Shazo and Dragon's Contest from Afar

From the Revolutionary Army Headquarters in Baltigo to the East Blue, Ahiru followed the same route as the dragon.

However, Ahiru was far weaker than the dragons, and had to detour in many places, so her fleet took a full eight months to travel.

Over such a long period of time, many things have happened on the Grand Line. Countless notorious pirates have been killed, and a large number of new pirates have emerged.

But at the same time, the East Blue appeared so calm, almost unchanged.

In other words, there were more ships on the waterway, fewer pirates, and people at the bottom of society felt that life was a little easier.

The biggest news in the East Blue is that a new floating restaurant has opened on the high seas. The restaurant's manager, Zeff, and the young chef, Sanji, have excellent cooking skills, attracting the favor of many powerful and influential people in the East Blue.

By the time Ahiru had completed the construction of her intelligence network and joined the 77th Branch, almost the year 1513 of the Sea Circle Calendar had passed.

However, Ahiru's process of joining the Navy was not smooth, and it even aroused the vigilance of the Navy's Intelligence Department.

Because this beautiful girl with long brown hair and a bronze complexion is disabled, her left arm was almost severed at the shoulder, and she was fitted with a mechanical prosthesis to replace her left hand.

The East Blue is the Weakest Sea, not only because it lacks powerful pirates and a strong navy, but also because it lacks advanced technology comparable to Devil Fruit and Haki.

Even the newly established floating restaurant owner, Zeff, has a disabled leg that is simply replaced with a wooden stick, without any technological sophistication.

Ahiru's left hand looks rough, but it is actually very powerful, quick-witted, and even has the ability to sense temperature, weight, and other sensations.

This level of cutting-edge technology is most likely an advanced gadget from the Grand Line.

Therefore, the Navy's intelligence officers' suspicion that Ahiru was a pirate from the New World was indeed well-founded.

Although there is no evidence yet, Intelligence Department never work based on evidence; they plan to arrest people based on suspicion alone.

Fortunately, Ahiru's dashing temperament was very attractive, which made Bellemere very fond of her and provide her with a guarantee, thus preventing her from being arrested.

Fortunately, after communication between the 77th Branch and the headquarters' intelligence Intelligence Department, it was confirmed that there was no pirate named Ahiru in the Grand Line, and her identity in the East Blue was also confirmed.

Even after all this time and effort, Ahiru still insisted on joining the Navy.

Her determination completely astonished the Jun Jun; even Colonel Faye, the branch's second-in-command, came to check on her, only to be chased away by Lieutenant Bellemere.

With Bellemere's help, Ahiru successfully joined the Navy.

Because of her strength, she was directly granted the rank of Sergeant Major according to regulations.

Because of this military rank, Ahiru had the opportunity to listen to Shazo's speech and lecture on his very first night as a member of the Navy.

Then, this young girl, who was determined to carry on the revolution, had her worldview shattered by Shazo's speech.

During his speech, Shazo raised several questions. "Why have the extremely evil Celestial Dragons existed for 800 years?"

How can we end the Great Pirate Era and bring peace, the greatest Justice, to the seas?

"Can Justice be achieved first in one country?"

He answered these questions one by one during his speech.

Regarding the Celestial Dragons, he said, "Because the World Government's rule requires legitimacy and an ideology that can be accepted by the vast majority of powers, and the Celestial Dragons have precisely fulfilled this role."

"Remember, here's the key point: what World Government needs is the approval of the vast majority of power, not the approval of the vast majority of people."

"Ordinary people who are not organized or trained are not considered an effective force, which is why the World Government has never cared about the interests of ordinary civilians."

"Because the Celestial Dragons represent a universally recognized legal system, although many of the world's problems are caused by the Celestial Dragons and the Heavenly Tribute, eliminating the Celestial Dragons does not mean that all problems will be solved. On the contrary, it would cause the World Government's ability to maintain order to collapse."

"In other words, if the Celestial Dragons suddenly disappeared, the order currently maintained by the massive Navy would collapse, and the Navy itself would not even be able to sustain its own existence."

"When the World Government and the Navy disintegrate and disappear, the main culprits wreaking havoc on the seas will no longer be pirates, but the navies of various kingdoms."

"Special cases like the Kuja Pirates of Amazon Lily Kingdom and the Happo Navy of Flower Country will replace pirate crews and become the main force on the seas."

"And civilians in various countries will be more widely mobilized by the state apparatus, forced to join the navy, and forced to go to sea to fight against the navies of other countries."

Regarding the question of ending the Great Pirate Era and bringing peace to the seas, Shazo explained, "The problem of chaos, which seems to be a problem of order, is actually an economic problem."

When everyone can earn a relatively satisfactory income through work, enough to support themselves, get married, have children, care for their families, and even save money for retirement, how many people will risk going into business?

Even if there are those who are naturally fond of freedom and adventure, how many of them could there be?

"If the number of pirates were reduced by 90%, would the Navy still be struggling to keep up? Wouldn't order on the seas be maintained?"

Therefore, the prerequisite for ending the Great Pirate Era is ensuring that the vast majority of people can live a good life.

When asked whether Justice could be achieved in a country, Shazo's answer was unequivocal, "Impossible!"

"This is not to say that the forces that hope to achieve Justice cannot save a country, but rather that once Justice is achieved in a country, it cannot withstand the backlash from the forces of Justice."

"The sea has no lid, and the navy controls the order on the sea. They don't even need to mobilize the power of the Buster Call to crush any country and restore it to its original state."

"The Five Elders might even order the destruction of this country as a warning to other nations."

Ultimately, all countries are island nations, lacking sufficient strength and resources to independently defeat the World Government and its navy.

The questions Shazo asked and the answers he gave Ahiru's mind buzzing, filling her with worry about the future of the Revolutionary Army.

She stood up and asked loudly, "Commodore Excellency, how shall we achieve Justice?"

Shazo looked at the unfamiliar girl and smiled, "A new person has joined us. What's your name?"

Ahiru at attention and answered loudly, "My Ahiru, and I am a new recruit who just joined the 77th Branch. My rank is Sergeant."

Shazo was unaware that Ahiru was a member of the Revolutionary Army, but he was very pleased with the girl's military bearing.

He then happily remarked, "Excellent newcomer, you have a natural military bearing."

Then he answered Ahiru's question seriously, "To achieve Justice, we cannot launch an operation in a single country, but rather in a large region, involving a dozen or even dozens of countries simultaneously."

"To seize a sufficiently large territory and accumulate enough strength to withstand the enemy's counterattack before the forces of Justice can react."

"As long as we can withstand the first three rounds of counterattacks, Justice can gain a foothold in this sufficiently broad area and attract more people to join the ranks of Justice."

Looking at the completely bewildered Ahiru, Shazo smiled and asked, "Are you satisfied with this answer?"

The girl nodded frantically; she truly understood.

Moreover, it was precisely because she understood that she discovered that by simply changing the subject and object of this passage, it could become a guide for the Revolutionary Army's actions.

This made Ahiru wonder if Shazo was one of their accomplices.

On the fifth day, through a secret network of Den Den Mushi (snail Den Den Mushi), and after five transfers, Shazo's lecture and his ideals of Justice finally reached Monkey D. Dragon.

The main problem is that Shazo's concept of Justice is too lengthy, taking too long to read through, and thus wasting too much time.

Key members of the Revolutionary Army, including Emporio Ivankov, Belo Betty, Lindbergh, Morley, and Karasu, also saw this lengthy intelligence report.

Like Ahiru, their values were severely damaged, and even showed signs of wavering.

Ivankov asked, "Dragon, do you think Brigadier General Shazo's plan is feasible?"

Before the Revolutionary Army was called the Revolutionary Army, but rather the Freedom Fighters, it was Dragon and Emporio Ivankov who led the Freedom Fighters to liberate the Sorbet Kingdom in the South Blue and expel the tyrannical King Bekori.

Bartholomew Kuma joined the Revolutionary Army and became the King of the Sorbet Kingdom, providing the Revolutionary Army with many benefits.

But now, under pressure from the World Government, Kuma has no choice but to join the World Government for the survival of the Sorbet Kingdom, allowing him to be ordered around by the enemy he hates.

Even the Sorbet Kingdom has now become an area where the Revolutionary Army must operate with extreme caution. The revolutionary gains they fought so hard for years ago have been completely lost. Under the expectant gazes of everyone, Dragon slowly shook his head. "This plan is suitable for the Navy, but not for our Revolutionary Army."

"The Navy is a subordinate agency of the World Government, with official status and financial resources, allowing it to prepare steadily for years and wait for the right opportunity to launch a sudden attack."

"But our Revolutionary Army can't do that. We don't have the resources to make long-term preparations. Doing so would cause our comrades to lose confidence and miss out on more opportunities for development."

"We must keep mobilizing to increase our reputation, gain more and more supporters, and thus continuously grow our strength."

"Although it will come at a great cost, it is the only way for us to go from nothing to something, from weak to strong, and ultimately win the victory."

"Our Revolutionary Army has no choice but to face the difficulties head-on."

"But from the moment we joined the Revolutionary Army, we were prepared to sacrifice ourselves, so we are not afraid of paying the price, only afraid of not succeeding."

Under Long's skillful speech, the Revolutionary Army cadres regained their morale and left with great enthusiasm, each going about their own business.

But the dragon called out to his comrade-in-arms, Emporio Ivankov.

After everyone else had left, Long frowned and said, "Commodore Xia Zuo is likely to become our strongest competitor. At least in the East China Sea, his plan is quite feasible."

"If he makes sufficient preparations, it is very likely that he can use the Goa Kingdom as the core to bring dozens of surrounding countries under his control, creating an unprecedented situation of dominating the entire East Blue."

Emporio Ivankov, now completely different from his earlier composure, said with a worried expression, "This seriously conflicts with our plan; at the very least, the East Army's strategic objectives have been completely thwarted."

"However, as long as Brigadier General Xia Zuo can occupy the East China Sea, he will essentially open up a new situation for us, and the effect might even be better."

Long shook his head. "Ivankov, as I just said, as part of the navy, Commodore Shazo has the resources to steadily develop his power in the East China Sea and wait for the right opportunity."

"But we, the Revolutionary Army, cannot do that. We don't have that much time to wait. We must take action and set off a revolutionary wave to ensure our own survival and development."

"In the end, we can only pave the way for Brigadier General Xia Zuo and open up new opportunities for him."

The dragon took a deep breath, then slowly exhaled. "I'm truly unwilling to accept this."

"Alright, the East Army will still be established, but its future use will be adjusted based on the specific circumstances."

But Emporio Ivankov did not give up with Long; instead, he frowned and pondered for a long time.

Suddenly, he clenched his fists and exclaimed in surprise, "I understand!"

"I knew it! Nothing is ever all good and no bad."

"Commander Xia Zuo has a significant advantage due to his naval status, but he will inevitably pay a heavy price for every benefit he gains from that position."

"What I can think of right now is that he will be subject to numerous constraints from the Marine Headquarters and the World Government."

"For example, before Brigadier General Xia Zuo was ready or before the right opportunity was available, Marshal Sengoku ordered him to be transferred away from the East Sea."

"At that time, he will have to make a choice."

"If we obey the orders from the Marine Headquarters, then all the preparations he made in the East Blue will benefit us."

"If Commodore Xia Zuo disobeys the orders of the Navy Headquarters, then he will have no choice but to immediately launch a coup, seize control of the East China Sea, and challenge the Navy's authority."

"The combat power and attention of the navy and the World Government will be drawn to the East Blue, and our strategic space for activities in other regions will be greatly expanded."

Upon hearing Emporio Ivankov's words, the dragon's resentment completely vanished.

In the end, his eyes sparkled like two shining gems, and he burst into hearty laughter.

"Haha, Emporio Ivankov, my comrade, it's so good to have you by my side."

"Your timely insight has given me a lot more to think about."

"Actually, the initiative isn't solely in Commodore Xia Zuo's hands. At the right moment, I can use my connections within the navy to remind Fleet Admiral Sengoku to make a decision that benefits us."

Emporio Ivankov was stunned. "Dragon, you still have such a powerful network of connections that you can influence Fleet Admiral Sengoku of the Navy?"

Dragon smiled slyly, "I don't need to persuade Fleet Admiral Sengoku to act according to my wishes, because I can persuade the World Government's spies in the Navy to have the Five Elders persuade Fleet Admiral Sengoku for me."

Emporio Ivankov laughed, "So that's how it is. That's quite unexpected."