Watching Perospero disappear into the distance, Kaito's eyes burned with quiet intensity.
"Hurry up," he muttered softly. "This won't take much longer."
Time passed swiftly, and before anyone realized it, an entire week slipped by.
---
New World, A Bustling Town
The streets were lively and noisy.
A tall, broad-shouldered man with dark skin walked calmly through the town. He wore black sunglasses and a blue shirt, his expression unreadable, his presence subdued yet unmistakable.
Suddenly, his steps halted.
His eyes narrowed slightly.
Across from him, a young man sat leisurely with a wine glass in hand. He smiled casually and even raised his hand in greeting, as if welcoming an old friend he had not seen in years.
Without hesitation, the man crossed the street, picked up the wine glass beside him, and drank it in one go.
"Hah," he exhaled slowly. "Good wine. Rich aroma, smooth taste. Much better than ordinary sake."
Kaito calmly poured another glass and slid it toward him.
"Not surprised to see me?" Kaito asked evenly.
"A little," Aokiji replied, taking the glass and drinking again. "But this is the New World. Your territory. As the host, it would be strange if you did not notice me."
"Still hung up on your defeat?" Kaito said lightly, watching him finish his second drink.
Aokiji shook his head. "I never cared about the Fleet Admiral position. What I care about is Akainu."
His voice lowered.
"His justice will drive the Marines toward destruction. Radical justice is one thing, but justice without humanity is no different from piracy. If civilians are sacrificed without hesitation, what separates Marines from pirates?"
"Extreme justice," Kaito said.
"Exactly," Aokiji replied. "Too extreme."
After a pause, Aokiji changed the subject.
"When do you plan to attack Marine Headquarters?"
Kaito's eyes gleamed with interest. "What makes you think that?"
Aokiji leaned back slightly. "Akainu is Fleet Admiral now. Sengoku and Vice Admiral Garp have stepped aside. After the Battle, Marine Vice Admirals were reduced by nearly half."
"The Marines' top combat power has never been thinner. Someone as ambitious as you would never miss this opportunity."
Clap. Clap. Clap.
Kaito applauded softly.
"As expected of an Admiral. Sharp analysis."
He smiled faintly.
"It won't be long before I move against Marine Headquarters."
Aokiji stiffened. "You just said that openly? Aren't you afraid I'll report it?"
"It wouldn't matter," Kaito replied calmly. "The Marines are not my match. Not before, and certainly not now. Against absolute strength, schemes are meaningless."
Aokiji fell silent. He could not refute that fact.
"You didn't wait for me here just to drink," Aokiji said after a moment. "What do you really want?"
Kaito's smile deepened. "You already know."
"You want me to join you?"
"No," Kaito replied. "Not pirates."
"Then what?"
"A new government."
Aokiji frowned. "A new government?"
Kaito said casually. "Don't dwell on it."
Aokiji stared at him. "So your true goal really is to overthrow the World Government."
"You figured it out?"
"I suspected it before," Aokiji said slowly. "But hearing that confirms it."
Kaito shrugged. "Wise people see it sooner or later. Tsuru would have figured it out long ago."
Aokiji studied him carefully.
"So what do you want from me?"
Kaito lifted his glass and took a slow sip before meeting Aokiji's gaze.
"I left the Marines because they bound me," Aokiji said quietly. "I value freedom. If Sengoku hadn't pushed me, I would never have competed with Akainu."
"I just escaped one cage. Why would I step into another?"
"As expected," Kaito said with a small smile. "Anyone in your position would think the same."
He raised his hand, and space rippled subtly as he retrieved several sheets of paper and placed them on the table.
"Look at this," Kaito said calmly. "Then decide. If I wanted to harm you, I wouldn't need tricks."
Aokiji nodded. "Fair enough."
He picked up the papers.
At first, he scanned them casually.
Then his expression shifted.
Surprise flashed across his face, followed by disbelief. His posture straightened as he read line after line, his focus deepening with every page.
An entire hour passed without him noticing.
When he finally looked up, his gaze was locked onto Kaito.
"You wrote all this?"
"With Dragon and the others," Kaito replied.
"Dragon?" Aokiji froze.
"The Revolutionary Army Dragon?" His voice trembled slightly. "They joined you?"
"Yes," Kaito said. "Not publicly. That will change soon."
Aokiji clenched the papers in his hands. "Is this real?"
"It is. The system is already in effect. The forty thousand Marine captives have joined us. And they're satisfied."
Silence fell again.
What Aokiji held was more than regulations. It was a blueprint for a world that addressed the lives of ordinary soldiers.
Wages. Families. Medical care. Death compensation. Long-term security.
Everything Marines at the bottom truly cared about was written clearly, without empty slogans.
Aokiji knew better than anyone what ordinary Marines wanted. Many joined to survive. Many joined to protect their villages.
But all of them shared one wish.
A future for their families.
Kaito had accounted for all of it.
With policies like these, forty thousand Marines submitting was inevitable. Even twice that number would follow willingly.
And the long-term plans, pirate doctors regularly visiting villages, medical support for civilians, equal treatment without privilege.
This was not reform.
It was a declaration of war against the World Government.
Once announced, the entire sea would shake.
Aokiji finally understood why Dragon had been willing to bring the Revolutionary Army under Kaito's banner.
Their goals aligned, but Kaito's vision surpassed even Dragon's.
As he looked at Kaito now, Aokiji realized something unsettling.
His resolve to refuse was beginning to waver.
___
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