Chapter 48 The Peace Roundtable
East Blue.
In the mountains inside the nameless island.
The inside of the mountain, which looks normal from the outside, has long been hollowed out, and a huge circular conference hall is impressively built in the belly of this seemingly inconspicuous mountain.
Dozens of people were sitting around a huge round table. In the center of the round table was a huge map, marking the four seas—Calm Belt—Grand Line in detail.
and various countries and races.
What is more conspicuous is that most of the regions and islands of East Blue have been planted with small red flags.
Despite the large number of people in the conference hall, there was no sound.
There was no one sitting on the master seat facing the gate, and everyone else seemed to be waiting for the master in that position.
"Awaited."
A voice sounded from behind the main seat, and in the shadow of the aisle behind the main seat, a tall and straight figure slowly appeared in everyone's sight.
The others nodded one after another, but still no one made a sound.
After the person sat down, everyone stared at his body.
Is this man... finally going to start?
Although many people were agitated inside, they remained calm and restrained for "discipline" reasons.
"Not yet time..."
The visitor raised his head and looked around: "We came to a conclusion more than ten years ago, I believe everyone has not forgotten."
The long-bearded old man sitting first on the left side of the main seat nodded: "Yes, the complexity of the current world situation cannot be simply divided by Marine-Pirate-Revolutionary Army."
"The real power on the Red Line, the family power of the twenty kings, the inheritance of the great kingdom, the origin of the revolutionary army, and the remnants of the pirates who hold the handle of 'World government'."
"These are our enemies in the future, and even Marine must think in a more secure and pessimistic direction."
"However, after ten years of hard work..."
With a flick of the old man's cuffs, the area on the table with the small red flag lit up instantly.
"We have spread faith and hope to most of East Blue. In the name of the Revolutionary Army, we overthrew many tyranny, and in the name of 'blood', we elected our companions to become kings and generals."
"Except for a few areas related to Mariejois and designated by 'Mister', more than half of the entire East Blue area is under our control."
The long-bearded old man also looked around, and the others nodded as well.
"According to 'Mr.', we have completed the initial dissemination of ideas and the seizure of political power. Next..."
The long-bearded old man put his hands flat on the table, and watched the person sitting on the table with the others.
The man who rose like a comet - the current Marine Vice Admiral - "Dark Dragon" - Adams Dylan.
He is also their leader - the initiator of the "Peace Round Table".
Dylan raised his head and looked into pairs of fighting eyes.
In addition to fighting spirit, the will revealed by them is also enough to move people.
"Time is running out!"
The first sentence made everyone present hold their breath: "In the past ten years, through various wars, whether against pirates or against the noble army, our soldiers and the army have had a very obvious impact. Progress, there's no doubt about that."
"But now my identity is very sensitive, so in the next few years, I will try to avoid returning to East Blue to meet with you." Dylan knocked on the table: "And you have two tasks."
Dylan raised his finger:
"First: From the existing army, refine more companions who have the same ideals as us."
"Second: Let the companions who have completed the tempering of faith gain stronger power."
"Bamond also said it just now, and you all know it very well."
Dylan stood up and leaned forward, looking directly at the "Red Line" location on the map.
"Our enemy is definitely not just a certain party! If you want to truly change the world, you need to be prepared to be an enemy of the whole world!"
······
After everyone left the venue one after another, only Dylan was left in the conference hall, Balmond on the left, and a strong man with his eyes slightly closed on the right.
After a while, footsteps echoed in the passage again, and a man who was originally sitting at the gate returned to the conference hall again.
After nodding to Dylan and the people seated on the left and right, the man who looked harmless to humans and animals and was smiling at all times said: "Everything is as expected by 'Sir', the old concepts are deeply rooted, many people originally They are also civilians, refugees, and even slaves, but they will gradually change after gaining power."
"They were deluded by power and wealth, and forgot the vows they had made."
The man smiled and raised his head: "According to the guidance of 'Sir', under the premise that we can't expose it, no one is allowed to defect, so... In the past three years, the 'Disciplinary Department' has eliminated 5 more people." The king, 12 generals, 21 consuls, mid- and lower-level military officers, and government officials totaled 339 people."
There wasn't much change in Dylan's face.
Balmond sighed, and the strong man on the left snorted coldly.
"Now we must increase the intensity of supervision, and there must be no mistakes. Otherwise, our plan for more than ten years will fall short."
"Half a month later."
Dylan stared at Marineford's position.
He has received the information that Ace was defeated by Teach on Banaro Island, so the "Summit War" is about to begin.
"This world will become more violent! Seize the opportunity and gather strength. After that, the attention of the World government will be distracted for a while. But don't let your guard down, the same sentence-our enemies, far away It's not just the World government!"
······
Sebastian returned to his kingdom.
"Mr. Sebastian, here are a few documents that you need to sign."
"Mr. Sebastian, the beasts in the Polka Mountains are rampant, and you need to make up your mind..."
"Mr. Sebastian..."
Sebastian looked at the noisy crowd at the desk with a smile, and patiently replied one after another.
When the crowd finally dispersed, he stepped out of the window and gazed at the street beyond the office building.
The streets are resplendent and resplendent, full of extravagant atmosphere. Everyone had smiles and joy on their faces.
The Kingdom of Pardo is rich in a rare ore.
But after hundreds of years of mining, ore reserves have all but bottomed out.
Today, the nobles of this country are still desperately recruiting people to mine.
What? there is none left! ?
Impossible, dig down for me! This is the wealth that God has given us, and it is impossible to cut it off!
Not enough miners! ? Then send the criminal down!
Not enough criminals?
And the savages outside the city! ? Catch them all!
No one knows how many civilian bones were discarded in those dark mines, and no one knows where the ore went and what it became.
Sebastian was handsome and cold when he was young. His father was the country's finance officer and was in charge of the entire country's economy.
He has never been to the "mines" because everyone knows that "savages" live there.
They are rude, unclean, savage, and low. Even just looking at it is an insult to the nobility!
"Hit!"
"Damn beast, it has fled to the 'mining area', master, or..."
Sebastian turned his head and looked at the attendant coldly: "Are you going to let my record be broken?"
"No...it's not...but the 'mining area'..."
"It's just a 'savage'! What does it matter!?"
········
When Sebastian woke up, his head had been wrapped with a cloth.
He vaguely remembered that he chased the animal into the dense forest, but he stumbled and fell off the cliff.
"Big brother, are you awake?"
Just as Sebastian was about to answer, a sharp pain came from his forehead.
"Be careful, big brother, you got hurt a little."
A little... Hurt?
Although he has never been injured since childhood, Sebastian can be sure that the injury on the head is absolutely impossible to be "a little injury".
"It's very lucky to fall from such a high place and only suffer such a small injury."
The dazed Sebastian shook his head, when several anxious calls sounded in the distance.
"Annie...Annie..."
"I am here!"
The little girl named Anne stood up to answer the distant call.
At that moment, Sebastian finally understood why the little girl named Annie said he was "only a little hurt."
The cuff on her left arm was empty, and the entire arm... disappeared!
"An... Annie!!!"
The originally anxious tone turned into panic, and a middle-aged couple ran to the two of them in panic.
Sebastian was even more shocked when he saw them.
Of the couple, one has no left arm and the other is missing both arms!
The people here...what the hell is going on! ?
"You...Your Majesty...I'm sorry...Annie...Annie..."
Seeing the wound on Sebastian's head, Anne's parents almost passed out with fright.
"Ah... no, I fell from the mountain myself, that... Annie saved me."
The armless man said tremblingly, "That...that..."
"Don't worry, I won't implicate you."
After taking a look at their bodies, Sebastian finally couldn't help asking: "Your bodies..."
·······
After following Anne's family of three back to the "savage" village, Sebastian's faith completely collapsed.
Why do all people have injuries... no... almost all people are disabled.
A broken arm, a lame leg, a blind eye, a sunken chest...
"It all...became like this when I was working in the mine..."
Anne's father sighed: "The mine is very dangerous, there is almost no lighting, and it often collapses. My arm was lost in one collapse...to protect Anne's mother."
Sebastian swallowed, looked at Annie, who was only seven or eight years old, and asked tremblingly, "Then Annie's hand..."
Anne's mother looked sad.
"After Joseph lost his hands, we had no other sources of livelihood, and Annie... could only follow me to the mine to help..."
A thunderbolt exploded in Sebastian's heart.
Is this country... so sad! ?
Taking advantage of the darkness, Sebastian came to the mine. The dark mine looked like a monster with its mouth wide open.
After swallowing his saliva, the young Sebastian walked on tremblingly.
·········
When he fled the mine and returned to the capital, the nobles all looked at him with strange eyes.
"'Savage'? How did you come to the capital!?"
"Look carefully, this guy... is the finance officer's son, Sebastian!"
"I heard that I went to the mine."
"What!? It's degrading! What are you doing in such a dirty place!?"
"That is, as nobles, we just need to wait for the untouchables to bring the ore up."
At that moment, Sebastian hated his noble status deeply.
The dirt all over the body and the flustered expression seemed out of place with the nobles in suits and leather shoes standing on both sides of the road, holding parasols and incense sticks in their hands.
The originally handsome and ruthless Sebastian changed from the "most beautiful man" in the Kingdom of Pardo into a fat and nice man who is always smiling all the time in just three months.
Until one day, when he was planning to blow up the largest mine in Pardo, his attendant suddenly said to him:
"If the world could be saved by destruction, it would have ceased to exist long ago."
"If you want to change it, follow me to another place."
The dazed Sebastian followed the attendants and left for a while.
When he returned to Pardo, although he was still chubby, he was still smiling.
But there was something different in his eyes.
It was a flame!
burning!