One Piece: Global improvement system

May 7, 1498, Age of the Sea Circle

"To fight against the tyranny of the World Government, and to assist the oppressed in reclaiming their freedom, the Revolutionary Army is hereby officially established!" Dragon proclaimed imposingly.

Immediately, all those present began to cheer at their commander's words, and the inauguration ceremony of the new organization reached its final point. The four founding members—two from each of the allied factions that composed the new group—stepped forward and solemnly signed the manifesto they had prepared in advance.

This document held no real legal value; its purpose was rather symbolic and ceremonial, a way to officially declare the beginning of their activities under the banner of the newly formed group. Within it were the core principles and purest objectives that would guide the Revolutionary Army.

Orion, Kuma, Ivankov, and Dragon signed the document, thus sealing the creation of the new organization and bringing the ceremony to an end.

On another note, it's worth mentioning that Orion had suggested including Ginny as a founding member, as she clearly qualified for the position. However, considering it was best to maintain two representatives from each of the allied factions, she wasn't included among the official founding members—although in practice, she certainly was.

Once the solemn part of the ceremony ended, a large and lively banquet began in the grand hall!

This time, not only members of the Revolutionary Army were present, but also many of Orion's subordinates had come to take a look and join the celebrations.

Lucky Roux was sitting at one of the tables, completely surrounded by food, and he seemed to be having trouble even breathing between bites. Giolla was with Kalifa, Hototogisu, Ina, and Shyarly. She had a very gentle personality, so it wasn't unusual to see her accompanying the younger girls, like an affable big sister.

Yukimura had been dragged off to drink by members of the Revolutionary Army, and the serious teenager had gotten drunk easily after just two mugs of beer. Now he was laughing joyfully, hugging those around him and dancing—showing a completely different side to his usual serious demeanor.

Helsing, on the other hand, had not attended the party being held that night, and was sleeping peacefully at the Lysander family home.

Christina, who was in a corner watching the joyful celebrations with a serious face, noticed that Dragon had left the hall and quickly followed him. During the time the new guests had spent in the kingdom, she had wanted to speak to Dragon in person, but had never found the right moment. There was something she wanted to ask him, something perhaps only the revolutionary leader could answer.

Dragon walked silently toward the camp they had set up on the outskirts of the kingdom, where he and his men were staying. It wasn't that Orion didn't want to offer them better accommodations; it was simply impossible at the moment, as they were still dealing with the housing problems caused by the sudden population influx from Sorbet.

Over the past four days, Dragon had toured Orion's kingdom, observing everything with curiosity. At first, he had intended to evaluate the situation to get an idea of the world his new ally wanted to build. After all, the state of a kingdom is, to some extent, a reflection of its monarch—especially in the case of a fledgling kingdom like Orion's.

However, the more he observed, the stranger he felt. The situation in Orion's kingdom was truly precarious, yet he had seen people living with happiness and hope for the future.

Whenever Dragon asked the locals about their lives, he would always hear a tragic story—something he was already accustomed to in this cruel world. However, he would also hear heartfelt words of affection for Orion and grand dreams about the future.

Morale in this kingdom was so high that Dragon couldn't help but suspect whether Orion was using some kind of brainwashing technique to produce this effect intentionally. Of course, this was merely a fleeting thought, as Dragon knew that wouldn't be easy to achieve without a vast infrastructure, and besides, he didn't believe Orion was that kind of person. Otherwise, he would have never agreed to form an alliance with him.

During his tour of Pacific Kingdom, Dragon had been pleasantly surprised—not just by the people's attitude, but also by some of the ideas Orion had started to develop. For example, the public school where knowledge was taught to everyone with no barriers, under the motto that knowledge is power.

In Dragon's mind, kingdoms were usually corrupt and oppressive, and it was hard to find an exception to that rule. That's why, when he began his inspection of Pacific Kingdom, his opinion was slightly biased—one could say he was actively looking for flaws in this nascent kingdom.

But what he found pleasantly surprised him and caused his ideas to shift slightly. He concluded that perhaps it wasn't impossible to establish a healthy and more equitable community, if one dared to innovate and try new methods, just as Orion was doing here.

Lost in thought about his experiences during these past few days in the kingdom, Dragon walked slowly back to the camp. Finally, halfway there, he stopped and said,

"You've been following me for quite some time. Isn't it about time you told me what you want?"

Christina, who had been hiding in the distance, suddenly appeared in front of the revolutionary leader, looking somewhat embarrassed after being caught. She hadn't intended to follow him silently for so long, but seeing him lost in thought, she hadn't dared to interrupt for fear of irritating him. Even though Dragon had an excellent reputation and she'd never seen him angry, his body emitted an oppressive aura that made it difficult to approach him openly.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to spy on you. I have no bad intentions," said Christina, raising her hands to show her palms, worried Dragon might misinterpret her intentions.

"I know. Don't worry. So, how can I help you?" Dragon's way of speaking was always rather curt, which could be easily misunderstood by someone unfamiliar with him.

Christina took a deep breath and said,

"I want to ask you why you left the Marines and created the Freedom Fighters, and now the Revolutionary Army. Could you tell me about your experience?"

Christina's eyes were fixed on Dragon's expression. For a long time, she had been uncertain about her path in the Marines, and she had finally decided to officially join Orion's kingdom as one of his subordinates to help him build a fairer world.

She believed that with Orion, not only would she have greater freedom to act, but she could also enact greater change in the world and help more people. Still, it would be a lie to say she had no doubts about it. She had spent so much time in the Marines that she knew nothing else.

That was why she had come to speak with Dragon—someone who had walked a path similar to the one she was about to embark on. He had also been part of the Marines and had left to act on his own, helping people around the world fight against injustice and oppression.

In a sense, Dragon was the model of what she aspired to become, and there were things only he could tell her effectively. Even though Christina felt more affection and respect for Orion, he had never been part of the Marines and couldn't advise her on this specific matter.

Dragon, on the other hand, was aware of Christina Kelly's situation. When they had formed the alliance with Orion, they had shared the information available to them—including details about their respective subordinates and close associates, like Christina.

In the young and serious Marine captain, Dragon saw his former self—a talented and hopeful rookie who just wanted to work seriously for justice above all else. Precisely because he had gone through what Christina was facing, he could understand her better than anyone else in this place.

Dragon raised his head and looked at the autumn moon in the sky. The night was clear and quiet. He remained silent for a few seconds, organizing his thoughts, and finally spoke without taking his eyes off the distant moon.

"It all started when my father took me to the Marines..."

That night, Dragon told Christina about his personal experiences, as well as the conclusions he had reached after years of reflecting on the world.

She simply listened in silence, not interrupting for fear of missing a single word.

By the time Dragon finished his long story, it was nearly dawn. He looked at Christina Kelly and said in a voice gentler than usual,

"That's why my recommendation is not to hesitate—join Orion. If you stay in the Marines, only tragedy or disappointment awaits you. You won't be able to fulfill your dreams there."

Dragon stared at her, though his words seemed more directed at his younger self. In a nearly cathartic manner, Dragon smiled and told Christina what he had once wished someone had told him.

Still, he didn't regret the things he had gone through. Those experiences had forged the person he was now and had strengthened his convictions. Some things were inevitable once you decided to walk a certain path, but Dragon didn't think Christina needed to go through what he had—especially since she was lucky enough to have found Orion, who could help her take a shortcut toward fulfilling her convictions and dreams.

Christina Kelly listened to Dragon's words and nodded solemnly. Then she bowed at a perfect ninety-degree angle and sincerely thanked him for his wise words.

Dragon looked at her one last time and turned around with a faint smile to leave.

"You don't need to thank me. I just shared a bit of my story," Dragon said as he walked away, then added,

"Truth be told, I would have liked for you to join me as my subordinate, but I can see your heart has already found its place."

Christina's cheeks blushed at Dragon's words, but she didn't deny them, because they were true. She had decided to remain by Orion's side—not only for her dreams and aspirations as a soldier, but also for her desires as a woman. In this life, it would be impossible for her to follow another man; that's why she could never have accepted Dragon's offer, if he had made one.

"In the end, we really are alike. We've both fallen for our bosses, hahaha!" came Dragon's voice from the distance.

It was the first time Christina had heard him laugh or show so much emotion, and for a moment, she truly felt they were the same kind of person. Their passion wasn't just strong in their work—but in all aspects of life.

Christina walked back toward the kingdom, where the celebration for the Revolutionary Army's formation had already ended, though some people were still drinking and singing happily in an unofficial continuation.

She headed toward Giolla's house and found the beautiful artist almost completely naked, painting under the starry sky in her yard. Giolla was a woman with very free habits, and she had no taboos about showing her body—although she never did so in front of men, out of respect for her beloved. However, when she was at home in private, it wasn't unusual to find her painting nude, as she was doing now.

Seeing Christina arrive, Giolla smiled without taking her focus off the canvas and said,

"Welcome home. How was your talk with Dragon?"

Both Giolla and Orion were aware of Christina's plan to speak about the concerns that had been troubling her, as she had mentioned it in the past few days, albeit without too many details.

Upon hearing the words "Welcome home," Christina's cheeks blushed once more—because there was a story behind those simple words.

It had happened a few days earlier, when Christina arrived for the first time and met Giolla, the wife of the man she had fallen in love with after spending so much time together.

She had been very nervous meeting Giolla, but the beautiful artist had been proactive and kind, welcoming her into her home with open arms. Christina had breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing that Giolla held no hostility toward her, though at the same time, she felt guilty—believing her feelings for Orion were an insult to the kind artist.

However, Giolla's actions had surprised her again, and in a much deeper way. After just a day of interacting harmoniously, Giolla had asked her directly if she was willing to become Orion's concubine!

Christina's mind had exploded at that moment. She came from the lower-middle class family, having grown up in a strictly monogamous environment, far removed from the customary polygamy practiced in higher spheres like those of nobles and major merchants.

For Giolla, it was perfectly normal for her man to have multiple women—she even saw it as a symbol of his superior status. In her opinion, an excellent man like her beloved had to have at least two wives, and even that was modest, considering her incompetent father had a harem of over a dozen wives. She had grown up in a polygamous environment and didn't think there was anything wrong with sharing Orion with other women.

What did concern her, however, was the type of women who might join as wives or concubines, as this was crucial for family harmony. This was especially important for the monarch of a kingdom, who had to maintain a certain level of family stability.

Giolla's mother had taught her from a young age that the day she got married, she had to watch out for the women around her husband and not allow negative elements to enter the family.

That's why, after spending time with Christina and confirming what kind of person she was, Giolla felt relieved and directly invited her to live with her and become Orion's concubine.

Christina's response had been to immediately flee the scene, running away with the most flushed face she had ever shown, without giving an answer. Since then, Giolla hadn't brought up the topic again, but whenever they interacted, she would say things like "Welcome home," implying that Christina's status as a concubine was already a settled matter.

Orion, on the other hand, hadn't made any move toward Christina, and their relationship remained the same as always. In recent days, they had spent less time together, as the serious Marine captain would get extremely nervous around him and always found some excuse to run away at top speed, like a frightened deer.

"I-I'm home…" Christina said in a nearly inaudible voice, though it didn't escape Giolla's sharp senses. The artist simply nodded with a smile and continued to focus intently on her painting.

"Is Orion here?" Christina asked, looking toward the house, where a light was still on.

"Yes, he's with Iva, treating Ina's burns," Giolla answered, smiling with great joy.

Ivankov's presence had been a great help in treating the burns that covered much of the young girl's body. Using the powers of his Devil Fruit, Ivankov could hormonally stimulate the girl so that her body could heal its own scars.

The only downside was that the treatment wasn't completely effective, and the burns that had afflicted the girl for years couldn't be entirely removed. Even so, it was possible to reduce their visibility, making them far less noticeable. For the little girl—who had felt self-conscious about her appearance—this had been nothing short of a miracle performed by the magical Ivankov, whom she had begun to admire as her idol.

Ina's treatments were performed once a day, since healing her burns caused some discomfort and pain, and the child couldn't withstand a prolonged session. Orion, acting as her personal doctor, had decided to carry out several short treatment sessions until the day Ivankov left the kingdom—which they estimated would be in about ten days.

Moreover, although Ina's burns hadn't yet been completely cured, Orion hadn't given up hope. He had assured Ina that sooner or later, he would find a way to eliminate her scars entirely.

Christina didn't enter the house, afraid of interrupting Ivankov and Orion's work. She simply waited outside in the yard, watching Giolla paint with great enthusiasm.

After nearly an hour, a woman with curly purple hair, dressed extravagantly, came out of Giolla's house, laughing cheerfully. It was obviously Iva, in her female form. She enjoyed switching genders fluidly from one moment to the next, and it wasn't unusual to see her in her male form one instant and in her female form the next.

To Orion, such an ability was truly magical, and he thought of how many people in his past life would have killed to possess a power like that. The world of One Piece was truly magical, filled with all sorts of fantastic phenomena hiding around every corner.

Ivankov greeted the two women and headed straight for the group of people still celebrating—which included the completely drunk Yukimura and Lucky Roux. Meanwhile, Christina looked toward Giolla's house as if summoning courage, took a deep breath, and walked with determination to find Orion for a serious conversation about the future. Not just her future, but also… theirs.

.....

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