Dragon stared at the slip of paper in his hand, his expression complicated.
The message written on it was brief—
But packed with meaning.
It mentioned both Garp's condition…
And Leno.
"Garp can recover… but he needs the body of a strong person," Dragon read quietly.
"And Leno is currently on Amazon Lily."
Looking at those two lines, Dragon didn't know how to describe his feelings.
Garp was his father.
Their ideals had never aligned—
But that didn't erase blood ties.
Not everyone possessed his resolve to overturn the entire world.
No matter what—
Garp was still his father.
Dragon had personally witnessed Leno severely injure him at Marineford.
How could he not feel anger?
If he didn't—
He wouldn't deserve to call himself a son.
And it wasn't just Garp.
Luffy had lost an eye because of Leno.
The note Sengoku passed along even revealed Leno's current location.
Revenge was within reach.
Dragon's thoughts surged—
But his body remained still.
His eyes filled with hesitation.
Because beyond being a son and a father—
He was the leader of the Revolutionary Army.
He carried the burden of overthrowing the World Government.
If the Marines truly concentrated their forces to besiege Leno—
For Dragon…
For the Revolutionary Army…
For the oppressed nations waiting for liberation—
This was a golden opportunity.
He could exploit the distraction.
Liberate more kingdoms.
Expand the Revolutionary Army's influence.
And at the same time—
Search for a suitable body for Garp.
Strategically, it was all upside.
On one side: personal vengeance.
On the other: the revolution.
Dragon found himself unable to decide.
So he turned to the person most involved.
He told Luffy everything written on the note.
"Luffy," Dragon said gravely, looking into his son's single remaining eye, "the Marines are going after Leno. If we join, you can take revenge."
He wished he could look into two eyes.
But Leno had destroyed the other beyond recovery.
Luffy adjusted his straw hat, shadowing his face.
He seemed less carefree than before.
"No."
He refused immediately.
Then he lifted his head.
His eye burned with fury.
"I'm the one who's gonna punch Leno flying!"
"My eye… Grandpa's injuries… I'll settle it myself!"
That was Luffy.
He would never let someone else defeat his enemy for him.
Dragon felt a strange sense of relief.
The answer aligned perfectly with the decision he secretly preferred.
Since Luffy wanted to defeat Leno himself—
It wouldn't be right for him to interfere.
A father should respect his son's will.
Yes.
That was the proper choice.
With a clear conscience, Dragon abandoned the idea of joining the assault on Leno.
Instead, he began planning how to capitalize on the Marines' diverted attention.
Soon after—
Fresh newspapers rained down across the world.
On the front page:
A massive photograph of Straw Hat Luffy ringing the Ox Bell atop the ruins of Old Marineford.
Beside it blared the headline:
[Shocking!!! Revolutionary Leader Assists His Son in Bold Act Against Marine Headquarters!!]
An outstanding example of sensational journalism.
The article quickly drew widespread attention.
The headline worked.
Unfortunately—
Most readers cursed the newspaper for clickbait.
"What's the big deal? He rang a broken bell?"
"Is this supposed to be news?"
"He lost an eye… but does that mean he got stronger?"
Luffy: Did I? Was that the trade?
Only a handful of perceptive readers—
And the scattered members of the Straw Hat crew—
Understood the true meaning.
They refused to believe Luffy risked everything just to make headlines.
Nami, Usopp, and Sanji quickly caught on.
Some of the slower members took longer—
But eventually—
Every Straw Hat understood.
The tattoo.
The bell.
A new rendezvous time.
Two years.
And when they saw Luffy's missing eye—
They understood even more.
They were too weak.
They needed time.
Time to become strong enough to protect their captain.
Stronger motivation than ever burned within them.
Perhaps in two years—
Their growth would surpass even what fate once intended.
On Amazon Lily—
Leno also skimmed the freshly delivered paper.
The overall direction hadn't changed much from what he remembered.
Just Luffy adjusting the timeline.
The only real difference?
Instead of Silvers Rayleigh escorting him—
It had been his father, Dragon.
"Tch. Having a dad really is convenient."
Leno tossed the newspaper aside.
"Still two years… I can't waste that time either."
He fell into thought.
Meanwhile, the girls chatted.
"Straw Hat's pretty tough," Perona said, floating in midair.
Kalifa adjusted her glasses.
"Dragon wouldn't bring him there for nothing. There was a purpose."
Robin studied the image of the bell and the tattoo.
"You're right. He was sending a message to his crew. Clever."
Soon, the more perceptive members explained the meaning to the others.
Just then—
A fragrant breeze swept in.
Hancock rushed over.
Her usual cold arrogance melted the moment she saw Leno—
But there was urgency in her eyes.
She stepped right over the discarded newspaper without a glance.
Aside from Leno—
She had no interest in any other man.
She wrapped her arms around Leno's and said anxiously:
"Leno-sama! The Marines… the Marines have arrived at Amazon Lily!"
Leno raised a brow.
"The Marines? How many? Who's leading them?"
Hancock's expression turned serious.
"Not many. Just one warship."
She paused.
"But… it's led by an Admiral. I think… it's Akainu."
◇ I'll be dropping one bonus chapters for every 10 reviews. comment
◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 100 Power Stones.
◇ You can read 60 chapter ahead on P@treon if you're interested: patreon.com/CanonBreaker