"Zephyr, there are indeed things that some Marines don't know, since those are secret operations of the World Government. But what about Mariejois? Do the Marines not know what it's like up there either?
This place can only be considered a microcosm. The real Mariejois is even worse than this.
The citizens of non-affiliated nations have no human rights. Can all Marines truly accept this with a clear conscience?"
"Compared to the chaotic seas, the World Government represents its own kind of order. Under that order, affiliated nations, though they must pay the costly Heavenly Tribute, are guaranteed the basic conditions for survival.
You are now a king yourself. You should know what kind of scum those passing pirates are. Without order, would things really become better?
But now… the branches and leaves of the tree grow ever denser, and the blood it feeds on… has become impossible to count…"
Zephyr once firmly believed that the Marines represented justice. The God Valley Incident had made him question them, but he still believed that most Marines fought for the justice in their hearts.
However, the actions of the Celestial Dragons make them the greatest pests upon the seas, and the Marines have inevitably become their accomplices.
"A tree whose roots have already rotted, no matter how bright and beautiful it looks on the outside, has long decayed within. You want to protect it, but removing it might be the right choice.
As for what comes after… no one ever said that after digging out a rotten tree, you must leave the pit there forever. Planting a healthy sapling and letting it grow into a towering tree that can shelter others from wind and rain. That's what should be done."
"I'm a Marine, and you're telling me this… do you really think that's appropriate?"
Nereus's implication was obvious enough. Zephyr had already guessed most of what he intended to do.
Dragon was planning something in the Four Seas, and he had ties with Nereus…
This wasn't casual conversation at all. This was clearly an attempt to drag him into it!
"You can go report me to the World Government and see if they'll believe you. Right now, I haven't done anything, and according to the terms of our agreement, I'm getting along quite well with them.
Do you believe that if you really did that, you'd be the one labeled as someone stirring up trouble instead?"
The reason the World Government agreed to Nereus's conditions was not only because Imu had issued the highest directive, but also due to a major objective factor - they couldn't deal with Nereus.
And according to the World Government's usual approach, if compromise can solve a problem, then everything is negotiable before a real crisis breaks out.
Moreover, based on Nereus's psychological analysis of Zephyr, as he witnessed more and more darkness and his bottom line was gradually eroded, Zephyr wouldn't remain steadfast in his belief in the Marines forever.
Otherwise, after completely losing faith in the World Government and the Marines, he wouldn't have founded the Neo Marines and attempted to destroy the entire New World by blowing up three Endpoints with Dyna Stones.
"I shouldn't have landed on that island back then…"
"Trying to cover your ears whilst stealing a bell? Oh, no, more like covering your ears to steal a clock now."
"What are you talking about?"
"Nothing. It's too late for regret anyway. And do you really think what you're seeing now is the true Deul Kingdom? This is only the most superficial layer."
Although Zephyr and Nereus had already entered the Deul Kingdom, if the two of them didn't want to be noticed, the people of Deul Kingdom simply didn't have the ability to detect them.
At this very moment, deep within the magnificent slave colosseum of the Deul Kingdom, the stench of rust and blood always reached the nose before sunlight ever could.
It was unlike the colosseum of Dressrosa, which was rooted in tradition; before Doflamingo's rule, it was more like a dangerous sport.
Many gladiators made a living there, some came to hone themselves through challenges, and it also served as a form of punishment. By achieving a certain number of consecutive victories, one could even earn the right to be pardoned.
But in the Deul Kingdom's colosseum, not a single slave had ever walked out alive.
At this moment, a boy was curled up in the corner of a cage. He had no name; since the day he was born, this kingdom had defined him as a slave.
In his hand, he clutched only a small stone he had pried out from a crack.
The slightly flattened stone resembled a seashell, and the stone was the seashell of his imagination. At the same time, "Seashell" was also his name.
This cage was located near the coast, and the sound of waves crashing against the walls could often be heard. Beyond the sea lay the legendary freedom, so Seashell always harbored his own hopes for the outside world.
Sometimes, he would press the stone against his ear. Whenever he did so, it seemed as if he could hear a faint, long-forgotten tune that his mother used to hum.
Though by now, he could no longer remember what his mother looked like.
In the hall outside the prison, a robust-looking slave was being hung by chains on a punishment rack outside a cage. His back had long since been torn into a bloody mess from repeated lashings.
He had once been a "high-grade slave" in the Deul Kingdom—someone who could live in noble households and be privately owned by only a few.
The reason he had been sent here was that he had attempted to escape while the king was away. In the end, he was brought here and turned into expendable fodder for life-and-death combat.
At this time, the guards were resting. Taking advantage of their inattention, Seashell splashed some clean water onto the man's face.
It wasn't to bully him. The man hadn't had a single drop of water for a long time, his lips were already cracked. This at least allowed him to take in a little moisture.
"Thanks…"
The man's lips curled upward into a smile, as if he had not yielded to the pain at all.
"Mister, talk less… those guys will be back soon."
"Don't be so pessimistic, kid. You're still young, you've got plenty of time ahead of you. Maybe before long, freedom will descend upon this land."
As soon as those words were spoken, not only Seashell but even several slaves in the surrounding cells looked over, seemingly unable to understand how the man could speak of "freedom" in such a situation.
"You people here can't receive news from the outside. I used to be an adventurer. The king of this country provoked someone he should never have provoked…
War will descend upon this land! And the one who will start it… is the savior of all slaves in the world!"
Smack!
"Too noisy!"
The surrounding slaves wanted to ask more, but the crack of a whip abruptly cut the man off.
"This is a sacred colosseum. Without an audience, slaves have no right to speak loudly, let alone spread taboo topics forbidden by King Chap.
Anyone who breaks the rules… will be executed…"
As he spoke, the guard swung his whip again, but this time, no matter how much force he used, the whip would not move.
A pitch-black arm had already seized the other end of the whip tightly.
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