What is it that you want to do?
Lives lost for laughable reasons. The poor who struggle just to survive.
The existence of the Heavenly Tribute has placed unbearable pressure on the World Government's member nations. The burden became so great that it could no longer be paid by the citizens alone. As a result, member nations began launching plundering wars against non-member nations.
But even so—those non-member countries, already unable to pay the Heavenly Tribute in the first place—now had to fight off pirates and member nations at once. How long could they even last?
So the root of it all lies in that city at the very top of the Red Line...
Mary Geoise.
So then...
Is that what I want to change?
"Dragon."
Kevin's voice rang out.
"Although I could meet you two years from now in the future, I wanted to meet you here, today, in Loguetown."
"The reason is simple—we share the same stance, the same goal.
And that is... to overthrow this world!"
"To drag down those so-called gods from their thrones, and to eliminate every unjust law from existence!"
Dragon, who had been staring silently at the pile of treasure, turned his eyes back.
"Unjust... laws?"
Kevin replied,
"Is the Heavenly Tribute fair? Is it reasonable that no one may refuse the Celestial Dragons? As long as these parasites, claiming to be descendants of gods, remain, these injustices will never disappear.
You, me, all of us—we will never be truly free."
Silence fell upon the basement.
After a long pause, Dragon's gaze on Kevin grew more complex.
"So... what you truly seek is revenge on the Celestial Dragons, right?
And because they hide behind the World Government, that's why you say you want to overturn the world?"
"A year ago, when I was gathering supplies in the West Blue, I heard of a young man who served as executioner in Rasgap Town at the entrance to Reverse Mountain. I passed by the plaza once and saw him."
"Executioner Kevin. A Seaman First Class of the Marine's 80th Branch in West Blue... or maybe, you intended to infiltrate the Marines from the very start?"
At this point, Dragon tried to steer the conversation back into his control.
But Kevin remained calm, even casually answered,
"Fourteen years ago, in God Valley, Ivankov and Uncle Kuma rescued me from that hell. Now you understand why I said I would meet you again in two years?"
At those words, Dragon fell silent again.
Ivankov. God Valley...
Dragon was beginning to piece Kevin's origin together.
A young man with a blood feud against the Celestial Dragons—just this identity alone revealed enough about his beliefs.
Add Ivankov to the mix, and if two years from now Dragon truly commits to revolution, it would only be natural to gather like-minded allies.
And there's no more aligned ally than someone who escaped from God Valley.
"I'll verify the rest of what you said myself."
Kevin smiled.
"Then leave me a Den Den Mushi. That way we can stay in contact."
After thinking it over, Dragon handed over a small Den Den Mushi—only to notice Kevin also handing him a book.
[The Core Ideology of Revolution]
"What's this?"
"A guide for the future Revolutionary Army. Whether soldier or commander, every revolutionary must first understand why they fight, and why they sacrifice."
Kevin tapped the book's cover.
"Meeting you early wasn't just about gold or weapons.
What I want you to know... is the very core belief of the future Revolutionary Army."
"This world is strange. A person's will and spirit can influence their strength.
Swords, guns, and cannons may be powerful, but nothing surpasses one's own will."
By now, Dragon had already opened the book.
Even the opening chapter had him fully engrossed.
Minute after minute passed. The content was disorganized and raw, but for Dragon, it was exactly what he needed—it brought clarity to the vague blueprint he already had in his mind.
To change the world, revolution must rise from the bottom up.
After a long time, Dragon looked at Kevin again, eyes full of conflicted thoughts.
"It's rough, but ideas like this... aren't something a boy your age should be able to write."
Staring at the teenage boy in front of him, Dragon continued,
"It's only now that I'm beginning to believe what you said about the future. You have Devil Fruit powers, and earlier you showed something like the Castle-Castle Fruit—a space for storing items."
Kevin replied,
"As for the future, I've only seen a glimpse—not everything. And after this meeting, I hope that when you bring down a kingdom, you'll let me handle executing the real culprit."
Dragon considered it, then nodded. He didn't ask further—he understood.
That was Kevin's secret.
Prying too deeply could cost him a powerful ally. It might even turn someone who shares your cause into an enemy.
And truthfully, today's talk had already yielded more than Dragon expected.
All he had to do now was return, verify with Ivankov, and then he could decide whether or not to place his trust in this boy.
The foundation of the Revolutionary Army... would begin today.
Late that night, Kevin didn't return to the Marine base.
His shadow clone was still snoring away, and that definitely wasn't the best place to swap with the real body. So after the conversation ended, he shamelessly asked to crash at Dragon's place for the night.
Everything was going smoothly—his meeting with Dragon, the public execution of Roger—so far, the trip to Loguetown had gone exactly as planned.
After today, thanks to the Flying Nimbus's mobility, he could start raking in evil points from criminals.
More importantly, the Revolutionary Army—whose name should have echoed across the seas years later—would now begin to change, starting today.
That messy little book he wrote by hand had pointed Dragon toward a new path.
But that alone wasn't enough.
This world is one of supernatural powers, and ordinary people form its foundation.
Even if you can arm their will with Haki, it would still be meaningless against her—the one in Pangaea Castle who, with a single blast, can erase an island and leave behind an abyss so deep it can't even be filled by seawater.
Such power—and the strong ones hidden by the World Government for over 800 years—need a plan to deal with.
Sixteen years ago, Saint Jaygarcia Saturn... looked exactly the same as he did twenty-four years later.
He clearly attained immortality.
And with that in mind, who knows how many monsters exist in the so-called God Knights?
That number... could be terrifying.
So in the end, it all comes down to luck... when opening treasure chests.