Chapter 152: The Willingness to Cooperate

The reason Sabo asked that question was because he had his own thoughts on the matter.

From all the rumors about Roan in the past, this man was indeed a Navy officer unlike any other.

Like the hawks, he was ruthless toward pirates, but unlike those hawks, Roan’s attitude toward civilians was also clearly visible.

If Sabo had to compare Roan to someone, he felt Roan was more like a blend of Admirals Sakazuki and Kuzan—someone with his own interpretation of justice and a distinct attitude.

So when Roan’s subordinate mentioned cooperation, Sabo held a certain expectation.

“Mr. Sabo, what do you think is the root cause of the turmoil in this era?”

Roan didn’t answer Sabo’s question directly; instead, he posed a seemingly unrelated one.

“The root cause of this era’s turmoil?”

Sabo was momentarily taken aback, then exchanged a glance with Karla before sitting upright and looking at Roan seriously. “Vice Admiral Roan, it seems you have a different perspective?”

Roan nodded, leaning back in his chair, and spoke with ease: “From the rumors you’ve heard, I seem to have always targeted pirates, so you might think I harbor a deep hatred for them, right?”

“Isn’t that so?” Karla blurted out.

Roan shook his head. “I used to think that way. When I was young, my father was an undercover Navy agent among pirates. The ignorant villagers despised us, and when I was six, I was driven out of that village.”

“At that time, I did hate pirates with all my heart, including my father and those villagers.”

“But gradually, as I understood the true nature of this world, I realized that both pirates and villagers are just victims in this world.”

“The fundamental reason for this chaos is mainly those lofty Celestial Dragons, the creators who see all living things as mere ants, and only secondarily the accursed Pirate King Roger.”

Roan’s few words struck Sabo and Karla deeply, for they were not what a Navy officer should say.

What Roan said was almost identical to what their Revolutionary Army leader, Dragon, preached—except for the evaluation of Roger.

According to Dragon, the calamities caused by pirates affected just a few islands and towns, only a minority suffered those misfortunes.

But the existence of the Celestial Dragons brought misfortune to the entire world.

If you don’t believe it, just look at the World Government member countries who pay tribute to the Celestial Dragons—whether tyrants or kind-hearted but weak kings—their people all live in misery.

“Certainly, Pirate King Roger was detestable for attracting all the ambitious criminals and lawless elements to the seas, letting them run rampant.”

“But wasn’t his goal also to change this world? Just his methods were flawed.”

“I don’t know what exactly is hidden at Raftel, nor do I care. But if I share a common goal with Roger, it must be to overthrow this World Government and execute all the Celestial Dragons.”

“As long as all those arrogant nobles who bully others are swept away, as long as all injustice is eradicated, and the word ‘pirate’ no longer symbolizes manhood, Mr. Sabo, do you think this chaotic era will come to an end?”

Roan’s eyes burned fiercely as he stared at Sabo, his passion overflowing.

“Eradicate all arrogant nobles, wipe out all injustices?”

Hearing those words, Sabo suddenly felt a stir in his heart.

As the Chief of Staff of the Revolutionary Army, Sabo did not achieve his position through connections, but through his own ability and strength.

During numerous missions with Karla, he had indeed seen many of the things Roan described. Now, Roan’s words exposed their essence in a single breath, making Sabo regard him with newfound respect.

He had originally thought this man was valued by the Navy solely for his power and talent.

But now it seemed he truly had something different.

“I know you, Mr. Sabo, Chief of Staff of the Revolutionary Army, and this Miss Karla is your intelligence officer. That fish-man over there is also one of yours.”

“I’m not telling you this to threaten you or boast about my intelligence abilities, but to tell you sincerely, Mr. Sabo, I genuinely want to cooperate with your Revolutionary Army to overthrow this rotten government.”

Roan said slowly.

“So, how exactly do you plan to cooperate?” Sabo asked.

If Roan had come out with this at the start, Sabo might have thought it was a trick to gather information and prepare to crush the Revolutionary Army.

But now, it seemed Roan truly wanted to cooperate.

And his goal was to overthrow the World Government and the Celestial Dragons.

“Mr. Sabo, you ask how I plan to cooperate?”

Roan smiled and continued, “What do you think I’m doing by arguing fiercely with Navy Headquarters to act independently as a branch commander?”

At that, Sabo’s heart jolted—it meant Roan had planned this far ahead.

From the moment he joined the Navy, this man seemed to be preparing to stand independent from the start.

His goal was to break free from the surveillance of Navy Headquarters, cultivate his own team, and then strike back at the World Government.

You’re truly a master strategist, Vice Admiral Roan.

Acting in the Navy, funded by the World Government, yet using their resources to train talents to overthrow the World Government’s rule.

Impressive!

Sabo’s gaze toward Roan changed unconsciously, containing both admiration and a hint of dread.

Even the Navy’s high command probably had no idea Roan had such a plan.

By the time they realized it, Roan might already stand on equal footing with them.

This was like being sold out by Roan and still counting his money for him.

“Can you guarantee that our Revolutionary Army members who join the G-10 branch won’t be discovered by the Navy?”

Shaking away those chaotic thoughts, Sabo suddenly asked.

“That depends on your people,” Roan replied. “I have the authority to recruit freely. Bringing your members into the G-10 branch won’t be a problem.”

“However, at the G-10 branch, I’m only responsible for winning over the senior officers. Among the lower-ranking sailors, some will unquestionably follow me, but the rest will depend on how your Revolutionary Army members can persuade them.”

Roan shook his head with a light laugh, throwing the question back to Sabo.

“Is that so?”

Sabo nodded. It indeed depended on their Revolutionary Army members.

After all, Roan was still officially a Navy Vice Admiral; he couldn’t openly try to win over everyone.

If he were to attempt it, it would have to start with the senior officers, not the rank-and-file sailors.