Chapter 32: Towards the Grand Line
"Cough, cough, cough..."
Apollo nearly choked. He looked at the man beside him, speechless. "You're really going all out for the Revolutionary Army recruitment drive, aren't you?"
Dragon chuckled. "Haha. It's not easy to fight against the Celestial Dragons. We need more comrades—especially powerful ones like you."
Although the man beside him was unknown to the world at large, Dragon could feel the powerful aura radiating from him.
While the Revolutionary Army was growing stronger, it still lacked top-tier powerhouses. Encountering one here was truly beyond his expectations.
Apollo said playfully, "If I join the Revolutionary Army, what position do I get?"
"We are all like-minded individuals gathered for the goal of overthrowing the World Government's tyranny. Positions are merely different responsibilities, with no true hierarchy."
Dragon explained his philosophy first, then added with a smile, "However, with your strength, you should naturally hold the most important responsibility. If you are willing to join us, you will become the Deputy Commander of the Revolutionary Army."
"Deputy Commander? Hahaha, that's quite the offer."
Apollo couldn't help but laugh.
Deputy Commander sounded like the second-in-command. Without real power or influence yet, it would just be a figurehead title initially.
However, this position ensured that his status was respected without disrupting the existing command structure too much.
Even better, if he proved trustworthy later, he could immediately step up and become the true second-in-command.
Dragon played his cards well.
Apollo shook his head. "Although I also dislike the Celestial Dragons, I currently have no intention of sacrificing myself for the revolution."
Dragon wasn't disappointed by the refusal.
As a stranger meeting for the first time, he hadn't really expected Apollo to agree immediately. His true purpose was merely to probe and gauge Apollo's attitude.
He was already very satisfied with the outcome. From his words, Apollo clearly held some goodwill toward the Revolutionary Army, coupled with a distinct aversion to the Celestial Dragons.
Their stances were largely consistent.
This is someone we can try to win over in the future, Dragon judged.
He took out a piece of paper and handed it to Apollo. "The position of Deputy Commander will remain open for you. If you change your mind, you can contact us using the method on this paper."
"No problem."
Apollo didn't refuse the paper.
He was actually quite curious about the Revolutionary Army and Monkey D. Dragon.
In the anime, they remained mysterious until the very end. Dragon's personal strength was one of the biggest unsolved mysteries in One Piece.
"Heh heh. I should be leaving. I look forward to our next meeting."
Dragon chuckled softly, and his figure dissolved into a gust of wind, disappearing from the roof.
"I think you'd better go save your son first," Apollo muttered to the empty air.
He had already "seen" with his divine sense that Smoker had pinned Luffy down and was about to capture him.
"I should go back, too."
Apollo shot into the sky and flew toward the port.
Luffy's safety was not a concern. With Dragon looking after him, let alone Captain Smoker, even if a Marine Admiral came, they might not be able to stop the father from saving his son.
At the port where the Going Merry was anchored.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh.
Cannonballs and bullets screamed through the rain, splashing into the sea around the Going Merry.
Nami wiped the rain from her face and shouted, "No! We have to set sail, or the ship will be sunk!"
"But what about Luffy and the others?!" Usopp yelled at the top of his lungs.
The wind and rain were deafening; if they spoke softly, they wouldn't be heard at all.
"There must be a way!"
Nami gritted her teeth, preparing to raise the anchor despite her words.
"Wait, Nami!"
"Wait? If we wait any longer, the Merry..."
Before she could finish, she suddenly noticed that the gunfire had stopped.
She couldn't help but look up.
She saw that all the Marines on the dock had collapsed to the ground. A tall, handsome figure floated three feet above the deck, smiling at her.
Nami was overjoyed. "Apollo, you're back!"
Usopp was equally surprised and delighted, waving frantically. "Apollo! Where are the others? Is Luffy out of danger?"
"He's fine. They should be here any second."
Apollo landed on the Merry.
He and Nami gathered the bags of clothes he had bought, preparing to move them into the cabin to keep them dry.
As soon as his front foot stepped into the cabin, a violent gust of wind swept through the port.
"Ah!"
Nami screamed as her feet lifted off the ground. She almost flew off the Merry into the sea. At the last moment, she hugged Apollo's waist tight, anchoring herself to him.
Thump, thump, thump.
When the strong wind subsided, three figures descended from the sky and landed on the deck.
It was Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji.
"How thoughtful," Apollo deadpanned.
He knew without guessing that this must have been Dragon's doing. He had essentially air-dropped them straight onto the ship.
"You might as well have blown them gently," he muttered to himself.
The others didn't know the inside story; they were just pleasantly surprised to be reunited.
"Set sail!"
Everyone immediately raised the anchor and unfurled the sails, catching the unnatural tailwind to quickly leave the port.
The wind howled, the rain poured, and the sea churned with towering waves. The Going Merry was like a leaf, bobbing up and down, swaying violently with the waves.
"Wow! The ship looks like it's going to capsize!" Luffy clutched his hat and yelled, laughing maniacally.
At this point, all six of them were on the deck, letting the rain soak them to the bone.
Nami pointed to a faintly visible light in the distance. "See that light? The entrance to the Grand Line is right there!"
Everyone's eyes filled with longing.
Luffy sat on the sheep's head figurehead, his legs wrapped around it securely. He raised his arm, shouting, "Alright! Let's charge straight ahead, towards the Grand Line!"
Usopp looked terrified. "Hey, hey! Are we really going in with such a big storm?"
Sanji brought out a barrel of sake from the galley and placed it on the deck. "Let's have a ceremony for entering the Grand Line!"
He was the first to put his foot on top of the barrel. "I'm here to find the All Blue!"
Luffy followed immediately, slamming his foot down. "I'm here to become the King of the Pirates!"
Zoro placed his foot down. "I'm here to become the World's Greatest Swordsman!"
Nami added hers. "I'm here to draw a map of the entire world!"
Usopp hesitated, then placed his foot shakily. "I... I... I'm here to become a brave warrior of the sea!"
The others all looked at Apollo.
He was slightly taken aback. "Do I have to do it, too?"
They all nodded simultaneously, urging him on.
"Of course!"
"Hurry up!"
"..."
A smile appeared on Apollo's face. He raised his foot and placed it next to Nami's, saying in a deep voice:
"I am here to become the Strongest in the World!"
The others looked at him again.
"What's wrong?" He looked puzzled. "Is there a conflict?"
The most similar goal was Zoro's. But the World's Greatest Swordsman wasn't necessarily the strongest person in the world overall.
"Nothing. It's just that this seems to be the first time I've heard your dream," Nami said, shaking her head with a smile.
She had never expected that this man, who usually smiled cheerfully and seemed indifferent to most things, harbored such a wild ambition.
In fact, she subtly heard a sense of unfulfilled desire in Apollo's words—as if he was still holding back, with a goal even greater than being the strongest hidden deep within him.
The six crewmates raised their feet high and then brought them down heavily, smashing the barrel lid.
"To the Grand Line! Let's go!"
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