Dragon stood still the moment he got off the ship. After a brief pause, he remembered why he had come and began walking toward the town.
He stopped in front of a man lying on a lounge chair by the roadside.
"Hello. Do you know where Norman Bryan's house is?"
The man sat up. With his only remaining hand, he fanned himself while studying the rear admiral.
"And who might you be? What business do you have with him?"
Dragon replied, "My name is Monkey D. Dragon. I'm a friend of Bryan's. He can't come back right now, so he asked me to bring something to his family."
The man nodded. "Oh, I see. Bryan's place is on the eastern side of town, northwest corner. There's a huge ginkgo tree in the yard. Stands out. You can't miss it. Anyway, how's little Bryan doing? It's been over two years since he left."
Dragon paused for a moment. "He's doing well, but work keeps him from coming home. That's why he asked me to come instead."
The man laughed. "That so? Then you better hurry. Granny Candice will be happy to see you."
Dragon gave a slight nod. "Thank you."
Then he turned and followed the direction the man had given him. Under his cloak, his hand gripped a package tightly... it was all that was left of Bryan.
His thoughts drifted back to that night, months ago...
* * *
Several months earlier. Jaya Island. Day two of the manhunt.
"Move! Move! Move!"
"The fugitive disappeared somewhere around here!"
"Search the area!"
"One man per house. Pick up the pace!"
"Don't miss a single corner!"
Dragon stood on a rooftop, watching the soldiers comb the buildings below. A breeze blew past, and he vanished with it.
He reappeared quietly inside a nearby house.
Whoosh!
A blade sliced through the air.
Before his body had fully materialized, Dragon raised his right hand, coated it in Armament Haki, and caught the weapon mid-swing.
"Relax. I'm not here to fight."
He slowly released the blade and looked at the man across from him, who was missing one eye and an ear.
The man backed up, keeping his guard.
"Say what you came to say, Marine."
Dragon spoke calmly. "I just want to understand what you're all searching for. What truth is worth risking your lives?"
The man stared at him for a few seconds, then suddenly grinned.
"We're here to reveal the truth buried by the corrupt World Government. To expose the crimes they've tried to hide. Everyone in this world has the right to know, and not to be ruled by that rotten government and the filth known as the Celestial Dragons."
He sneered as he looked Dragon up and down. "What? Still want to hear more, Marine?"
The rear admiral didn't react to the taunt. "Tell me why."
The man was surprised. "Huh?"
Dragon's face turned serious. "I want to know the reason behind all of this."
The man looked at him, saw the sincerity in his expression, and fell silent for a moment.
"You really want to know… then let me tell you about a few stories from a small island. Hmm… where to begin. Let's start with Aunt Belle, the neighbor…"
"..."
"...and Uncle Torell. He had a lovely son and daughter. But one day, when the Celestial Dragons were inspecting islands in the North Blue, those two kids accidentally walked near them.
"They were shot dead on the spot.
"When Uncle Torell rushed forward, he was immediately arrested by the guards and the Marines escorting the Celestial Dragons. It was ridiculous. And afterward, they actually sentenced him to death. The reason? Because his son's blood had splashed onto one of the Celestial Dragon's shoes!
"Hehehehe… what an ugly world. Even though Uncle Torell managed to escape with his life, he lost an arm in the process. He spent the rest of his days filled with hatred, never able to avenge his children. And on the island where I grew up, most of the people have been through something just as tragic. They gathered here, licking their wounds.
"Why? Because they were powerless. Because they couldn't fight back!
"You ask why we're seeking the truth? We want to expose the crimes the government has buried. We want the people of the world to know what's really going on. One day, we will overthrow that corrupt government and those filthy Celestial Dragons!!!"
The man's voice rose into a furious roar, trembling with rage.
Dragon stood in silence, watching him. It was hard to imagine what the people had felt when those things happened. Even after everything he'd witnessed on the Sabaody Archipelago, Celestial Dragons abusing their power, it paled in comparison to what he'd just heard.
After a long while, he said softly.
"…I'm sorry."
The man smiled faintly. "You don't need to apologize. You didn't cause any of this. It was the evil government, and the Celestial Dragons. I can tell, you're a good man. Will you do something for me?"
Dragon nodded. "Say it."
The man reached into his clothes and pulled out a small box. There wasn't much inside—just a sachet, a cross, and a few Berries.
"Please deliver this to Shogai Island. Give it to my grandmother. Her name is Mary Candice. And tell her… I won't be coming back. Lastly, if you can, help those scholars. They're the guiding lights of this world.
"By the way, my name is Norman Bryan. Thanks for listening, Marine."
He gave a radiant smile.
The sound of footsteps was getting closer. There was no more time to hide.
He had to draw the soldiers' attention. Every minute he could delay them meant one more minute the scholars could live. Even if just one more archeologist survived, that could change the world.
Bang!
Bryan kicked down the door, making a loud noise. It drew soldiers in from every direction.
The last thing Dragon saw was that battered, broken body and a dazzling smile.
He stood there, silent. He was never one to be easily swayed, and had always made his own decisions.
Yes, Bryan and his people had suffered terribly, however, that didn't mean the world was only black and white.
Right and wrong weren't absolute. The Marines had indeed played a part in those tragedies, but what about the countless soldiers who died every year fighting pirates?
The names engraved on the Marineford plaza, over twenty thousand of them, weren't written there because they were accomplices.
Each one of them had given their life in battle.
Nobles, government, bureaucrats, commoners, pirates, marines, they were all threads in the same tangled web.
And deep in Dragon's heart, a direction had begun to take shape. He would find that path…
Whoosh!
A gust of wind swept by, and he vanished into it.
* * *
That night, just as the scholars were boarding their smuggled ship, it was as if fate intervened.
A violent gust of wind kicked up, and carried them far away, beyond pursuit.
* * *
North Blue. Shogai Island.
Dragon had arrived. At some point, he'd found himself standing before the yard with the massive ginkgo tree.
His mind returned from those months-old memories as he looked at the tightly shut gate. Then slowly raised his hand…
**
**
**
Thank you for reading! If you'd like access to extra chapters and want to support my work, you can visit my P@treon:
P@treon/SilverShark769
Vote with Power Stones for Bonus Chapters!
Your support means a lot, thank you!