Proletarian Manifesto

Chapter 045: Declaration of Having Nothing

"..."

The entire scene was as silent as if no one was present.

The Spade Pirates, the Marines, Iska, and even the Empress and her two sisters standing by the helm couldn't understand why Leo was bringing this up at this particular moment.

No, they couldn't understand why Leo had to fulfill this promise. Pirates only cared about victory and profit. Leo had just led them to a glorious victory, and everyone was still high on adrenaline. Bringing this up now was like a bucket of cold water, jolting the pirates back to reality—they were ultimately not on the same path.

Why bother?

Many people mused inwardly, their eyes fixed on what Leo would do next.

"We made a promise. As long as we left the Calm Belt and you followed my orders for this final battle, you would be free."

"Now, you are free," Leo said loudly.

Since no one was speaking, no matter what volume he used, everyone could hear him clearly.

"However, our story is not over yet."

"Fifteen days."

"In fifteen days, you have been reborn."

"Do you want to go further?"

Leo's words were like a devil's whisper, constantly shaking everyone's hearts.

The pursuit of power in this world was ingrained in people's bones, much like the Easterners' pursuit of order. Heaven knows how insecure people in this world were, how much they desired power.

But this is wrong...

"Do you think you can still become stronger?"

"Of course, you will become stronger, as long as you don't die and continue on this vast sea."

Leo chuckled, "But what's the point of continuing like this?"

"You are still pirates."

"They are still Marines."

"Marines catch pirates."

"Pirates kill Marines."

"To you, this seems like the entire world, or rather, an unchanging law for your entire life."

"Don't you think something is wrong with this world?"

"Shouldn't everyone be in their hometowns, doing what they want, pursuing the careers they've dreamed of since childhood, and becoming the people they aspire to be?"

"Marines should be incorruptible and law-abiding, disciplined. They should be loyal to the people, protect the territory, and defend the country."

"Pirates, naturally, would disappear from the seas."

"You," Leo pointed at Barbaro, "will become a farmer."

"You," he pointed at another pirate who was usually studious, "will become a missionary."

"And you," he pointed at Todlin, "will become a bar bouncer."

"But now, you have all chosen to go to sea, come aboard this pirate ship, fight for money, and exploit others through violence."

"Is this correct?"

"Is it correct to not create wealth with your own hands, but to plunder the wealth of others through violence?"

Leo finally revealed his true intentions, laying everything bare before everyone.

The Marines trembled, wishing they could stand up and loudly support Leo: "Of course, it's not correct, it's evil!"

"But who forced you to leave your homes, board pirate ships, and become plunderers and exploiters?"

Leo's next words made almost all the Marines instinctively think, "Of course, it's other pirates."

But the answer given by the pirates of the Cutlass Pirates next surprised the Marines.

"Barbaro, you speak."

Barbaro stepped forward and said loudly, "Report! My family owed a lot of money. Those landlords wanted our land. They tricked my father into gambling, so my family was ruined, my father was killed, my mother hanged herself, my house was burned down, and my land was taken away. Homeless and alone, I had no choice but to become a pirate."

"Todlin!"

"Report! I am an orphan, so I had to become a pirate."

"Wood!"

"Report! The nobles forced me to become a pirate!"

"Chalin!"

"Report! The King no longer wishes to see us lowly commoners!"

"Gabon!"

"Report! Our family went bankrupt because of Heavenly Gold!"

One report after another struck the Marines' hearts like heavy hammers.

They had always thought these pirates burned, killed, plundered, and committed every evil, deserving of death, and that meeting them meant a fight to the death. But they had never asked them why they became pirates.

Now, hearing the pirates' true circumstances as captives, they felt an overwhelming empathy.

For anyone who could survive, who would choose a life of constant danger?

Except for those with extreme justice and integrity, who would aim to become Marines from the start and fight pirates?

Didn't most of them become Marines because they couldn't make a living otherwise, and the Marines offered a more formal profession?

The only difference between them and the pirates was that one became a Marine, and the other became a pirate.

Even the reasons for their bankruptcy and downfall were strikingly similar; they were like another self.

"So, what is the collective term for the culprits who caused your downfall and led you to become pirates?"

"Exploiters!"

"And you are the exploited."

"As long as these exploiters exist, they will continuously create people like you who have nothing. You are alone, people with no assets, you have nothing, so naturally, you have nothing to fear!"

"You don't need to fear the Marines! Because besides killing you, they have nothing else they can do to you!"

"You don't need to fear the Celestial Dragons! Because besides enslaving your bodies, they can no longer enslave your free souls and spirits!"

"Everyone, one person's strength is insignificant! But, with many people, our strength is immense! Ironclad discipline can increase your power tenfold, a hundredfold; we have already tested this."

"Will you choose to take enough money and return to your hometowns, continuing to be exploited?"

"Or will you now take up arms and use your own lives to carve out a bright future for your descendants?"

Leo looked at them, took a few deep breaths, and slowly calmed his breathing, waiting for their answer.

The entire scene was so quiet it was as if his words had never been spoken, yet everyone's breathing grew heavy...

PS: The US stock market fell below 2250 points right at the opening today, a 10% direct circuit breaker, the fourth historical circuit breaker.