Saving a Divided Kingdom

As Jin An spoke, a woman in a pink dress emerged from the house, carrying a child in her arms.

Her face bore a radiant smile that made people feel as though they were bathed in a spring breeze. At first glance alone, she inspired immense goodwill.

The child in her arms neither cried nor fussed, instead smiling at the world as though everything fascinated him.

The woman gave Jin An a slight nod, her manners flawless. "Hello. I'm Zephyr's wife. I've always heard Zephyr talk about you, and today I'm finally fortunate enough to meet you."

"Not at all. I've always admired Admiral Zephyr and you as well. When I visit Marineford in the future, I'll be sure to bring gifts and pay you both a visit."

Zephyr and his wife had made enormous contributions to the Marines, and countless Marines held them in great respect. Jin An was no exception.

However, Jin An had no plans to go to Marineford yet. Who knew what trouble he might run into there?

"Then it's a deal. Zephyr and I are both looking forward to your visit to Marineford." She could tell that Dragon had something he wanted to say to Jin An. If she stayed, Dragon might feel awkward.

"I'll be leaving first, then. You and Dragon have a good talk."

She did not linger, saying goodbye to them before leaving.

He glanced back, gazing gently at the child in his arms. "You need to grow into a man like them someday too."

"So... what did you want to say to me?"

Jin An took a sip of tea from his cup and leisurely asked Dragon, who sat across from him with a cold expression.

Only the two of them remained in the room, giving them some privacy. Dragon had stayed silent the whole time, so Jin An had no choice but to speak first.

"The old man told me to learn something under you, but I don't think there's anything here worth learning..." Dragon clearly did not think much of the man before him.

Everyone here respected Jin An so much, but in Dragon's eyes, Jin An was obviously the kind of parasite who did nothing, never left his home, and only knew how to enjoy himself.

"..."

"What kind of person do you think is qualified to teach you?" Jin An was not angry. He continued rocking in his chair.

Dragon replied in a muffled voice, "At least not someone like you..."

Originally, he had thought that someone so highly praised by Sengoku, Zephyr, and his own father would be a true man standing tall beneath heaven and earth—or, at the very least, someone working hard to accomplish great things.

But after actually meeting him, Dragon found that this guy was merely an ordinary colonel stationed in the South Blue, endlessly slacking off. Before this, his rank had not even been higher than Dragon's.

Jin An looked at Dragon. Kid, you're obviously someone who's never been properly beaten. Who says we aren't a good fit the moment we meet? At least try to be a little tactful.

"I didn't really want to agree to this in the first place. If you don't want me teaching you, I'm more than happy to take it easy." Jin An yawned. One more or one fewer tool made no difference to him.

Dragon could no longer stand Jin An's lazy attitude. "Can't you do something that benefits ordinary people?"

Jin An turned his head, smiling without really smiling. "Then I'd like to hear your brilliant opinion. You've only been here for a short time, haven't you? What makes you think you understand me well enough?"

Dragon stiffened his neck. Everything he had seen and heard along the way showed that the people here were not living easy lives. The environment he had grown up in was far better than this place.

"Everything I've seen with my own eyes proves it!"

"Then I hope your eyes don't deceive you. You can leave now." There was no point saying another word when they could not see eye to eye. Jin An waved him away.

He had nothing to say to a self-righteous brat like this. Since Dragon trusted his own judgment so much, it would be fine for him to teach himself.

Dragon slammed the door behind him as he stormed out. He could not understand why Marine Headquarters had put someone like this in charge of an entire sea. Were they afraid the people here were living too well?

As the door shut, Dragon stood blankly outside. He knew that he had acted a little too impulsively, but whenever he thought about Jin An's inaction, he could not calm himself.

Any decision made by those in power could drive the lives of ordinary people at the bottom toward either extreme.

"What an asshole!"

He gritted his teeth and punched the wall. He wanted to leave immediately and tell his father everything he had seen and heard, but he still hesitated.

"You're Colonel Monkey D. Dragon, right?" Kuzan adjusted his glasses and looked at the indignant Dragon.

Though Dragon was in a bad mood, he still patiently nodded. "That's right. I am."

"I'm Kuzan." Kuzan invited him, "You seem a little down. Want to take a walk with me and clear your head?"

Seeing another Marine from this base only made the troubled Dragon feel even worse. He had even less desire to take a walk with a stranger.

Kuzan did not give up. He rubbed his curly hair and watched the young man before him, who was only a few years older than himself, with flickering eyes.

"Don't reject me so quickly. I'm doing this to salvage our colonel's reputation, too."

Dragon sneered. Reputation? That guy had a reputation?

"Believe it or not, taking a break is still a pretty good choice." Kuzan spread his hands.

Once they left the Marine base, the streets before them remained bustling with traffic.

The vendors along the street had resumed their cries, pedestrians flowed endlessly past, and laughter filled the air.

Just as Dragon sighed at the world's indifference, he felt someone pat his right shoulder.

"This place wasn't nearly this lively before. I've been by Colonel Jin An's side the whole time, watching this street gradually become what it is today." Kuzan sighed, his eyes filled with memories.

Dragon found it hard to believe. This thriving street had been built only in the past few years? No one would believe that.

Seeing the distrust in Dragon's eyes, Kuzan did not explain further. "Let's walk a little farther."

"Big brother!"

The girl ran toward Dragon with a delighted smile on her face.

"You know each other?" Kuzan asked curiously.

"We met earlier. This little girl explained many things to me." Dragon spoke with some emotion. "It was through what she said that I came to understand the situation on this island."

"In my opinion, Jin An is a hypocrite." Dragon declared forcefully.

He looked at the Marine base in the distance, towering far above every other building. This was his first impression of Jin An.

Just as Dragon was about to list Jin An's crimes one by one, an angry cry exploded beside his ear, leaving him at a loss.

"You're a bad person! How can you say bad things about Brother Jin An!"

As she spoke, tears began streaming down the girl's face. "Half the people on this island were saved by Brother Jin An. If you want to insult him, I'll be the first one to object."

The sudden sobbing left Dragon flustered. What had he done wrong? What exactly did the girl think of Jin An? What had happened on this island before?

"We were the people who were abandoned... abandoned by the king..."

"The king was going to leave us to fend for ourselves. He wanted to abandon ordinary people and protect only the wealthy. It was Brother Jin An who negotiated with the king, which is why we have the lives we do now." The girl recounted everything she knew.

To pay the Celestial Tribute, kings throughout the world used different methods to raise funds.

Bekori, the king of the Sorbet Kingdom, had wanted to split the country in two to reduce the Celestial Tribute. One half would receive the kingdom's protection, while the other would become a lawless land.

At that time, Jin An lacked both strength and status. He could only use every method available to reach a certain understanding with the king, creating the situation that existed today.

"..."

"Otherwise, we would have either starved to death or been killed by pirates."

Dragon stared in shock after hearing this. "Then he..."

He had never expected things to be like this. His pride had made him assume that Jin An was someone who allowed the king to oppress ordinary people.

Yet the girl's words made him realize just how foolish his preconceived judgment had been.

He did not dare look at the expressions of the people around him, afraid that he would be mocked and condemned.

Watching Dragon's expression shift again and again, Kuzan felt a little pleased. He did not want anyone to misunderstand his idol—not even someone from Headquarters.

"No! I have to go back!" After struggling with himself, Dragon still chose to follow his heart. If he had done something wrong, he had to admit it. That was a rule he had always followed.