[One Day Later]
Far out on the Grand Line, Dragon had already received news from the Holy Land.
Not only had he received information relayed from Moa, but Figarland had also sent them messages.
"Dragon, what are you going to do this time? That guy is going to get serious," Shanks walked toward Dragon in a steady voice. Although reluctant, he had taken on the burden of communicating between Figarland and Dragon to avenge the Roger Pirates.
"Split up into small groups and just hide. We've got plenty of supplies now, lay low for a few years and it's no problem."
Dragon didn't care. The sea is huge; even if the World Government wanted to find one person, it wouldn't be easy.
"You know too little about the World Government."
Shanks shook his head seriously, "If they detect the slightest trace of us, they can trace it through Devil Fruit abilities. Even if we hide, they'll close in on us. Also, I suspect there are moles inside your Revolutionary Army."
"I knew there were moles in the Revolutionary Army since Saint Arlin hunted us, but now is not the time to catch moles."
Dragon shook his head, though his expression had grown considerably more solemn.
The reason they attacked the Drum Kingdom this time, to be blunt, was on Figarland's commission.
Because of the Holy Land incident, the Revolutionary Army wasn't doing well now.
And with the appearance of the Employment Association, the Revolutionary Army had lost its ecological niche.
Compared to violent revolution, the gentler reforms of the Employment Association obviously appealed more to ordinary people.
To maintain the status quo, at least to buy support until the destiny appears, Dragon accepted Figarland's request and led the attack on the Drum Kingdom.
Whether Rosse would be hurt by it wasn't in his considerations.
The current World Government can't be toppled by one or two small incidents.
The main reason they agreed was that Figarland was willing to provide them shelter and massive material support.
Also, by taking out the Drum Kingdom, the medical tech and doctors plundered could help him and the NEO Marine.
He still felt some guilt for the NEO Marine's earlier loss of face, so this was a chance to make up for it.
"Cut it off at the root. If you don't remove the mole now, you'll only have more trouble later," Shanks couldn't really understand Dragon's actions, but he wasn't part of the Revolutionary Army, so he had no standing to say much.
"It's not that I don't want to, but I feel that the person hidden behind the Revolutionary Army might very well be Moa," Dragon sighed.
"Moa? That maid of hers? The woman who publicly revealed the Revolutionary Army at the World Conference?", Shanks frowned slightly. He didn't know Moa very well, only that she made a splash at the World Conference this time.
"She used to be a member of the Revolutionary Army and was an important officer comparable to Ivankov," Dragon's face turned bitter as he recounted Moa's past.
When he mentioned the part where Moa was taken away and he feared a trap and didn't rescue her, Shanks already looked odd.
To be honest, it's hard to judge.
Right now everyone is in a cooperative relationship, and there aren't many people on the seas to cooperate with, otherwise Shanks would definitely keep his distance from Dragon.
If a comrade is captured and about to be humiliated, your first thought is whether it's a trap?
Serves that person right, creating a Revolutionary Army that collapses from within. Shanks felt that if he were in the Revolutionary Army, he definitely wouldn't follow Dragon.
"Do you think I did it wrong?", Dragon's expression was complicated.
"You messed up spectacularly."
Shanks didn't mince words; they were partners, and Dragon wasn't his superior, "You never treated Moa as a true comrade. From what you said just now, Moa used to be a very kind person and would never betray her comrades. She became what she is today because of you. Even if you only staged a rescue, Moa probably wouldn't have become what she is now."
"Maybe…", Dragon sighed lightly, but didn't think he'd done anything wrong.
Moa was an important partner, but the Revolutionary Army was far more important than Moa.
If he had to do it again, he'd make the same choice.
They weren't playing pirates. If that had been a trap, the Revolutionary Army would have been doomed.
Even if Moa betrayed him, at least it wouldn't be crippling right now.
"And what are you thinking now? That Moa is the mysterious Revolutionary Army leader?"
Shanks immediately saw through Dragon's thought, but didn't say more, only inwardly looked down on him.
To Shanks, Dragon was a bit like Garp.
Hesitant, seeming to have great ambitions but actually unable to accomplish great things.
Just like when Garp chased Roger, even when Roger was at his weakest, Garp didn't choose to arrest him and still thought of catching him honorably.
If Garp had gone all out after the Gold Lion Sea Battle, they wouldn't have escaped.
Before the Holy Land incident, Shanks thought the Garp father-son temperament was fine. After all, the two sides would never become teammates.
But fate is strange; when such people become allies, it becomes a bit nauseating.
Shanks had no doubt that if his own people were captured, Dragon would not come to their rescue, at most he'd make a symbolic appearance.
"I truly think she's the Revolutionary Army leader. The Revolutionary Army is split into two factions now: the newcomers who joined after the Holy Land incident, and the old members from before Saint Arlin hunted us."
Dragon didn't care about Shanks' opinion.
What a joke, Shanks had no idea about his lofty ambitions or how much pressure he felt every day.
If Shanks were in his position, he'd probably have already collapsed.
Only he, only he could lead the Revolutionary Army into destiny and eventually defeat Rosse's World Government.
"I've heard that. Most newcomers joined because of you, so they're under your control. But among the old members, apart from Kuma and Ivankov and a few officers, the rest seem to have stopped associating with you."
Shanks glanced at the other side of the deck, watching Ivankov and the others playing and roughhousing, and thought those three were probably the abnormal ones.
After being betrayed by Dragon, the elders' behavior actually seemed normal.
"It's true. I had Ivankov test them. They hadn't met that commander, but they could roughly guess the identity, and their words contained sympathy," Dragon said calmly.
"So you think it's Moa? That she's someone inside enemy ranks whose heart is with the Revolutionary Army?", Shanks asked oddly.
"I'm eighty percent sure it's her. But you're wrong about one thing, she no longer has her heart with the Revolutionary Army. She wants me dead, then to replace me and take full control of the Revolutionary Army. If she succeeds, Rosse will control the Revolutionary Army, and the world will be finished!", Dragon said earnestly.
"Uh…", Shanks opened his mouth but didn't voice the swear words in his head.
'Fine, this is your internal Revolutionary Army business. Do as you please.'
"So what are you going to do now?"
"You notify Figarland, if you get a chance, kill Moa!"
"Ho?"
"That's the only way to save the Revolutionary Army. Please!"
"I can't decide that, but I'll tell them."
Shanks took two barely perceptible steps back, but in the end agreed to convey the matter.
No matter what, Moa is on Rosse's side, killing her would be beneficial.