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Faced with such a straightforward threat, Dragon continued to smile radiantly, showing his molars. It wasn't an act; he genuinely had no fear of death.
This was a leader who built his ideals on his own life and death. He wanted to live, but only for the sake of his ideals.
If his ideals would fare better without him, he would gladly embrace death!
But at this moment, no one dared to let Dragon die.
A secret execution was never an option. As "the most heinous criminal in the world," he had to be publicly executed on the day his sentence was up, under the judgment of Marine Justice!
So, Rowen dispersed the lightning around him, had the human dog lie down as a chair, and sat on its back, lighting a cigar.
"Care for a puff?" He asked.
"No, thank you," Dragon replied.
"How boring..."
Rowen shook his head, biting the cigar, and lazily crossed his right leg over the other, blowing out a smoke ring.
"Honestly, Dragon, your silence is making us Marines look bad in front of the government... The Gorōsei (Five Elder Stars) don't have much time left. For the sake of the two favors I've done for you, could you at least give me some useful information?"
"Heh..." Dragon chuckled. "I do owe you for this, Vice Admiral Soryu. But asking me to betray my comrades to repay that debt? I'm afraid I can't do that."
"And besides..." Dragon's gaze shifted to a nearby cell. "Aren't you worried that what you're saying will reach the Gorōsei (Five Elder Stars)?"
Dragon, being a former Marine Vice Admiral, wasn't fooled by such tactics. The idea of weakening a stronghold from within was a well-known strategy.
It wasn't uncommon for infiltrators to live and suffer alongside their targets in order to gather information.
"I don't really care about that!" Rowen replied nonchalantly. "The Gorōsei (Five Elder Stars) aren't blind or deaf. They know full well that some Marines are connected to the Revolutionary Army. And as for your side, how many of your people are spies for the Marines?"
"Everyone just gets used to it."
Rowen continued with a relaxed expression, "Besides, the credit for capturing you is more than enough to make the Gorōsei (Five Elder Stars) turn a blind eye to me."
"I have the confidence to say this, and for that, I must thank you, Dragon!"
Capturing Dragon, the leader of the Revolutionary Army, was an enormous achievement— a benefit the government couldn't possibly refuse!
If anyone accused Rowen of having ties to the Revolutionary Army, the Gorōsei (Five Elder Stars) would probably just say, "If that's what an insider is, give us another dozen!"
Three to five more such captures, and the threat of the Revolutionary Army would be eliminated without a fight.
Dragon fell silent at these words.
In his memory, the Gorōsei (Five Elder Stars) were not opponents to be taken lightly. Any hint of suspicion would be magnified and dealt with swiftly and ruthlessly, no matter who the target was.
When had the Gorōsei (Five Elder Stars) changed?
Dragon's gaze grew serious.
It was after that young man who made the headlines by slaying the Hell Island Crab and was promoted from recruit straight to Rear Admiral!
"You don't seriously think the Revolutionary Army will succeed, do you?" Rowen suddenly asked.
"What do you mean?" Dragon was taken aback.
"The commanders of the four armies— East, West, South, and North— Sabo, and a few others... When you add up all the top forces of the Revolutionary Army, they might not even match up to a single Yonko crew."
"Wait!"
Dragon's eyes widened in disbelief, interrupting Rowen. "Yonko? Isn't the New World ruled by four Emperors?"
Level 6 of Impel Down is isolated from the world. Most people don't even know this level of the prison exists.
The only way the inmates can get information from the outside world is through new arrivals, who might share some news.
However, when it comes to the BIG MOM Pirates, the only one who was eligible to be imprisoned in Level 6 was Charlotte Linlin herself.
After her death in battle, the remaining members of her crew either died or escaped, creating a gap in the information flow.
Unlike Jinbe in the original story, who, despite not being among the top fighters, was sent to Level 6 because his betrayal as a Warlord of the Sea (Shichibukai) had too much of a negative impact on the government's image, thus justifying his erasure from existence.
Feeling the eyes of the others on him, Rowen realized something.
"I see, you all don't know yet."
Rowen grinned, his icy smile cutting through the air. "Not long after you were imprisoned, I led a second assault on Cake Island."
"By sheer luck..."
"I killed BIG MOM and completely wiped out the BIG MOM Pirates!"
"And with the merits from those two battles, I earned this."
Rowen took out a medal and pinned it to his chest. "Given your knowledge, you should know what this represents, right?"
Dragon's sunny demeanor finally darkened, like a cloud passing over a clear sky.
"Yes, of course, I know."
"A First Grade Glory Medal awarded by the government!!"
Since it's a First Grade Glory Medal, the fact is undeniable.
The New World's Yonko, a legendary figure who had defined the pirate era for over a decade, had been taken down by the Marines... The impact this would have on the world would be unprecedented!
At the same time, it rendered some of Dragon's backup plans completely useless.
"Kid, this BIG MOM you're talking about— was she strong?"
Suddenly, an old voice broke the silence. Rowen turned his head and hesitated for a moment before speaking in a doubtful tone, "Patrick Redfield?"
"Red the Aloof," or "Count Red," Patrick Redfield. Of course, he wasn't known by those titles yet, but as "Aloof Red," he was a shining legend of the old era.
His strength was immense; he stood shoulder to shoulder with Roger and Whitebeard, alone!
After defeating the then-Marine Fleet Admiral Kong in a duel and subsequently becoming weakened, he was captured by Garp and imprisoned in Impel Down Level 6. It had been nearly thirty years since then.
"That's right, it's me!"
Redfield had a pair of bright eyes, a youthful glint that didn't match his aged face, a fire still burning inside him.
This fire had sustained him in this lightless hell, waiting for the day he would emerge from his cocoon and unleash his vengeance on the world!
For such a monster among monsters, Rowen wasn't interested in overestimating himself. He shook his head gently and said, "She was indeed strong, but I don't think she would be a match for you... at your peak."
Even Whitebeard, a relic of the old era, could become the world's strongest in this age. So what would Red, who once stood on equal footing with Roger and Whitebeard, be like?
Perhaps in this era, only Kaido could rival him. Rowen himself lacked the experience to compare.
"Oh, right. In your time, her name might not have been as famous. Her real name is Charlotte Linlin."
Rowen added this detail, recalling the difference in their eras.
Charlotte Linlin had started having children at 18, but even after founding Totto Land, she couldn't escape the shadows cast by the three legends. It wasn't until Roger was captured and the Golden Lion escaped that the sea was left with only a disinterested Whitebeard, allowing her to rise.
That was only in the last decade or so.
To someone like Redfield, who had been imprisoned in Impel Down thirty years ago, the name "BIG MOM" might mean less than even a Supernova.
"Charlotte Linlin... So it was her, from Nox's ship..."
Red mulled it over, then sneered, "Don't tell me the Marines just picked up the scraps again?"
"No, you're wrong..."
**Bang!!**
Conqueror's Haki and the dragon-marked Thunder Cloud surged simultaneously, unleashing a terrifying pressure that instantly filled Level 6.
The solid walls began to crack, and sinister purple-black lightning danced around.
Rowen's eyes blazed with electric light as he grinned, "I tore her head off with my own hands, that's all!"
Red narrowed his eyes slightly.
This Haki...
This wild, unrestrained gaze!
He wasn't lying!
Red, possessing a mind-reading-like Observation Haki, didn't even need to use his ability to confirm the truth for himself.
"Interesting!"
"I'd love to fight you, Soryu!"
...