February, Year 1494 of the Sea Circle Calendar.
After more than a month at sea, Sakazuki's battleship finally returned to headquarters. At the helm stood Carlo, leading the vessel into the familiar docks of Marineford.
Standing at the bow, he stretched lazily and took a deep breath, filling his lungs with the crisp harbor air.
"Huu—"
He exhaled slowly, then turned to the gathered marines behind him. "Alright. Rest for a day. You're free to do whatever you want."
"Yes!!!" they shouted in unison, voices echoing across the port.
A faint smile crept onto Carlo's face. He was the first to disembark, stepping off the ship and heading straight toward Sakazuki's house.
...
Sakazuki's residence, inside the study.
Books lay scattered across the desk, some open, others stacked in rough piles. At the center sat Sakazuki, quietly immersed in writing. His focus was intense, his pen moving steadily across the worn pages of an orange notebook—its color faded with time, the cover frayed at the edges.
The pen he used was custom-made. Its ink was peculiar, not sharp or vivid like a typical Marine issue, but unusually dull. It gave the illusion that the words had already aged, as though they'd been written long ago.
As Carlo approached the house, Sakazuki sensed his presence. Before he could even raise a hand to knock, a deep voice called from the second-floor window.
"Come up to the study."
Carlo glanced up, tapped the ground lightly, and leapt straight to the second floor. With a nimble flip, he entered the room through the open window.
Sakazuki didn't look up. His focus remained on the notebook.
"Give me a second," he said.
"Sure," Carlo replied, folding his arms as he glanced around but didn't see anything new or interesting. Watching Sakazuki write so intensely, he grew curious.
"What are you writing, Vice Admiral?"
Sakazuki chuckled softly. "Something that could change the world."
Carlo raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"
He stepped closer just as Sakazuki finished writing. The vice admiral set down his pen and slid the notebook toward him, the final page left open.
{We gather together. We uncover the truth. We show the people of the world what equality and freedom truly mean. Even if we fail.}
{The government's response proves one thing—we were right. The seed has already been planted. One day, it will take root and grow.}
{Revolution. Victory is certain.}
—Tobias Graves, Final Words. March 7, Year 1427 of the Sea Circle Calendar.
Just from reading that single page, Carlo's eyes widened.
"Vice Admiral Sakazuki. If this spreads out, not even killing ten Whitebeards would save you from punishment."
Sakazuki smiled, then flipped to the first page and handed the notebook over. "Start from the beginning."
Carlo took it with both hands, handling it with care, and began to read. Silence settled over the room, broken only by the occasional rustle of pages and the slow, steady rhythm of breathing.
Time passed. Finally, he closed the book and wiped a thin sheen of sweat from his brow.
"I take back what I said earlier," he murmured. "Even wiping out every pirate in the world wouldn't be enough. If this book ever leaks…"
He shook his head, visibly unsettled.
The core of this book wasn't just about overthrowing the government. It was more about helping people understand what equality and freedom truly meant. It broke down problems at their roots and offered real answers.
If any literate person read this to the end, and then looked at the Celestial Dragons or royal families and nobles...
A rebellious thought would definitely rise in their heart.
Why am I being oppressed while they live in luxury? This isn't fair.
Once that single thought takes root, it's impossible to stop the mind from going further. And when these ideas start spreading, once the people begin to gather with that mindset, toppling a country becomes easy.
If it spreads across the world...
Sakazuki picked up where Carlo left off.
"Terrifying, isn't it?"
The man nodded.
The vice admiral stood up and walked to the window.
"It is terrifying," he said. "If this book spreads, a lot of people will die. This would be one class rising up to overthrow another. Tens of millions of people from the lower classes would be dragged into it.
"Even if this thing didn't exist, someday in the future, someone would start to question the world. And eventually walk the same path as written in these pages, but this book would help them avoid detours. It would make them stronger. At the same time, we'll also get a powerful puppet. Someone who can stand at the front and take the hits for us."
Carlo went silent. He let out a sigh. "Cold-blooded as always. Vice Admiral."
Sakazuki didn't respond. He stared out at the sky for a long while before finally turning back. "Keep it safe. Check for any flaws in the aging effect. Fix it where needed, and when the time is right, send it out."
Carlo nodded and closed the notebook gently. He glanced down at the faded cover.
Three plain words were written across the front: Oppression and Resistance.
After a moment's thought, he asked, "Vice Admiral… aren't you afraid things will spiral out of control?"
Sakazuki shook his head slightly. "Carlo. In the end, this world is ruled by strength."
Without overwhelming power, maybe control would be an issue. But in this world, the strong can destroy everything, and the weak are harvested like insects.
As long as Sakazuki stands on solid ground, even if millions or tens of millions of ordinary people gathered, they couldn't wear him down. If they swarmed together, one massive blast of magma would wipe them out by the thousands.
That's why he wasn't worried. The future Marines would become the most powerful force on the seas. Without a doubt.
If the tail grows too big to control, just cut off the head.
The only real uncertainty lies in the World Government. That weapon... the one capable of cleansing the world, and the foundation they've built over 800 years.
Sakazuki wasn't arrogant enough to think that with a bit of strength he could march into Mariejois. If he challenged them directly, he'd probably die without even knowing how it happened.
Which is why a puppet had to be supported, one that could test the depths of the government's power.
Sakazuki narrowed his eyes, a faint fire burning behind them.'Don't disappoint me. The future Joy Boy...'
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