The Greatest Evil
The pirates whispered among themselves.
"If that's the case, we won't just be taking over territories in the second half of the Grand Line, but the first half as well."
"The second half is one thing, but many of the nations in the first half are affiliated with the World Government."
"If we touch those places, we'll inevitably have to go to war with the World Government."
"Yeah, since it encroaches on the World Government's core interests, there's no way they'll just sit back and allow it."
Kaido understood now. This guy's ambition was simply too massive.
This was no longer just child's play.
If such an empire were truly established, the entire world would be turned upside down.
Compared to this, his own pirate empire really did seem like child's play.
He looked seriously at the man sitting in the seat that once belonged to him.
"Kid, are you serious?"
Ryōsuke nodded.
"Of course. You didn't think I was joking, did you?"
"So, those who are willing to become part of my empire's military may stay. Those who aren't can take a ship and leave."
"Let me state this again: life here won't be as free and comfortable as your pirate days. Make your decision carefully."
Kaido immediately made his stance clear.
"Since you're actually serious about this, I'll stay. I want to see exactly how you plan to turn this world upside down."
Lead Performer King declared that he would stay.
Queen the Plague did the same; wherever Lord Kaido was, he would be.
Jack shared the same attitude.
Who's-Who of the Tobi Roppo also expressed his willingness to remain.
He had originally sought asylum under Kaido's banner anyway.
He used to be a CP member for the World Government, but he had lost a crucially important Devil Fruit.
It was stolen by Red Hair.
Fearing the World Government's punishment, he had stayed here.
If he left now, the World Government would likely come after him again. He knew all too well about the monsters working for them.
Wandering out there on his own would undoubtedly be extremely dangerous.
On the contrary, by staying here, he now had an even greater protective umbrella than Lord Kaido.
X Drake also chose to stay. He needed to observe the situation here and continue his espionage.
Right now, nothing was more important than what was happening here.
He had a premonition that something absolutely terrifying was going to take place.
The mere mention of the "Empire on Which the Sun Never Sets" had already shocked him to his core.
If Uchiha Ryōsuke truly intended to execute his vision—conquering the nations in both the second and first halves of the Grand Line—then a war with the Marines and the World Government was inevitable.
With this man's involvement, a war far more horrifying than the Summit War from two years ago would break out.
The Marines might not even hold the advantage.
Because they would be facing Kaido in his prime, along with this mysterious man who was far more terrifying than Kaido himself.
He had to stay and continuously feed intelligence back to Marine Headquarters.
Naturally, the rest of the Tobi Roppo didn't choose to leave either.
However, the lower-ranking members below felt differently.
The new Governor-General had made it perfectly clear.
They would no longer exist as pirates, but as a military force.
Naturally, that meant the end of their carefree days.
Pirates simply plundered whatever they lacked, living with barely any restrictions.
But as an army, they would undoubtedly be subjected to strict discipline.
Why did they want to be pirates in the first place?
For the freedom, of course. To live without restraints.
As for establishing an Empire on Which the Sun Never Sets, they couldn't care less.
They had originally joined the Beast Pirates to live the high life under the protection of big shots.
Now, it felt like those perks were gone.
And with their strength, they figured they could always carve out their own piece of the New World.
Some of them began to speak up.
"My Lord, I don't wish to stay here anymore."
"Me neither."
...
Ryōsuke looked at those requesting to leave and made no effort to make them stay.
"Gather your belongings. You will be given a ship to leave."
As soon as the first few took the lead, many more followed suit.
In less than ten minutes, half the people in the hall had already left.
Their pursuit, naturally, was their own unbridled freedom.
The remaining individuals were those who genuinely wanted to stay.
Ryōsuke looked at the remaining crowd.
"Who's-Who, Sasaki, you two go handle this matter. Notify the rest of the pirates. If they aren't willing to join the new military, have them pack their things and leave."
Those present in the hall were the high-ranking fighters, but there were still many ordinary pirates outside.
"Understood, My Lord. We'll get to it right away."
The two immediately left the hall.
The room instantly quieted down. Ryōsuke then looked at X Drake.
"X Drake, are you, an undercover Marine, planning to remain in my empire? Or are you saying you wish to join it?"
Black Maria spoke up to explain.
"My Lord, he used to be a Marine, but he has since fallen and become a pirate."
Ryōsuke said in a teasing tone.
"Only he knows where his true loyalties lie."
"Are you willing to abandon those garbage Marines and join my ranks? Or will you leave right now?"
The subordinates below caught the implication in his words. Could X Drake really be a Marine spy planted among them?
They despised the Marines more than anything and glared at X Drake with absolute hatred.
X Drake instantly felt a mountain of pressure crushing down on him. How did this man know his true identity?
He was, of course, still a Marine—a spy embedded within the pirate crew.
Seeing the absolute certainty in the man's eyes, he knew his cover was completely blown.
The glares from everyone around him made him extremely uncomfortable.
It seemed there was no way he could stay here any longer.
He didn't know if this man would actually let him leave, but since he had chosen the path of a spy, he had long since forsaken his own life.
Before anything else, he had one question to ask.
"What gives you the right to call the Marines garbage? Without the Marines, this world would have long become a paradise for you pirates—a living hell for everyone else!"
From those words alone, the crowd knew he was indeed a Marine. Many seethed with anger, furious that a traitor had been hiding among them.
Queen the Plague was especially furious as he roared.
"You bastard! To think you were a Marine rat all along! You're courting death!"
"My Lord, we absolutely cannot let this bastard go!"
Ryōsuke waved his hand dismissively.
"Quiet down, all of you. There's no need to make such a fuss."
"As for calling your Marines garbage, you might not like it. In the eyes of the Marines, pirates are the greatest evil. But in my eyes, the Celestial Dragons are the greatest evil."
"The atrocities they commit are things that even the most wicked pirates couldn't possibly match."
"As a Marine, you couldn't possibly be ignorant of their actions, could you?"
"After all, you Marines are their accomplices."
X Drake froze instantly. Of course, he knew the evil of the Celestial Dragons.
Assaulting people on a whim, kidnapping women, human trafficking... they even slaughtered tens of thousands of infants just to execute Ace, the son of the Pirate King, Roger.
He had felt lost and conflicted about it before, but what could he possibly do to resist?
In the end, all he could do was turn a blind eye.
Looking at the man before him, he spoke.
"I know a lot of things, but what can I do? They are the World Nobles. They are born with the right to do as they please."