Third Chapter: Expansion Begins Again! Coron

The dark, Haki hand reappeared, lifting Roa and Morgans into the sky.

Also taken away was Trafalgar Law, who was being held tightly by another Haki hand.

"Luo!"

Sabo screamed at the sky with all his might, but with his body riddled with wounds, he had no power to save his good brother and could only watch helplessly as he was taken away.

"Mr. Dragon, could it be that we--"

Sabo instinctively turned around, wanting to seek Dragon's help.

But all he saw was Dragon, kneeling motionless with his head still buried in the ground.

"Mr. Dragon?"

Sabo's voice suddenly became very soft, as if he was afraid that if he used even a little more force, he would blow the man in front of him away.

At that moment, Ivankov, limping, ran back.

He was knocked unconscious by the impact of the falling Dragon, and has only just regained consciousness.

Looking at Dragon kneeling on the ground and the group of the Revolutionary Army members surrounding them, Ivankov's face was full of anxiety and confusion.

"Hey! What's wrong? Dragon, why do you look like that?"

While anxiously questioning Dragon, he looked up at the blank-faced crowd and asked, "Why are you all here again? And what's wrong with your eyes?"

"Besides!"

He looked around in alarm. "Where's Roa? Where did that monster go? Did he leave? Did he really leave?!"

But no one answered him, which drove Ivankov crazy. "Hey! Someone answer me! What's going on?!"

It had only been a few minutes, but he felt like he had missed the whole world.

"Sabo!"

Ivankov finally saw someone with an expression on their face. Sabo's eyes were downcast, and the expression on his face was inscrutable, whether it was pain or sorrow.

"What on earth happened?!"

"Ivan..."

Sabo looked up at him, and the young man shook his head in anguish, unable to utter another word.

"What exactly is going on?--"

The panic on Ivankov's face gradually disappeared, replaced by a deep sense of solemnity.

For everyone to turn into this state, something truly terrifying must have happened.

"Alright, let's go back and contact the other branches!"

Ivankov heard someone say that.

"Alright, since it's the Boss's order, we must carry it out to the end!"

"Use all available resources and fight the pirates with all our might!"

"Huh?"

Ivankov looked somewhat bewildered at the departing Revolutionary Army cadres.

Boss?

Counterattack?

What is all this?

"Hey! Dragon! What are you doing? What's going on now?!"

Ivankov could no longer contain himself and grabbed Dragon by the shoulder, forcibly pulling him out of the ground.

"What do they mean by 'Boss'? And what's the deal with the order to engage the pirates? You understand, right? If the World Government has truly been defeated, what will happen if we try to fight the pirate alliance now?!"

However, all the anger and doubt vanished the moment he saw Dragon's face clearly.

Ivankov fell into a deeper state of confusion.

Dragon is crying.

Tears mixed with mud, making his whole face a mess.

"Dragon..."

Ivankov thought he was seeing things.

The one Dragon always remained calm and always persevered was truly breaking down and crying!

At this moment, Dragon's heart was indeed filled with despair.

There's nothing we can do.

What should we do next?

Are we to let those manipulated comrades mobilize the Revolutionary Army and the people to resist the pirate alliance's attack? To wage a war we can't win, sacrificing countless lives to please that madman who finds pleasure in the suffering of others?

Or should they forcibly stop their comrades, then allow the pirate alliance to easily rule the North Blue without any hindrance, and then let the Revolutionary Army suffer further retaliation from Roa? Or even, simply retaliate against the civilians of the North Blue?

How to choose?

No matter which option you choose, the result is hopeless!

I have never felt such despair in my entire life.

Dragon really didn't know what to do.

But.

Why are you crying?!

Ivankov punched Dragon in the face, knocking the man to the ground. "If you're crying here, what are we supposed to do? Where is the Revolutionary Army headed? Get back on your feet, Dragon!"

"..."

Without making any defense, Dragon was hit hard by Ivan's punch, which split his lip open.

But when he looked up again, his panicked expression had calmed down considerably.

"I'm sorry, Ivan... I was being stubborn."

The despair and confusion in his heart were indeed dispelled considerably by Ivankov's punch.

Yes, there's no point in wallowing in self-pity here now.

As Ivankov said, if even he is confused, where should the Revolutionary Army go?

"It's good that you're awake now."

Ivankov finally breathed a sigh of relief. "So, what exactly happened just now?"

Although it was only a short time, how could Roa have turned Dragon into this state?

Dragon told him in detail what had happened after Ivankov was knocked unconscious.

"What!!"

Upon hearing this, Ivankov exclaimed in shock, "That madman Roa actually sent us to stop his pirates' advance! Is that guy out of his mind?! Is he just wasting his own energy just to satisfy his twisted sense of humor?"

"We have to stop them quickly, Dragon! Fighting the pirates now is like a mantis trying to stop a chariot!"

"Is it still possible to stop it?"

Dragon gave a wry smile. "Roa said that if those who are being controlled are stripped of their power, a new round of punishment will follow."

"..."

Ivankov was speechless.

"And,"

Dragon shook his head and sighed, "Even if we arrest all our controlled colleagues, how many of Roa's people are still lurking among us?"

"..."

Ivankov was speechless.

Just like the punishment he received years ago, when Roa ordered the Self-Respect Army to incite the people to launch an uprising ahead of schedule, they were powerless to stop it.

After a long silence, he finally managed to squeeze out a sentence, "So what should we do now?"

"Yes,"

"What should we do?" Dragon said weakly.

We've calmed down, but that alone is meaningless and doesn't change the current situation at all.

Dragon took a deep breath. "Ivan, I'm afraid we now have no choice but to make a drastic decision!"

Some distance from the island, Morgans, standing atop the palm of a dark hand, glanced back at the island that was growing ever more distant.

"Boss, is it really okay to just let the Revolutionary Army get away with this?"

Morgans described Roa's behavior as indulgent, saying, "Given the current situation, it wouldn't matter if the entire Revolutionary Army were wiped out."

Boss tolerated the Revolutionary Army back then because he wanted to disrupt the world's situation and get them to stand up against the World Government.

But now, what need is there for the Revolutionary Army?

"Indulgence?"

Roa simply chuckled. "Really, Morgans, you don't listen to me at all?"

"What?"

Morgans looked somewhat bewildered.

"Didn't I just say? Hope is a very important thing."

"This world must not lose hope," Roa said casually.

"Huh?"

Morgans was a little surprised that the Boss was serious.

"Only those who have seen the light can create the most exquisite flavors when they fall into darkness."

"I'm laughing, "Roa said.

It's a very simple principle.

Is it more painful for Naruto, who had nothing from the beginning, or for Sasuke, who originally had everything but then lost it all?

Even if we conquer the whole world in the future, we must not let people lose hope.

Sigh, I'm just too kind.

"As expected of the Boss."

Morgans exclaimed sincerely.

When it comes to tormenting others, the Boss is truly serious.

Roa just smiled.

In any case, the war between the West Blue and the North Blue has now been settled.

Neither the World Government nor the Navy can stop it.

As for the obstacles that the Revolutionary Army will encounter, in the words of Chengdu Superman, such obstacles are only considered as insignificant in Chengdu!

After that, we'll need to let things settle down for a while.

First, we need to properly digest the West Blue and the North Blue, and maximize the black energy in these two sea areas.

Hmm, I wonder to what extent it can raise the average concentration of dark energy in this world, enough to allow me to evolve a second time.

As he thought about it, Roa clenched his fist.

However, it doesn't matter if it's not possible.

He's only about seventeen years old, and his body is still in a period of rapid development.

This body can also become even more powerful.

Not only his physical body, but also his Armament Haki and Observation Haki have a lot of room for improvement. After his body breaks through its limits, barring any unforeseen circumstances, the upper limit of these two types of Haki will also transform to an inhuman level.

Even if it doesn't undergo another evolution, it can still become stronger.

After a few years of honing his skills, reaching a level comparable to Imu's original form shouldn't be too difficult—provided that guy doesn't have any hidden trump cards.

But before things settle down, let's go to Kuja first.

You can still try to get the Rubber Fruit if it hasn't been eaten yet.

What exactly do you want from me?!

Just then, a voice rang out through gritted teeth, disrupting Roa's thoughts.

Roa turned around and looked at Luo, whose face was pale and whose mouth was even bleeding.

"You don't know yet, Trafalgar Law?"

Roa said with great interest, "The Op-Op Fruit you possess has an ultimate secret: it allows you to perform an immortality surgery at the cost of your own life."

"Those who undergo this surgery will gain the power of immortality."

"The Immortality Surgery!"

Luo's pupils suddenly trembled.

This was indeed the first time he had heard of this.

No wonder, no wonder the Op-Op Fruit could sell for a staggering 5 billion!

So that's what he wanted!

"Don't even think about it!"

Luo said, almost through gritted teeth.

Even if it meant death, he wouldn't perform any immortality surgery on this guy!

Are you misunderstanding something?

Roa smiled. "Immortality is a power I was born with; the so-called Perennial Youth Operation is meaningless to me."

"..."

Luo's eyes widened.

What is this guy saying? What does it mean that immortality is a power he was born with?

Is this guy serious?

Not to mention him, even Morgans was dumbfounded at this moment.

Born immortal?

I must say, as expected of the Boss?

Roa smiled at Luo, "All you have to do is live well, until the day I feel I need you."

"Don't even think about it!"

After a brief moment of shock, Luo's attitude remained fierce, "Even if it means death—"

"Don't even think about dying."

Roa said with a helpless expression, "Really, what's with all this talk about dying at such a young age?"

"Besides, I'm considered a benefactor to you Flevance. If it weren't for me, your entire nation would have perished without even knowing it."

"Stop talking nonsense!"

Luo retorted without hesitation, "You bastard, all you want is to make this world more chaotic! The Flevance were just used by you!"

"Judging by actions, not intentions, isn't that what everyone says?"

Roa shrugged. "Whatever, just don't even think about dying."

He chuckled. "If you die, I'll wipe out the entire Revolutionary Army. You know, that's no difficult task for me."

"..."

Luo fell silent instantly.

Roa smiled.

In short, let's keep this guy for now, and see what happens when we change our minds and decide that the Perennial Youth Operation can be given to someone else.

Anyway, with Pure Gold around, he can live a long time.

Furthermore, if the Dark-Dark Fruit is found in the future, preserving the Op-Op Fruit will become even easier.

Oh right, we also need to go to Fish-Man Island first.

Is Gaban's son really not connected to Shanks and the others?

Let's rewind to a few days earlier, to a deserted coastline in the Sabaody Archipelago.

Wow!

The sea surface suddenly broke open, and a ship shrouded in bubbles burst out of the water, creating waves that surged and crashed across the surface.

"Phew! I finally escaped!"

Shanks patted his chest, still shaken, and looked out to sea from the ship's railing. Only after confirming that the Sea Beast hadn't pursued them any further did he let out a long sigh of relief. His clothes were soaked with sweat, indicating he had just been through a fierce battle.

"I thought I was going to die at sea!"

Fortunately, the number of Sea Beast that surrounded them from the entrance of the Great Hollow was not large; otherwise, they probably wouldn't have been able to break through the encirclement.

However, even after escaping from the Great Hollow, the Sea Beast's pursuit did not stop.

Large numbers of Sea Beast pursued them all the way to the shallow waters, and only returned when they were certain they could not catch them.

Everyone finally escaped a disaster.

"From this perspective, it's practically impossible to get to Fish-Man Island."

Robin was equally exhausted.

Her arms were sore and weak from constantly shooting arrows at the Sea Beast in the deep sea.

But what frustrated her even more was the realization she had come to this point.

"I wonder how Coron is doing now."

Now in his seventies, Rayleigh, whose stamina has diminished considerably since his youth, leaned heavily against the ship's railing, panting, his voice filled with worry.

Let's return to the present, to Fish-Man Island.

Coron has been feeling very troubled these past few days.

He had been looking for an opportunity to contact Uncle Rayleigh and the others.

However, his useless old father strictly followed Roa's orders, keeping a close eye on him.

It was a truly unwavering watch, giving him no opening whatsoever.

It's one thing to forbid him from going out and keep him at home all the time, but the worst part is that they keep an eye on him while he eats, showers, goes to the toilet, and even sleeps.

That Pops worked tirelessly, giving him no chance to take advantage of the situation, even though his eyes were already completely dark.

Now, what should we do?!

Then one day, someone came to visit.

Coron, are you back?

The visitor was Fisher Tiger, a man Coron knew well. Upon seeing him, this respected elder brother in Coron looked surprised, followed by an indescribable sense of guilt.

"Don't worry about it, Brother Fisher Tiger,"

Coron shook his head; he already knew everything from his mother. "It's not your fault."

"..."

Fisher Tiger sighed. "You shouldn't have come back."

"What are you saying, Fisher Tiger!"

Gaban pushed up his small sunglasses, put his arm around his son's shoulder, and said unhappily, "Isn't it normal for a wanderer to return home? I was looking forward to working for the Boss alongside that kid Coron!"

Fisher Tiger just gave a wry smile.

Coron also felt a pang of sadness.

His Pops still loved him, but he was no longer the Pops he respected.

"By the way, Fisher Tiger,"

Gaban asked, "What brings you here?"

"The army has been assembled, Mr. Yam,"

Fisher Tiger looked somewhat sad, but he forced himself to remain calm and said, "Would you like to go and inspect it?"

"Oh! Okay, okay!"

Gaban nodded excitedly, "Quick, quick, take me there!"

Fish-Man army?

Coron's feelings were even more complicated.

Fish-Man Island has truly fallen completely into Roa's grasp.

"Coron, you're coming with your dad too!"

So Coron had no choice but to go along.

Gidkaron Square, the largest square on Fish-Man Island, is where more than 200,000 Fish-Man warriors have gathered.

Fisher Tiger looked at these Fish-Man warriors with a pained expression.

After learning about the situation facing Fish-Man Island, these compatriots stepped forward without hesitation.

For their homeland, for their families, for their community, they decided to risk everything.

But because of this, Fisher Tiger felt even more pain.

"Everyone!"

At this moment, Gaban had already stepped onto the platform. The highly respected Mr. Yam from Fish-Man Island, beaming with excitement, proclaimed, "You should feel honored! From this day forward, you will become warriors under the great Lord Roa, fighting for him!"

Coron felt like vomiting after hearing those words.

But at that moment, while his Pops was giving his impassioned speech, Coron suddenly realized, "Are we not being watched anymore?"

So he stepped back, letting Fisher Tiger stand between him and that bastard Pops.

Fisher Tiger glanced back at him, and Coron gave him a pleading look.

Fisher Tiger turned his head, straightened his back, and made himself appear taller.

Thank you, Fisher Tiger.

Coron carefully took out Den Den Mushi with one hand and dialed a number.

After dialing, hold the Den Den Mushi in your hand to prevent the ringing sound from spreading.

Then, at the instant the call connects.

He feigned a yawn, raised his right hand, and quickly uttered a sentence.

"Fish-Man Island has been occupied by Roa, and Dad is under his control. He's going to come back to Fish-Man Island later."