[The Next Day]
Moa was led out by Vanessa and the others. This time it was essentially the whole God's Knights Order mobilized; Shamrock was also among them.
With this lineup, even if Moa led them into a pincer by the NEO Marines and Whitebeard, they could all get out alive.
"You sure aren't in any hurry," In the huge training ground, Kaido panted flat on the ground, glaring at Rosse, who stood calmly a short distance away.
He had really used full strength, but it still wasn't even enough to make Rosse warm up.
He had the constant feeling that Rosse's strength had increased quite a bit compared to before.
"What do I need to be anxious about? With Dragon's personality, he'd most likely find some excuse and abandon his comrades, then put on a tragic act."
Rosse pinched his arm a little with lingering amusement, and after glancing at Kaido, who was basically out of fighting power, he let it go.
His strength hadn't substantially improved since Wano Country.
But as he grew more familiar with the power of this realm, he could now easily defeat the present Kaido; taking down peak Whitebeard would take some time, but not much.
"Hmph! So you're saying someone like him could never succeed," Kaido sneered, and after a moment finally managed to get up from the ground.
He had actually proposed this sparring with Rosse; it wasn't the first time.
Only by sparring with the strong can one's strength grow.
Back in the Rocks Pirates he did this every day.
Besides, Rosse wanted to recruit him and make him work for Rosse, what was wrong with being Rosse's sparring partner?
Although each time he got beaten badly.
"What can you do? Who told others destiny favored them, inheritance for three generations," Rosse joked.
"Three generations...", Kaido snorted derisively, deep disapproval shining in his eyes.
If in this broken world even the so-called child of destiny could be appointed, then they might as well destroy it.
No matter how much talent, how much effort, or what special bloodline, it couldn't compare to someone born with fate.
Someone born destined to reach the top of the world, others were born to be mere foils. How could he accept that?
"Wanna try it?", Rosse suddenly proposed with a smile.
"Try what?", Kaido grinned, his tiger-like eyes fixed on Rosse.
"That woman is in Windmill Village in the Goa Kingdom. While Moa and the others hunt down Dragon, you kill that woman," Rosse said cheerfully.
"Aren't you afraid killing her will affect your plan?", Kaido leaned forward slightly, clearly intrigued.
'Destiny?'
Ha, if he didn't try it himself, he wouldn't believe it.
"If you can kill her, then it wouldn't affect my plan. If you can't kill her, it proves she's the fated one, doesn't it?", Rosse said calmly.
He hadn't intended to kill Luffy before; mainly Dragon had become annoying.
Yesterday Saint Garling came and made it clear that this was Dragon's idea.
Although Rosse didn't have Otohime's special Observation Haki, discerning whether someone was lying wasn't a problem, just pressure with Conqueror's Haki, and whether someone lied could be seen at a glance.
Daring to reach into his home deserved some lesson.
"Hahaha! Interesting, very interesting. You're not afraid I'll just run off?", Kaido threw his head back and laughed loudly, excitement written in his eyes.
Compared with Rosse, the other strong men he had seen, whether in temperament or strength, were a little far behind.
"Run? If you succeed, whether you run or not won't matter anymore. If you fail, you'll come back and manage the Employment Association for me," Rosse smiled.
"Hahaha! I thought you'd threaten me with a vivre card."
"I don't need to threaten you. Or rather, for you threats aren't enough," Rosse glanced at Kaido and spoke honestly.
Kaido had brains, but because he had brains he knew what he could and couldn't do.
A cunning opponent is better than a foolish one. Fools are unpredictable, while clever villains can be anticipated.
"Hahahaha! It's settled then. If I can't kill a pregnant woman, I'll come back and be your slave," Kaido turned and strode out; with each step his Conqueror's Haki rose.
Although Rosse's words had made him somewhat question life, he wouldn't concede until he saw destiny for himself.
"You'll accept fate...", Rosse murmured softly as he watched Kaido leave.
At the same time he slowly looked to the sky.
From a perspective only he and that one could see, his and that one's Conqueror's Haki merged: a pitch-black divine dragon coiled above the Holy Land, staring across at the boundless celestial river of the sky.
Against that endless starry river, the black divine dragon seemed tiny, yet even so the river could not shake the dragon in the slightest.
All the river could do was split into countless forms, scattering starlight over the sea.
Conqueror's Haki...
If a man lacks the domineering force to face the heavens, how can he be called an overlord?
———
[The Grand Line]
Receiving internal Revolutionary Army intel, Dragon's face was extremely dark.
He hesitated and glanced at Shanks on the ship, calculating whether the man could be trusted.
It was said Shanks was an outcast, but now he had contacted Figarland, no one knew which side he stood on.
Even if Shanks and Figarland weren't aligned, Figarland surely had Shanks's vivre card. Which meant they had been exposed.
And just now, Dragon suddenly felt unease in the dark.
He didn't know whether staying on the ship would cause trouble, or whether other places would have issues.
Whatever it was, he couldn't sit and wait to be killed.
He had to react first before doing anything else.
Starting a war with the Revolutionary Army wasn't wise, so for the revolution he could only...
Dragon took a deep breath, gathered Ivankov and Kuma and the others, and said solemnly, "Our current goal is too big. I've decided you should take most of the people and quietly leave; I'll stay alone as bait to attract the World Government's attention."
"Impossible! Dragon, if someone must be bait, let me be it. If worst comes to worst, I'll be taken back to the Holy Land as a slave, but the Revolutionary Army cannot be without you," Ivankov refused without thinking, his expression agitated.
"This...", Dragon showed hesitation; he really wanted to be the bait.
If Ivankov and the others could escape, he could retreat in turn.
"Commander! I don't know those lofty principles, but the Revolutionary Army needs you, those you liberated need you," Kuma's expression was sincere; he truly believed Dragon could change the world.
"Dragon, stop being wishy-washy. You're the only one among us with the strength, we can only escape if you lead them away. If we meet a powerful enemy, we have no way to fight back," Ginny spoke plainly.
"Yes, Dragon. You take the main force away, we with fewer people will draw attention in the opposite direction, and we'll split into three escape routes, this can buy you time," Ivankov said seriously.
Seeing this, Dragon was moved and nodded heavily, "Sigh... alright then, we'll split four ways; let's not designate a bait. Each ship will carry the same number of people, if we can reach the New World, that's victory."
"FOR THE REVOLUTION!", Dragon shouted.
"For the liberation of the whole world!", the other three cried together.
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