Flame of Revolution

The following morning, in the office of the commander of Marine Branch 80, the air was thick with tension from an unexpected dispute.

"What? To Marine Headquarters? No way!"

Kevin shook his head adamantly, rejecting Captain Luemi's proposal.

"I'm living like royalty here — eating well, sleeping soundly. Why would I go to Headquarters? That place is crawling with monsters, and I haven't even mastered Haki yet."

A muscle twitched beneath Luemi's eye. A power like Haki… was originally a privilege of the elite in Headquarters.

Even he, after years of routine in the West Blue, had all but lost the touch for Armament Haki.

Haki…

Heart, body, and mind—It begins with willpower and conviction, manifests in physical control, and eventually becomes a technique that embodies that strength.

But once that resolve fades, the power known as Haki withers along with it… until it vanishes.

That was precisely why Luemi wanted to send Kevin away.

This tranquil sea… dulled the spirit.

It wasn't a place for someone with fire still in his chest.

He paused, then circled back to an earlier topic.

"The request you made… we have an answer now."

"Hmm? You mean the execution of the Pirate King in Loguetown?"

Kevin asked quickly.

Luemi nodded but didn't address the execution directly. Instead, he said:

"The execution of Gold Roger—the Pirate King—has been scheduled for this month. A man like that getting caught… Don't you want to become a hero like Vice Admiral Garp?"

Kevin shook his head without a moment's hesitation.

If not for Garp and Roger, Uncle Kuma might've had some peace.

And perhaps the Mythical Dragon Fruit wouldn't have ended up in Kaido's jaws.

Besides… the Pirate King was never captured—He turned himself in when he realized his time was up.

And during his final moments, he spoke one line that turned the "One Piece" into a legend that the entire world now chases.

The Great Pirate Era...

Though a time of suffering for ordinary people, it was still a time forged by the will of a single man.

Even the name "Gold Roger"…

concealed the D.

One of the Five Elders, Saint Jaygarcia Saturn of Mary Geoise, had nearly taken Kevin's life when he was just an infant.

"Hah…"

Luemi sighed with frustration.

"We move out tomorrow."

"Huh?"

"We'll cross the Red Line via the Marine's elevated route over Reverse Mountain, straight into Loguetown in the East Blue."

"It's done already?! Captain Luemi, your connections at Headquarters must be something else!"

The Captain raised his head with a proud smile.

"I may not be one of those monsters, but believe me... my influence still runs deep."

Kevin laughed and asked,

"Rumor has it you also trained under an Admiral at Headquarters. What brought you to the West Blue?"

The question made Luemi fall silent for a moment as he gazed at Kevin.

Perhaps Headquarters… wasn't the right place for a child like this.

It was near the Sabaody Archipelago, after all… And proximity to that place came with a cost.

He himself had left Headquarters for similar reasons—And returned to this distant sea.

"That's enough talk. Get ready to move. When you arrive in Loguetown, someone will meet you. If you change your mind, you can go with him to Headquarters."

Kevin raised his hands in surrender and left.

Had this happened five days ago, he might've agreed. Headquarters was near the Sabaody Archipelago—He could've used the Shadow Clone Jutsu to swap places and ambush slave traders,

or… if luck smiled upon him, sneak close to a Celestial Dragon…

One strike worth a thousand heists.

But now, with the Flying Nimbus granting him unprecedented mobility, traveling from the West Blue to Sabaody wasn't impossible anymore.

And if he later obtained the Transformation Jutsu, that would be true perfection.

Well then… If he couldn't go treasure-hunting today, he'd spend the night preparing for tomorrow's journey.

As for now—a drink was calling.

* * *

Lasgab Town – An Evening of Subtle Schemes

Lasgab sat at the foot of Reverse Mountain—a vital gateway leading into the special tunnel that pierced the Red Line.

That made it a necessary stop for merchants, travelers, and anyone seeking passage to the other seas.

With such commercial prosperity, entertainment flourished too.

The city pulsed with color, music, and revelry. And yet—despite it all—Lasgab's amusements remained within legal bounds.

Even the Bege Family, one of the Five Great Mafia Houses, had never dared to bring their darker operations into this city.

Beauty was real here. But so was the law.

Between drinks, songs, and dazzling eyes shimmering beneath stage lights, Kevin sat whistling and cheering with the crowd, enjoying a calm night before a fateful day.

The first show soon ended.

A softer melody filled the air as the next performers rose to the stage, each one stepping gracefully into place.

At the same time, staff began weaving between tables, holding bouquets of flowers and offering them to patrons.

For 50,000 Berry, one might earn the chance to share a drink with one of the night's stars.

"Would you like a bouquet, sir? My sister Mina gave a wonderful performance today—and I noticed she looked at you quite a few times while dancing."

The speaker was a small boy, no older than six or seven, his words honeyed with mischief, his manner polished from practice.

But Kevin had long since grown used to such tactics. It wasn't his first time hearing that exact line, just phrased a little differently.

He ruffled the boy's hair and replied with a grin:

"Kiddo… what's in my pocket barely covers the drink, let alone flowers. My wallet's cleaner than my face tonight."

The nearby men burst into laughter.

"Ha ha ha! This newbie must be new around here. Don't you know Kevin the Executioner is famous for being tightfisted?"

"Since we've known him, he's only ever paid the entry fee. Never seen him pull out a single coin afterward, ha ha!"

"Still, someone always ends up buying him a drink. But he rarely accepts, either."

Kevin raised his glass toward them with a playful smile, drained it to the last drop, and stood, heading toward the restroom.

The show was over, but the night was still young—and he had work to do.

Tomorrow, he would depart for the East Blue.

Just yesterday, he'd uncovered the location of two hidden treasures, after subjecting a mafioso and a pirate to a dose of mental torment with the black flames.

They broke quickly under the pain and confessed the whereabouts of their stashes.

The pirate's hoard? Not bad. Money is money—and Kevin needed a lot of it.

For anyone who wished to turn the world upside down, they needed to prepare well.

A few minutes later, Kevin emerged from the restroom—or so everyone thought—and sat back at his table, drawing no attention.

In truth… it was merely a shadow clone of Kevin.

Five minutes after that, his real body exited through the theater's back door, his hairstyle changed, his clothes swapped out, his face hidden behind a mask.

From the darkness of an alleyway, a small yellow cloud descended quietly from the sky.

Kevin mounted it and ascended rapidly, soaring eastward into the heart of the West Blue.

Flying—far faster than sailing.

Within a few hours, Kevin returned carrying two chests—one large, one small—both filled with gold, jewels, and pearls.

No surprise there.

The mafia was far wealthier than pirates.

Over his two years as the Executioner of the West Blue, Kevin had carried out many such operations.

But back then, without the Flying Nimbus, retrieving treasure took him much longer.

"The road ahead… is still long."

Kevin exhaled deeply, eyes rising toward the dark horizon.

Only two years remained… and science didn't run on ambition alone—it needed capital.