At first, as Dante looked over the collected information, his mind was struck with a thunderous shock, feeling that something must be wrong.
But as the information slowly came together, with his temperament, how could he not notice the underlying issues?
Among the recruits from that batch, apart from Rowen, who was a monster, Dante was the fastest to rise. At a young age, he had already reached the position of Rear Admiral, renowned as the sharpest blade in the Marines and bearing the name "Marine Ghost Sword."
All of this was due to his hard work and talent.
After the initial shock, anger quickly followed!
To deal with the era of pirates, how many sacrifices and how much blood had the Marines shed?
Including the hardships faced in the recruit camp, it was all due to rampant piracy.
Yet now, he was being told that "Marine Hero" Garp had adopted the son of "Pirate King" Roger.
The confusion and resentment built up in his chest, causing Dante to scratch his head in frustration, almost going mad.
Betrayal from within!
Dante barely managed to keep himself from shouting out those words.
He had once idolized Garp so much, but now, his hatred matched the admiration he once had.
Sensing the killing intent emanating from Dante, Rowen put down the documents and tapped the ashes from his cigar into the ashtray.
"Do you know why I agreed to have you as my aide after graduation, Dante?"
Shuā!
Dante's killing intent instantly receded, tightening his focus, and he asked with confusion, "Why?"
"Because you and I are similar!"
Rowen grinned. "Neither of us is content with mediocrity. Whether it's power or influence, we both have our own pursuits."
"But…"
"The Marine is a place where seniority is valued. Besides strength, you also need experience, military merit, and even some luck. You have to be in a high position to make the Quinn Family a great Marine family again."
Dante's pupils contracted.
Indeed.
Including his persistent challenge against Rowen, his deepest desire was driven by his unwillingness to be ordinary.
But reviving the Queen's household was an obsession he couldn't let go of.
"So you chose to gamble."
"You placed your hopes on a rising star like me, willing to take greater risks rather than following the so-called seniors step by step, wasting time."
"For someone who dares to bet everything on the unknown, tell me, what reason do I have to refuse?"
Dante fell silent.
"Do you remember when I said that in three to five years, I needed you to reach the peak?"
"Naturally, I remember!"
Over the years, Dante had trained relentlessly while taking care of himself, maintaining his true peak.
"Then now is the time."
Rowen stood up, biting his cigar, and spread his arms. "Help me in ruling the world?"
Bang!
A thunderclap exploded in Dante's mind.
He looked up in disbelief, staring at Rowen with shock.
He had sensed Rowen's ambition, so he chose to gamble.
But he never imagined that Rowen's ambition would be so vast?
So great it was almost impossible to conceal, so grand that it defied the heavens!
Gazing deeply at Rowen, as if trying to imprint that broad figure into his soul, Dante kneeled on one knee after a full five minutes.
"Forgive me for being blunt, Vice Admiral, but even as the first dual Dictator in Marine history, you do not have the qualifications to challenge the government."
This was an acceptance.
There was no possibility of refusal. Excluding the fact that Rowen was a henchman, Dante's own grand ambitions made refusal impossible.
Men are prisoners of their desires.
Having something they want gives them the drive to strive.
It's only a matter of degree.
"No, why challenge the government?"
Seeing this, Rowen slightly nodded, then shot out an electric arc, opening an Electromagnetic Barrier to help Dante up.
"I want to overthrow the ruling position, not just to dismantle and rebuild."
"It's a coup, not a rebellion."
In this geographical environment, without strong constraints, the world would only rage, with islands establishing their own kingdoms.
Such a situation, like the current Sea Pirate era, was not what Rowen desired.
"But, the government's depth is immeasurable. Overthrowing the Gorōsei (Five Elder Stars)… is not easy!"
"So, I think you all need to meet."
---
The World News Paper announced that the World Government will publicly execute Gol D. Jason, the son of Pirate King Roger, in one month.
Huā Lā La!
Instantly, the world was in uproar.
Roger actually had a son?
This was the first shock for countless people.
The second shock was the government's resolve!
The public execution location was none other than the "Holy Land" Mary Geoise!
The event would be broadcast live from Sabaody, with all news agencies able to relay the broadcast, showing no restraint.
For ordinary people, Mary Geoise, true to its nickname "Holy Land," was sacred, untouchable, and a place to revere from afar.
Previously, it only existed in fantasy.
But now, they finally had a chance to glimpse the Holy Land.
And!
The government would invite a certain number of Kingdom Nobles and even non-Allied Kingdom Member Nations' Lords to attend the ceremony, to witness this historic moment.
As Rowen had anticipated.
If the government had directly invited pirates, it would seem somewhat contrived, making it appear as if the government was setting a trap for the pirates.
Therefore, in addition to Allied Kingdom Members, their invitation list included those non-Allied Kingdom Members who had been reluctant to align with them.
If any pirates wanted to attend, they would have to arrange their own invitations.
Not only did this make the government appear magnanimous and morally superior, but it also killed two birds with one stone, further dealing with non-Allied Kingdom Members.
Rumor had it that this was Sengoku's suggestion.
As a result, Sengoku received countless wary glances and many government officials secretly sent gifts, indicating how good their relationship was and begging him not to target them in the future!
Rowen, too, received a large number of gifts, many of which were curious items from the One Piece World.
Among them were three thumb-sized Sea crystals.
This was because they had learned that the key points Rowen raised in the decision were the main reasons for the Gorōsei (Five Elder Stars) agreeing.
Countless factions were astonished.
With these two schemers around.
Today's Marines were terrifying beyond imagination!
When the news spread to the New World.
[The Red Force] was docked in a natural bay on a desolate island. "Akagami" Shanks was leaning against the railing, his expression grave.
Then…
Pū chī!
"This isn't something to laugh about, Shanks."
Beckman roared with a fierce expression, then weakly rubbed his forehead. "Even if we know that this Jason isn't Roger's son, others don't know!"
"They will take it seriously."
Once the fact that the "Pirate King's son was publicly executed by the government" was confirmed, pirate morale would suffer unprecedentedly.
At that point, does the truth really matter?
Could they reveal Ace's real identity just to embarrass the government?
"Sorry… sorry, I know, but… hā hā hā hā hā!!!"
Beckman: "…"
Beckman sighed weakly, then turned to the newcomer Rockstar and said, "It's up to you, newcomer. The opponent is the renowned Whitebeard, so be careful."
Beckman, known as a strategist in the One Piece World and praised as the smartest in the early stages by Oda, immediately spotted the traps hidden in the news.
Although the newspaper explicitly rejected pirates, as always, did they really not need to make any comments?
The answer was naturally no.
However, rather than a single viewpoint, Beckman hoped that the leader of this era, Whitebeard, would step up and face it with them.
Ideally, they would call Ace back from his pursuit of Teach to avoid any accidents.
"Rest assured, Vice Captain, I will not disgrace the Red Hair Pirates!"
Rockstar said with full enthusiasm, patting his chest.
As a former pirate with a bounty of 94,000,000, he had his own pride, but after witnessing the epic battle with the Marines, Rockstar realized what true strength was.
So, after the war, he decisively joined the Red Hair Pirates.
This was the first quest assigned to him by the pirate crew, and Rockstar vowed to complete it perfectly with his life.
"There's no need to be so serious, really…"
Beckman said halfway, then sighed. "Alright, go quickly and come back quickly. Be careful."
"Understood!!!"
---
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