Carlo rested both hands on the railing as the sea breeze brushed past, sunlight shimmering across the waves.
"The destruction of Ohara is the same. Not many people care about that place. The only one who cares is you… the survivor.
"If Kuzan hadn't let you go back then, no one in this world would hate Fleet Admiral Sakazuki because of Ohara. Because it has nothing to do with them. They have no reason to hate him. It wasn't their island that was destroyed, nor their families that were killed."
He seemed to recall something and glanced at Robin. "Strictly speaking… you don't have a reason to hate him either."
His words struck deep. Robin could not refute them. The scholars of Ohara had never spoken for those erased islands, because to them, those places were truly… insignificant.
Still, when it came to the destruction of Ohara and her hatred toward Sakazuki, she frowned tightly.
"Why?"
Carlo replied, "What your mother did was strictly forbidden by the World Government. The same goes for the scholars on that island. They knowingly broke the law, and they did it for hundreds of years.
"Don't talk about having the right to know the truth. You can't deny that the only legitimate authority in this world is the World Government. For the past eight hundred years, it has always been like that.
"The scholars of Ohara didn't follow the rules. They chose to step outside them, just like pirates stepping outside the rules while shouting about freedom. Ohara simply used a different method, a different role, and shouted about truth instead.
"That is the reason for Ohara's destruction.
"As for hating because of the civilians on the island… that makes even less sense. Didn't those people refuse to let you board the ship? And your harsh aunt? Your indifferent uncle?
"You have no reason to hate Fleet Admiral Sakazuki because of them. They might have had a reason to hate him… but they're all dead. That chain of cause and effect has already ended."
Robin opened her mouth, then let out a weak sigh. "Are all of you… masters at brainwashing…"
She could no longer argue. She could not even find words to counter him.
Carlo smiled. "Without some methods, how could we have come this far? In the end, it's still because Fleet Admiral Sakazuki is that capable. He taught me. And I… taught you."
Robin sighed softly and said nothing, resting her arms on the railing as she stared into the distance.
Carlo stood beside her for a while, then stretched lightly. "There's no need to struggle so much. Because in this world, aside from the few who truly control it, everything else has nothing to do with everyone else.
"To them, nothing in this world really matters, because the ones who control the world are only those few people. They decide everyone's fate… and the fate of the world.
"Among them, Fleet Admiral Sakazuki is one. There are a few within the World Government. And the leader of the Revolutionary Army, Dragon… counts as half."
A few black lines seemed to flash across Robin's forehead. "Half? And… do the Four Emperors not count?"
Carlo gave her a strange look. "Ah, I forgot."
When he told Sabo about the Industrial Revolution and Oppression and Resistance being written by Sakazuki, she had already fainted, so he explained.
"The Industrial Revolution I taught you was written by Sakazuki. The book revered by the Revolutionary Army, Oppression and Resistance, was also written by him. Even Dr. Vegapunk's technological support for the Revolutionary Army was allowed by Fleet Admiral Sakazuki…"
As if worried Robin might not handle it, he shifted the topic to pirates.
"As for those pirates… they don't qualify. They're nothing more than weeds that grow everywhere by the roadside every spring. The Four Emperors are just slightly stronger weeds. A single cut… and they're gone.
"For eight hundred years, countless powerful figures and heroes have appeared on the seas. But those truly remembered… are almost none. Even someone as strong as Rocks is unknown in today's world.
"Perhaps only Roger, and the pirates of this era, will leave some trace in history. Do you know why?"
Still in shock, Robin shook her head.
Seeing this, Carlo let out a soft laugh, gazing toward the distant sea as he spoke quietly,
"Because they once stood as enemies of Fleet Admiral Sakazuki. And that… will become their greatest honor, recorded in the history of future generations."
Robin looked at the confident Carlo and felt slightly dazed.
"…Is that so…"
She could see what the light in his eyes meant. It was an unshakable belief. Many in the Revolutionary Army had looked at her with the same light.
But everything she had taught the Revolutionary Army had come from the man before her, and everything he had learned came from that Marine Fleet Admiral, Sakazuki…
Carlo turned to look at her, smiled, and picked up the glass of water.
"Stop thinking about the Revolutionary Army. The future of this world lies only in the decisions of those few people. It has nothing to do with anyone else. Just stay here quietly for a while. Once we shatter all the darkness in this world…"
Holding the cup, he turned and walked toward the Fleet Admiral's office.
"Then choose a life you like… and live it to the end. Robin."
His figure disappeared from her sight.
Only after a long while did Robin come back to her senses and let out a slow breath. She turned around, resting her arms on the railing as she gazed out at the vast world before her.
For some reason, this island, which looked so heavily fortified and severe, now felt strangely peaceful and calm.
Robin's heart gradually settled.
* * *
Although the headquarters seemed calm and out of place compared to the rest of the world, the war had not stopped for a single moment.
Due to troop distribution in the New World, the Marines' main forces were concentrated in the central region, while the defensive lines on both sides, guarded by Kuzan and Enel, were continuously pushed back by Knox and Shanks.
But after the lessons from Kaido and Shanks, the pirates no longer sent their top fighters recklessly into battle. Instead, both sides fought with regular forces, clashing over islands in prolonged wars of attrition between lower-ranking pirates and Marines.
However, the pirates somehow obtained detailed intelligence on nearly every island, forcing the Marines to adopt a strategy of fighting while retreating. For a time, the pirates gained the upper hand.
With the alliance between Big Mom and Kaido, the Whole Cake Island front also started to fall back, leaving only Wano locked in a stalemate.
The only notable victories came from the encirclement campaigns led by Aramaki and Borsalino.
Until several days later…
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