Dragon? Self-Defense Army? Dragon, You're Bold

As Garp spoke, he grew more and more agitated. Roger had been executed in Loguetown, and only now did he learn that Dragon had been there as well. Now that he had heard news of Dragon, he could no longer let this opportunity slip away. He wanted to ask him why he had left the Marines and even founded a Self-Defense Army. Was Dragon really planning to oppose the Celestial Dragons?

Mu Chen was equally shocked by the news. So Dragon really had once been a Marine. And what exactly was this Self-Defense Army?

After thinking it over, Mu Chen seemed to recall something. The Self-Defense Army should have been the predecessor of the Revolutionary Army.

But that was not even the most explosive news. The truly shocking part was Golden Lion Shiki. Golden Lion had not yet been thrown into Impel Down, which meant he was likely coming to seek revenge on the Marines for Roger.

In Mu Chen's memory, Golden Lion had rampaged through Marineford a week before Roger's execution, seeking confirmation that Roger had truly been captured by the Marines.

But in this version of events, Golden Lion was coming for revenge after Roger had been executed.

Sengoku looked utterly helpless.

"Fine. I understand. Go quickly and come back quickly."

Sengoku understood that Dragon had always been a thorn in Garp's heart. There was no way he could stop him from doing this.

Sengoku then left.

"Kid, are you done eavesdropping?"

Mu Chen, hiding by the wall, had just been wondering how he could sneak away when Garp's sudden shout left him rather embarrassed.

Mu Chen walked out of the corner with a smile on his face.

"Garp, how did you find me?"

"Here to steal my crackers again, huh?"

Over the past few days, Mu Chen had come by every so often to steal Garp's crackers and had been caught several times. Because of that, his relationship with Garp had quietly become quite good.

"Enough. Hurry up and leave. I'm setting out."

Mu Chen could tell that Garp was no longer in the mood to joke with him. His gaze and expression had become solemn and pained.

Seeing this, Mu Chen felt a little sorry for Garp. After all, later on, Garp's son would become part of the Revolutionary Army, his grandson would become a pirate, and another grandson would die right before his eyes.

"Garp, I think you'd be better off letting it go."

Mu Chen felt that he needed to say a few things, lest Garp and Dragon's relationship truly become like that of enemies in the future. That would be too pitiful.

"There's no absolute right or wrong in this world."

"Kid, you're telling me to let it go? You heard it just now too. My son is preparing to oppose the Marines and the World Government. How am I supposed to let that go?"

Mu Chen understood that Garp was trying to protect his family in his own way. But what had happened had already happened. Dragon had already defected from the Marines and offended the World Government. There was no going back.

Garp said nothing.

"Actually, I don't think Brother Dragon did anything wrong."

Garp looked at Mu Chen in astonishment.

"What?"

"Didn't do anything wrong?"

"Do you know what he has done?"

"He's opposing the World Government. Do you know what stands above the World Government?"

Mu Chen sneered at Garp's words and joked, "Garp, aren't you opposing the World Government too?"

"What?"

"Mu Chen, what are you talking about?"

"When have I ever opposed the World Government?"

"Garp, didn't you refuse the position of admiral? Isn't that opposing the World Government?"

"Isn't that what you really think?"

After Mu Chen said that, Garp suddenly looked as though he wanted to say something, but the words caught in his throat.

Mu Chen continued.

"Garp, the world is full of every kind of diversity. Where there is oppression, there will be resistance. Brother Dragon is resisting the World Government. Do you think he is wrong?"

"I don't. He's only pursuing the justice in his heart. Aren't you doing the same?"

"By refusing to become an admiral, aren't you silently resisting as you pursue the justice in your own heart?"

Mu Chen's words left Garp speechless, because Mu Chen was right. Wasn't refusing to become an admiral itself a form of resistance?

He did not want to become the World Government's dog, so Garp said, "The world has its own rules. Don't you know what the Celestial Dragons are like?"

"If they weren't a bunch of trash, why would people like Brother Dragon exist? Why would pirates even appear?"

"Let me put it this way: if the people of the world had hope for a peaceful life, who in their right mind would become a pirate?"

"So many member nations have to pay the exorbitant Heavenly Tribute. How many of them truly govern for their people?"

"Don't they all squeeze their people dry?"

"Treating human lives like dogs—wasn't the root of it all the Celestial Dragons?"

Mu Chen's words struck straight at the heart of the matter, and the Heavenly Tribute was only one of the reasons.

Garp immediately recalled the God Valley Incident. Back then, he had already seen the Celestial Dragons' true faces. The God Valley Incident, put plainly, had been nothing more than a game in which the Celestial Dragons slaughtered slaves. Yet Garp had served as the Celestial Dragons' bodyguard. Even he could not accept such a thing, let alone Dragon, who had also been there. Dragon had only been in his teens then. As one of Garp's crew, he had witnessed that horrific scene, which led to his eventual defection from the Marines. Could anyone say Dragon was wrong?

Garp suddenly felt that he had been stubbornly fixating on the wrong thing all this time. He also had not expected a young man under twenty to see things so clearly.

Garp had figured it out now, but the next second, his expression turned grave. He said to Mu Chen, "Mu Chen, stop talking. What you said today is dangerous, do you understand?"

But Mu Chen looked completely unconcerned. "What danger? You only live once. Enjoy yourself while you can and do whatever you want—that's what I want."

"If the sky falls, the tall people will hold it up. What can a mere Marine soldier like me do?"

Mu Chen snorted. "Besides, I have my own justice too. If I can save someone, I'll save them. If not, then forget it. Go to work, slack off, steal your crackers when I'm bored—isn't that a pretty happy life?"