"Everyone, step back for now!"
A man in a hooded cloak spoke, his voice calm but commanding. The people around him nodded and dispersed without hesitation.
As they left, the man removed his hood, revealing a face marked with a distinctive tattoo.
When Lin Xuan saw him, a flicker of surprise crossed his face. This was none other than the leader of the Revolutionary Army, Monkey D. Dragon!
Lin Xuan had anticipated that the Revolutionary Army would seek him out. After all, the message he'd been broadcasting to the world was clear: he stood against the World Government. The enemy of my enemy is my friend, as the saying goes. The Revolutionary Army, also fighting against the World Government, wouldn't miss the chance to ally with someone of Lin Xuan's demonstrated strength.
This was getting interesting.
What Lin Xuan hadn't expected, though, was that Monkey D. Dragon himself would come in person. Such sincerity from the Revolutionary Army's leader meant Lin Xuan had to seriously consider how to approach this potential partnership.
"Your Excellency Lin Xuan, it's a pleasure to meet you!" Dragon said warmly, extending a hand. He then presented a gift box, adding, "A small token of my esteem. I hope you'll accept it."
"You're too kind, Dragon. It's great to meet you as well," Lin Xuan replied with a smile, shaking his hand. He didn't hesitate to accept the gift, casually storing it in his system space with a subtle gesture.
The sudden disappearance of the box caught Dragon off guard, his eyes widening briefly before he regained his composure.
The two men strolled into a private meeting room, chatting lightly as they went. Once settled, they began their formal discussion. What they spoke of, however, remained a mystery to those outside.
Meanwhile, the Revolutionary Army members who had accompanied Dragon wandered the streets of the Sabaody Archipelago.
"I can't believe how much the Sabaody Archipelago has changed!" exclaimed Belo Betty, the East Army Commander, her voice tinged with awe.
The others nodded in agreement. Many of them had visited the archipelago before, but it was unrecognizable now, transformed in ways that felt almost surreal.
Just then, one of the cadres, Karasu, spotted a young woman with light purple hair sitting by the roadside, folding delicate paper flowers. A pile of vibrant, intricate blooms lay beside her. Karasu's eyes lit up. "Wow, those are beautiful!"
She started to approach, eager for a closer look, but Sabo quickly grabbed her arm. "Hey, Karasu, don't bother her!"
Karasu blinked, confused by his sudden reaction.
The young woman, Konan, glanced up at the commotion, her expression unreadable.
"Sorry for disturbing you!" Sabo called out hastily.
Konan said nothing, lowering her gaze to continue folding her paper flowers, as if the world around her didn't exist.
Sabo tugged Karasu away, ignoring her protests. "Sabo, what's your deal? Why'd you pull me back like that?"
He gave her an exasperated look. "Don't you know who she is? That's Konan, the Paper-Paper Fruit user. Her strength is terrifying. In the last war, she took out over ten thousand elite Marines with a single attack! If you'd offended her, you might not be standing here right now."
Karasu's eyes widened in disbelief. She couldn't reconcile the image of the quiet, gentle-looking woman with the fearsome figure Sabo described.
After that, the group moved through the archipelago with far more caution. And for good reason—Sabaody was a place where you could walk for ages without seeing a soul, or stumble across someone who turned out to be a powerhouse. Even a short, smoking old man they passed (the Third Hokage) was said to have once sent a giant flying with a single swing of his staff.
Eventually, they decided it was safer to return to the high-rise where they'd parted ways with Dragon.
As they arrived, they saw Lin Xuan escorting Dragon out. To their surprise, Dragon looked visibly excited—a rare sight for their usually composed leader.
Dragon was in the middle of saying goodbye, his tone reluctant. "Thank you for your guidance, Lin Xuan. If I didn't have urgent matters to attend to, I'd love to stay and talk for days!"
Lin Xuan smiled. "There's plenty of time ahead. If you ever feel like visiting, you're always welcome here at Sabaody."
"Absolutely, I'll take you up on that!" Dragon replied eagerly.
Why was Dragon so respectful toward Lin Xuan? During their discussion about cooperation, Lin Xuan had shared some "revolutionary insights"—ideas drawn from another world's great minds, like The Art of War and On Guerrilla Warfare. Dragon had been floored, utterly captivated by the wisdom. He'd even half-jokingly offered to step down and let Lin Xuan lead the Revolutionary Army, though Lin Xuan had politely declined, much to Dragon's regret.
At that moment, Lin Xuan's gaze fell on the Revolutionary Army cadres waiting for Dragon, lingering briefly on Sabo.
Noticing this, Dragon quickly introduced him. "This is our Chief of Staff, Sabo."
Sabo bowed slightly, offering a polite smile. "President Lin, it's an honor to meet you. I'm Sabo."
The title "President Lin" came from their earlier conversations with members of the Ninja Guild, who had mentioned that Lin Xuan was now its leader.
"Sabo?" Lin Xuan's lips curved into a knowing smile. "Do you know Portgas D. Ace?"
Before Sabo could respond, Dragon's expression shifted, a mix of surprise and curiosity. He knew of Portgas D. Ace, of course—the boy raised by his father, Garp, now a member of the Whitebeard Pirates, known as Fire Fist.
But why had Lin Xuan suddenly brought him up?
----------
T/N:
You'll also get 5 extra chapters just for being a free member!
Access 40 chapters in advance on my Patreon: [email protected]//allbluestories