Issho's Ideals and Justice

Through the Den Den Mushi, Saint Saturn's deep voice came through. "We already know what those two did."

"The goal is to cure the Devil Fruit User."

He paused for a moment, as if weighing his options, then added, "But ultimately, it didn't cause too much damage..."

The entire square fell into a deathly silence; everyone held their breath, as if awaiting divine judgment.

Finally, Saint Saturn's voice rang out again, slower than before, but with a hint of reluctant compromise:

"... Keep one."

These four short words seem to indicate the limits of concessions that World Governments can make.

At this moment, it was not just an order, but more like a strategy to address Roy's instability.

Roy glanced down at Boa Hancock, who had collapsed in Shakky, then looked at Shakky, who was severely injured but still struggling to stand.

"Fine, I'll give you face." With that, he hung up the Den Den Mushi.

"Get lost."

The last two words were spoken to Boa Hancock and Shakky.

These two words, like the finger of death, parted the boundary between life and death.

Shakky felt like she had been granted a pardon and didn't dare to look at Roy again. She quickly helped Boa Hancock up and staggered towards the Harbor.

Boa Hancock endured excruciating pain; the fracture in her leg almost prevented her from taking a step, but her thoughts were more chaotic than her injuries.

Blood stained her red dress, dust obscured her former glory, she was a wretched sight, yet she didn't even have the courage to turn around and look back.

But in her mind—

That brief yet shocking conversation echoed again and again, "The Five Elders... actually took the initiative to concede to him?"

"He actually dared to say 'I'll give you face' to the highest authority of the Celestial Dragons..."

She stared at the blurry street ahead, trembling all over, yet a feeling she had never experienced before welled up inside her.

Awe? Humiliation? Resentment? Or... something else entirely?

"Roy..."

The man who shattered her pride in an instant, yet spared her life in her deepest despair—

He was a true powerhouse she had never encountered in her life.

A strange yet complex feeling quietly began to sprout in my heart.

Roy slowly withdrew his gaze and turned to the crowd in front of him.

He looked at King Riku, Viola, Rebecca, and the others, his voice calm and measured, "The matter is resolved."

Five simple words, yet more powerful than a thousand.

A look of awe and gratitude flashed in King Riku's eyes as he bowed deeply. "Mr. Roy... thank you for saving Dressrosa once again."

Viola lowered her head slightly, tears welling in her eyes, while Rebecca clenched her fists, her face full of admiration.

Roy simply waved his hand dismissively, glancing at the figure standing quietly not far away, still motionless.

He chuckled softly and waved to the man, "Mr. Yixiao, would you like to chat?"

With a smile, he leaned on his Cane Sword Cane Sword, lightly tapping the ground with each step, as steady as a mountain.

He smiled slightly and said in a gentle tone, "It would be my honor."

The two top experts walked side by side, slowly heading towards the Royal Palace.

Dressrosa Royal Palace Gardens

The wind rustled through the leaves, and the cobblestone path meandered among the flowers and trees, revealing two figures walking side by side.

Roy and Yixiao walked slowly forward.

In the square, the soldiers had already bound the seriously injured Hanafuda tightly with Seastone chains and escorted him to the arriving Marine warship.

King Riku had also wisely left to appease the people and begin handling the post-war recovery efforts.

At this moment, the only sounds in the garden were the silent footsteps of the two top experts and the gentle breeze rustling through the grass and trees.

Roy spoke first, "Mr. Yixiao, with your abilities and ideals, staying and traveling among the common people... is a waste."

Yi Xiao, leaning on his Cane Sword, tilted his head slightly upon hearing this, his tone leisurely. "Oh? Then, Vice Admiral Roy, where do you think this old man should go?"

Roy gazed ahead, his expression unchanged. "The Navy."

"The navy today needs people like you."

He chuckled lightly, his voice carrying a nonchalant, playful tone. "Vice Admiral Roy overestimates me."

"I'm just a Blind Traveler who likes to wander around and uphold justice."

Roy slowly shook his head, his tone incisive. "The Traveler wouldn't use the 'Hell's Journey' to suppress the Shichibukai."

He smiled and remained silent, his steps still steady, but the knuckles gripping the cane tightened slightly.

After a long silence, he spoke softly, "Can the Navy... truly achieve 'Justice'?"

His tone was neither provocative nor sarcastic, but rather one of questioning and inquiry born from having experienced the full spectrum of human nature.

"Among the World Government Member States, nobles oppress commoners, and the slave trade is carried out openly... In some countries, even the navy itself has become the private army of nobles."

Is this kind of 'Justice' still worth upholding?

Roy continued walking, his expression cold and stern. "Justice is never something that can be achieved through systems alone."

"It depends on people."

He paused for a moment, then turned to look at Xiao: "You've been traveling so far, you must have passed through countries where Revolutionary Armies overthrew the aristocracy, right?"

Hearing this, he smiled, then frowned slightly, and asked slowly, "Revolution... you mean?"

Roy said calmly, "Abolish aristocratic privileges, distribute land equally, and allow commoners to participate in politics."

"A structural reshaping that starts from the ground up."

A hint of seriousness appeared between his smiling brows, as if he were trying hard to recall something.

"You mean... the 'Red Revolution' promoted by the Revolutionary Army?"

Roy's lips curled into a slight smile, his gaze sweeping across the distant sky like a shooting star. "The Red Revolution, huh? That name certainly suits it..."

"I mentioned it casually at the time, and he remembered it, but Dragon was an idealist, and his pace was just too hurried."

"Revolution requires violence to break the deadlock, but it also requires institutional reconstruction."

"Otherwise, even if we successfully overthrow the Tyrant, we will only be ushering in another Tyrant."

At this moment, Yixiao's Observation Haki rippled slightly, and his emotions were no longer like a calm lake, but rather stirred up waves.

He said slowly, "I once visited a remote little country."

There was no arrogance of nobles, no tragic fate of slaves; the land was embraced tightly by the common people, and the parliament was as transparent as crystal.

"Children can swim freely in the ocean of knowledge, farmers no longer suffer from hunger, and even the patrolling soldiers are as polite as gentlemen."

He paused for a moment, and there was a rare emotion in his tone. "That country... is like a bright pearl, exuding unprecedented vitality."

He murmured softly, "So, that was the idea you proposed..."

Roy chuckled, neither confirming nor denying. "Ideas are not important."

"Results are what matter."

"The Navy and the Revolutionary Army... are simply different paths."

"But if the destination is truly 'peace,' then that's enough."

He smiled and remained silent for a long time, then gently tapped the stone slab with the Cane Sword he was leaning on, as if he were tapping his own heart.

"Vice Admiral Roy."

"Your vision truly surprises me. With you in the Navy, things might really be different..."

He tilted his head slightly, his eyes closed, yet it seemed he was looking directly at Roy: "But my journey is not yet over."

"Before making a decision, I want to see it for myself again..."

"See if that revolution you're talking about has actually taken hold in more countries."

Roy nodded, a knowing smile playing on his lips. "Of course."

He stopped, his voice as soft as the wind. "However, time is running out."

"The tide of New Era has begun... Those who hesitate will only be swept away."

With a slight smile, he gently tightened his grip on the Cane Sword, nodded slightly, and said firmly, "I understand."

Their steps continued in the gentle breeze, and their conversation came to an end.

But at this moment, two wills that should have followed different paths converge at a turning point in their destinies.

Yixiao's "Humane Justice" advocates gentleness and human kindness.

Roy's "Peace Through Destruction and Reconstruction" advocated ending the old order through change.

The two roads are as different as day and night.

But at this moment, for the first time, a genuine resonance was felt.