Momonga and Cleveland exchanged a glance—they truly hadn't considered this point.
They had only analyzed from intelligence reports how vast the Revolutionary Army's strength was, causing them to overlook its combat effectiveness.
Because under the Navy reform plan led by Raleigh, most efforts were focused on replacing Navy branch commanders and capturing pirates.
There had been no direct clashes with Revolutionary Army soldiers.
Cleveland frowned and asked, "But that still doesn't explain why the World Government would send people to arrest the Revolutionary Army's Army Commanders. And why hasn't the World Government considered cutting off the Revolutionary Army's foundation for development? Something even we can see clearly—there's no reason the World Government, which has ruled the world for eight hundred years, wouldn't understand."
Raleigh smiled and said in a teasing tone, "It's not that there are no smart people within the World Government. It's just that they see the problems but dare not raise them. Since you've asked this question, let me ask you: where does the Revolutionary Army's foundation for development lie?"
Cleveland thought for a moment and replied, "It's likely because the nobles of the Affiliate Nations are too corrupt, and the taxes are so high that the people cannot survive. To survive, they have no choice but to turn to the Revolutionary Army for hope."
Raleigh snapped his fingers. "Exactly, that's where the problem lies. Everyone knows that to become a World Government Affiliate Nation, a large amount of Celestial Tribute must be paid to the World Government, and the source of that tribute is the nation's taxes."
"So now, to maintain the stability of their regimes, the kings and nobles of the Affiliate Nations can only continuously exploit the people to obtain sufficient Celestial Tribute. But have you ever considered that the World Government would never give up this Celestial Tribute?"
"If someone within the World Government truly proposed reforming the Celestial Tribute system, the first to die wouldn't be the Revolutionary Army—it would be the person who suggested it."
"The World Government has stood for eight hundred years. I don't believe no force has ever tried to challenge its authority. I won't mention events too far in the past, but didn't the Rocks Pirates also start targeting the World Government only after becoming the New World Overlord and letting their ambitions grow unchecked? In the end, they were utterly destroyed."
Raleigh sighed.
"In the eyes of the true rulers of the World Government, the current Revolutionary Army is nothing more than a minor nuisance, aside from its rapid growth. You must understand that in this world, victory isn't determined by the masses—it's determined by the top-tier powerhouses."
"No matter how many ordinary people there are, they're just cannon fodder, easily wiped out by a single strike from a powerhouse."
After hearing this, Momonga and Cleveland fell silent.
There was no way to refute it.
Ordinary people are useless against top-tier powerhouses, no matter how many there are. Even if they were armed with cannons, they still couldn't harm a top-tier powerhouse.
With just a release of Conqueror's Haki, large numbers of ordinary people could be instantly knocked unconscious.
For Ability users like Raleigh and Sakazuki, who possess Elemental Devil Fruits, if they were to unleash their full power, a single person could likely destroy a large kingdom.
This world is that cruel.
The opinions of ordinary people are as insignificant as the buzzing of mosquitoes in the eyes of the strong.
"The only powerhouse the Revolutionary Army currently has on the surface is Dragon alone. How can one person stand against two military organizations—the Navy and the World Government? The Navy alone has six Vice Admiral-level powerhouses, and the World Government has at least three. Moreover, the World Government holds a devastating weapon—Uranus," Raleigh said calmly.
Momonga lowered his head and smiled bitterly. "So, does that mean no matter which path Dragon takes, he can't oppose the World Government?"
Cleveland ran simulations on the sand table, but no matter how he calculated, he couldn't see any hope of victory for the Revolutionary Army.
He turned to Raleigh and asked, "Then what should the Revolutionary Army's path be in the future?"
Raleigh revealed a cruel smile. "Cannon fodder. The only reason the Revolutionary Army exists is to serve as a smokescreen for the New Marine Plan. The more significant the Revolutionary Army appears in the eyes of the World Government, the less they will notice our plans."
"Human energy and time are limited. If you burden someone with enough trivial and unimportant tasks, that person will become entangled in a sea of miscellaneous affairs, draining their focus. Isn't this exactly how we're dealing with Fleet Admiral Sengoku right now?"
In the dim cave, Raleigh's chilling words echoed.
Sengoku would never have imagined that the work he had grown accustomed to was actually part of a carefully crafted design.
The reason why battles between the Navy and Pirates had become so frequent, and why Sengoku had to sign so many documents, was all because Raleigh had orchestrated it based on Roger's final words.
Roger's wish was to open the Great Age of Pirates.
Only by opening the Great Age of Pirates would this sea be thrown into chaos.
Only through chaos would Joy Boy descend.
Countless strong men went out to become Pirates, and the heavy burden of the Celestial Tribute fell upon the children, the elderly, the weak, the sick, and the few men left behind in their hometowns.
Such soil was the most fertile breeding ground for the Revolutionary Army.
In the prophecy Roger saw, only by uniting the three forces—the Revolutionary Army, the Pirates, and the Navy—could there be any possibility of overthrowing the World Government.
However, Raleigh's thinking was different.
He disliked following predetermined plotlines.
Since he had been brought to this world, he was determined to make a name for himself in a grand and spectacular way.
Admiral was not his end goal, not even Fleet Admiral.
His true goal was to unite the people of the entire world, so that they would never kneel again, truly stand up, and become masters of their own destiny.
Momonga suddenly interjected, "If Dragon acts according to that forged Poneglyph we sent out, might the outcome be better?"
Raleigh rubbed his head and said nothing.
He had previously sent out the Poneglyph about the Industrial Revolution, but for the same reason as before.
Even if the Revolutionary Army launched an industrialization movement and liberated sufficient labor, at most it would only provide fresh blood for the growth of the Revolutionary Army.
Hoping to overthrow the World Government with just that was clearly impossible.
"Alright, let's stop talking about the Revolutionary Army for now. Let's discuss the issues within our own ranks." Raleigh shifted the topic.
In truth, his most important task was to understand how his own plans were progressing. Momonga and Cleveland nodded, and Momonga spoke up.
"Over these years, our people have gradually begun to take control of the Four Blues Branch commander positions. But just as you said, corruption has emerged within our ranks. Many, once they reach the position of branch commander, start down the same path of corruption as their predecessors. However, they don't know that every six months, we secretly send people to assess them. Regardless of the assessment results, they are all compiled and end up on our desks."
Raleigh showed no anger.
He had long anticipated that not everyone would hold fast to the belief in Justice. Many people's corruption starts little by little.
Even among the Navy branch commanders they had replaced, many had once shed blood and sweat for the cause of Justice to earn their high positions and generous rewards.
Time is truly a terrifying weapon, imperceptibly changing a person's perceptions.
Raleigh sighed.
---------
Read 40 chapters ahead and support me on patreon.
patreon (.)com/Newbietranslator