreads…"
He shook his head, awestruck and a little frightened.
This wasn't just about overthrowing the government. The book's core was about showing people what equality and freedom truly meant. It cut straight to the heart of the world's problems, dissecting them with brutal honesty.
To put it bluntly:
If any literate person finished this book, the next time they saw a World Noble, a royal, or anyone born into privilege, they'd feel a spark of resentment.
Why am I oppressed, while they live in luxury?
It's not fair!
And once that thought takes root, it only grows. Spread far enough, those ideas could topple a kingdom overnight.
If it spread across the world…
He shivered.
Sakazuki picked up where Karol left off.
"Terrifying, isn't it?"
Karol nodded.
Sakazuki stood, walking to the window.
"It is. If this book circulates, a lot of people will die. This is one class rising up to overthrow another—a violent revolution. Tens of millions of commoners swept up in the chaos. But even without this book, someday, someone would start to question the world. They'd walk the same path. This book just helps them avoid detours—and makes them stronger."
He paused, eyes narrowing.
"And at the same time… we need a powerful puppet to take the lead. Someone to stand in front, draw the fire, and shield us from the worst."
Karol fell silent for a moment, then sighed.
"That's cold, Vice Admiral."
Sakazuki didn't answer. He spent a long moment gazing at the sky before turning back to Karol.
"Keep it safe. Check for any flaws in the aging. Make it perfect. When the time is right—send it out."
Karol nodded, closing the booklet. His eyes lingered on the five characters stamped on the cover: Oppression and Resistance.
He looked up, voice suddenly serious.
"Aren't you afraid it'll all spiral out of control in the end?"
Sakazuki shook his head.
"Karol. This is a world ruled by might. Without overwhelming power, maybe you couldn't control it. But in this world? The strong can destroy everything. The weak… are harvested like ants."
To put it bluntly, as long as Sakazuki stood on solid ground, even millions—tens of millions—of ordinary people couldn't wear him down. Gather them all together, and a single Great Eruption would kill tens of thousands in an instant.
That's why he wasn't worried.
The Marines of the future will be the greatest fighting force on the seas. Bar none. If things ever get out of hand—just cut off the head.
The only real unknown is the government's trump card: that weapon capable of cleansing the world, and the weight of eight centuries of hidden power.
Sakazuki wasn't arrogant enough to think he could just storm the Holy Land with a little strength. That'd be suicide.
No, first he needed a puppet to test the government's limits. Then, he'd deliver the one thing the World Government had feared for eight hundred years—right to their doorstep.
Sakazuki's eyes narrowed to slits.
"Don't let me down…
Future…
Joy Boy…"
~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~
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