Chapter 45

"Understood."

Zhàn Guó hurriedly agreed.

And so.

A silent covert war between the Marines and the Revolutionary Army,

was about to unfold, revolving around Lu En alone.

The entire sea,

suddenly, became seething with undercurrents.

Three days later.

East Blue.

Goa Kingdom, Windmill Village.

The wind was mild and the sun was bright; the sky stretched clear for ten thousand li.

Early morning.

A trace of moisture still lingered in the air, yet the plain, simple villagers of Windmill Village had already thrown themselves into their various busy tasks, brimming with vitality.

At this moment.

Five kilometers from Windmill Village's harbor.

The azure sea mirrored the white clouds drifting in the sky above; the calm surface bore not a single ripple.

As a gentle breeze swept in.

Swoosh!

Ripples spread across the sea's surface, wave after wave diffusing outward.

One could see,

a small merchant ship slowly sailing in from afar, parting the seawater on either side as it went, sending rings of ripples spreading in every direction.

On the deck.

Only a sparse few figures stood.

Each person was draped in a deep brown cloak, their build and features completely wrapped and concealed, leaving outsiders no view to peek through or discern.

The leader among them was a lean figure, a middle-aged man — very tall, and very thin.

Raising his head,

hidden beneath the deep brown outer garment was a face with tattoos carved across the left half, browless, its features somewhat sinister, icy, sharp, and ferocious.

He possessed a pair of bright, piercing eyes, harboring boundless ambition within them; that surging ambition showed itself unmistakably from their depths, as if possessing a will that could contain the world.

One only needed a single glance at this kind of person to be unable to forget his face for a long time after.

This man was the founder and leader of the Revolutionary Army — Monkey D. Dragon!

A criminal regarded by the World Government as the most vicious in the world!

Even Pirate King Luo Jie never posed a greater threat to the World Government than Dragon!

The nature of the Revolutionary Army's threat also far surpassed that of the pirates.

One was a scoundrel committing every evil on the sea…

The other was a group with the purposeful aim of overthrowing the current ruling order!

By comparison.

The latter was naturally the greater threat!

Of course.

Being regarded as the biggest thorn in the World Government's side, yet never having been caught and imprisoned all these years — that alone was enough to demonstrate Dragon's own terrifying strength and formidable ability.

As the founder and leader of the Revolutionary Army, Dragon's strength was naturally powerful beyond doubt; he must surely stand at the very pinnacle of this sea!

It's just that…

Over the past few days, the Marines had seemed to go mad, frantically carrying out devastating operations against several Revolutionary Army strongholds, which left Dragon puzzled and bewildered.

"Have you been able to find out the reason for the Marines' frenzy these past few days?"

Dragon frowned, asking a plump-faced, big-faced woman beside him.

He could not recall.

Having provoked the Marines during this period.

Logically speaking.

The Marines shouldn't have raised such a massive force to come punish and deal with their Revolutionary Army.

The Marines' target to deal with was the pirates.

Only the World Government itself was the one itching to see their Revolutionary Army dead and gone.

Over these years…

The Marines rarely took the initiative against the Revolutionary Army.

But in recent days, the Marines' abnormal behavior made Dragon sense a hint of something amiss and not quite right.

"The main reason for the Marines' abnormality has already been found out."

"According to the intelligence conveyed by our subordinates."

"The reason the Marines are acting so abnormally is…"

"Because of one person!"

A big-faced woman standing beside Dragon answered.

This person was one of the Revolutionary Army's officers — Ivankov.

The King of the Kamabakka Kingdom!

Even looking across the entire sea, he would be considered a powerhouse of considerable strength.

Ivankov, as the right- and left-hand man of the Revolutionary Army's leader Dragon, enjoyed Dragon's deep trust and counted as one of the founding elders of the Revolutionary Army in its early days.

"Because of one person? What do you mean?"

"Just because of one person…"

"The Navy went mad and launched attacks on our Revolutionary Army strongholds?"

"And for that, they would even provoke a war?"

"What person could possess such ability? To make the entire Navy go to such lengths against our Revolutionary Army for his sake?"

Dragon's brow arched, leaving him even more perplexed.

"Actually, the reason the Navy has been frantically attacking our Revolutionary Army strongholds—"

"The main objective is…"

"To prevent you from returning to the East Blue."

"To prevent you from returning to your hometown, Windmill Village!"

After much hesitation, Ivankov still chose to report the intelligence he had uncovered truthfully.

"Prevent me from returning? Why?"

Dragon was completely baffled.

Hearing this,

Ivankov took a deep breath and slowly revealed the truth: "Because of your son! Four years ago, the son you brought back to Windmill Village in the East Blue—Lu En!"

"The Navy's people are frantically trying to prevent the reunion between you, father and son."

"For that reason…"

"The Navy has not hesitated to dispatch massive numbers of personnel to destroy our Revolutionary Army's strongholds, one after another!"

"All of it, because of your son, Lu En!"

The words fell.

Dragon grew even more unable to comprehend: "Why? Just to prevent a father and son from meeting? The Navy would go to such lengths? It makes no sense, by any logic."

Ivankov answered: "Because your son Lu En is a genius! Personally appraised by Navy Admiral Sakazuki as a once-in-a-century, peerless prodigy!"

"Even more, a monster who awakened the Conqueror's Haki at the mere age of three!"

"The Navy does not wish to see such a peerless prodigy be completely led astray because of you. That is why the Navy would spare no cost, constantly trying to prevent your meeting with your son."

"The Navy is afraid…"