Chapter 818: Ian's Ideal
Next, during the meeting, Dragon not only formulated a detailed plan to rescue Vegapunk but also laid out a plan for rebellion.
That's right, just as Ian had said, rescuing Vegapunk didn't actually require too many people. The fact that Dragon had gathered almost all the Revolutionary Army officers this time couldn't possibly be solely for that purpose.
The key point was the upcoming World Conference!
As everyone knew, the World Conference, held once every four years, was the time when the leaders of all World Government member nations gathered at Mary Geoise to discuss major affairs. During this period, the World Government's top priority would be focused on this event. As the main fighting force of the World Government, the Marines would also dispatch a large number of personnel to escort the kings and leaders of each country to Marineford.
At this time, most of the elite Marines would be concentrated in Marineford and Mary Geoise. Even the branch bases scattered across the world would have their personnel drawn away. Meanwhile, intelligence agencies operating in the shadows would also act to eliminate various potential threats. It could be said that the World Conference was the time when the government's power was at its strongest.
According to established customs, during this period, many pirates and criminals generally wouldn't act too arrogantly. Because if they were blacklisted by the World Government and Marines during the World Conference, they would face retribution once the conference ended. After all, to ensure the smooth progress of the World Conference, both the World Government and the Marines had a need to maintain stability and make an example of someone...
But, clearly, the Revolutionary Army's code of conduct was absolutely not among these considerations!
As the largest force capable of contending with the World Government, when Dragon decided to step out from the shadows and make his voice heard before the world, they no longer needed to concern themselves with what the World Government and Marines were thinking.
Ian had been quietly listening to Dragon's arrangements, and then he realized that among the more than 170 member nations of the World Government, over a third of them would have revolutions launched by the Revolutionary Army during the World Conference!
Needless to say, based on the Revolutionary Army's code of conduct, this third of the member nations were almost all countries where the people were living in dire straits!
The kings and leaders of these countries were either tyrants who held absolute power, disregarding the people's suffering and heavily taxing them, or nobles who imitated the Celestial Dragons, endlessly exploiting the people to maintain their extravagant lifestyles. Some countries were engulfed in war, with multiple warlord factions fighting among themselves, causing people's lives to be precarious. There were also countries with chaotic laws and corrupt systems, where officials and businessmen colluded, corruption was rampant, gangs ran wild, and the people suffered unbearably.
In short, these countries were almost the dark side of human society!
It was only by listening to the heavy-hearted descriptions of the Revolutionary Army officers present that Ian understood why the Revolutionary Army kept opposing the World Government.
Besides the factor of the Celestial Dragons, it was also because of the World Government's inaction!
Logically speaking, since the World Government was a union of so many countries and controlled the Marine force, they had an obligation to intervene in the face of these dire phenomena in various countries. In Ian's impression, the Marines did indeed have a peacekeeping mission. At least when the rebellion broke out in Alabasta back then, the Marines did step in.
But... strangely enough, this peacekeeping responsibility had actually been greatly weakened. According to the Revolutionary Army officers' accounts, in many tyrannical countries, as long as their king or leader bribed the Celestial Dragons, they could use the excuse of "non-interference in internal affairs" to prevent the Marines from entering!
The World Government was truly just a puppet of the Celestial Dragons. How could the Celestial Dragons care about so much? In their eyes, as long as these kings regularly offered them Heavenly Tribute and tributes, they were good kings and leaders. In fact, if these kings and leaders could truly please them, they wouldn't mind visiting these countries as "World Nobles" to enjoy the flattery and sycophancy of the nobles there.
The upper echelons had long been corrupt; how could the lower levels be expected to accomplish anything? Because they feared the ancient weapons in the hands of the Celestial Dragons that could destroy the world, the World Government and the Five Elders were very accommodating to the Celestial Dragons. And since the Marines obeyed the World Government, without the government's permission, they could only watch helplessly.
This wasn't just idle talk; it was a real fact. Among those present, Smog had the most say on this matter. Back in Alabasta, without evidence and orders, he couldn't even arrest Crocodile, because the privileges granted to the Seven Warlords by the World Government were right there...
Because of the influence of the Celestial Dragons as World Nobles, there were too many privileged classes in this world. The World Government's functions ultimately became more focused on combating pirates, criminals, and the Revolutionary Army, leaving them powerless against the dark sides of these countries...
In the Revolutionary Army's view, this was precisely why they needed to overthrow the current World Government!
Because this World Government had become a government serving certain privileged classes. It turned a blind eye to the persecution suffered by the common people in various countries and had long lost its reason for existence.
That's right, although Dragon and his Revolutionary Army held beautiful ideals to eliminate these injustices, they weren't naive dreamers. The thoughts conveyed in Dragon's words were very clear: it was impossible to completely eliminate all injustice in this world. What they wanted to do was to form a more efficient and incorruptible World Government as much as possible, and they must eliminate privileged classes like the Celestial Dragons!
In other words, they aimed for as much fairness and freedom as possible. At the very least, things like the slave system and racial discrimination had to be abolished!
This was already a very great ideal, and this rebellion was related to that ideal.
The Revolutionary Army would launch revolutions in these tyrannical countries during the World Conference, causing the Celestial Dragons to lose their most powerful supporters. At the same time, they would expose the past of the Celestial Dragons and the World Government at the conference, revealing the truth of the blank century to the entire world, and win the support of countries that practiced benevolent governance or remained neutral, thereby abolishing the privileges of the World Nobles!
Yes, that's right, Dragon had already decided that he, the world's most dangerous criminal, would appear in person at the World Conference!
When Ian heard about Dragon's various arrangements, he also noticed the expressions of Aokiji and Zephyr. He couldn't help but quietly ask Aokiji, "What conditions did Dragon offer to gain your support?"
Aokiji replied in a low voice, "He promised that after overthrowing the Celestial Dragons and the World Government, the Marines would be preserved, and their purest functions would be restored, allowing the Marines' concept of justice to be carried out in its most unadulterated form!"
Ian nodded. He now understood why Aokiji and Zephyr had sided with Dragon.
In fact, it was simple. Given the personalities of Aokiji and Zephyr, they had never wanted to be involved in too many political factors. The original essence of the Marines' establishment was simply to combat pirates and criminals worldwide, which was a good thing. But the problem was that under the leadership of the World Government, this function had been quietly altered. The Ohara incident was the event that had the greatest impact on Aokiji. The Marines didn't target vicious pirates but instead slaughtered a group of scholars, the elderly, women, and children. Such justice was definitely not what the Marines wanted!
So, Dragon's proposal perfectly aligned with Aokiji's mindset, and it was no wonder he agreed to cooperate with the Revolutionary Army...
If the Revolutionary Army's rebellion succeeded, then Aokiji might take charge of the Marines again and become the new Fleet Admiral. Ian had no objection to that.
Aokiji glanced at him and then asked in return, "Don't forget, your identity is that of a pirate, and one of the top Four Emperors at that. If Dragon's rebellion succeeds, we might become enemies again!"
Ian grinned and said, "That won't happen. If necessary, I'll disband my pirate crew. Not just me, maybe the Whitebeard Pirates and the Red Hair Pirates will disband too. If people weren't forced into it, do you really think so many people in the world would want to be pirates?"
"..." Aokiji was silent for a moment, then said, "But don't forget, human nature is greedy. There are plenty of people who become pirates for money!"
"Then you should crack down on those kinds of pirates!" Ian said with a smile. "What do their lives have to do with us?"
"...Then Ian, if that day really comes and you disband your crew, would you join the Marines?" Aokiji brought up the topic again.
"No!" Ian shook his head firmly.
"Then what do you plan to do?" Aokiji asked curiously.
"Me..." Ian tilted his head and thought for a long time, then said, "Maybe I'll marry a few wives, have a bunch of kids, open a dojo, and teach kids swordsmanship!"
"Marry... a few wives??" Aokiji was stunned by his words. Then he realized that for Ian, this really wasn't a problem. So he shook his head with a wry smile and said, "Alright, I won't ask how many exactly... But what's with opening a dojo?"
"Simple, to leave behind a spark!" Ian said with a smile. "That's how humans are. Generations always change. No one can guarantee that a few hundred years from now, the Revolutionary Army won't become like the current World Government. Power always corrupts people's thoughts. But people always yearn for beauty and freedom. If that day really comes, I hope the students and disciples I teach can, like what we're doing now, correct this world again."
"This is the will of generational inheritance, isn't it?"
"..." Aokiji stared at him, silent for a long time, then finally spoke, "A very great ideal..."
"No!" Ian shook his head and said with a smile, "Just showing off..."
Aokiji: "MMP!"