Chương 210: Chapter 210
Sorbet Kingdom, South Blue
"No... No... NO! You can't do this to us! You promised! You promised us that you would help liberate us from this oppression! So why?" The rebellion leader roared in anger and desperation, his face stained with tears.
They were so close—so close to gaining freedom at last—but now the leader of the Revolutionaries was recalling the core of their forces. Although their numbers were small compared to the rebel forces, the Revolutionaries were elite fighters. Without them, this entire rebellion would crumble.
Even Dragon couldn't help but bow his head in shame. He knew this was almost akin to betraying someone in their time of need after affirming them of their support. However, the situation forced him to take this drastic action.
The Revolutionaries were not yet in a stage where they could challenge the World Government or the Marines head-on. He had personally scouted the surrounding seas after getting the information from Ross. Upon returning to South Blue in all haste, he found the blockade already being deployed in the surrounding seas.
"You bastard! Say something! Are you going to leave us to our fate? If so, why did you even say you wanted to help us?" The leader of the rebellion had lost all hope now. Though the world did not know about the native hunting competition, when Dragon announced that the World Nobles would be directly involved in the so-called hunt, he knew the fate of the Sorbet Kingdom was sealed.
A few other newly joined members of the Revolutionary Army sat in the meeting room. Kuma and Ivankov's expressions were especially sour. They knew the true horrors of the native hunting competition, having already gone through one and lived to tell the tale.
Kuma couldn't help but clench his fist in anger. Though he was from the Sorbet Kingdom himself, he couldn't bring himself to ask Dragon to senselessly sacrifice the Revolutionaries, nor could he condemn all these lives in the kingdom.
"Why? Why the Sorbet Kingdom? Why pick such a kingdom that hosts millions of people? Dragon, is there really nothing we can do? Are you absolutely sure that the information is reliable?" Ivankov couldn't help but ask, worry etched on her face. She still held a semblance of hope that they might be able to come up with a solution for the situation.
"It was you people... It was you people who brought ruin to this country! The government wants to make an example of us, isn't that right?" One of the commanders of the rebel army roared, standing up from his chair. But the rebel leader caught his subordinate by the shoulder, shaking his head.
"Is this the so-called freedom that you promised us, Dragon-san?" The rebel leader questioned, having already lost all hope. Dragon had already shared the truth about what the native hunting competition entailed.
At least earlier, they were alive, treated as slaves. But now they were being treated as sport and would soon be hunted down for the entertainment of the World Nobles. Despair has a weird way of changing people.
Earlier, with a bit of hope, the rebel leader had challenged the might of the entire kingdom's army even before they got the support of the Revolutionaries. But now, all that was left was hopelessness.
Back then, even if they lost, the remaining people's lives would go back to the way they were. Maybe they would be abused a bit more, but they would be alive. But now, everyone's fate is sealed.
Dragon's voice was heavy, laden with regret. "I know this is hard to understand, and I won't ask for your forgiveness. But know this: the Revolutionaries will return, and we will fight for a future where such horrors will never happen again."
The rebel leader laughed like a madman, his voice echoing through the somber room. "Ha... ha... ha... HAHAHAHA! Return? Return to do what? All that will be left is ash and bones, Dragon. Ash and bones. What are you planning to liberate? Our rotten corpses? We have millions of lives on this island, Dragon-san. From what you shared about this so-called hunt, I am sure no one will walk out of this alive."
Tears mingled with the rage in his eyes as he continued, his voice trembling. "I now truly regret the day I accepted your help in liberating this country. I thought I was saving all these people, but ultimately, I became the sinner who will have the blood of millions on my hands. Live well and prosper, Dragon-san, but this dying country has one last request. I hope you can fulfill it."
The rebel leader stood up from his chair, the once majestic power and authority that radiated from him now reduced to a mere shadow. His thoughts turned to the daunting task of trying to save as many people as possible before the calamity descended.
Most ships had been sunk to cut off supply points, and piers had been destroyed. At best, they might have a dozen ships, and even then, how many could they accommodate? Would they pass the Marine blockade, or would the ships be sunk as revolutionary vessels?
Dragon raised his head, wanting to know the man's request. The rebel leader looked him straight in the eye with his bloodshot gaze. "Is this what you wanted, Dragon? Is this the kind of freedom you plan to bring to this world? To condemn another island to this fate for your selfish ideals?"
His words struck Dragon like a hammer, shaking the very foundation of his beliefs. The rebel leader staggered as he left the tent, pushing aside subordinates who wanted to support him. The weight of impending doom hung heavy in the air, leaving everyone with a chilling realization of what was to come.
The rebel leader's voice carried a haunting finality. "All I ask is that you do not condemn another island for your ideals. Let this be the last time you bring such devastation in the name of liberation."
Dragon's heart sank as he watched the broken man leave. The depth of his pain and betrayal was palpable, each step was a testament to the anguish he felt. The room fell into a heavy silence, each person grappling with the weight of their collective fate. The Revolutionaries had to make a painful decision, one that would haunt them for years to come.
The room fell silent as the rebel leaders left, leaving only the members of the Revolutionary Army behind. Livia, the strategist of the Revolutionary Army, sighed heavily. "Is this what we are fighting for, Dragon-san?" she asked, her voice tinged with a mixture of sorrow and frustration.
She couldn't help but think back to her own country, ruined by war. She had joined the Revolutionaries believing that liberating the world was her calling. Once, she had lost all hope due to the ravages of conflict; she had even considered ending her own life after all the horrors she went through.
Her savior had been a young Marine who gifted her a Devil Fruit for no apparent reason and urged her to take control of her own fate. Back then, she wasn't aware of the young Marine's true identity.
She had clawed her way up, cutting down countless villains and becoming one of the first members to join the Freedom Fighters when Dragon founded the group. Though she had never hesitated to kill evil people, her heart weighed heavily now as their actions condemned millions of innocent lives.
Was this truly the way the Revolutionaries should act? Were they to consider all these lives collateral damage? Were they to console themselves by calling it for the greater good? No matter how she saw it, the innocent lives were playthings for both themselves and the World Nobles. As much as those monsters were responsible for the upcoming genocide, they couldn't shirk their own responsibility.
"We should fight... What's the worst that can happen? We'll die at worst, isn't that right? At least I won't have to live every day with the guilt of condemning so many innocent souls," Livia said fiercely. The rest of the group looked at their bloodthirsty comrade, who always seemed indifferent to everything. Only Dragon knew how much Livia had gone through before she joined the Freedom Fighters.
"Livia... I understand what you are saying, but we can't have the Revolutionaries perish here. Our ultimate goal is to free the world from oppression," Ivankov added softly, trying to calm the tense atmosphere.
"At what cost?... At what damn cost!" Livia roared. "I told you, Dragon-san! I told you we weren't ready." She smashed the table in anger, shattering it into smithereens.
Dragon, his face a mask of internal struggle, finally spoke. "Livia, Ivankov, everyone... I know this situation is dire. I know it seems like we are betraying the very people we swore to protect. But if we engage now, we risk annihilation. The Revolutionaries are not ready to face the full might of the World Government and the Marines. Our defeat here would mean the end of any hope for future revolutions. We must live to fight another day."
Livia's eyes burned with anger and unshed tears. "How many more days will we postpone the true liberation that we envisioned, Dragon san? How many more innocent lives will be sacrificed for a future that seems to never come?" Her voice trembled with emotion. "You talk about the greater good, but what about the good of those who are suffering now? What if something like this were to repeat again?"
Dragon looked at her, pain evident in his eyes. "I wish I had a better answer. But right now, survival is our only option. We must regroup, gather our strength, and strike when the time is right. This decision... it will haunt us all. But it's a burden we must bear for the sake of the world we dream of."
Just then, one of the revolutionaries burst into the meeting room, panting and wide-eyed. "The rebels... the rebels have launched a full-scale assault on the Kingdom's troops. They are throwing themselves into a meat grinder!"
Everyone in the room was shocked, but many understood the reason behind their actions. This was their final defiance, a desperate act to go out on their own terms.
Dragon's heart ached. Perhaps this was what Ross had once told him: the heavy price of freedom. Even to liberate someone in this world, absolute strength is a necessity. "Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed."
"Have the revolutionaries retreat from the island," Dragon ordered, his voice heavy with regret.
"We will remember this day, and I promise that I will not let a similar situation ever repeat again." He then turned to Kuma, who had sat silently throughout the meeting, though the pain was evident in his eyes.
"I'm sorry... I'm sorry I couldn't help liberate the country like I promised." Dragon bowed his head sincerely towards Kuma and then addressed the rest, especially Livia. "I will not stop anyone who wants to stay behind and fight, but please remember this: throwing away your lives today means giving up a chance to liberate all those people out there in the future.
This mistake was mine and mine alone, and it is my burden to bear. I need you. I need you all in the times to come, so please don't throw away your lives unnecessarily." He spoke genuinely, his eyes pleading with his comrades, before walking out of the room to prepare for the retreat of the revolutionaries.
Livia just sat there, struggling to understand what she should do. Ivankov moved next to her.
"Livia, we need you. The Revolutionary Army needs you. We cannot afford to lose even one of us. Let's consider this a lesson," she tried to convince her comrade from doing anything rash.
"Quite the costly lesson, don't you think, Ivankov?" Livia whispered, leaning back in her chair, fighting an internal battle over what to do next. The weight of the decision pressed down on her, and she found herself torn between her desire to fight and her understanding of Dragon's words.
Ivankov placed a hand on Livia's shoulder. "I know it's hard, but we must think of the bigger picture. We have to survive to continue the fight. We owe it to those who have fallen and to those who still suffer under oppression."
Livia closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. "You're right, Ivankov. We have to keep moving forward, no matter how painful it is."
As the room slowly emptied, the remaining revolutionaries began to prepare themselves for the retreat. The weight of their failure hung heavily in the air, but Dragon's words had lit a spark of determination in their hearts. They would not forget this day, and they would use it to fuel their resolve for the battles to come.
Meanwhile, inside the main palace vault of the Sorbet Kingdom, a rotund man with large lips and a nose slightly reddened at the tip bustled about. He had light shoulder-length hair, a short, dark beard, and a neat, dark mustache. Wearing a crown, a light cravat, and a dark royal uniform, he was none other than King Bekori, the current ruler of the Sorbet Kingdom.
Surrounding him were a few CP agents sent to escort the monarch and his family safely out of the kingdom. The World Government needed him to create a plausible story to justify eradicating an entire kingdom affiliated with them, a strategy designed to mitigate any potential backlash. Bekori alone was aware of the true situation.
"Your Majesty," the commander knelt outside the vault, awaiting the king's attention. Bekori turned to him with impatience, having dismissed his personal guards to be protected solely by the Cipher Pol agents.
"The rebels have started attacking our defense lines madly. If this continues, we might be able to end the rebellion within the week," the commander reported with delight, oblivious to the terror freezing the king's expression.
Bekori's mind raced. Had the rebels learned about the World Nobles' hunting event? Though promised a new kingdom by the World Government, he wasn't worried about losing his authority. He was here to secure the wealth he could take to his new realm.
"Order the soldiers to collect everything worth anything from the civilians. We will need a lot of money to rebuild our broken kingdom. Cut down anyone who refuses to pay or hides their wealth. You have a day to return with the collected treasure," he commanded. In his eyes, everyone was destined to die anyway, so their wealth might as well aid his prosperity in the new kingdom.
"But... your majesty, what about the rebels? We can end this war if we commit all our troops," the commander insisted.
"Just follow my orders! Get your work done and don't waste my time," Bekori snapped, kicking the commander before rushing back into the vault.
"Quick, you imbeciles! Pack everything. If you weren't my family, I would leave you here to rot," he roared, personally filling a chest with valuables. He would have liked to order the CP agents to help, but his eyes inadvertently fell on a man in a mask leisurely playing with a knife. Stepping out of line in the presence of CP0 was a death sentence.
Bekori's greed and cruelty were palpable. As he stuffed the chest with gold and jewels, he spared no thought for the suffering civilians or his loyal soldiers. His only concern was amassing as much wealth as possible before escaping the doomed kingdom. The vault echoed with the sounds of frantic packing, a stark contrast to the looming doom awaiting the kingdom outside.
*********
Dear Readers,
I want to express my deepest gratitude for the constant support you have given my work. Your encouragement and feedback have been invaluable, and I am truly thankful for each one of you.
If possible, I would love to garner even more support through power stones and reviews. Each additional review helps my work reach more readers, and even a single review can make a significant difference. Your support means the world to me, and I am deeply appreciative of every effort you make to help my work grow.
For those who would like to support me further and gain access to more than 60 additional chapters, you can do so on Patreon. Your support there is crucial and greatly appreciated, as it allows me to continue creating and sharing my work with you.
Thank you for your understanding and for being an integral part of this journey. Your presence and support are what make this all possible.
With heartfelt thanks,
[Silent_stiele]
Patreon : www.patreon.com/Silent_stiele
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Silent_stiele
Silent_stiele Dear Readers,
I want to express my deepest gratitude for the constant support you have given my work. Your encouragement and feedback have been invaluable, and I am truly thankful for each one of you.
If possible, I would love to garner even more support through power stones and reviews. Each additional review helps my work reach more readers, and even a single review can make a significant difference. Your support means the world to me, and I am deeply appreciative of every effort you make to help my work grow.
For those who would like to support me further and gain access to more than 60 additional chapters, you can do so on Patreon. Your support there is crucial and greatly appreciated, as it allows me to continue creating and sharing my work with you.
Thank you for your understanding and for being an integral part of this journey. Your presence and support are what make this all possible.
With heartfelt thanks,
[Silent_stiele]
Patreon : www.patreon.com/Silent_stiele
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