Sea Circle Calendar, February 1492.

Marine Headquarters port.

After more than a month of sailing, the warship led by Karol and Sakazuki finally returned to Headquarters.

Standing at the bow, Karol stretched lazily.

After taking a deep breath:

"Whooo—"

He turned and said to the crew:

"Alright, everyone gets a day off."

"Free activity."

The soldiers cheered:

"Yes!!!"

Karol smiled faintly and disembarked first,

heading toward Sakazuki's home.

...

Sakazuki's residence.

The study room.

Several opened books were scattered across the desk.

Sakazuki was sitting at the center of the desk, writing something.

It was a small, worn-out booklet.

The orange cover was faded, looking like something produced years ago.

The pen Sakazuki used was specially made as well.

The characters it produced lacked any brightness instead, they were unusually dull.

As if they had been written long ago.

The moment Karol arrived at the doorway, Sakazuki sensed him.

Before Karol could knock,

Sakazuki's voice came from the second-floor window:

"Come straight to the second-floor study."

Karol glanced at the window.

With a light step, he jumped directly up to the second-floor window, flipped in with ease.

Sakazuki was still writing something:

"Wait a moment."

Karol said:

"Alright~"

He began looking around. Nothing new caught his eye.

Watching Sakazuki write so intently, he grew curious:

"Vice Admiral Sakazuki, what are you writing?"

Sakazuki chuckled softly:

"Something that can change the world."

Karol's interest was piqued:

"Oh?"

He walked toward Sakazuki.

Just then, Sakazuki had finished writing the final word.

He set down the pen.

The final page's contents were now laid before Karol.

"...."

"We organized ourselves. We uncovered the truth."

"We showed the people of the world what equality and freedom mean."

"Even if we fail, the government's reaction only proves that we were right."

"The seed has been planted."

"One day it will take root and sprout."

"Revolution!"

"Victory!"

—Booth Byers, final words.

Sea Circle Calendar, March 7, 1427.

Just this one page made Karol's eyes widen:

"Vice Admiral Sakazuki."

"If this spreads..."

"Even killing ten Whitebeards wouldn't atone for it."

Sakazuki smiled slightly.

He flipped the booklet to the first page and handed it to Karol:

"Start reading from the beginning."

Karol took it carefully and began reading in earnest.

In the room, only Karol's gradually held breath and the sound of turning pages could be heard.

A long time passed.

Karol finished the last page.

He wiped the cold sweat from his forehead:

"I take back what I said."

"Even slaughtering all pirates wouldn't be enough to atone for this."

"If this book were to spread..."

Karol shook his head. Too terrifying.

...

The core message of this book isn't just about overthrowing the government.

It's more about helping the people understand what equality and freedom truly are.

It dissects the issues at their root and provides answers.

Frankly speaking, any literate civilian who finishes reading this book once they look at the Celestial Dragons, the royal families, and other noble classes will inevitably feel resentment rise in their heart.

"Why am I oppressed while they indulge in pleasure?"

"This isn't fair!"

As long as that one thought appears, it will inevitably spiral deeper.

When this kind of thinking spreads, the masses it gathers can easily topple a nation.

And if it spreads across the world...

Hiss—!

Sakazuki took over Karol's words:

"Terrifying, right?"

Karol nodded.

Sakazuki stood up and walked toward the window:

"It is indeed terrifying."

"If this book spreads, many people will die."

"This is one class overthrowing another."

"Countless people from the lower classes will be swept into it."

"Even without this book, one day in the future,"

"someone will begin to question this world,"

"and walk the same path laid out in the book."

"But this book can help them avoid detours—and make them even stronger."

"At the same time..."

"We need a powerful puppet."

"To stand at the front for us."

Karol fell silent.

He sighed:

"Truly cold-blooded."

"Vice Admiral Sakazuki."

Sakazuki didn't respond, staring out the window for a long while.

Then he turned back to Karol:

"Keep it safe. Check if the aging effect is flawed."

"Refine it."

"And deliver it at the right moment."

Karol nodded and closed the booklet.

He looked at the cover: five flat words—Oppression and Resistance.

Then suddenly said:

"Vice Admiral Sakazuki, aren't you afraid that you won't be able to control it in the end?"

Sakazuki shook his head slightly:

"Karol."

"This is ultimately a world where strength reigns supreme."

Without extraordinary power, one might lose control but in this world, the strong can destroy the heavens and the earth.

Frankly speaking, as long as Sakazuki is standing on solid ground, no matter if there are millions or tens of millions of ordinary people, they still couldn't exhaust him.

Even if all those people gathered in one place, one Great Eruption and the dead would be counted in the tens of thousands.

That's why Sakazuki is not worried.

In the future, the Marines will definitely be the strongest military force on the seas.

Without exception.

If the tail becomes too large to control, just cut off the head directly.

The only uncertain factor is the weapon in the government's hands that weapon capable of cleansing the world, and the eight hundred years of foundation beneath them.

Sakazuki is not arrogant enough to believe that just having some strength means he can charge the Holy Land.

He'd die without even knowing how he died. So... he needs to support a puppet to probe the government's foundation.

And deliver the one that the World Government has feared for eight hundred years right to their doorstep.

Sakazuki narrowed his eyes.

"Don't disappoint me..."

"The future..."

"Joy Boy..."

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