Garp held Luffy in his arms, his gaze filled with both confusion and excitement.
If the purpose of coming to see Dragon was to persuade him to leave the Revolutionary Army, then the moment Luffy was placed in his arms, the situation changed.
Garp only had Dragon as his child and naturally hoped Dragon would rejoin the Navy.
But now it was different, because Garp had Luffy.
He no longer needed to concern himself with Dragon's choices, he only needed to raise Luffy well as his successor.
"Dragon, I understand your stance. I'll take Luffy with me. I'll do my best to mediate matters concerning the Revolutionary Army within the Navy, but the World Government already has its eyes on you. In the days to come, if you ever need anything, remember to call me. Your old man will always be your pillar of support."
Garp was fond of little Luffy, who was already fast asleep in his arms. He felt the boy resembled him—clearly cut out to be a Navy man.
As for Dragon, Garp knew that even if he tried to pressure him with his authority as a father, Dragon would never change his mind.
This had been proven back when Dragon left the Navy to travel the world. Dragon was a man who held firmly to his beliefs and would never give up.
"When Luffy grows up, should we tell him about your identity?" Garp asked.
Dragon looked tenderly at his son's small face and spoke with a heavy tone, "Father, my identity will bring great trouble to both Luffy and you, so please don't deliberately tell Luffy about it. If Luffy asks when he grows up, then you can tell him what kind of person I am."
Dragon said nothing more.
As for whether the Revolutionary Army could succeed in opposing the World Government, he had not yet seen the dawn of hope.
But Dragon knew that this world needed someone to light a torch, to drive away the darkness that enveloped everything.
Only when scattered sparks gathered together could they coalesce into a flame capable of burning away all evil.
Garp quickly left the Polar North Country because he was uncertain where the CP Organization's spies were or whether they had seen his movements.
So he departed the North Blue at the fastest speed possible, heading straight for his hometown, Windmill Village.
He had a Bandit friend there.
Entrusting Luffy to him should help avoid persecution by the CP Organization.
...
It was only long after Garp had left that Dragon finally snapped out of his thoughts.
With a somber expression, he called for the Revolutionary Army's officers.
Many were unaccustomed to Dragon summoning them for a meeting in the middle of the night.
Dragon looked around at the familiar faces and forced a strained smile.
"Since everyone is here, let me explain the next steps of our Revolutionary Army's plan."
All the officers in the room sensed something was off about Dragon's mood, but out of trust in him, no one spoke up.
Dragon pulled out a document. "This contains detailed intelligence about our Revolutionary Army. If someone hadn't reported it to me, I wouldn't have believed such a thing could happen within our own ranks. It proves that an organization without discipline cannot achieve great things."
"Many of our officers were corrupted while undercover in kingdoms. When they overthrew the original kings, a new aristocratic class had already formed."
The officers passed the document around. Its contents could only be described as shocking.
Both the officers absorbed during the Revolutionary Army's expansion and the veterans who had originally been part of the Self-defense Force had begun amassing wealth and indulging in luxury.
The squad leaders and mid-level commanders who had joined them in overthrowing the kings had transformed into noble lords.
Taking advantage of Dragon's presence in the Polar North Country, they deceived those above and concealed matters from those below.
Although no serious problems were apparent yet, Dragon knew one thing: no one becomes a major corrupt figure from the start.
Everyone begins bit by bit, gradually walking down the path of possessing wealth and privilege—a path with no return.
Such matters are common within the Navy, so Dragon has always dealt with such issues with thunderbolt-like severity.
"The Revolutionary Army overthrew the rule of the corrupt nobility not so that we could become the new nobility. We must put a stop to this before such practices spread throughout the Revolutionary Army."
"Starting tomorrow, every Army Commander and Deputy Army Commander will lead their guard units to conduct secret investigations into the operations we have established. Wherever we develop, we must address issues there. Our foundation lies with the suffering people across the world, so we must never become the very group we despise the most."
All the cadres present were filled with righteous indignation.
Many had joined because they were driven by passion and a willingness to follow Dragon in attempting to overthrow the world.
This was the golden age of the Revolutionary Army's development.
If it were undermined from the grassroots level like this, they would all be furious to death.
"Leader, I have a question. When we discover corrupted cadres, how should we deal with them? Should we bring them back for trial or execute them secretly?"
Crow's words plunged everyone present into deep thought.
After all, these were comrades who had survived the battlefield together and endured those arduous months.
Asking them to take action made them reluctant.
A fierce killing intent appeared on Dragon's face, and a powerful aura gathered above the Revolutionary Army's base.
Dragon's expression turned ashen, and the words he spoke were icy cold.
"For those involved in amounts below five hundred thousand Berries, strip them of their original positions and have them atone for their crimes as prisoners. Only by achieving new merits can they resume their roles as cadres."
"For those involved in amounts of five hundred thousand Berries or more, including oppressing the people, seizing women, or killing civilians without cause—execute them publicly. No one is allowed to plead for mercy!"
Dragon slammed the table forcefully.
"The Revolutionary Army is not child's play! If anyone wants to leave, do so now. But if I discover anyone using their position in the Revolutionary Army for personal gain, don't blame me for disregarding past sentiments! For those who violate the Revolutionary Army's discipline, I will investigate thoroughly!"
Since Dragon had spoken to this extent, everyone else understood.
Fortunately, they had been in the Polar North Country all along, and none of the incidents Dragon mentioned—those that would affect the people's perception of the Revolutionary Army—had occurred there.
Of course, those present were no fools. They knew that no matter what, they must not jeopardize their foundational support.
The people's support was the sole reason for the Revolutionary Army's rapid development.
"Starting tomorrow, you will set out and report your progress to me daily." Dragon took out several slips of paper, each bearing the name of a kingdom in different seas.
He intended to use this method to eliminate the drawbacks of self-selection.
If these people are dealt with, the Revolutionary Army's combat strength will surely rise.
This thought crossed Dragon's mind.
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