"Don't worry, Bluejam. After this is done, you will enter High Town and become one of the elite."
The man seated in the shadows swayed his wine glass, making a solemn vow into the Den Den Mushi's receiver.
Click!
The Den Den Mushi hung up. The man raised his large, fat hand.
The attendants serving nearby hurried forward to meticulously wipe the arm that had touched the Den Den Mushi.
"Hmph, communicating with such things really makes me feel like I'm being tainted by their lowly aura."
Just then, a girl with orange hair entered the hall.
Hearing the man's voice, she ran towards him and leaned against him.
"Hey, hey, Father, why are the people in the Gray Terminal not human? Why must they be burned to death?"
The man withdrew his hand from the servant's cleaning and patted his daughter's head.
"Of course, it's their own fault. Why couldn't they be born into a noble family?"
The girl covered her mouth and laughed: "Yes, indeed! They should just have been born into a noble family! How foolish!"
"Alright, go and rest now. You have etiquette lessons tomorrow!"
The man patted his daughter's head again, urging her.
"Yes~"
The girl agreed, swinging her arms as she ran out of the hall.
The man looked at the sky outside the window and called for a servant to draw the curtains.
Meanwhile, on the cliff by the sea near Windmill Village.
Sakura and Ace were practicing their swordsmanship at the high ground, while Luffy slept soundly under a tree.
"9998, 9999.... 10000"
With a final powerful swing, Ace, having completed his training, threw the stone slab, twice as wide as him, to the ground.
He fell down with it, panting heavily on the ground.
"Not bad at all. It's only been a week, and you can already lift a stone slab twice your own weight."
Sakura put down her sword, walked over, and used Yang Attribute Chakra to repair the wear and tear from his high-intensity training.
The continuous training had already outlined muscles on the boy's body. If he didn't plan on becoming a pirate in the future, he could make a decent bodybuilding coach.
"Hmph, of course! Just look at who I am!"
Ace forced his eyes open and gave Sakura a smile.
Just as Sakura was about to tease him, a trace of rainbow light flashed in her eyes.
The words on her lips changed: "Alright, that's enough training for today!"
Sakura picked up Ace and tossed him towards Luffy, who was sleeping soundly under the tree.
"Luffy, take your brother back to the bandits' place."
The two rolled into a ball and tumbled down the steep hillside.
Not sure if it was an illusion, but faint curses seemed to come from the distance.
"Alright, they're gone. Come out now!"
Sakura, clapping her hands, focused her gaze on the shadows of a large tree.
A strange wind suddenly arose, enveloping the entire forest.
Amidst the covering leaves and dust, a man in a dark green cloak slowly appeared.
"Long time no see, Sakura-san. I didn't expect to meet you here."
"What are you doing in the East Blue? Aren't you afraid of the World Government's suppression?"
Sakura raised an eyebrow, picked up a half-empty bottle of rum from a nearby stump, and downed it.
Given the Revolutionary Army's scale, rashly entering the East Blue, the World Government's most heavily defended area, should quickly reveal their traces, leading to large-scale suppression.
Sakura craned her neck to look out to sea, wondering if this guy had led the Marines or CP into the village.
"No, they are busy dealing with matters in Elbaf and have no time for us."
Dragon pulled his hood lower. A hand emerged from under his cloak and tossed a fine bottle of liquor to Sakura.
"Elbaf? What happened to those giants?"
Sakura didn't refuse, accepting it with a grin and stuffing it into her bosom.
"The situation there is chaotic. Without the Giant Warrior suppression, the conflicts between the originally discordant villages have intensified.
The World Government is worried that the domestic situation will force large numbers of giants out to sea, reviving the legendary Giant Warrior Pirates, so they've dispatched a large amount of force to garrison there."
Sitting cross-legged in a hollow by the tree trunk, Dragon took out the rifle hidden under his cloak.
He pulled out gun maintenance tools from a small bag he carried and began maintaining his beloved rifle.
"So, we plan to take advantage of the World Government's weakened pressure to gather weapons, equipment, food, and personnel in the Four Blues."
After hearing Dragon's words, Sakura immediately felt the alcohol in her bosom become hot to handle.
Although this guy was from the Monkey D. Family, he had absorbed the cunning of three generations. Now that he came to find her, he had probably already planned how to use her abilities in their scheme.
"Ah, fine, tell me, what do you need my help with?" Sakura sighed lightly, "Let me say this first, I'm broke as a joke. If you're looking for sponsorship, I can't help."
"It's not too troublesome. Speaking of which, do you know how to set fires?"
Hearing his words, Sakura's eyes lit up.
'-Arson? I'm a professional at that!'
"Deal. Time? Place?"
Sakura didn't hesitate, lifting her head to ask him.
Dragon looked up, his smile suddenly turning mischievous: "What, aren't you even going to ask who I want you to deal with?"
"Can't be bothered. I'm the freest villain on this sea, ahahaha!"
Sakura's smile was unrestrained as she downed the remaining rum in her hand.
A friend comes asking her to set a fire, so she'll set a fire. As for who gets consumed by the flames, who cares?
She'll burn anyone!
Looking across the current Goa Kingdom, anyone targeted by the Revolutionary Army, whoever gets scorched, Sakura could happily eat a few extra bowls of rice during dinner.
The only regret was that the fires she set would eventually go out. It would be best if she could use Amaterasu. After all, once lit, it would burn endlessly. That would be truly satisfying.
Anyway, from the royal palace to High Town to Center Street, none of them are human. A bunch of damned animals, let them all be purified by fire!!!
"As expected, a pirate through and through." Dragon grinned, shouldering his reassembled rifle. "Let's go. Revolutionary Army's soldiers are already on standby in the town."
A gust of fierce wind surged, scattering the gradually lowering dark clouds in the sky.
The sky darkened, the sunset completely sank below the sea horizon. The last strand of selfless warmth was shared with the world, followed by the cold night.
Under the cover of night, the two figures sped past, the sound of their passage echoing continuously.
On the platform atop the walls surrounding Goa Kingdom's central High Town, two figures landed quietly.
"Who goes there!"
The guards who noticed the anomaly raised their weapons, aiming at the two intruders.
But then, the guards saw the emerald eyes one of the figures raised.
Fierce Conqueror's Haki surged and rolled. An invisible wave swept over the guards' bodies.
A chill originating from their souls rushed upwards. The guards' vision went black, and they fainted, falling to the ground amidst a dizzying spin.
"Set the fire here?"
Sakura climbed onto the wall's parapet, sat down, and swung her legs.
"Yes. Wait until the noble guards make their move against the people outside the city!"
Dragon looked at this homeland that had raised him, disappointment welling in his eyes.
The remembered perfect, clean country, the most beautiful kingdom in the East Blue praised by everyone-
Had now become a man-eating beast, even forcing a noble child, who still had a conscience, to say he was ashamed to be associated with nobles.
Dragon clearly realized that the root of all this was this kingdom, or rather, the system prevalent across this sea, was mass-producing beasts.
"The royal system that prides itself on pursuing beauty is creating hell. Now is the time when change is absolutely necessary!"
The man closed his eyes, no longer looking at this resplendent 'cesspit' of a city.
"I'm counting on you. Help us destroy it! We will rebuild this kingdom from its ruins!"
Flames ignited on Sakura's right arm. Her emerald pupils and flowing hair were turning crimson.
"Ahahaha, it would be my pleasure!"