Finn watched the fortress walls grow clearer, his mind still turning over possibilities. A thought struck him, sharp and sudden.
"By the way," he said into the Den Den Mushi, "have you heard of the Revolutionary Army?"
Silence stretched for a heartbeat. Then Stussy's voice came back, tinged with confusion. "I've heard of them. Recent rise of an anti-government armed group. Not long ago, they attempted a coup in some East Blue country and failed spectacularly. Led to a civil war. Rivers of blood, the whole tragic mess." She paused. "The World Government classified them as a criminal organization. Ordered us in CP to find a way to eliminate them. Why do you ask?"
"The coup failed?" Finn blinked, genuinely surprised.
He hadn't expected Dragon to stumble so badly. Then again, everything had to be learned through experience. Dragon had no background in revolution, no training in overthrowing governments. Of course he'd make mistakes.
How could any revolution succeed without failures? How could failure not result in bloodshed?
Still, from Stussy's casual tone, neither the World Government nor the CP organization considered the Revolutionary Army a serious threat yet. They had no idea this small organization would eventually become the world's largest anti-government armed force.
"Yes, failure is normal." Amusement colored Stussy's words. "Every year, a few messy organizations like this pop up and cause trouble. Then we suppress them. It's routine."
Finn had vague memories of similar groups. The world was full of would-be revolutionaries with grand ambitions and poor execution. He even remembered that, more than twenty years in the future, some idiot named Caribou with the Swamp-Swamp Fruit inexplicably joined a revolutionary armed group.
He dismissed the irrelevant thought and spoke softly. "The leader of the Revolutionary Army is Monkey D. Dragon."
A scream erupted from the Den Den Mushi, so loud Finn had to pull it away from his ear.
"WHAT? Dragon?!"
Finn already trusted Stussy to a significant degree. They'd worked together smoothly on the Roger matter and the protection of his bloodline. Her heartfelt words earlier had proven she viewed him as an ally, not just a useful contact.
He saw no reason to play games with her anymore.
As for Dragon's identity, it would be exposed eventually. Might as well give a close ally advance warning.
"That's right," Finn confirmed quietly.
On the other end, Stussy stood frozen, mind reeling.
Before this moment, she genuinely hadn't taken the Revolutionary Army seriously. Just another group of malcontents destined for suppression and obscurity.
But now? Everything changed.
First, Dragon was the son of the Marine Hero. Garp's name carried weight across the world, an aura of justice and righteousness. His son carried that same aura by blood. Dragon had been out of the public eye for several years, but if he reappeared leading a revolutionary movement, his appeal would be tremendous.
Combined with his identity as a hero's son, the World Government's reputation would suffer catastrophic damage.
That was just the first problem.
The second problem ran deeper. Stussy was a CP veteran. She knew exactly who Dragon was. He'd been a rising star in the Marines, groomed for Fleet Admiral. Could someone like that be incompetent? Absolutely not.
Dragon's past performance in the Marines proved he was exceptional. A rare talent.
So even though the Revolutionary Army's coup had failed, Stussy immediately recognized a critical truth now that she knew Dragon led them.
The Revolutionary Army would become a major threat to the World Government.
And matters related to such organizations always fell to the CP agency to handle. Which meant the CP was about to face an extraordinarily dangerous enemy.
"We have to find a way to eliminate them quickly," Stussy said rapidly. "Nip them in the bud before Dragon gains real power. Otherwise, once he builds momentum..."
She thought Finn was returning a favor. She'd told him about CP's plans for the Marines, so he was sharing crucial intelligence in exchange.
"That's not necessary," Finn interrupted. His tone carried a calculating edge. "On the contrary, don't you think Dragon will be helpful to us?"
"Helpful?" Stussy's confusion bled through the connection.
"That's right. Actually, both you and I can use Dragon. Even cooperate with him." Finn let the words hang in the air.
Silence stretched. Then Stussy spoke slowly, testing the idea. "Preserve the enemy to justify your own existence?"
"You can also eliminate your opponents." Finn's smile was audible.
The principle of keeping enemies for one's own benefit needed no explanation. The beginning of the Great Pirate Era served as an alternative form of that very strategy for the Marines. More pirates meant the Marines needed more funding, more soldiers, more authority.
It was one reason the World Government had recently grown wary of Marine expansion.
They wanted to eliminate the Great Pirate Era while simultaneously curbing Marine strength. Find a way to have their cake and eat it too. They hadn't succeeded yet.
In Dragon's case, the man was of little direct use to the Marines as a whole. But Finn saw opportunity. Personal opportunity.
Now was the perfect time to take advantage.
For Stussy, Dragon's existence offered different possibilities. Preserving the enemy to justify her position was one option, but it carried risks. Support an enemy too long and he becomes a man-eating tiger. Let him grow strong enough to retaliate and you've failed completely.
No, the best way for Stussy to handle this was using Dragon to attack internal competitors. Eliminate her enemies within CP.
Simply put, kill with a borrowed knife.
She could maneuver opponents into taking responsibility for handling the Revolutionary Army. Then, through Finn, she'd sell information to Dragon. He'd be prepared, could respond effectively, and would physically eliminate her rivals from the outside.
That way, Finn could use the opportunity to bog down CP and reduce their standing with the Five Elders. Stussy could eliminate internal competitors and ascend more easily. Dragon could effectively strike at the World Government.
All three benefited.
Everyone happy.
Stussy was indeed shrewd. She grasped Finn's meaning immediately.
After thinking for a moment, she asked carefully, "Are you allied with Dragon? Or at least connected to him?" If not, everything Finn just said was empty talk. The question needed answering.
Finn chuckled. "No alliance. To be honest, he's tried recruiting me multiple times. I've always refused. As for connections, though? Yes. I can contact him whenever I want."
Dragon had kept the Den Den Mushi from his Marine days. Finn was certain of it. If he called, Dragon would definitely answer.
Finn didn't think much beyond the immediate implications.
But Stussy's breathing quickened.
She was Stussy, high-ranking CP-0 officer, confident she'd climb even higher in the future.
Finn, after her warning, would definitely fight to become an Admiral in the coming years. Might even become Fleet Admiral eventually.
Dragon, with his abilities, would expand the Revolutionary Army sooner or later. With Finn and herself helping secretly, his success was guaranteed.
The top leaders of the Marines, CP, and Revolutionary Army, united in a stable triangular alliance.
What impact could that have on the world?
Stussy craved power. She couldn't resist this kind of temptation.
She felt that once this alliance was achieved, perhaps... truly changing the world itself would become possible.
But she forced herself to calm down, steadying her breathing. She could sense that Finn hadn't thought that far ahead yet. Bringing up such a bold idea now would be inappropriate.
Because such a thing was simply too ambitious. Too arrogant.
Raising it prematurely would make her seem unstable. Overeager.
"I need to test Finn's thoughts on this matter gradually," Stussy decided. "Reveal my ideas piece by piece. See if he's interested."
"So you're saying we can cooperate with Dragon on certain matters?" She kept her voice carefully neutral.
"Essentially, yes. What do you think?" Finn responded.
"It's interesting." Stussy paused deliberately. "But aren't you afraid?"
"Afraid of what?" Genuine surprise entered Finn's tone.
"Dragon isn't a simple person. He's a talent no less capable than you. One could even say that if he were still in the Marines, you wouldn't have become the leader of the new generation so easily." Stussy chose her words carefully, probing. "Are you sure you won't end up raising a tiger that bites you?"
Finn laughed. The sound carried genuine amusement. "Raising a tiger is raising a tiger. No matter how much we raise it, it will never harm the Marines. Stussy, there's a fundamental truth you might not fully understand yet. Do you know why our Marines occasionally clash with the World Government and sing a different tune from them, but still stand strong on these seas? Unlike your CP?"
"Why?" Stussy had a vague answer forming, but she asked anyway.
"Because no matter who holds power, the Marines must exist." Finn's voice carried absolute conviction. "On this ocean, the CP agency can be absent. The Revolutionary Army can fail to exist. But the Marines? The Marines cannot be absent. Ever. Do you understand?"
He paused, letting the words sink in.
"Even if we raise Dragon to full strength, so what? Even if he replaces the World Government and wipes out the Celestial Dragons, does he dare eliminate the Marines? No one in this world can do that. Or rather, perhaps pirates have always wanted to overthrow the Marines, but no one standing on the side of order would ever want that."
Finn's smile turned sharp. "Dragon is part of the Revolutionary Army, but he's also on the side of order. He knows perfectly well that the Marines have many shortcomings, but if the Marines collapsed, it would basically mean the end of civilization itself."
"Unless," he continued, "someone establishes a military organization no less vast than the Marines, one that can effectively maintain general peace across the world. But can that be assembled just by talking? Even during the Revolutionary Army's future height, they won't be able to do this."
This was exactly why Finn wanted to take root in the Marines. Why he wanted the supreme position within the organization.
Because he knew the World Government might fall, but the Marines never would.
Especially if the Marines solved the problem of funding sources. If they independently controlled those channels, they'd be completely freed from outside shackles. No one could threaten them.
"That makes sense." Stussy's voice had gone soft, almost wondering. "No matter how much Dragon grows, no matter what the Revolutionary Army becomes, the Marines are guaranteed to survive."
"Exactly." Finn shifted the Den Den Mushi to his other hand. "I'm telling you about Dragon to give you advance warning. This Revolutionary Army situation isn't simple. Don't get personally involved. It's better to encourage your opponents to take it on, then stab them in the back when they fail. Wouldn't that be wonderful?"
"Indeed wonderful." Satisfaction warmed Stussy's tone. "Besides, you can also indirectly weaken CP's standing before the World Government. Create a powerful external enemy for CP that distracts their energy, so they stop constantly meddling in Marine affairs and causing trouble for you. Correct?"
"Hahahaha, clever." Finn laughed appreciatively.
Going deeper, Finn could also do Dragon occasional favors. Build up credit with the man. If he needed something from Dragon in the future, wouldn't the revolutionary owe him?
The fortress loomed large now, close enough that Finn could see individual soldiers on the walls. Time to wrap up this conversation.
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