October 1st.
The Dawn struck again, destroying yet another slave depot operated by the Donquixote Family.
At the same time, Donquixote Doflamingo made no further moves. He neither contacted Sali, nor reached out to the Dawn or Ash. It was as if he had chosen to swallow the losses in silence.
A week later, the Dawn arrived at Gourmet Island.
Ash was in the middle of a casual argument with Jewelry Bonney over what not to eat for dinner when a Den Den Mushi began to ring.
The caller was Bartholomew Kuma.
After a brief exchange of pleasantries, the line shifted, and Monkey D. Dragon himself came on.
Ash had expected this.
What impressed him was the timing. Dragon had known Kuma possessed his contact information for over a year, yet only now chose to make the call. That level of restraint spoke volumes.
It was not difficult for Ash to guess why Dragon had reached out.
Years from now, Dragon would even consider cooperating with pirates against the World Government. That alone proved he was a calculating and pragmatic leader.
And Ash, in both strength and influence, stood far above ordinary pirates.
The timing, however, was the real clue.
Just one day earlier, the Dawn had docked at Flevance, Trafalgar Law's homeland, once known as the White Town of the North Blue.
Now it was nothing but ruins.
Yet beneath those ruins lay one of the Revolutionary Army's hidden bases in the North Blue.
As usual, Ash had only stopped briefly, leaving behind a Spatial Mark before preparing to depart. Then, recalling the presence of a major Revolutionary base, he casually swept the island with Observation Haki.
His Haki had immense range thanks to his powerful spirit, but his control over it was rough and unrefined. It was wide, but not precise.
At this stage, the Revolutionary Army had few true powerhouses. Their forces were scattered across the seas, and Flevance lacked any top-tier defender.
Ash's casual scan detected nothing noteworthy.
So he left.
However, the revolutionaries stationed there had no way of knowing how careless his observation truly was.
To those skilled in Observation Haki, such an overwhelming and blatant scan felt like a direct challenge.
Ash had hovered openly over Flevance, released his Haki without restraint, and then left without explanation.
To the informed, that act carried weight.
And Dragon was not someone who ignored implications.
Their first conversation remained formal at the start.
Dragon thanked Ash for assisting Kuma, then praised the Dawn's relentless campaign against pirates, especially its crackdown on slave traders in the North Blue.
Finally, he carefully steered the conversation toward possible cooperation.
Dragon spoke sparingly, but every word carried intent.
Ash found it exhausting.
Even in a first conversation, Dragon chose diplomacy and subtle probing.
Ash had no patience for that.
Ignoring the layered implications behind Dragon's words, he responded directly.
First, helping Kuma had nothing to do with the Revolutionary Army. It was a matter of personal respect, nothing more.
Second, hunting pirates across the seas was simply what the Dawn did. They were, after all, a pirate-hunting crew.
As for slavers and smugglers who were not technically pirates, dealing with them was just a convenient extension of that mission.
Finally, cooperation.
There would be none.
Ash did not soften his stance.
He openly criticized the Revolutionary Army's methods.
Trying to spark grassroots revolutions in a world dominated by overwhelming individual power was unrealistic.
Even if they succeeded in overthrowing a corrupt kingdom, what came next?
Could they guarantee a better life for the people they had just "freed"?
With the World Government still standing, the Revolutionary Army could not openly station troops to protect these nations.
So the outcome was predictable.
They would topple a regime, then leave.
Those so-called reborn kingdoms would be left exposed.
Would they rejoin the World Government for protection?
Unlikely.
After openly rebelling, they would only invite retaliation.
Without the Marines or any powerful backer, such nations would become easy targets for pirates.
Even if the people no longer paid the Heavenly Tribute, their lives would not improve.
In many cases, they would worsen.
Ash continued without pause.
What value did ordinary civilians hold in a war defined by overwhelming power?
A single Devil Fruit user could destroy an entire kingdom.
Even powerful nations like Alabasta struggled under constant pirate threats.
Flevance itself had already been destroyed.
The Sobel Kingdom in the South Blue, the Lulusia Kingdom years later, all served as examples.
Kingdoms that aligned with the Revolutionary Army often met the same fate.
They were either crushed by the Marines or erased entirely.
The conclusion was simple.
The Revolutionary Army could not solve the root problem.
Submit to the World Government, and people would suffer under heavy taxation, but survive.
Rebel, and without protection, they would face pirates or even direct military retaliation.
In this world, survival depended on power.
Ash made his position clear.
Revolution could only succeed through absolute dominance at the highest level of combat.
If the Revolutionary Army could not defeat the World Government in a single decisive strike, then they should focus on eliminating its strongest figures one by one.
The Celestial Dragons in Mary Geoise.
The Five Elders.
The God's Knights.
Imu.
Only by removing the pillars of power could they reshape the world.
In the end, wars were decided by those at the top.
Not by numbers.
From Ash's perspective, quietly building elite strength and striking at the heart of the enemy was far more effective than igniting scattered revolutions.
Still, he understood Dragon's situation.
The Revolutionary Army lacked top-tier fighters.
At present, only Monkey D. Dragon truly stood at that level.
Bartholomew Kuma came close, his Nikyu Nikyu no Mi holding immense potential, but his temperament limited him.
Below them were Emporio Ivankov, Inazuma, Karasu, Morley, and Lindbergh.
Impressive abilities, but not decisive forces in a true war.
Further down were Belo Betty, a still-developing Sabo, and others with limited combat value.
That was the reality.
The so-called Revolutionary Army had few who could truly change the course of battle.
Ash kept part of his thoughts to himself, but his critique was already enough.
Dragon fell silent for a long time.
He had likely considered these same issues before.
But knowing a problem and solving it were not the same.
In the end, Ash gave a final remark.
He would not join the Revolutionary Army.
But neither would he support the World Government.
In his eyes, the World Government was even worse.
Dragon did not dwell on the criticism.
Knowing Ash did not stand against them was enough.
Before ending the call, Ash added one last thought.
"Dragon, instead of focusing only on your revolution, pay attention to your son."
"Do not let pirates lure him out to sea. If anything, bring him into your ranks."
"If Monkey D. Luffy becomes a pirate, I will not show mercy."
The call ended.
Ash returned to his meal with Bonney as if nothing had happened.
On the other end, Dragon remained still, staring at the Den Den Mushi in silence.
His son was already twelve years old.
Thinking back to his own father's approach, Dragon realized something.
He had been absent.
Nearby, Sabo trained quietly, unaware.
It had been five years since he last saw Luffy and Ace.
Perhaps, it was finally time to return home.