Rebellion and Passage

It all began half a year ago, in September of Marineford Era 1514. Due to pirate disturbances, General Jade, a trusted confidant of the Queen, set out to suppress them. However, to his surprise, Marshal Fred of Hana seized the opportunity to rebel, dispatching heavy troops to seize key locations on West Island and forcing the Queen to abdicate.

When the Marines received the desperate plea for help, carried by the Queen's guards at the cost of their lives, General Jade had already been ambushed at sea by an unknown force, his fate uncertain. The Queen was completely cornered, and the situation was dire!

Garp was forced to accept the mission concerning the internal conflict on West Island, as he had angered Sengoku during his previous strike back to the East Blue. Simultaneously, they discovered that the force that ambushed General Jade was none other than the infamous Baroque Works from the first half of the Grand Line!

Normally, the Marines should not interfere in the internal affairs of a member nation.

However, this was not just an internal conflict; Baroque Works was stirring the pot from behind the scenes. This gave the Marines half a reason to act. Despite knowing of Baroque Works' involvement, they lacked concrete evidence of Fred's contact with them, making it impossible to press charges.

Sengoku was furious... The Marines were powerless to act, even as Baroque Works extended its reach to the World Government's member nations.

What could be done?

So, Garp went!

It was a classic case of someone taking the blame while another went to face certain death.

Of course, Garp's departure was extremely discreet. He didn't even return to Headquarters, detouring midway with a Log Pose and heading west.

Even so, his movements were exposed, and he was intercepted halfway...

"The World Government doesn't interfere in the internal affairs of member nations, so it's best if the Marines don't get involved..."

This General Fred was no ordinary person.

In terms of status, he was not only the Grand Marshal of Hana's forces but had also bribed certain high-ranking officials in the World Government, securing himself a powerless official position within the organization!

In terms of strength, he was a formidable fighter, no less than a Marine Vice Admiral. Although he had not mastered Haki, the number of pirates who had fallen to him, with bounties exceeding fifty million, was countless! The peace and tranquility of Hana, beyond its external reputation, were forged by his own hands!

In terms of reputation, he was a revered protector of Hana, beloved by its people even more than Crocodile, with a vast number of supporters. Furthermore, he was Queen Rosa's own nephew, possessing a legitimate claim to the throne!

If he intended to rebel, not everyone could stop him.

Unless the Queen could completely suppress him...

But without Jade, it was a foregone conclusion for the Queen of Hana, who was powerless, to contend with her powerful nephew who controlled the military.

Hearing this, Ron understood just how troublesome this handsome uncle Fred was, rebelling with such legitimacy!

Despite the somber atmosphere, he couldn't help but ask with a hint of exasperation, "Doesn't Queen Rosa have any children who could succeed her?"

Setting aside the issue of the Queen's advanced age and lack of familial joy, having a child also meant security in old age!

An additional heir meant an additional hope. As long as another successor existed, Fred's path to succession, without damaging his reputation, would be significantly more difficult! Considering his approach of using Baroque Works to avoid soiling his own hands even when eliminating Jade, a successor would be a greater threat than two Garps!

Garp froze at this question.

Traine coughed and explained, "The Queen was diagnosed with an illness in her youth, rendering her unable to have children, thus she has no offspring."

"Oh..."

It seemed he had stumbled upon something quite significant!

"I see, so because there was no rival, he couldn't wait any longer...?"

Ron changed the subject, feigning sudden realization.

Simply put, the Queen had reigned for too long without heirs, and her nephew, who had been the crown prince for decades, grew dissatisfied. He allied with external forces and sought to overthrow the Queen's rule by force.

Logically speaking, the venerable Queen Rosa would turn seventy in three days. In a few more years, her energy would wane, and abdicating the throne would be both inevitable and natural. For the sake of the throne, what was so unbearable about waiting a few more years?

But that was the terrifying nature of power!

Especially when one knew there was no competition!

Such unchecked ambition could turn even the most rational person incredibly biased and volatile!

Decades of torment had worn away the nephew's last shred of patience. He decided not to wait any longer and, like Chen Sheng and Wu Guang, raised the banner of rebellion!

Fred used the World Government's name as a threat. Garp could have ignored it and killed him, eliminating the threat permanently. However, the consequence of breaking the rules would be that his entire crew would face repercussions from the World Government.

Although Garp had repeatedly expressed his dissatisfaction with the World Government in public, calling them trash, he dared not risk the lives and futures of his entire crew to test the Five Elders' patience. Thus, he had no choice but to turn back, picking up Ron, who had fallen from the sky, midway.

Initially, Ron was incredibly weak, and no one had reason to link him to the internal conflict in Hana. It wasn't until Ron displayed his terrifying talent and perseverance that Sengoku began to consider him.

As a Logia-type Devil Fruit user who wished to join the Marines, Ron possessed the strength and willingness to obey orders. Furthermore, since he had no records, he wasn't an official Marine, making him the ideal candidate for the Hana mission! As long as the Queen of Hana vouched for him after the mission was complete, the Five Elders wouldn't be able to find fault.

At most...

They would give the Marines the cold shoulder for a very, very long time!

When the superior refuses to give the subordinate a favorable look, the consequences could be quite severe!

However, subsequent developments were unexpected. Just as Sengoku was preparing for the worst, due to Ron's terrifying growth rate, countless individuals began researching the secret behind it. He received the data on the Lightning Stimulation Method submitted by Zephyr.

This data was quickly placed before the Five Elders. If it could be mass-produced, the effects would be self-evident. Therefore, they attached great importance to it, even tacitly allowing the research progress on Pacifistas to be delayed.

Later, when the equipment was confirmed to be complete, news of the success reached the Five Elders from the Marines, much to their satisfaction.

The first batch consisted of three hundred units. The Marines kept only one hundred units at Headquarters. Additionally, a full two hundred units were distributed to the various branches of the CP Organization!

In the eyes of the Five Elders, the Marines were indeed just guard dogs. But when a hunting dog caught its prey, it deserved praise. Even the Celestial Dragons, the world's nobles, would not be stingy with their rewards.

Consequently, regarding the matters in Hana, the Five Elders simply turned a blind eye. As long as it didn't cause panic among the member nations, they allowed the Marines to act as they saw fit.

Furthermore, in terms of obedience to rule, compared to a Hana ruled by Fred, who colluded with Baroque Works and rebelled, they were more inclined to trust Queen Rosa, who had stably governed Hana for decades.

Ultimately, the attitude of the Five Elders determined everything!

They were just like the emperors of ancient China, above the law! This was a glimpse into the semi-feudal social system of the One Piece World.

"We Marines will not provide you with any assistance during your visit to Hana. Everything will depend on you, Ron."

"We Marines" indicated that Ron was not one of them.

Hearing this, Ron finally understood why Garp had brought him out to sea.

After all, Ron clearly remembered what Zephyr had told him in the Marine Headquarters prison over four months ago.

"According to the rules, that's true! But you were never registered in the Headquarters' new recruit roster, so you're considered an outsider. The Marines have no right to discharge you..."

Now, four months later, Ron, who had been engrossed in his training, was still not registered in the "Headquarters' new recruit roster" and was still "considered an outsider." Even learning the Marine Six Powers was exchanged for providing experimental data for Vegapunk and perfecting his instruments, as stipulated in a signed contract.

As long as he, who was "not a Marine," took action, then no matter if it was a member nation or the high-ranking officials bought off by General Fred within the World Government, no one would dare to challenge the Five Elders, who had subtly shown their displeasure!