"I understand."
Monkey D. Dragon remained silent. Bartholomew Kuma watched him, reading the lack of answer as the answer itself.
As the leader of the Revolutionary Army, determined to overthrow the World Government, Dragon would never relinquish power. Especially not to the Marines. He had abandoned his rank as a Marine officer, branded himself a traitor, and built his army specifically to stand against the world order.
To ask him to stand down and allow the Marines to take the lead would not only render his life's work meaningless—it would demand he deny his own authority.
"You truly cannot return?" Dragon asked, though he knew the answer.
Bartholomew Kuma sensed Dragon's unchanged intent. The Revolutionary still dreamed of a free, equal world, free from the Celestial Dragons' tyranny. But for Kuma, it was just a dream. An ambition.
The difference was subtle but critical: as long as the world improved, it didn't matter who achieved it. The Revolution or the Marines. Dragon or Rosen.
"Even if I returned, I could not draw my blade against Admiral Rosen," Kuma said calmly, his voice steady. "I see harmony, freedom, and equality in him. You know this. I am a pacifist."
He had not chosen the Revolutionary Army for the sake of rebellion. He had chosen it because he saw peace and freedom there. He no longer saw them in the Marines—until now.
The deployment of the Skynet surveillance system. The collapse of the Four Emperors. The systematic dismantling of the Great Pirate Era. The shrinking reach of human trafficking and drug rings. The fact that Fish-Man Island had not been purged after the Summit War, but instead received Marine protection and was in talks to return to the surface.
From every angle, personal and ideological, Kuma could not become Rosen's enemy.
"Don't forget," Dragon pressed. "Rosen is not Joy Boy."
The name hung in the air like a curse.
For Kuma, a former native of the Sorbet Kingdom and a descendant of the Tontatta Tribe, the legend of Nika held weight. But Joy Boy—the figure from eight hundred years ago—was a failure. He had tried and lost.
"Rosen is not Joy Boy," Kuma said, meeting Dragon's gaze. "And that is precisely why he will not fail."
Dragon's expression tightened. The usually unshakable man, who stood unflinching before collapsing mountains, felt a chill.
"Who says the present is inferior to the past?" Kuma quoted, earnest. "I believe in Rosen."
Dragon's hand, hidden beneath his dark green cloak, clenched. Armament Haki flared black around his fingers, forming a Dragon Claw Fist. With his strength, he could tear through the house, the door, the very air.
But he hesitated.
"Kuma," Dragon said, his voice low. "I will prove it to you. A harmonious, free world will be built by the Revolution. If this era has no Joy Boy… then I will become Joy Boy."
He held Kuma's gaze a moment longer, then released his Haki. The black aura faded.
"I respect your choice," Dragon said. "So I won't try to persuade you. But I hope you'll respect mine."
With that, he turned, opened the door, and stepped out into the swirling sand. The wind howled, erasing his footprints. By the time the storm calmed, he was gone.
Kuma sat in his chair, staring at the closed door.
Joy Boy.
The name echoed in his mind. He thought of the legends, of the void in history. For a moment, he was silent.
Then his eyes cleared.
"No," he murmured, voice resolute. "The pirate world no longer needs Joy Boy."
He had spent time at Marine Headquarters, visited the North Blue, studied the documents from Ohara that Vegapunk and Nico Robin had decoded. He understood now. The world didn't need a savior from the past. It needed a hand to guide it forward.
Rosen was that hand.
In the same room, Ginny watched him. She had heard every word through the door.
"Is everything alright, Kuma?" she asked.
She had already prepared herself to fight Monkey D. Dragon if necessary. She had been a slave in God Valley. A discarded pawn. When she was captured in Mary Geoise, the Revolution did not come for her. Rosen did.
She felt no resentment toward Dragon. Only a cold clarity.
"Everything is fine," Kuma said, shaking his head. "He's gone."
"Should we inform Admiral Rosen?" Ginny hesitated.
She wasn't sure where her loyalty lay anymore. Not with the Revolution. Not truly. She had joined because of Kuma. Now, Kuma chose the Marines.
"Rosen isn't Dragon," Kuma said. "He doesn't care who we met or what we chose before. Even Tesoro said—if we ever chose the Revolution, we'd have to hand Bonney over to them. And that Stella would raise her with everything she needs. Materially and emotionally."
He shook his head.
"I trust Rosen. This era doesn't need Joy Boy."
Ginny nodded. She agreed.
All we need is Rosen, she thought.
Naval Headquarters, G-1 Branch
A Den Den Mushi rang on the desk in Admiral Rosen's office.
Gion, his adjutant, picked up the receiver. "This is Admiral Rosen's office. Gion speaking."
She listened, her expression shifting from casual to serious in an instant.
"I understand," she said. "Thank you for the information, Vice Admiral Kuzan."
She hung up and stood quickly, walking across the room to where Rosen sat on a sofa, reading a report.
"Sir," she said. "It was Vice Admiral Kuzan."
Rosen looked up.
"He says Nico Robin wants to see you," Gion explained. "She's asking for a private meeting."
Rosen raised an eyebrow.
Nico Robin. The Devil Child. The last survivor of Ohara, the only person alive who could read the Poneglyphs.
They had last parted ways on Alabasta. After the Buster Call incident. After she chose to follow Crocodile—until Rosen broke him.
He hadn't expected her to reach out.
"Kuzan said she's been at Egghead," Gion continued. "She's finished decoding all the documents Dr. Vegapunk collected from Ohara. She believes she's found something… significant."
Rosen closed his file. He wasn't particularly interested in the Void Century or the Ancient Weapons. He had four Road Poneglyphs sitting in the storage room next door as mere decorations. But still…
He looked at Gion. She was watching him with a hint of concern—and a knowing smile.
"You really want me to go," he said, not a question.
"I think you should," Gion said. "Kuzan feels guilty about the Buster Call. He owes Robin. And… you might learn something unexpected. Besides, it won't take long."
Rosen stared at her for a beat. Then a rare, faint smirk touched his lips.
"Fine. For Major General Momousagi."
Gion's eyes narrowed slightly. She stepped closer.
"You really do listen to me," she murmured.
"Only you," Rosen replied.
He stood and reached into the air. With a sharp tear, he opened a portal to Egghead—circular, swirling with static. The air hummed with spatial distortion.
They didn't wait long.
A figure stepped through. Tall, pale-skinned, wearing a dark leather vest over a long dress, and oversized sunglasses.
"Long time no see, Admiral Rosen," said Nico Robin.
She didn't bow. She didn't flinch. She stood with a quiet confidence that hadn't been there before.
"You've changed," Rosen observed.
The first time they met on Alabasta, she had been tanned, dressed like a cowboy, eyes cold and sharp. Now, her skin was fair, her demeanor softer. The tension between her brows—the permanent knot of fear—was gone.
"Thanks to you," Robin said, brushing a strand of hair from her forehead. "I don't have to hide anymore. Life is… better."
"Have you let it go?" Rosen asked, studying her.
He didn't need Observation Haki to read her mind. Her face told him enough.
"No," Robin said. "I've learned how to hate."
She paused. "You were right. The destruction of Ohara—the Marines were the blade. The World Government was the executioner."
"And?" Rosen prompted, interest piqued.
"Have you heard of Nika?" Robin asked suddenly. "Or rather… Joy Boy?"
She met Rosen's gaze directly.
"I have a theory," she said. "And I think it's time you heard it."
—-
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