Monkey D. Dragon.
He wasn't exactly a "revolutionary".
Storm felt that this man was more like the leader of a peasant uprising—the kind of person who preaches all day but does nothing substantial.
If one were to examine his actions carefully, one would find that Monkey D. Dragon had barely participated in any major events.
That was what made Storm feel even more speechless.
As the supreme leader of the Revolutionary Army, Monkey D. Dragon turned a blind eye to the life and death of his key subordinates.
Emporio Ivankov, also known as the "Okama King" and the commander of the Revolutionary Army's Grand Line forces, had been imprisoned in Impel Down for years.
And what did Monkey D. Dragon do about it? Nothing.
Ginny, the East Army Captain of the Revolutionary Army, was captured by the World Government and became nothing more than a tragic test subject for the Five Elders.
And what did Monkey D. Dragon do about it? Absolutely nothing.
Yet, the moment his son set sail, Monkey D. Dragon rushed to Loguetown in person to witness his departure.
Was this man really leading a revolution? Or was he simply playing house?
It would be one thing if Dragon were just a newcomer who had only recently embraced revolutionary ideals.
But no.
He had already started forming the Revolutionary Army after the Buster Call on Ohara over a decade ago.
In other words, Monkey D. Dragon had been engaging in "revolutionary activities" for at least a dozen years!
Yet, what did the Revolutionary Army achieve in all that time?
No guiding ideology.
No clear action plan.
No revolutionary slogans.
No significant resistance movements.
Storm calling Monkey D. Dragon a "peasant uprising leader" was not an exaggeration.
In truth, it was generous.
Kuma could feel the deep disdain in Storm's words.
He wanted to defend Dragon, but he didn't know how to refute Storm's claims.
Because everything Storm had just said—was true.
And the fact remained…
Monkey D. Dragon had done nothing.
Well… maybe Dragon was working in the shadows, doing things that nobody knew about?
Kuma wanted to believe that.
But when he thought about his imprisoned comrades, his captured allies, and his suffering daughter, that belief began to waver.
Storm sighed.
"That's all I have to say. Think about it carefully, Bartholomew Kuma."
With that, Storm shook his head and turned away, heading toward the church door.
"You've done your best to protect your daughter, but an illness like Sapphire Scale can't be cured through protection alone."
His footsteps echoed through the dimly lit chapel.
"Of course, you could pray to God, read your Bible, and beg the gods for help."
Storm paused, then sneered.
"See if they answer your prayers."
"Or—see if they'll laugh at your misery while doing nothing."
With those final words, Storm stepped out of the church.
He was afraid that if he stayed any longer, he wouldn't be able to stop himself from punching Kuma again.
At the very least, he didn't want to beat the man in front of his daughter.
That would set a bad example for a child.
Outside the Church...
When Storm stepped out into the bright sunlight, the gloomy feeling in his chest finally dissipated.
He immediately cast aside all thoughts of Monkey D. Dragon, and the Revolutionary Army—all of which only irritated him.
At that moment, a whimpering noise reached Storm's ears.
"Woo… woo…"
He turned toward the source.
Two clay dolls sat beside the chapel—the same ones he had casually discarded earlier.
Storm narrowed his eyes.
'Old man, don't think I'm a good person.'
He stepped forward and stood in front of the clay figure that had once been Bulldog.
"If you attack me again, I'll show you what being a 'pirate' really means."
Storm wouldn't go so far as to throw Bulldog into boiling oil or scalding water—that would be too cruel.
But tossing the man into the freezing ocean to wake him up?
Storm could do that.
With a snap of his fingers, the clay-binding Bulldog crumbled away.
"You damned pirate!"
Bulldog's face twisted with fury.
"You actually attacked an elderly man like me?!"
Storm's eyebrow twitched.
"…Can you not twist the truth?"
He crossed his arms.
"You were the one who attacked me first, remember?"
Storm had no interest in arguing with a stubborn old man.
Instead, he walked past Bulldog, stopping before the second clay statue.
With another snap of his fingers, he released the figure from its restraints.
The former king of the Sorbet Kingdom, Bekori, collapsed onto the ground like a homeless dog.
"Pirate-sama! Pirate-sama!"
Bekori immediately fell to his knees, crying and begging for mercy.
"I have money! My kingdom has wealth!"
He trembled.
"I'll give you as much as you want, just please let me go!"
Storm barely had time to process those words before—
WHAM!
A heavy whistling sound sliced through the air.
Storm turned his head.
Bulldog had swung his cane with all his might, smashing it down onto Bekori's head.
Boom!
The force of the blow left a huge bump on the former king's forehead.
"You bastard!"
Bulldog's face burned with fury.
"You set fire to the entire south region—and you have the guts to return?!"
"Stop! Stop hitting me!"
Bekori cowered, shielding his head.
"It was all for the future of the Sorbet Kingdom!"
He gasped for breath.
"The Goa Kingdom! The Celestial Dragons praised its beauty! Even the trash dumps are gone!"
His voice trembled.
"For the sake of progress, I had to be ruthless! I had to reform the country!"
Storm watched silently.
He had no interest in defending Bekori, but his words had a grain of truth.
However, the moment Bekori tried to justify his actions, Bulldog saw red.
"You scum!"
WHAM!
Bulldog swung his cane again.
"You dare burn your people in the name of reform?!"
WHAM! WHAM! WHAM!
Each strike of the cane landed with a sickening crack.
Bekori curled up on the ground, whimpering like a beaten dog.
But Bulldog's rage did not subside.
Not until his arms ached and he was gasping for breath.
Only then did he pause.
At that moment, Storm spoke.
"You just said you're rich?"
Bekori, battered and bruised, barely had the strength to nod.
"Yes… I have money… a lot of money…"
He coughed.
"As long as you let me go… I'll give you everything…"
Bulldog's eyes widened.
For a brief moment, he forgot his exhaustion.
He raised his cane again—
But this time, Storm stopped him.
"Mr. Regent, how could you treat your former king like this?"
With a wave of his hand, clay surged forward, binding Bulldog once more.
"So, where do you keep all your treasures? Do you have a treasure vault?"
"My money..."
King Bekori swallowed nervously, his voice lowering involuntarily. "My money is in the palace."
"And where is your palace?"
"It... it was destroyed by that 'tyrant'!" Bekori replied helplessly, but then a spark of hope returned to his eyes. "But my kingdom still exists! As long as I reclaim the throne, I'll have endless wealth!"
The smile on Storm's face vanished instantly as he asked coldly, "So, you're saying you have no money?"
"I don't have money right now! But my people still do!" King Bekori responded quickly. "Pirate-sama! If you help me reclaim my throne, I can give you half of the wealth of the Sorbet Kingdom!"
It was the first time a king had made such an offer to Storm.
"You know what?"
"W-what?" Bekori stammered.
"As long as I want it, even if you die, that money will still be mine."
Before Bekori could react, Storm pinched a lump of clay and stuffed it into his mouth. Then, without hesitation, he turned toward Bulldog and asked with a puzzled expression.
"Didn't they say there was a 'one-man revolution' in the Kingdom of Sorbet? Why didn't you get rid of this bastard before?"
"We old folks don't have the strength to storm the palace and take on an entire army..." Bulldog admitted with a sigh. He pointed toward the church beside them. "That was King Kuma's decision. Not just this time either—I remember he did the same thing last time."
More than a decade ago, King Bekori's reign was overthrown by Kuma.
At that time, Dragon and Ivankov had also come to the Kingdom of Sorbet.
The three founding members of the Revolutionary Army had joined forces to topple the ruling power of the kingdom, and then… they simply left.
Just like that.
Years later, Kuma overthrew Bekori's rule once again.
That was what people called a "one-man revolution."
And yet… Kuma let Bekori go again.
Storm stared at the bruised and battered king in silence.
"Why keep this garbage alive? He's full of empty promises."
"This isn't something we get to decide," Bulldog said, shaking his head with a sigh. His voice lowered. "Whether it was the Revolutionary Army back then or the Kuma now… their actions aren't influenced by small people like us. What can we do other than accept their decisions?"
Storm was quiet for a moment before suddenly shouting toward the church.
"Bartholomew Kuma! Do you hear me!?"
His voice boomed.
"Revolution isn't a child's game! It's not some dinner party! How long are you going to stay this naive!?"
Hurried footsteps followed.
Kuma rushed out of the church.
Storm, however, ignored him for the time being. Instead, he formed a white dragon from clay, mounted it, and soared into the sky.
The powerful winds high above whipped against his robe.
He gazed at the three warships on the sea below, pulled out a Den Den Mushi from his coat, and dialed a familiar number.
"Moshimoshi— Admiral Aokiji, do you want a warship?"
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Now Available: Chapter 103: A Name That Shakes the Sea