Chapter 130: Alliance, Time Passes
The human nobles led by the Celestial Dragons have always maintained a despicable attitude toward fish-men and mermaids, refusing to acknowledge them as fellow beings deserving of basic respect.
In the eyes of these so-called aristocrats, all residents of Fish-Man Island are nothing more than exotic sea creatures. What makes this situation even more infuriating is that this very group controls the narrative that shapes human opinion across the world.
Ordinary humans can only passively absorb the prejudiced views these nobles perpetuate, having little opportunity to form independent judgments about fish-men and their society.
To eliminate the root source of this discriminatory ideology, the World Government must be overthrown, sweeping away the corrupt nobility in the process.
Logically speaking, Fish-Man Island could simply wait and let events unfold naturally. According to what Brett understood of the original timeline, the World Government's collapse was inevitable.
But passive waiting wouldn't be sufficient.
Even after removing the source of institutional discrimination, deeply ingrained human misconceptions about Fish-Man Island would persist for generations. Simply eliminating the government wouldn't immediately change centuries of prejudice embedded in human culture.
Fish-Man Island needed to take an active role in shaping its own destiny.
The traditional approach would involve continuously working to bring more humans into contact with Fish-Man Island, gradually changing perceptions through patient cultural exchange. However, this method was something Brett found both tedious and impractical given their current circumstances.
There was a more direct path available.
During this period of massive upheaval, Fish-Man Island could position itself as one of the most crucial forces driving revolutionary change. After achieving victory, they would naturally become an integral component of whatever new government emerged.
Similar to how the Celestial Dragons currently wielded influence, fish-men might not possess unlimited power, but at minimum, the entire world would understand one fundamental truth: Fish-Man Island represented a vital force for transformation and held significant political weight in the new world order.
Admittedly, even this approach had limitations, but it provided a realistic starting point for meaningful change.
Brett had no intention of concealing these strategic considerations from Dragon, choosing instead to present his reasoning with complete transparency.
"If genuine change is the goal in a world where discrimination runs so deeply through every institution, perhaps only such drastic methods can succeed," Brett stated plainly.
"It's certainly an outcome we would all welcome," Dragon responded with gravity, his weathered features reflecting years of contemplating similar challenges. "But Brett, I believe you should also maintain some faith in humanity's capacity for growth."
"Today's discrimination stems primarily from ignorance and lack of exposure. The more people interact directly with Fish-Man Island and its citizens, the more they'll recognize how shallow their previous assumptions were."
"Perhaps," Brett replied with a noncommittal smile.
'But why should Fish-Man Island, already suffering under persecution, bear the burden of seeking understanding from their oppressors?' he thought to himself. The entire premise seemed fundamentally flawed.
Moreover, could mutual understanding truly guarantee lasting harmony between different peoples? History suggested that cultural differences and competing interests often persisted despite increased contact.
"So Dragon, what's your final decision?" Brett asked directly, cutting through philosophical discussions to reach the practical matter at hand. "Do we form an alliance, or not?"
Rather than providing an immediate answer, Dragon released a thoughtful sigh. "Before coming to meet with you today, I took the opportunity to tour Fish-Man Island extensively."
"The transformation is remarkable. I've visited this country before, but it's completely unrecognizable compared to its previous state."
"Prosperous, secure, wealthy, and radiating vitality - this nation has become what nearly every community across the seas dreams of achieving."
"Therefore, I refuse to believe that someone who has accomplished this transformation, someone whose only desire is ensuring his citizens live fulfilling lives, would willingly accept manipulation by any government!"
He rose from his seat, approached Brett's desk with purposeful steps, and extended his right hand. "I would be honored to fight alongside you."
Brett stood as well, grasping Dragon's hand without hesitation. "Then let's support each other through whatever comes next."
Through his observation, Brett could sense that Dragon's words carried absolute sincerity - there was no deception in his commitment.
And naturally, Brett's own dedication was equally genuine.
Both men smiled simultaneously, each recognizing they had gained a formidable ally whose goals aligned with their own vision for the future.
"Now then, let's discuss your strategic approach, Dragon," Brett said, his tone shifting to serious planning mode. "What exactly do you intend to accomplish?"
"The World Government's current power far exceeds anything we can match at this stage," Dragon acknowledged with characteristic honesty, showing no inclination to minimize the challenges they faced.
He continued, "So for now, we must focus on developing our strength through covert operations."
"We'll begin taking direct action only when conditions become favorable."
"Our initial phase involves overthrowing the decadent nobles scattered across the seas, liberating oppressed populations, and allowing revolutionary ideals of freedom to spread organically!"
"Humanity's desire for freedom is like wind itself - no matter how desperately authorities attempt to contain it, it will eventually find ways to emerge from every concealed corner!"
Dragon's voice carried passionate conviction as he elaborated, "Eight centuries of systematic oppression haven't numbed people's spirits - instead, they've allowed anger and resentment to accumulate like pressure in a sealed container!"
"When the winds of freedom finally sweep across the entire ocean, that will mark our moment to overthrow the World Government completely!"
'Naive,' Brett thought to himself, 'truly naive and idealistic.'
Dragon seemed completely unaware of fundamental class contradictions that would persist regardless of governmental changes. His revolution focused primarily on removing cruel and tyrannical aristocrats, without addressing deeper structural inequalities.
But these philosophical differences didn't necessarily matter for their immediate partnership. This world did value individual freedom above collective equality, and pursuing universal equality seemed unrealistic given the circumstances.
The massive disparities in individual combat abilities made true equality practically impossible. How could warriors capable of single-handedly destroying entire armies ever be considered equal to ordinary civilians?
Every major faction across the seas demonstrated this reality - the strongest individuals invariably became leaders, regardless of governmental structure. Power would always concentrate in the hands of those with superior strength.
Though it sounded harsh, the weak could only hope for protection through the moral restraint of the strong.
"That's remarkably coincidental," Brett responded diplomatically, "because that matches our thinking exactly."
"First accumulate sufficient strength, then identify the perfect opportunity to deliver a decisive strike!"
"Great minds do think alike, don't they?"
The two exchanged knowing smiles once again.
They spent the following hours engaged in detailed discussions about future cooperation possibilities. However, practical collaboration remained limited at this stage - Fish-Man Island's business operations were confined to nearby territories with relatively small scale, offering minimal direct assistance to the Revolutionary Army.
Similarly, the Revolutionary Army remained completely underground, maintaining such deep cover that they couldn't provide substantial support to Fish-Man Island's current initiatives.
Nevertheless, the foundation for their alliance had been firmly established.
Dragon didn't linger long at Fish-Man Island. After sharing a simple lunch with Brett, he departed hastily with Hack and the other Revolutionary Army members.
Revolutionary Army responsibilities were considerably more complex and urgent than Fish-Man Island's current concerns.
However, Dragon deliberately left behind one fish-man operative to serve as a communication liaison between their organizations.
Almost immediately after Dragon's departure, Brett received an urgent call from Perospero.
"We've encountered complications, Brett," the Charlotte family's eldest son reported from the other end of the line. "Doflamingo has formed an alliance with Kaido!"
Brett raised an eyebrow in surprise.
"He's now officially allied with the Beast Pirates, which means Mom can't take direct action against him without risking a larger conflict."
"I see," Brett responded, genuinely taken aback by this development.
'Why did Doflamingo connect with Kaido so early in the timeline?' he wondered. 'I expected that alliance to form much later, after Caesar's artificial Devil Fruit research became relevant.'
"In that case, let's abandon this approach," Brett decided pragmatically. He certainly couldn't expect Big to initiate a war with Kaido over his personal grievances. "Don't worry about Doflamingo for now. I don't want to create problems for your family."
Perospero sounded genuinely embarrassed about failing to fulfill his promise, which clearly bothered him given his relationship with Brett.
"Listen, if you need assistance from us in the future, don't hesitate to ask, Brett. We'll definitely step up when it matters most."
After delivering this reassurance, Perospero quickly ended the conversation.
Brett set down the transponder snail and exhaled slowly. He would need to warn Tesoro to exercise extreme caution - Doflamingo would never abandon his vendetta.
Furthermore, with Doflamingo now backed by Kaido's protection, future conflicts with the Charlotte family seemed inevitable.
'I need to become stronger,' Brett decided firmly. 'Starting tonight, I'll resume training with Rayleigh every evening.'
Time to begin immediately.
With these undercurrents hidden beneath the ocean's deceptively calm surface, the days began passing steadily forward, each one bringing new challenges and opportunities for growth.
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