"I refuse."
Kuke rejected Dragon's invitation.
"Is that so." Dragon's voice grew somber, "Is there sothing wrong with the ideals of the Revolutionary Army?"
Was it not recognized?
"Too slow. I heard it—the world is crying. It can't wait that long."
Anyone can say pretty words full of idealism.
Dragon was stunned, looking at Kuke.
He then showed a smile of admiration. "Mr. Kuke, your approach and mine cannot be judged as right or wrong, but your path is fraught with dangers. Are you sure about this?"
Dragon had just explained the ideals of the Revolutionary Army to Kuke, and the future goals.
First, liberate those kingdoms in the midst of war.
Spread the ideals.
Slowly dismantle the World Governnt's foundation from the bottom up, taking a gradual and steady approach. It's slow, but the risks are minimal.
From Dragon's perspective, it seed like Kuke was planning to directly confront the pressure of the World Governnt by tearing open a path from the top level—quick results, but fraught with constant peril.
"Challenges make it fun."
The two of them shared a smile.
"I didn't expect that this era would see a second Dragon-like person. I'm liking this even more," Ivankov sighed.
Bartholow Kuma spoke softly, "After escaping from Akainu, I knew Mr. Kuke wasn't simple."
"So, Mr. Kuke, what do you plan to do?"
Dragon watched Kuke, curiosity mixed with concern.
"Increase our combat strength and find more allies who share our ideals." Kuke was setting the stage so that when he recruited soone later, Dragon wouldn't outright refuse.
Dragon nodded in agreent.
The Revolutionary Army was doing the sa.
No matter how good your ideals, without sufficient strength, the World Governnt could easily wipe you out.
"It's not easy to find like-minded comrades. Mr. Kuke, your crew is still too small," Dragon glanced at the Radiant Eclipse.
There were fewer than ten people.
In comparison, the Revolutionary Army ship was full.
"Kuke, if you need comrades, I have plenty here," Ivankov offered, the perfect assist.
Behind Ivankov stood a large group of flamboyant okamas.
"Take anyone you like, as long as they're willing," Ivankov said generously.
Dragon smiled and made no attempt to stop it.
Kuke looked at the group of okamas.
Ivankov himself didn't radiate any light.
As a high-ranking Revolutionary Army officer, even if Ivankov approved of Kuke, he had no intention of switching sides.
But among the okamas behind Ivankov, there were a few individuals whose aura shone brightly, signaling their willingness.
The brightest glow ca from soone wearing a pink dress—a rugged face with a beard.
"Are okamas considered male or female?"
Kuke pondered.
The glow confird that this okama, who was once undoubtedly a man, fulfilled the conditions for recruitnt.
Kuke's eyes brightened—not because he was interested in the okama, but because he'd found a loophole in the system.
The system required him to establish the strongest all-female pirate crew, and all crew mbers had to be female.
But nad female powerhouses in the world were far fewer compared to males.
There weren't many options.
And that would be true in the future as well.
Just like before, when Ace and Sabo requested to join his ship—their talents were top-tier, but Kuke didn't hesitate to refuse simply because of their gender.
If they had been girls, it would have been a different story.
If Ivankov turned Luffy, Ace, and Sabo from Windmill Village into okamas...
Kuke quickly dismissed the idea.
If Dragon or Garp knew about it, they'd fight him to the death.
Even Luffy and the others would fight to the death.
They would never accept it.
Kuke shelved the idea for now, but kept it in the back of his mind.
There were still many strong female fighters in the world to recruit, so there was no need to resort to such thods yet.
"I'm missing a doctor on my ship."
Kuke looked past the okamas, uninterested.
His gaze fell on a young woman in the crowd—she seed barely of age and dressed boldly.
Kuke walked toward her. "What's your na?"
"Belo Betty."
The reply ca from a young woman with short purple hair, wearing a long-tailed dress and boots.
Kuke recognized her instantly.
The future commander of the Eastern Army of the Revolutionary Army.
A formidable figure with a bounty of 457 million Berries.
The holder of the Pump-Pump Fruit ability.
Just before boarding, Kuke had seen Betty treating so wounded and encouraging them, but without displaying any powers.
She likely hadn't eaten the Pump-Pump Fruit yet.
The Pump-Pump Fruit was a support-type Devil Fruit. The original story never showcased Betty's direct combat strength.
But Kuke believed that soone who would beco an Eastern Army commander, with a bounty close to half a billion Berries, and who would fight two admirals during an assault on the Holy Land, was definitely strong.
He had his sights set on her from the beginning.
The need for a doctor was just a pretext—his real interest was in her, and she had demonstrated dical skills.
"Dragon, it looks like Kuke is interested in Belo Betty," Kuma whispered to Dragon.
Shouldn't we intervene?
Betty had shown great potential.
Especially in her talent for public speaking. She had incited the lower classes to revolt in her hotown, overthrowing many nobles.
She was exactly the kind of force the Revolutionary Army needed.
"Don't worry. Those who join us are all like-minded comrades. We should never doubt our comrades," Dragon said confidently.
...
"You want ?" Belo Betty's eyes widened.
Kuke: ".....?"
So bold.
"Alright, I'll go with you. I haven't decided to join the Revolutionary Army anyway. As long as we're fighting against those lofty nobles, I'm in," Betty grabbed Kuke's hand and hurriedly walked toward the Radiant Eclipse.
Dragon was left in silence.
...
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