Chapter 397: A Man's Romance

Hoo—!

A sea breeze swept past.

It stirred up dust and smoke in the harbor, also fluttering the hem of Sabo's clothes.

He gazed at the spot where Fujitora had vanished, the corner of his mouth curling into a bitter smile:

"I only thought my luck was good; after entering Britannias, I met a guide and even entertained the notion of inviting him to join the Revolutionary Army."

"It's just..."

"Even a nobody like me could not escape that person's eyes; how could Issho possibly hide here for his entire life?!"

"The only explanation is that Issho has already wagered his future on that person's ship."

"Heh..."

Sabo laughed at himself.

Is the Revolutionary Army's power small?

Of course it is not.

On the contrary, even on a global scale, the Revolutionary Army is a super-power second only to the World Government, comparable to the Yonko-level pirate crews.

This is already a peak that countless pirates, exhausting their entire lives, could never reach.

But Gao Wen and his group...

They are the undisputed peak of this era, existence standing above the Yonko; ignoring the Ancient Weapons, they are sufficient to contend with the World Government.

After spending a long time together, Sabo had long since seen through Fujitora's character.

Seemingly gentle and casual, yet once he makes a decision, he will not waver for anyone or anything.

While possessing a gentle heart, he also holds an unshakable belief.

To make such a person change his decision is undoubtedly harder than climbing to the heavens.

And more importantly.

Facing Fujitora, who had already boarded Knight Gao Wen's ship, Sabo could find no reason to persuade the other to defect to the Revolutionary Army.

After all, from any angle, the Revolutionary Army is not the better choice, even regarding the liberation of slaves.

For a long while.

A sigh from Sabo drifted through the air.

He took a step forward, only to withdraw it the next instant.

That bar of Ivankov had been destroyed by Barrett's ability; now, only half a sign swayed on a remaining piece of wall in the distance.

Just like Sabo's confused heart at this moment.

When Barrett awakened, three days had already passed.

The wounds on his body, after simple bandaging, had begun to heal.

Only the Conqueror's Haki lingering in the wounds still irritated his nerves, sending bursts of stinging pain from time to time.

Before Barrett's eyes, that strike of Gao Wen floated up again involuntarily, making him feel a surge of powerlessness:

"The gap..."

"It is too vast."

"I never expected that this era could actually give birth to an existence surpassing that monster, Roger."

"However..."

Before his voice could land.

Barrett turned his head to look outside the door.

Bang—!

The room door was roughly pushed open by Buena Festa; seeing Barrett awake, he immediately breathed a sigh of relief:

"I told you that you have a thick life; there's absolutely no way you'd die so easily!"

"Hahahaha—!"

Amidst Buena Festa's unrestrained laughter.

Barrett did not know what expression to make; he subconsciously opened his mouth and asked:

"Why did you come back at that time?!"

Buena Festa's laughter gradually subsided; he lowered his head to look at his own hands, slowly clenched his fists, and said:

"Originally, I also intended to act according to our original agreement."

"Once either side fell, the other should withdraw without hesitation to realize their own dream."

"It's just that at that moment, I saw my own reflection in the seawater: distorted, ugly, humble, cowardly..."

"If I had retreated at such a time, I would never have been able to realize my ambition in this lifetime, so I apologize for failing to keep our agreement."

Barrett fell silent for a moment.

After a long while.

He finally opened his mouth and said:

"If it were me in that situation, I absolutely would not have hesitated for even an instant."

There was not a shred of wavering in Buena Festa's eyes:

"Such things do not matter at all."

"Hmph~"

Barrett's lips curled slightly, and the cold, hard lines of his face seemed a bit softer at that moment.

He did not dwell on the topic, asking:

"What happened after I lost consciousness?"

Buena Festa briefly recounted the events that followed.

Barrett reached out and rubbed his brow:

"You mean not only was your Natsu Shourou taken to pay off the debt, but my Eternal Logia was taken as well?"

"And we even have to work for Knight Gao Wen until we repay the debt for damaging the port?"

Buena Festa nodded, looking slightly guilty.

"..."

Barrett's lips twitched; the momentary emotion vanished instantly, but on second thought, he understood that Buena Festa had no choice in that situation.

Compared to their lives, whether it was the Natsu Shourou or the Eternal Logia, both were things that could be abandoned.

Hiss—!

Barrett took a deep breath and pressed:

"Did Knight Gao Wen say anything else?!"

"Actually..."

After pondering for a moment, Buena Festa could not help but speak:

"Temporarily joining Knight Gao Wen's ranks might not be a bad thing, especially for you."

Seeing the look of confusion on Barrett's face, Buena Festa explained:

"Our previous line of thinking actually went down the wrong path."

"What you wanted was to use the Martial Arts Tournament, with the Eternal Logia as bait, to lure out various powerful figures and ultimately help yourself ascend to the position of the strongest, right?!"

Barrett nodded.

Buena Festa continued:

"Then seizing the Martial Arts Tournament was merely one means to achieve the goal; if that means doesn't work, we might not lack other choices, one of which is to cooperate with Knight Gao Wen."

"This is also the reason I ultimately chose to bypass you and hand over the Eternal Logia and the Natsu Shourou to Knight Gao Wen."

"Because in a sense, that monster shares the same goal as you."

Barrett was stunned for a moment, his expression somewhat strange:

"He also wants to be number one under the heavens?!"

"He..."

"Although it's a bit hard to accept, he already is."

Buena Festa shook his head, denying Barrett's guess, and explained:

"I heard him say personally that the peak is very lonely; what he wants is to use the Martial Arts Tournament as a platform to cultivate an opponent capable of matching him."

Barrett reached out and touched the bandages on his chest:

"Truly... arrogant!"

If anyone else said such words, Barrett would only sneer, but if it was Gao Wen saying it, the situation was entirely different.

Suppressing Whitebeard during the Summit War and slicing his strongest large bullet with a single strike; such combat power needed no words to explain.

If this man says the peak is lonely, then it must be lonely.

Putting aside his thoughts, Barrett raised his eyes to look at Buena Festa:

"So that is why you handed these two things over to Knight Gao Wen?!"

"Yes, but not entirely."

"There are other reasons?!"

"He promised to make me the chief planner of the World's Greatest Martial Arts Tournament."

Barrett's lips twitched:

"That is the main reason, right?!"

"Uh..."

Buena Festa gave a sheepish laugh, left a sentence telling him to rest well, and then slipped away as if fleeing.