The night grew deeper, and the sea breeze brushed against their clothes, bringing a touch of coolness.
Dragon's eyes were filled with pain and confusion, like a traveler lost in a thick fog, desperately needing a guiding light.
Kane knew his opportunity had come.
He didn't answer Dragon's question immediately, but instead cautiously looked around.
After confirming no one was around, Kane looked back at Dragon, his expression becoming more serious than ever before.
"Dragon, you ask me what justice is. Before I answer you, I must tell you one thing."
He took a step forward, closing in on Dragon's personal space.
"If those complaints you just uttered were heard by CP0, even if you are Vice Admiral Garp's son, you'd spend the rest of your life counting cockroaches in the Eternal Hell of Impel Down."
Dragon's body jolted, but he didn't back down. Instead, he met Kane's gaze, a flame of determination burning in his eyes.
"If speaking the truth is rebellion... then I'd rather be a rebel! If this is the 'order' the Marines maintain, then I might as well not wear this uniform!"
"Good! Well said!" Kane suddenly laughed, his smile carrying appreciation and a hint of cunning.
"Now, let me answer your question." Kane's gaze became as sharp as a blade. "Do you think justice is wrong? No."
"Justice itself is never wrong. Desiring fairness, desiring peace, desiring not to be bullied at will by the strong—these are the simplest wishes of every living being. That is justice."
"What is wrong is not justice. What is wrong are those high and mighty people who define 'justice'!"
Boom!
These words were like a thunderclap exploding in Dragon's mind.
He was completely stunned.
Justice isn't wrong; the people who define justice are wrong?
Seeing Dragon's shocked expression, Kane nodded inwardly with satisfaction and slowly paced to Dragon's side, standing shoulder to shoulder with him.
"Imagine, Dragon. This world is like a giant tree."
"If a giant tree's leaves turn yellow, you can prune the branches. But if its roots are rotten from the inside out, what use is pruning the leaves?"
Kane pointed to the fluttering seagull flag above their heads, then pointed toward the distant Holy Land Mary Geoise.
"We Marines are the gardeners of this tree. We diligently prune the branches every day, catching the pests called 'pirates.' However, the roots of this tree called the 'world'—the World Government and the Celestial Dragons—have completely rotted away!"
"When the roots are rotten, no matter how hard we prune, we are only prolonging the life of a rotten tree. Do you think such work has any meaning?"
"Instead of futilely pruning branches, why not... pull it up by the roots!"
"Pull it up by the roots..."
Dragon murmured those words, his body trembling slightly with excitement. he felt his blood burning.
"Then... then what should I do?"
Dragon's voice was hoarse, as if he were calling for help. "Overthrow them? Relying on what? Relying on me alone?"
"Of course not."
Kane smiled.
He began to instill into Dragon the "Dragon-slaying arts" that had been verified by countless people in his previous life, using language the people of this world could understand.
"Dragon, why do you think the Celestial Dragons have been able to rule the world without worry for 800 years?"
Dragon frowned. "Because they have the Marines, the CP agencies, and powerful military force."
"No, that's just the surface." Kane shook his head. "Their most powerful weapon is 'order.' They set the rules and made the whole world used to being ruled by them. They brought kings and nobles to their side as allies, letting them help manage the commoners. And we Marines are the violent machine that maintains this order."
"So, if you want to overthrow them, you can't just rely on brute force. What you need to do is establish a brand new order!"
"A brand new order?" Dragon's breathing became rapid.
"Exactly." Kane's gaze grew deep. "A single spark can start a prairie fire. Your individual strength is limited, but the strength of millions of oppressed commoners is infinite!"
"You need to go to the most remote and poorest allied nations, to the places where people are most brutally oppressed by nobles and pirates. The people there have the deepest hatred for the World Government; they are your initial sparks!"
"You must tell them that everyone is born equal, and no one is born to be a slave! You must give them weapons, teach them to fight, and give them the power to resist! You must unite all forces that can be united: farmers, workers, and even criminals who are hunted by the Marines but have a conscience!"
"What is this called? This is called 'Surrounding the cities from the countryside'! Start from the edges of the world and slowly eat away at the World Government's foundation of rule. When your flames spread across the entire world, that magnificent palace in Mary Geoise will be as fragile as paper!"
Dragon listened, entranced. He felt a magnificent blueprint unfolding before his eyes.
He pulled out a small notebook and a pen he carried with him and began to frantically record every word Kane said.
"Surrounding the cities from the countryside..."
"Unite the bottom layer..."
"Establish a new order..."
His hand was shaking, not from fear, but from an unprecedented excitement. These theories were things he had never heard of, yet they seemed to contain the absolute truths of the universe!
He looked up, staring at Kane with eyes full of fanatical admiration.
"Kane... you... why do you know so much?"
Kane laughed inwardly, but maintained a look of profound mystery on his face. "I just read some 'forbidden books,' that's all."
He couldn't exactly say these were summarized by a great man from another world.
"Dragon, remember." Kane made his final concluding statement. "To slay a dragon, one must first become a more powerful 'dragon.' But the power of this 'dragon' doesn't come from bloodline, but from millions of people. You need a slogan, a flag that can unite everyone by your side."
"For example... 'Freedom,' 'Equality'?"
On the last page of his notebook, Dragon heavily wrote down the words "Revolutionary Army."
He looked up at Kane with a gaze that was like looking at a deity.
"Kane, you are the comrade I have been searching for! Join me! Together, let us create a brand new world!"
Looking at Dragon's fanatical eyes, Kane's heart skipped a beat.
"No, no, no," he quickly waved his hands, "I'm a man of no great ambition. I just want to slack off in the Marines, get promoted, and get rich. Revolting is a head-losing business; it's too dangerous and doesn't suit me."
Was he kidding? He just wanted to farm points, not actually join the Revolutionary Army. That was too tiring, and they didn't even pay a salary.
Hearing his words, Dragon wasn't disappointed but instead showed an "I understand" expression.
"I understand." Dragon said solemnly, "You need to be a comrade lurking within the enemy's ranks, passing information to us and dealing a fatal blow at the critical moment! Kane, I understand your painstaking efforts! Rest assured, I will never reveal your identity to anyone!"
Kane: "..."
No, what the hell do you understand? I really just want to live a lazy life!
This ability to overthink—as expected of Luffy's father, it's hereditary!
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