"Such is a father's love, strong as mountain."
"Even though you knew this dangerous operation would lead to heavy casualties, you didn't hesitate to lead your people to save your son." Adrian leaned back comfortably on a throne of sand, his eyes fixed on Dragon, who stood before his rebels. "Dragon, it seems your son's life is more important than the lives of your army."
The rescue operation had not only exposed the Revolutionary Army's serious lack of high-level combat power but also confirmed Adrian's suspicions: Revolutionary army, by itself, could not overthrow the World Government.
Adrian wasn't trying to belittle them; they really were too weak. Even in the original story, the Revolutionary Army's base on the island of Baltigo was easily destroyed by the Blackbeard Pirates. Dragon and his commanders were then forced to relocate to the Kamabakka Kingdom. A group with decades of experience couldn't stand against a pirate crew. How could anyone believe that? From that point on, Adrian had lost all respect for this Dragon, who had always hidden in the shadows.
Even after acquiring two Devil Fruits, Blackbeard was still terrified and fled when he saw Admiral Akainu chasing him. Dragon, on the other hand, was an over-cautious leader who had never directly confronted the World Government in decades. Everyone thought he was biding his time and gathering strength, but the reality was that Blackbeard easily wiped out their base. This performance was truly shocking.
And now, for his son, the world's most wanted criminal was taking a huge risk, exposing the Revolutionary Army's most crucial forces to the World Government. This was a massive mistake—one that proved Dragon was not a good leader. By doing this, he had transferred all the risks onto his army, and their hard-earned progress could vanish in an instant. In Adrian's opinion, Dragon might be a qualified father, but he was certainly not a qualified leader.
In this world where might makes right, strength is everything.
"You..." Dragon had heard the provocation in Adrian's tone, and his face instantly turned grim. He couldn't argue. He had indeed taken an enormous risk, but Luffy was his son. He had even prepared to sacrifice a small number of his men for this. Now, with Adrian's words, he couldn't hide his shame.
"You're the one who captured Luffy and handed him over to the World Government to become a Warlord of the Sea," Dragon said coldly, glancing at the bloodstained deck and the two corpses in the black coffins. "Why are you blocking us now?"
The Revolutionary Army's intelligence network was incredibly efficient, which was how they had managed to evade capture for so many years. Dragon was no stranger to Adrian. But what made him truly furious was that three of his most valuable commanders had been killed by this one person.
"Damn it, Mr. Dragon, why are you even talking to this bastard? He killed Lindbergh and Karasu!" Ivankov and the other Revolutionary Army members were furious. Jinbe had already relayed all the events to them before their arrival.
Adrian ignored them, fixing his eyes on Dragon. A wicked light flashed in his gaze as he leaned forward. "Dragon, let's make a deal."
"What deal?" Dragon's face was guarded. He didn't want to waste any more time, but he couldn't ignore the powerful pressure that Adrian exuded.
"I know you want to save Luffy. That's fine. But if you want me to let you go, you'll have to give me someone else in return." Dragon's expression turned frigid, and he was about to refuse. But Adrian continued, "I might not be able to stop you, but them... none of them will leave here alive."
Adrian raised his hands, pulling them upward. The surrounding sea surged violently as more than a dozen lion heads made of seawater emerged, surrounding the warship.
ROAR!
The lion heads opened their jaws and roared ferociously at Dragon and his crew.
What is this ability? The moment they saw the water lions, everyone's expressions changed. Even if they hadn't seen it with their own eyes, they had heard about the Golden Lion's abilities from newspapers. It was too big a coincidence. Besides the Golden Lion's Float-Float Fruit, no other Devil Fruit could manipulate water like this.
"It seems the Golden Lion must have died by your hand... You are a truly troublesome man." Dragon's expression hardened. He clenched his right hand, and a gust of wind rose out of thin air, like a tornado, instantly shattering the dozen or so water lions. He then looked at Adrian with a proud expression.
"But it's a pity. Their fate... is none of your business."
"Is that the legendary Wind-Wind Fruit?" A greedy look flashed in Adrian's eyes, a clear sign that he was already coveting the Devil Fruit of the man before him. He knew that while the Revolutionary Army was weak overall, Dragon himself was a combatant on par with a Four Emperor.
Still... "Lion Majesty: Earth Coiling!"
Adrian raised his hands once more. A dozen more ferocious lion heads of seawater condensed and surrounded the warship. "Dragon, if you don't agree, I can fight with you like this for a whole day. But... I'm afraid your son doesn't have much time left." The smirk on Adrian's face grew more and more sinister.
Whether Dragon agreed or not, Adrian couldn't let him rescue Luffy and Ace. But to pass up such a good opportunity to "poach" one of Dragon's commanders would be a terrible waste.
Adrian had long been aware of the Revolutionary Army's eastern commander, Belo Betty. Although her fighting prowess was average, her Pump-Pump Fruit was a game-changer in a team fight. She could use her abilities to awaken the will power in people's hearts just by waving a flag and shouting. Even the weak, oppressed, and fearful could find the courage to fight. This boost in strength was akin to a massive buff, though it had no effect on powerhouses like Adrian. That was likely why she hadn't been targeted by the likes of Kaido or Big Mom.
But for an ambitious man like Adrian, who would soon embark on a path to world domination, the Pump-Pump Fruit was invaluable. After the Summit War, his plan was to establish a country and directly challenge the World Government. In any military force, the majority of soldiers are average. But with the boost from this devil fruit, ordinary soldiers could fight like elites, and elites could become even stronger. This power could change the tide of any major battle.
How could anyone not be tempted? So trapping Dragon was a necessity. He wanted to see what the man would choose.
"Dragon, don't agree to his terms! Let's fight together; we can win this!" Ivankov, who knew Dragon best, was shocked to see the flicker of hesitation in his eyes. In the eyes of his fellow revolutionaries, Dragon had always been a cold, calculating leader. Was he, too, susceptible to the bonds of family? If Dragon agreed to Adrian's terms, it would be a fatal blow to the unity of the Revolutionary Army. As a friend and commander, Ivankov couldn't let that happen.
"I have to ask... are you a monster raised by Dragon?" Adrian's face was full of contempt. "He's been wandering outside all this time but never came to rescue you all from Impel Down, and now he lets you idiots serve as cannon fodder for his son, and you're not only willing but also happy about it?" He truly couldn't understand what was wrong with the minds of these people. Even after Dragon hadn't sent anyone to rescue them for 10 years, they were still willing to serve as cannon fodder. It showed just how disturbing Dragon's methods of winning people over were.
"60 Million Volt, Thunder Dragon!" A whisper like a heavenly sound filled the air. A blue thunder dragon, crackling with terrifying electricity, rose from behind Adrian.
Aww!
The roar of the thunder dragon shook the air. To everyone's astonishment, the dragon in the sky swayed its huge body and plunged toward Ivankov.
Rumble!
Ivankov, who had no Observation Haki, had no time to react and was instantly swallowed by the berserk thunder dragon. A dazzling white light enveloped the area. When the lightning dissipated, the deck was nothing but ash, and a massive gap was left in the deck.
Ivankov, charred and smoking, lay at the bottom. Blood poured from his seven orifices. The air was filled with the smell of blood and burning flesh.
"Is that the power of the Thunder-Thunder Fruit? How can you have two Devil Fruit abilities at the same time?!" Dragon's pupils suddenly contracted, and a rare look of horror appeared on his face. The Float-Float Fruit and the Thunder-Thunder Fruit were both powers capable of dominating the seas, yet they had appeared in the same person. Wasn't it a law of the world that taking two Devil Fruits would cause you to explode? How was this man still alive?
Dragon felt his worldview shatter. He finally understood the gravity of the situation. A man with the Float-Float Fruit, which could manipulate seawater, was tricky enough. Now he also had the Thunder-Thunder Fruit. No wonder the black-haired boy was so confident he could take on their entire group alone.
Without a moment's hesitation, Dragon made a choice.
"Tell me who you want."