Chapter 19: Revolutionary Army
The blue psychic flames burned as Su Xiao set down the reagent bottle in his hand. The pale green solution inside surged with countless bubbles.
It was no simple task to concoct [Stigmata Potion] in the world of One Piece. Unlike within Reincarnation Paradise, where materials purchased with Paradise Coins could be used directly, over 80% of the ingredients required for [Stigmata Potion] simply didn’t exist in this world. This meant Su Xiao had to identify similar materials as substitutes. After the Revolutionary Army delivered these materials, he still needed to process them two or three times before they could be used to brew the [Stigmata Potion].
It took a full two hours for Su Xiao to finish processing the materials. As for the actual brewing, that wasn’t an issue—[Stigmata Potion] was the potion he was most skilled at making. Among low-tier potions, its effects were the strongest.
Pulling off his rubber gloves, Su Xiao picked up a large rack of test tubes and began the potion-making process. Bubu Wang lay nearby, clutching his phone and playing happily, only needing to provide the Ice Goddess Aura.
Creating [Stigmata Potion] didn’t consume too much mana—about 300 points per bottle. Factoring in the mana Su Xiao recovered through meditation and the aura Bubu Wang provided, he could produce 25 bottles of [Stigmata Potion] every four hours.
Given Su Xiao’s constitution, he could churn out around 300 bottles of Stigmata Potion in two days without rest or sleep.
Su Xiao had no interest in negotiating with the Revolutionary Army’s high command for a crafting fee. That would waste too much time. Compared to the proficiency gains in the Potion Blending chapter, those fees were utterly negligible.
A faint blue glow surged in Su Xiao’s hand, merging into the semi-finished [Stigmata Potion]. The red liquid inside the test tube shimmered with fine blue particles, its color shifting from red to gold, eventually becoming a pale golden solution. One bottle of [Stigmata Potion] was complete.
Time flew by as Su Xiao blended potions. When he began to feel fatigued, six rows of test tubes were already lined up on the metal table before him. He had no interest in packaging the [Stigmata Potion]; he simply stored the finished product in glass test tubes.
…
In the New World, on an island not marked on any sea chart.
The rocks and ground of this island were pure white. No civilians lived here—only a gray-white fortress stood, the headquarters of the Revolutionary Army.
“Ha! Ha! Ha…”
The immature shouts of children echoed from the open space before the fortress. A group of kids in loose clothing, faces slick with sweat, were practicing Fishman Karate. They stood in neat rows, expressions solemn. Some children’s eyes burned with determination, while others couldn’t hide their hatred—the hatred of homes destroyed.
A fishman in a white training uniform, his skin slightly yellow, stood beside the ranks. Arms crossed, he scrutinized the children. His name was Hack, a Revolutionary Army soldier responsible for nurturing the army’s future fresh blood. Though he held no official title, Hack held considerable status within the Revolutionary Army; many of its cadres had been trained by him.
“Put your full strength into every punch! Never pull back your power after striking—that causes an instant relaxation in your muscles. That’s a weakness, the taste of failure. Use all your strength!”
“Yes, sir!”
With a synchronized response, the children, none older than ten, continued to temper their bodies under the blazing sun.
“Hack.”
A somewhat low voice came from behind. Hack immediately lowered his crossed arms.
“Chief, you’re here.”
“Mm. How are the three of them?”
The speaker was a man with red tattoos on his face, draped in a dark green coat, his black hair wild and untamed. His first impression was one of calm mixed with ferocity. This was the leader of the Revolutionary Army, Monkey D. Dragon, known by the World Government as the world’s most dangerous criminal—a distinction fundamentally different from pirates.
Pirates merely plundered and burned at sea, posing a great threat to civilians but little to the World Government. Dragon was different. The Revolutionary Army was essentially an insurgency, aiming to overthrow the World Government’s rule. Naturally, the World Government hated him far more.
Dragon’s gaze fell on three children in the ranks—two boys and one girl.
“They’re performing excellently. After taking that potion called Stigmata, these three have become the best in this batch. In terms of strength, speed, and endurance, they’ve all improved significantly in a short time. This creates a positive cycle, allowing them to endure tougher training than their peers. Over five years, their growth will only accelerate, eventually leaving the other trainees far behind.”
Hack looked at the three children, his admiration undisguised. Anyone would prefer talented juniors.
“That’s indeed good news.”
Dragon wasn’t surprised by the children’s improvement. What surprised him was Hack’s attitude. When he first learned about the Stigmata Potion, Hack had vehemently opposed using it on his trainees, insisting that only strength gained through hard training was one’s own. Now, Hack’s stance had completely reversed—the word “delicious” might as well have been written on his face.
“Koala reported to me that a large batch of Stigmata will arrive soon.”
Behind Dragon stood a doctor with bottle-bottom glasses and a rotund figure, there to examine the three children for any potential side effects from the Stigmata Potion.
“How long until it arrives?”
Hack’s eagerness made Dragon glance at him. Noticing Dragon’s gaze, Hack cleared his throat.
“Before, I thought Stigmata was a harsh drug—something that forcibly boosted the body. But after observing, I realized it’s not simply about forcing growth. It changes something more fundamental, like…”
As a rookie trainer, Hack scratched his head, his vocabulary failing to express what he meant.
“You could think of Stigmata as an activation of talent. It seems to unlock something within the human body. That’s it.”
Hack nodded, clearly no longer opposed to the Stigmata Potion, given the three children’s performance.
“Is that so.”
Dragon’s expression remained mostly unchanged. He knew Stigmata was a good thing—strategically significant for the Revolutionary Army, even surpassing powerful weapons. But the provider of Stigmata remained a problem.
Dragon had long ago sent people to investigate Su Xiao. When Su Xiao cooperated with the World Government, he was heavily protected. Just obtaining intelligence on him had cost the Revolutionary Army many lives. Su Xiao’s intelligence level was on par with Dr. Vegapunk. Upon learning this, Dragon’s first thought was to eliminate Su Xiao.
One Vegapunk was already enough trouble for the Revolutionary Army. A second one appearing would be disastrous. Moreover, Su Xiao specialized in creating large-scale lethal weapons, while Vegapunk focused on biology and mechanical materials. In war, Su Xiao was several times more dangerous than Vegapunk.
To Dragon’s surprise, Su Xiao defected from the World Government not long after. This relieved Dragon, but the relief was short-lived. Su Xiao reappeared in the New World, cooperating with Doflamingo. It was then that Dragon realized just how much Su Xiao could influence warfare.
The Donquixote Family, without aid from the Beasts Pirates, had fought the Big Mom Pirates to a standstill. Though the Donquixote Family was cornered in Dressrosa, Big Mom’s forces simply couldn’t land on the island. Katakuri led several assaults, only to be driven back by large-scale lethal weapons, suffering heavy casualties.
In the end, the two sides ended the war through negotiation. And the Beasts Pirates, whom everyone thought were the main force, only played a minor role at the start, irrelevant to the rest of the war.
Upon learning this, Dragon gathered a few trusted subordinates to discuss whether to go to Dressrosa and seize Su Xiao. But the Navy was faster, sending Garp, Kizaru, and Vice Admiral Tsuru to capture him.
Dragon’s thoughts ended there. Now, Su Xiao was a member of the Revolutionary Army. For them, this was like a pie falling from the sky. Whether that pie was poisoned remained unknown.
But even if it were poisoned, the Revolutionary Army couldn’t afford to give it up. Just the Stigmata Potion alone was enough to produce a wave of new strength for the Revolutionary Army—perhaps the backbone of a future force to overthrow the World Government.