"Glug, glug, glug… hah!"
After downing half a glass of liquor, a man with a black headscarf and a red nose wore a gloomy expression.
"Captain Roger… sniff…"
"So many Marines have gathered in Loguetown. Garp's damned ship left a few days ago—maybe this is our chance, Shanks…"
Next to him, the red-haired man wearing a straw hat, Shanks, didn't reply. Instead, he turned to glance at the patrons in the bar.
Bang.
Buggy slammed his cup on the table. "Damn you, Shanks! Were you even listening to me?! If… if Rayleigh and the others also show up—"
Before Buggy could finish, Shanks spoke:
"The vice-captains know the captain's will and choice. They accept it. We came here to send the captain off, not to rescue him."
Buggy froze for a long while.
"But…"
"No buts. I respect the captain's decision too. No one in this world can capture the freest man alive—Captain Roger. This is his decision!"
After a long silence, Buggy downed the rest of his drink.
In a quiet corner of the bar, Kevin sat cloaked, sipping his own liquor. His shadow clone had gone off to bathe, while he himself waited for someone.
But hours passed, and by the time night fell, the person in a similar cloak still hadn't shown.
During that time, future Warlord Dracule Mihawk had stopped by to ask if there was any wine. And Crocodile, with a fat cigar in his mouth, sat brooding in another corner.
Sure enough, the man Vegapunk once described as someone who hated war didn't much care for alcohol.
Kevin pulled his hood lower and donned a black mask before leaving the bar.
His clone was already passed out drunk back at their temporary residence.
Just as Kevin stepped outside, a man in a dark green cloak happened to walk past the entrance. A light breeze blew at that moment, allowing Kevin to glimpse the man's profile.
What a coincidence.
At this point in time, that man was still known as the commander of the Freedom Fighters—Monkey D. Dragon.
Kevin quietly followed the figure, who gradually walked into more secluded streets until they had completely left town.
That was when Dragon finally stopped.
"A masked man? Are you with the World Government's intelligence agency? Come out."
Turning around, Dragon looked directly at Kevin.
"Didn't your superior ever tell you? If you spot me, your orders are to report it immediately—not to tail me alone."
The moment he finished speaking, a hand shot out toward Kevin.
Kevin raised his arms to block.
Boom.
The sudden impact sent Kevin stumbling back. His arms were numb from the blow.
"…The gap is huge."
Kevin shook out his arms and stood up.
"But I'm no lapdog of the Celestial Dragons like CP agents. In fact, from a future standpoint, you and I… are on the same side."
"Future? Same side?"
Dragon furrowed his brow. "I'm not interested in cryptic nonsense. If you're not with the World Government, then this ends here."
Kevin chuckled. "Maybe hear me out. I've got something you need. The Freedom Fighters are made up of people with nowhere else to go—you must be short on funds and weapons, right?"
Dragon paused just as he was about to turn away.
After a moment, he said, "Follow me."
About ten minutes later, they arrived in the basement of a closed-down general store.
"So this is one of your supply routes, huh? Loguetown is near Reverse Mountain, so as long as you avoid Marine and World Government checkpoints, you can get materials into the Grand Line."
Kevin looked at Dragon. "But… aren't you worried bringing me here might expose this place?"
Dragon replied calmly, "That's why you need to convince me now. Also, if you claim we're on the same side, shouldn't you take off that mask?"
Kevin thought for a moment, then removed it.
"I only arrived in Loguetown today. Waited for you at the bar a long time—then remembered you don't drink, you prefer tea."
Dragon studied Kevin's face—he looked young.
"You seem to know a lot about me… is this some kind of Devil Fruit power?"
"You could say that."
Kevin didn't deny it. "I've got a batch of treasure and weapons. Not a massive amount, but I imagine you're in urgent need."
As he finished speaking, a long blade from the Naruto world materialized in front of him—followed by flintlock pistols from One Piece, and modern firearms from an adventure world.
The illusion quickly turned into tangible reality.
"This kind of power… object creation from nothing?"
Dragon's hand clenched.
No one understood better than him the desperate state of the Freedom Fighters. No money, no weapons—they even needed help just to get food.
The East Blue was his homeland. He knew many people here, and thanks to his father, things were relatively peaceful—making it easier to acquire supplies.
But even so, it was like pouring a cup of water on a burning cart.
If Kevin truly had the power to create weapons, then the Freedom Fighters could be fully armed from the start.
"Don't get ahead of yourself."
Kevin interrupted his thoughts. "These items don't appear out of thin air. And the treasure isn't with me at the moment."
Dragon fell silent for a while. After some time, he said:
"I don't know why… but these are exactly what I need right now."
Kevin shook his head.
"No. Money and weapons are vital to arming your forces—but you haven't truly made your decision yet, have you?"
"The Freedom Fighters exist to give oppressed people the courage to resist, right? But in this world, the strong aren't something ordinary people can defeat just by picking up a weapon."
"The Freedom Fighters are still too weak—so weak that the World Government hasn't even bothered to take notice. That's your chance. But only if you're clear on what you really want to do."
What to do…?
A flicker of hesitation passed through Dragon's eyes.
As the son of Marine Hero Garp, he was raised under the expectations of the Marine. He understood the terrifying power of the world's elite.
The strength of ordinary people was often meaningless—just numbers that would collapse after a single burst of Conqueror's Haki.
But… the things he had witnessed in his youth left him unable to remain indifferent.
So… he had to do something—even if he despised war.
Note: At the time of the Battle of Edd War, Aokiji still followed "Burning Justice." He only began slacking off after the Ohara incident.
Note: "Dorag" translates to "Dragon." In the latest chapters, Vegapunk recalls that the Revolutionary Army was originally called the "Freedom Fighters." It was also in the same year Ohara was destroyed that Ivankov took Dragon to meet Kuma, and with Ginny, they officially formed the Revolutionary Army.