"Roger's son joining the Navy... no matter how you think about it, that's not a good idea."
Kai's words struck Garp's mind like a thunderbolt.
"How do you know? Was it Ace?"
Garp instinctively clenched his fists.
He absolutely couldn't let this secret leak out!
Even if it cost him his old life!
Kai waved his hand dismissively, completely unconcerned about Garp's hostility: "Save it, old man. Once a secret is known by a second person, it's no longer a secret."
"I don't care what schemes you're plotting... I absolutely won't allow you to exploit Ace's identity!"
Garp's eyes widened as threads of killing intent leaked out.
"Relax, I regard Ace as a true companion."
Whether Garp believed him or not, Kai continued: "Old man, you say you want Ace to join the Navy to protect justice, but does the Navy really represent justice?"
"You should understand this world's darkness better than I do. Isn't that right?"
Kai stared into Garp's eyes, speaking each word deliberately.
"No matter how inhuman the World Government is, it's still better than you pirate scum."
Garp made no attempt to hide his attitude toward the World Government.
"Really?" Kai chuckled mockingly: "No matter how bad pirates are, you probably can't find many cases of genocide, can you?"
"Need I remind you? The Celestial Dragons' hunting activities every three years."
Kai crossed his arms with an exaggerated expression: "Tsk tsk tsk, every three years, this sea gains another lifeless island under World Government jurisdiction."
"If not for Rocks, that hunting festival would probably still be held today."
"Old man, tell me... if the people of this sea learned the truth, would they support the 'justice' Navy more or the 'evil' pirates?"
Garp's expression froze, his fists unconsciously unclenching.
It was precisely because he saw the dark nature of the Celestial Dragons that he kept refusing Admiral promotions.
After all, once he became an Admiral, he would inevitably have to protect those garbage Celestial Dragons.
"Besides the hunting activities, there's also the slave trade... the Celestial Dragons have always been the biggest financiers of slave trafficking, plus the Heavenly Tribute system..."
Kai shook his head with a sigh: "The disgusting things the Celestial Dragons do... we couldn't finish listing them in three days and nights."
Garp snorted coldly: "So the world should be managed by scum like you instead?"
At over seventy years old, he wouldn't be swayed by a few words.
Even a bad order was still an order.
With their Navy present, people on the seas could at least receive some protection.
But if it were pirates...
In his decades of military service, Garp had seen too many pirates who burned, killed, and plundered.
At least the Celestial Dragons rarely descended to the surface world. Their main activities were limited to Mary Geoise and the Sabaody Archipelago.
For remote regions, the Celestial Dragons posed far less danger than vicious pirates.
"Why not?"
Kai countered: "The territories under the New World Emperors don't fare worse than average member nations."
Whitebeard needn't be mentioned... he was probably the only one who could run a monopoly business while living in poverty himself.
They basically only collected protection fees to maintain their fleet's expenses, existing in a state where they wouldn't starve but couldn't get rich either.
Red Hair's territory was similar.
Even Charlotte Linlin's Totto Land.
Though the conditions seemed harsh... all citizens had to surrender one month of their lifespan every six months.
But they equally enjoyed Charlotte Linlin's protection.
In the dangerous New World, safety was absolutely a luxury.
Moreover, aside from lifespan, Totto Land didn't excessively exploit its citizens.
In this world of competing miseries, Charlotte Linlin could even be considered a capable ruler.
"Hmph, pirates are pirates. No matter how silver-tongued you are, I won't believe a word you say."
Garp couldn't and was too lazy to argue.
The World Government ruled most regions of this world not through governing ability, but through naked violence.
"It doesn't matter. Someday, I'll overthrow the Celestial Dragons' rule. Time will prove everything!"
Kai had rested enough and stood up, dusting himself off.
These words were spoken not just for Garp, but also for a certain unnamed voyeur in the sky.
"Aren't you afraid I'll report these words to the World Government? The Beast Pirates would face utter destruction."
Garp said coldly.
"Go ahead! Kaido would be thrilled... he's been dreaming of a global conflict!"
Kai's grin turned sharp: "And me? I'll just defect to your Revolutionary son. They've lasted this long against the World Government... clearly they know how to hide!"
Being big had its disadvantages. Large ships were hard to turn.
The World Government seemed massive, but the bureaucratic system accumulated over years had become bloated and unwieldy.
Dragon had been jumping in the World Government's face for so many years and was recognized as the world's most vicious criminal, yet he still lived well.
The World Government had no way to deal with him. The damage they caused to the Revolutionary Army was even less than what one Blackbeard had done.
At least Blackbeard had actually attacked Revolutionary Army headquarters.
"Leave Ace to me. I'm also sick of this world."
Kai turned and waved as he left.
Behind him, Garp's hands clenched and unclenched repeatedly.
In the end, he still didn't chase after him.
Just as Kai completely disappeared from Garp's sight, a wind blew by.
Dragon materialized from the wind.
"You still dare show your face?!"
"Fist of Love!"
The moment Garp saw Dragon's face, he erupted in fury. His previously exhausted body suddenly surged with strength.
He clenched his fist and attacked.
"Old man, can't we just talk properly?"
Dragon showed a bitter smile, not daring to fight back and only constantly blocking.
The father and son struggled for quite a while before ending with Garp's exhaustion.
Dragon advised: "Old man, times have changed. The Navy can no longer represent justice."
Garp roared: "It's not your turn to lecture me, you bastard!"
Seeing the still-stubborn old man, Dragon didn't persuade further. Wasn't he the same type of personality?
Never turning back even after hitting a wall.
"I only came to tell you."
Dragon transformed into a breeze again: "The winds of a new era have already begun to blow!"
With those words, Dragon completely vanished into the air.
After hearing Kai's speech, he decided to make contact with the Beast Pirates.
As Kai said, the Revolutionary Army also needed weapons.
Of course, before that, he needed to conduct a field investigation in Wano Country.
To determine the depth of his cooperation with Kai.
Garp stood in place, silent for a long time, feeling he couldn't let Luffy continue fooling around in Windmill Village.
In just these few years, two waves of great pirates had come.
Look what they'd taught his precious grandson!
Indeed, he still needed to keep Luffy by his side for personal guidance.
Yes, that's what he'd do.
With his excellent teaching abilities, plus daily influence, he could definitely educate Luffy into an outstanding Marine!