Chapter 834: Stealing the Spotlight Fair and Square
Just as Dragon stood at the World Conference venue, delivering the Revolutionary Army's declaration of war to over a hundred kings and leaders present, the adjacent Marine Headquarters at Marineford was also under attack.
The assault came so suddenly. Revolutionary Army warships, riding a fierce gale, suddenly appeared off the outer harbor of Marineford and launched a direct attack on the port.
The personnel at Marine Headquarters were almost completely stunned at that moment. No matter how they thought about it, they could never have imagined that the usually low-key Revolutionary Army would so brazenly attack Marine Headquarters. This was simply beyond anyone's imagination.
Fortunately, the officers at Marine Headquarters quickly regained their composure and immediately organized their soldiers to counterattack.
However, the news of the Revolutionary Army's sudden appearance quickly reached the ears of several Marine Admirals and Vice Admirals. Without a Fleet Admiral, most of the orders at Marine Headquarters currently came from the World Government. But at this very moment, they found themselves unable to contact Mary Geoise.
None of them were fools. They immediately connected the Revolutionary Army's bizarre move to the World Conference, guessing that something must have gone wrong at Mary Geoise.
At this point, everyone could only look to Kizaru, the most senior Marine Admiral. Vice Admirals Momousagi and Chat Don had less say than Kizaru.
Whether it was to fully engage the Revolutionary Army or to dispatch reinforcements to Mary Geoise, all it would take was one word from Kizaru, and Marine Headquarters would spring into action immediately.
However, Kizaru was busy picking at his nails with his head lowered…
"Admiral Kizaru, please give the order!" Vice Admiral Fighting Dog urged him impatiently, annoyed by his demeanor.
"Give the order? What order?" Kizaru looked up with a bewildered expression. "Is this my responsibility?"
"You are the highest-ranking officer at Headquarters right now!" Fighting Dog shouted. "If not you, then who?"
"But aren't there other veteran officers at Headquarters?" Kizaru blew on his nails. "Isn't Vice Admiral Garp and former Fleet Admiral Sengoku still around?"
"They've already retired!" Vice Admiral Momonga interjected. "They might be able to help fend off an attack, but they no longer have the authority to make command decisions!"
"Geez, what a hassle!" Kizaru scratched his head. "And what if my decision turns out to be wrong?"
The Vice Admirals exchanged glances, then looked at Momousagi and Chat Don, who remained silent and showed no sign of offering an opinion. Finally, they said, "Whatever order you give, Admiral Kizaru, we will carry it out!"
"Alright then, sortie! Engage the Revolutionary Army!" Kizaru declared.
The assembled Vice Admirals immediately stood up and roared, "Understood!" before marching out of the meeting room with determined strides.
Once only Momousagi, Chat Don, and Kizaru remained in the conference room, Momousagi suddenly spoke up. "You've been waiting for this moment for a long time, haven't you?"
She didn't name names, but everyone knew she was talking to Kizaru. Kizaru just chuckled and said, "Gion, what are you talking about? I don't understand."
Momousagi's beautiful eyes couldn't help but roll in exasperation, a unique charm that left the nearby Chat Don feeling a bit dazed.
Others might not know, but Momousagi saw it clearly. After Akainu's death, although the World Government had been pushing for Kizaru to take the position of Fleet Admiral, many within the Marines were hoping for Aokiji's return. After all, it was Admiral Aokiji who had originally competed with Akainu for the Fleet Admiral position. Under these circumstances, Kizaru's refusal to take the post wasn't just about avoiding trouble; it was also about considering Aokiji's influence.
So Kizaru had been waiting, and now this opportunity seemed to have finally appeared…
To say that Kizaru didn't want to be Fleet Admiral would be a lie. But his cleverness lay in not wanting to repeat Akainu's mistakes—he didn't want to face one obstacle after another when he took office.
Momousagi was perceptive and could naturally see Kizaru's intentions. But seeing him play dumb, she decided not to expose him and changed the subject. "Engaging the Revolutionary Army is fine, but… what about Mary Geoise? The Revolutionary Army's actions are so unexpected. Perhaps a big fish has already slipped into Mary Geoise quietly…"
The "big fish" Momousagi referred to was naturally Dragon. Kizaru had thought of this too, but he shook his head and said, "Don't worry. Even if Dragon really shows up, given his personality, he wouldn't kill the attending leaders of the various countries. As for the Revolutionary Army attacking Marineford, they're probably trying to tie down the Marines' forces. If we commit too little strength, the Revolutionary Army will press their attack hard. I don't want Marineford to be smashed to pieces afterward, so repelling the Revolutionary Army's assault is the top priority!"
Kizaru's analysis made some sense, and Momousagi agreed. But she keenly noticed that Kizaru only said Dragon wouldn't kill the attending kings and leaders—he never mentioned what Dragon might do to the Celestial Dragons and the Five Elders!
So she said with some concern, "And what about the World Government side…"
"We'll deal with that later!" Kizaru said with a chuckle, getting up to leave. Momousagi and Chat Don had no choice but to follow him.
Momousagi and Chat Don were preoccupied with their worries, so they didn't notice a dead Den Den Mushi lying under Kizaru's desk. It was the special Den Den Mushi used by the World Government to alert Marine Admirals in emergencies… and it looked as if someone had crushed it underfoot.
Clearly, the Five Elders' distress signal had reached Kizaru. But unfortunately, for whatever reason, Kizaru had chosen to pretend he hadn't heard it…
The battle between the Marines and the Revolutionary Army began. Marineford, as Marine Headquarters, naturally had a vast number of troops and capable officers. But unexpectedly, the Revolutionary Army was equally formidable. Several of the Revolutionary Army's famous senior officers, known to Marine and World Government intelligence, all appeared at sea simultaneously. Led by Revolutionary Army Chief of Staff Sabo, they tangled with the Marines.
Among the Marine ranks, only Tina was filled with anxiety. She had realized that Smoker and Aokiji's secret landing last night was likely closely connected to today's Revolutionary Army attack.
"What exactly are they trying to do? Didn't the Neo Marines come here hoping to reach an understanding with the World Government!?" Tina thought anxiously, her mind wandering as she commanded her subordinate Marines in the attack…
………………
Atop the mountain, in the World Conference hall at Mary Geoise, the attending kings and leaders listened to Dragon's declaration of revolt, stunned into silence.
Some kings and leaders, led by King Riku and Cobra, made no statement. But several tyrants and despots, represented by King Bast, could no longer sit still. They slammed their fists on the table, stood up, and pointed at Dragon, shouting, "No! Don't delude yourself, Dragon! Do you think you can overthrow the World Government so easily? Without the recognition of us member states, you and your Revolutionary Army will always be nothing but thugs!"
"Is that so?" Dragon smiled faintly instead. "But unfortunately, I don't think so. Because people like you…"
He pointed at King Bast and the other notorious tyrant kings. "I don't need your recognition at all. Your approval is worthless in my eyes!"
"You bastard!" King Bast and the others trembled with rage, their fat bodies quivering. "How arrogant! How arrogant! How dare you insult the great King Bast! I'll…"
Before he could finish, Dragon spread his hands and said, "Let me correct one thing. You are no longer kings, so you are not great. In my eyes, people like you, who disregard the lives of your people and grovel at the feet of the Celestial Dragons, are unworthy of being kings!"
"You… you… what do you mean!?" Hearing Dragon's words, a sense of foreboding suddenly welled up in the hearts of King Bast and the other kings.
"It's simple. In fact, shortly after you left your countries to attend this meeting, the Revolutionary Army had already launched uprisings in your nations!" Dragon said each word deliberately, his words stabbing like needles into the hearts of King Bast and the others. "By now, the Revolutionary Army has seized power in your countries, established new nations and systems, and your so-called thrones have been stripped away! You are no longer kings—just a pack of homeless dogs!"
Dragon's words caused an uproar among the attendees. The Revolutionary Army had already launched uprisings!?
"You… you're lying!" King Bast shouted, his body trembling with fear. "No! I don't believe you! You liar! Someone, arrest him! I want his skin flayed and his bones broken…"
But no matter how much he shouted, no one dared to step forward and arrest Dragon…
"One, two, three… twenty-three, twenty-four, twenty-five!" Dragon ignored King Bast's bluster and instead pointed at several kings present, counting them off. Finally, he said, "Twenty-five countries! The Revolutionary Army has ample information and evidence proving that these twenty-five nations are beyond saving. So while you were still shouting here, the Revolutionary Army has already replaced your governments. You people are no longer kings or leaders. So even if you refuse to acknowledge the Revolutionary Army's actions, it won't make any difference!"
Twenty-five countries!? Simultaneous uprisings!?
The attendees were speechless with shock at this news. Launching uprisings in twenty-five countries at once—had the Revolutionary Army's strength truly grown to such an enormous scale!?
But suppressing their shock, they noticed that the twenty-five kings Dragon had named were all notorious tyrants and warmongers. Their countries were already in shambles, with their people suffering immensely. Even nations with little interaction had heard of their plight.
Realizing this, Cobra and the others fell even more silent.
Dragon took the opportunity to address the assembled kings loudly. "The Revolutionary Army is not a group of madmen or thugs! So there's no need to worry. We will not indiscriminately stir up chaos in a truly peaceful nation. Everything we do is in response to the will of the people and to punish injustice!"
Cobra and the others understood what Dragon meant. The Revolutionary Army's actions had no fertile ground in a truly peaceful and stable country. So as long as the kings and leaders present honestly examined how they treated the people under their rule, they could easily find the answer.
They also knew exactly what Dragon was trying to do. Honestly, aside from those countries bent on licking the boots of the Celestial Dragons and the World Government, many nations were willing to support the Revolutionary Army. At least from the Revolutionary Army's intentions, they aimed to eliminate the privileged class of the Celestial Dragons, which would benefit all member states.
But… although the Revolutionary Army's strength had grown so formidable, relying solely on this still seemed a bit insufficient…
Sure enough, the kings who had heard that their thrones had been overthrown and stripped finally reacted. They turned to the Celestial Dragons and shouted, "Your Excellencies! Don't you hold the ancient weapon Uranus? Act now! Destroy the Revolutionary Army! Kill Dragon! Don't let him continue like this!"
Earlier, many kings had been on the verge of compromising on the issue of Heavenly Tribute precisely because they were intimidated by the Celestial Dragons' trump card. Now, for these kings groveling at the Celestial Dragons' feet, it was the same. They could only beg their Celestial Dragon masters to step in…
However… being begged like this, the Celestial Dragons' hearts were pounding with panic. Where did they still have Uranus to use against the Revolutionary Army!?
But the Celestial Dragons weren't stupid. They certainly wouldn't admit this. So they pretended to look composed and said, "Don't worry. Dragon must die here today!"
This harsh declaration immediately reassured King Bast and the others. They pointed at Dragon and shouted, "Execute Dragon just like Pirate King Roger was executed!"
Faced with this threat, Dragon just smiled. He glanced at Aokiji, who was shaking his head in exasperation.
"Before you talk big, I want you to see something first!" Dragon said with a smile, gesturing to Konenai. Konenai nodded in acknowledgment, picked up a Den Den Mushi, and instructed the Revolutionary Army members in the surveillance room to switch the image on the conference hall's screen.
Just as everyone was wondering what Dragon was about to do, the image on the screen suddenly changed. A figure wearing a captain's coat appeared on the screen.
"Huh? Who is that?" The attendees were stunned.
As they wondered, a voiceover suddenly rang out, exclaiming in surprise, "Ah! Isn't that one of the legendary crew members from Pirate King Roger's ship, the sworn brother of the Four Emperor Red-Haired Shanks, a friend of the Four Emperor Black Dragon Ian, and a former Warlord of the Sea—the great pirate, Captain Buggy the Clown!?"
Accompanying this voiceover, the figure slowly turned around, revealing a large red nose on the screen.
Buggy the Clown put on a look of feigned innocence, pointing at himself and saying, "Ah, are you calling me? That's right! It is I!"
Dragon: "…"
Aokiji: "…"
Five Elders: "…"
Cobra: "…"
Everyone: "…"