"You want us to recruit Benn Beckman and Ivalis?" Lucky Roux guessed Dragon's intention.
Dragon didn't deny it. "That's right. If your past bonds are strong enough, I believe it's possible. Furthermore, the Golden Hair Pirates are powerful, not to mention the duo of Ivalis and Beckman. I don't want to create too many powerful enemies, especially since the Immortal Pirates still have many fiercely loyal followers of Alucard."
The Immortal Pirates, while currently troubled, were not without their merits. If Alucard himself had no real ability, how could he have gathered so many followers?
Therefore, pulling his strength away to reinforce their own side was the most advantageous strategy.
Lucky Roux had stopped eating his ham. After a long silence, he said, "I certainly hope my former comrades can return to the same pirate crew... Fine, I agree with your strategy."
The corner of Dragon's mouth lifted. He nodded. "Excellent. Let's discuss the next course of action... And there is one other person I want to approach, if possible."
…
Near the final stretch of the first half of the Grand Line.
Undoubtedly, the greatest recent achievement of Zephyr was the annihilation of the remaining World Pirates, killing everyone except World's older brother, Byojack, and then throwing Byojack into Impel Down.
But that was only a minor gain. The truly immense prize was the acquisition of the World Pirates' battleship, the super-dreadnought Groseade, built by the renowned shipwright Groseade.
Its length and width were measured in kilometers. When it surfaced, it looked like a dense, primitive forest island from a distance.
"It truly is astounding, Z-sensei."
Zephyr was standing at the entrance looking out at the distant sea when Ain's voice sounded from behind him.
Although it was only the entrance deck, it covered an area equivalent to two basketball courts, comparable to the entire deck of a standard pirate ship. This alone showed the sheer size of the Groseade.
"Have you finished investigating the ship's structure?" Zephyr asked Ain, his back still turned.
"Yes, it's incredible. Based on its area, it could accommodate over twenty thousand people. An amazing shipwright," Ain replied, her tone carrying a degree of admiration despite the builder being a pirate.
"A ship built by the World Pirates over their twenty years in hiding naturally wouldn't be too shoddy," Zephyr said.
Mid-sentence, Zephyr suddenly cracked a smile. "It's a pity the Captain was killed right after showing up before we even had a chance to meet."
"Z-sensei, what should we do with this ship?"
"What do you mean, 'what should we do'?"
Ain sighed slightly. "Should we hand it over? Also, the issue of raising the Immortal Pirates' flag on it."
To be honest, acquiring something like this was extremely rare. With superior equipment, combat power would naturally increase. Ain genuinely did not want to hand the Groseade over to the Immortal Pirates, especially since her most respected sensei was increasingly sidelined within the crew, causing her, a devoted student, to gradually grow dissatisfied.
"Didn't that Ivalis fellow hand over the Titan Fruit after snatching it? As for me..."
Zephyr rose, speaking with an air of complete justification. "Naturally, I must also play it straight."
"But, Sensei, Ivalis never intended to become a Devil Fruit user, which is why he handed it over without hesitation." Despite Zephyr's reasoning, Ain still found it hard to accept. She was, after all, still young.
"Ask yourself, deep down: are you truly willing to hand something like this over, Zephyr?"
Suddenly, a voice entered both their ears. At the entrance, the black-clad members of the Trash Disposal Unit immediately raised their guns.
Whoosh!!!
A massive object suddenly burst through the sea surface, riding the waves.
Ain saw clearly that it was a ship, a large warship with two flying dragons adorning its sides as railings. However, compared to the Groseade, the size difference was like that between an adult and an infant.
"The Dragon?" Ain said, shocked.
That was the ship they occasionally saw docked at the port when they returned to Arderay. It was the ship formerly owned by Revolutionary Army leader Dragon, which Alucard had seized.
But why was it here?
No, wait!
Ain looked closer and realized that the people standing on the ship were not the Immortal Pirates, nor was there a Jolly Roger on the flag.
A man in a green robe stood on the Dragon. He was the one who had spoken just now, and the ship behind him held at least five hundred people.
"Dragon, the Revolutionary!"
Ain shouted his name in shock. Unlike three years ago when Alucard first captured Dragon, the latter's appearance was now exposed, and a bounty poster had been issued. Seeing the face beneath the hood, Ain immediately identified him.
Dragon leaped, landing in front of Ain and Zephyr. He extended a hand from beneath his cape. "I hope to talk with you."
"What do you, the man captured and sent to Impel Down, wish to discuss with the subordinate of the man who did it?" Zephyr sneered, as if Dragon had suggested something absurd.
Dragon withdrew his hand, closed his eyes briefly, then opened them again, chuckling softly. "Calling yourself Alucard's subordinate... Ask yourself deep down, do you believe that, Zephyr? No, Z."
Zephyr's aged face darkened. "State your purpose."
Dragon glanced around. Many of Zephyr's subordinates, mostly his former students mixed with newly recruited crew members, had surrounded them.
Dragon shrugged lightly. "Very well. It's nothing to hide, anyway. Let's speak plainly."
"I know your reasons for leaving the Navy, and I can roughly guess why you joined Alucard's banner."
As Dragon spoke, he gradually extended his hand again. "But now, you have a better choice, don't you?"
Zephyr stared at Dragon for a while, then scoffed. "Did you travel thousands of miles into the lion's den just to tell jokes?"
"This is no joke," Dragon stated righteously. "What is Alucard's goal? I'm not entirely sure, but pirates are ultimately after the Pirate King's throne, the treasure of One Piece, or their own desires. They won't care about realizing justice, and they certainly won't have any thoughts of overthrowing the Government."
"I admit my current power is less than Alucard's. However, more than power, shouldn't a person with a shared purpose be more trustworthy, and thus a better candidate for an ally?"
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