"Dead? Bekori is dead?"
Dragon furrowed his brows.
This went against his plan.
Originally, he had intended for Bekori to stand trial before the civilians of the Sorbet Kingdom, and then be exiled based on the charges.
In this way, the people of the Sorbet Kingdom would come to understand that humans are not born inferior, and royal authority is not eternal.
But now...
"Damn it, I was trying to transition things gradually." Dragon frowned deeply, then suddenly turned to Michael. "...Michael, what did you just say you came here for?"
"To visit my dear friend?"
"The second part."
"To help reinforce your revolutionary ideals and steel your minds, of course."
Dragon suddenly reached out and grabbed Michael by the collar, drawing shocked looks from everyone nearby, and snapped coldly:
"So it was you, wasn't it?"
"Let's get one thing straight—it definitely wasn't me who pissed off that woman, Ginny!" Michael immediately frowned and shouted back in a similar tone.
"...I'm talking about the former king of Sorbet, Bekori!"
"Oh, that shameless old wrinkled guy? Yeah, I chopped off his head."
When Dragon mentioned Bekori, Michael instantly calmed down.
He even smiled and nodded.
The corner of Dragon's mouth twitched. This guy's actions were still as unpredictable as ever.
Back then, he'd sneak senbei from Sengoku's stash and blame it on Dragon's old man without missing a beat.
And now, just like that, he had derailed Dragon's entire plan.
But while Dragon was frustrated, he wasn't angry.
Because when it came to dealing with Bekori, his first instinct had also been to kill him on the spot.
But then he realized that doing so would make them no different from the World Government.
So he had decided instead to hold a public trial and exile Bekori from the Sorbet Kingdom.
"You overstepped, Michael."
Dragon's voice was calm. The death of Bekori wasn't enough to provoke anger in him.
But Michael still wore a smug "Yeah, I did it. What are you gonna do about it?" expression that left Dragon feeling helpless...
This attitude... was becoming more and more like his father's.
"I only came to help, Dragon."
Michael grinned, then slowly pried Dragon's hand off his collar.
After straightening out his clothes, Michael pointed at the self-liberation army officers who had gathered nearby—among them, Ginny, who had rushed out of the warehouse at the noise—and said:
"Dragon, look at your comrades."
"The look in their eyes the moment they heard of Bekori's death—it was satisfaction."
"A contempt for the wicked who got what they deserved, and a sympathy for those who had suffered."
Ginny, still unsure of what had happened, froze at Michael's words.
After a moment, she began to laugh.
She laughed and laughed—until tears poured down her face.
Her smile was streaked with tears, and her laughter carried too much grievance.
To someone like her, once a slave in the Valley of the Gods, Bekori's death wasn't just the death of a wicked king.
It meant that the ever-present shadow of the world's rulers—the ones who loomed like dark clouds overhead—had finally been pierced by a sliver of sunlight.
Even if that light was so thin it could easily be ignored.
For Ginny, it was more than enough.
Kuma stepped forward and gently embraced Ginny, speaking softly.
"It's a joyful thing—why are you crying?"
"Kuma, humans are creatures who laugh until they cry."
Michael didn't say much. He simply gave Dragon a light pat on the shoulder.
But Dragon didn't react at all. He simply kept staring dazedly at Ginny and Kuma.
Though he had already begun to formulate his vision of overthrowing the World Government and reshaping the world...
He was still stunned by the smile Ginny had just shown.
That tearful, yet blissfully relieved smile...
"It's just... too beautiful."
Monkey D. Dragon said those words, though it was unclear if he was speaking about Ginny or the better world he had just glimpsed.
...
"Oh, Olvia. Long time no see."
"Michael-san, it really has been a while."
Olvia lifted her head and, upon seeing Michael striding in boldly, was only briefly stunned—not particularly surprised.
After all, it was Michael who had introduced her to this place.
So even if Michael, a Marine, was now standing in the self-liberation army's temporary headquarters, she wasn't particularly shocked.
"How's Robin doing lately?"
"She's fine. She may only be eight, but as Vice Admiral Gion's adjutant, she's accomplishing way more than I ever did." Michael chuckled. "Thanks to that little genius, I got a proper scolding from Vice Admiral Gion."
Hearing about Robin clearly brought a smile to Olvia's face.
Dragon soon walked in with Ginny and Kuma.
"Michael, how did you know I needed an Ohara archaeologist like Olvia?"
"The deadliest blow to the World Government is the truth about the Void Century." Michael shrugged. "With your level of intelligence, that shouldn't be hard to figure out."
Ginny looked at Michael in surprise—he spoke to her boss so casually!?
"Kuma, who is this guy anyway? How come the boss is letting a Marine waltz into our base like it's nothing?"
"I'm not entirely sure. But I think he and Dragon go way back in the Marines."
"I heard he's the one who killed Bekori?"
"Yes."
"A real savage, huh."
Ginny crossed her arms, adopting a smug look, then turned and sat to the side.
She didn't seem particularly interested.
But Kuma kept watching Michael closely.
The gentleness when saving someone, and the smile when admitting to killing.
That contradictory aura was endlessly intriguing.
"Oh? A Marine in here? What's going on? Has the Freedom Fighters become so fearsome that even the Navy wants to defect now!? Hee—ha!"
"Whoa! That's one massive face!" Michael was startled by the huge head suddenly popping up in the window, then turned to Dragon. "I thought your Freedom Fighters wouldn't have the kind of people the Marines have—those who don't even look human."
"Enough, Michael. Do you still have business here?" Dragon pushed Michael's hand aside. "If not, then you can leave."
"Oh, right. My memory's terrible—yeah, I do."
Michael reached into his pocket and pulled out a wanted poster.
"Congratulations, Monkey D. Dragon. You've officially made it onto the Navy's wanted list."
"Starting bounty is a billion. I almost want to catch you myself and cash in..."
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