Barn finally finished playing the tune filled with memories, his face clouded with melancholy. Even he had forgotten how long it had been since he last felt this way. He gently wiped the corners of his eyes with his thumbs, put on his trademark smile again, and spoke.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Dragon. I lost my composure for a moment. I was just thinking about things from the past."
This was Dragon's chance to show his gentlemanly side. He smiled, nodded, and replied.
"It's all right, Mr. Barn. Everyone has a soft spot in their heart, after all. I understand."
Barn nodded, but the smile slowly faded from his face, replaced by a solemn, earnest expression.
"Dragon, I'm not saying all this to stir your emotions. There's no need for such pointless tricks between us. I just want you to know that I'm not a pirate in the traditional sense. There's a fundamental difference. In some respects, I'm like you-a reformer."
The smile vanished from Dragon's face as well, replaced by an equally serious expression, though his brows drew tightly together.
Barn had introduced the idea of a "reformer," but that was also what Dragon was working to become. In his view, however, that identity seemed to have little connection to being a pirate. He said nothing, waiting for Barn to continue.
"I know you're no longer a Marine, and that you're that old man Garp's son. There's no need for me to mince words with you. Mr. Dragon, what do you think of Gol D. Roger?"
Once again, Barn posed a pointed question to Dragon.
"Mr. Roger... I have to admit that saying this disgraces my former identity as a Marine, but I actually admire him a great deal. He was a noble man, at least in a certain sense.