Dragon: There Couldn't Be a Lunatic in the Marines, Right?
In the South Blue, on a seemingly undeveloped, deserted island with dense jungle, near the central region of the island, there is a hidden cave in the cliff face. Entering this cave reveals something extraordinary; it seems like some organization has built a secret base here, with winding and twisting passages that appear to have hollowed out the entire mountain.
That's right, this is the South Blue base of the Freedom Army, which has now been designated as an illegal armed group.
At this moment, in a cave within the base, Dragon was rubbing his temples, feeling a bit of a headache, and looking at a huge pile of documents in front of him.
"If this continues, our funding will completely dry up in just two years. And if we don't have enough funding, the organization will definitely be unable to continue. We must find a source of funding!" Dragon said, clutching his head and looking pained.
Sitting opposite him was a guy with an unusually large head, wearing terrifying makeup, and looking extremely bizarre. This person was Dragon's partner, and later the co-founder of the Revolutionary Army... Emporio Ivankov.
"What about those people who were willing to sponsor us before?" Ivankov asked, frowning.
"Ever since we were listed as an illegal armed organization by the World Government, those who were originally willing to support us are now extremely wary of us..." Dragon sighed softly.
"This is really a big problem. Why don't we pick an Affiliated Nation and rob them of their resources?" Ivankov said in a sinister tone after pondering for a moment.
Dragon shook his head and said, "How can that be? Eva, you must understand that not all Affiliated Nation are our enemies. Many Affiliated Nation only joined the World Government in search of asylum and national security. What we need to do is not to overthrow the Affiliated Nation, but to overthrow the tyrannical states that are in power!"
Dragon founded the Freedom Army, not to rob people; why didn't he just form a pirate crew?
If they do this once or twice, that's one thing. But if they rely on robbing Affiliated Nation to make a living, and their reputation is completely ruined, then the Freedom Army will never be able to develop.
"Then what should we do? You're not exactly a natural at making things, and we don't have any projects in hand... How about becoming an armed mercenary group? Specializing in helping countries harassed by pirates and other evil forces, and then collecting protection money?" Ivankov suggested again.
Dragon thought about it for a moment and felt that this approach was not impossible, but it was also obvious that it was not a long-term solution. At most, it could only be done in the early stages when the scale was not large.
"Do you know any powerful figures in the South Blue? Someone incredibly wealthy who could support us?" Dragon asked Ivankov with some anticipation.
A flicker of reminiscence crossed Ivankov's eyes, and a faint smile appeared on his terrifying face as he said, "I do know a formidable character. That guy is very capable, but he must be a pauper. I believe that even if he were truly wealthy, he would definitely give all his possessions to those in need, so he will never become rich..."
"Oh?" Dragon asked, slightly intrigued. "Who is it?"
"He's just a gentle but clumsy priest. Don't even think about making a move on him. He's not like me. He just wants a quiet and peaceful life," Ivankov said with a smile.
"Is that so?" Dragon had been quite expectant, but seeing the implication in Ivankov's words, he could only shake his head regretfully and say, "Since you've put it that way, what else can I say?"
Ivankov quickly changed the subject, saying, "You're the son of Garp the Hero, how come your connections are so weak? Don't you know any rich tycoons who could support us?"
"Yes, there is. But they're not in the South Blue. I have a friend in the East Blue who's a very skilled swordsman. He runs a kendo dojo on a small island in the East Blue China Sea. Although he looks ordinary, he's actually incredibly rich!" Dragon chuckled.
While Dragon and Ivankov were discussing how to find a way to fund the Freedom Army,
Not too far from this small deserted island, on the sea, the warship Ortolan is sailing.
On the deck, Gion held a pair of Seastone shackles and looked at Ortolan expectantly, saying, "It should be in the next day or two, right? It'll be around the full moon. Ortolan, to avoid any accidents, why don't I tie you up now, hang you at the stern, and drag you in the sea?"
While Ortolan was packing his fishing gear, he heard this and looked at Gion in horror, saying, "How could you be so cruel?"
"If you go berserk, our entire warship will be overwhelmed. For everyone's safety, as the person in charge of this warship, you have to take responsibility. What are you afraid of? Back in Marineford, didn't Teacher Zephyr and the others beat you up in the bay? Don't worry, I can handle it!" Gion said excitedly.
She still remembered how Ortolan almost smashed her to pieces with one punch back then... Thinking about it now still gives her a lingering fear.
For the past two years, I haven't had a chance to get revenge. Now that I'm on a mission alone with Ortolan, and the full moon has just arrived, I have a perfectly legitimate reason to beat Ortolan to a pulp. Why don't I seize this opportunity?
Ortolan, with an air of "I've seen through you all along," sneered, "Why do you think I've been adjusting my course these past two days? According to the South Blue chart, there's an undeveloped, uninhabited island directly in front of our warship. So, no need to bother you. I'll land on the island myself when the full moon arrives, and I won't damage our warship."
"Huh?" Gion said with a look of resentment, "Even so, no one can wake you up. Isn't this a waste of this full moon opportunity? I think it would be better if I tied you up with Seastone and dragged you behind the warship. Or we can go to a deserted island and I'll go ashore to help you?"
"There's no need for that. I got beaten up by Garp and Teacher Zephyr at headquarters, and that's no big deal. Which modern Marines hasn't been beaten up by them? But to be beaten up by you, especially in front of so many of my subordinates, would really damage my prestige. If you do that, how will I be able to command troops in the future?" Ortolan said righteously.
While it might damage his prestige, the main reason was that Ortolan didn't want Gion, that wicked woman, to beat him up!
Just as Gion was about to speak, Ortolan waved his hand to interrupt, saying, "Besides, you know that was at headquarters, where the environment was safe. Now we're outside. If we encounter a powerful enemy while I'm bound by Seastone and you're drowning in the sea, wouldn't that be a huge problem?"
Gion hearing this, Gion swallowed back her words. Indeed, if Ortolan went berserk, his fighting power would be strong, so there was no need to worry too much. But if he were tied up, drowned in the sea, and encountered the enemy, that would be truly dangerous.
Although Gion felt that there was nothing in the South Blue that could threaten Ortolan and her enemies, it was best not to take any risks.
"Then let's go to that deserted island." Gion finally nodded in agreement.
However, judging from the somewhat regretful way she swung the Seastone chain, you could tell that she was still somewhat unwilling.
Soon, the warship sailed on the sea, and the Marines soldiers standing on the lookout tower at the top of the mast observed the target deserted island that appeared at the horizon through binoculars.
While the Marines warships were observing the island, a young man from the Freedom Army rushed into Dragon's cave, saying in a slightly panicked voice, "Dragon, there's a warship that looks like it's from the Marine Headquarters, heading this way. It'll be here soon!"
"What?" Dragon exclaimed in surprise.
This godforsaken place is completely barren, devoid of any resources, and you can't even find fresh water on the outside. It's only through the excavation of the caves in these cliffs that they've been able to survive here. You could say that, on the surface, this island has absolutely no value!
What are these Marines warships doing here?
Moreover, according to this young man, they came directly here, not just passing by, which means there is a very high probability that the Marines will stop here!
"Quickly, hide all our ships. Don't let them find them. I guess they're just stopping by for a rest. They'll probably stay for a while and then leave. Have all the brothers on the island go back to the cave immediately and seal the exit as well. Don't let the Marines find out we're here," Dragon immediately ordered.
After giving these instructions, Dragon calmed down. No matter how you looked at it, the island had no value, and it lacked water resources. The Marines probably wouldn't be able to stay there for long.
Their base was also very well hidden, located inside a cliff, with only two caves for entry and exit. As long as the caves were sealed off, no one outside could tell that anything was amiss.
Therefore, Dragon was still confident that he could avoid this inexplicable encounter with the Marines.
Surely there isn't some mentally ill person in the Marines who insists on going to the island to cause a huge disturbance and smash the mountain to pieces, right?