Decades ago, there were pirates on the sea, but they weren't as organized as they are today. Their conflicts were still mainly limited to the land!
"I've said it before—if you don't explode in silence, you perish in silence!" Buggy's voice was calm, but there was an edge to it.
"But in most cases, even when there is an outbreak, it often only leads to destruction."
"The suffering civilians at the bottom have no knowledge or power. They only have their numbers against those who exploit them—the nobles."
"But when faced with overwhelming strength, no matter how large their numbers are, they can easily be wiped out."
"So, even if these civilians revolt, the chances of success are slim."
"What's more, above those nobles stands the world government, and above them, the Celestial Dragons."
"Even if the civilians manage to succeed in their uprising, they have no hope of winning against a world government that exists on an entirely different level."
"They'll either be crushed by the world government or submit and become a new tool for the world government to extract wealth."
"If the overall environment doesn't change, no matter how much these civilians struggle, they won't be able to cause even a ripple."
"This is why the world government has stood strong for 800 years—the gap in power is simply too vast."
Buggy's gaze turned contemplative, his tone carrying a hint of something indescribable.
In truth, Buggy had pieced these things together after arriving in this world and understanding its real nature.
In the past, when he was merely an outsider reading the manga, he saw the world revolving around Luffy, the "child of destiny," with all the absurdities forcefully made reasonable by Luffy's protagonist aura.
For instance, when Roger became the Pirate King, he reached Laugh Tale and then claimed he was too early, which was clearly paving the way for Luffy's future adventure.
But now, this was the real world. Luffy might still be a favored son of fate here, but without him, the world would continue to operate.
Roger did reach Laugh Tale too soon, but it wasn't because of Luffy—it was because true change takes time and exacts a heavy price.
Buggy paused before speaking again: "Captain Roger used his life to usher the Great Age of Pirates. It wasn't just about shifting conflicts from land to sea—it was because the sea is a place where people can truly grow stronger!"
"Those who venture into the sea will face countless challenges, and only those who can endure and survive will emerge stronger as a result!"
"After decades of this cycle, the latent power within the seas has multiplied tenfold, even dozens of times over!"
"This is the power that can transform the entire landscape!"
Akainu remained silent. He understood what Buggy meant by 'transforming the entire landscape,' but…
Akainu's gaze sharpened, revealing an unmistakable killing intent. He spoke in a low, menacing voice: "Buggy the Clown, you should know that out of the three Admirals, I am the one most closely aligned with the World Government!"
Buggy let out a laugh. Of course, he knew that Akainu had a close relationship with the World Government.
After all, in the original story, Fleet Admiral Sengoku and most of the high-ranking officers had recommended Aokiji to become the new Fleet Admiral.
If Akainu hadn't involved the World Government, he might not have even had a chance to challenge Aokiji on equal grounds!
With a grin, Buggy replied, "Come on, Admiral Akainu, there's no need to put on an act to try and scare me! I know you far too well, and if I wasn't confident about what I'm saying, I wouldn't have said it to you in the first place!"
Akainu didn't respond, still staring at Buggy with cold, murderous intent.
Seeing this, Buggy sighed in exasperation. "Admiral Akainu, I'd say you're the one who actively sought out the World Government's favor, aren't you?"
Without waiting for Akainu's response, Buggy continued his analysis, "Although former Fleet Admiral Sengoku was a firm advocate of combat, compared to an extreme hawk like yourself, Admiral Akainu, he was practically a dove!"
"Sengoku has been working within the Navy for decades, and his influence has shaped the Navy into a more moderate organization. For someone like you, a staunch hawk, it's been challenging to establish your own power base within the Navy!"
"You knew that without a third-party intervention, you would have no chance of becoming Fleet Admiral if there were a leadership change!"
"So, you sought to ally yourself with the World Government, hoping they would back you when it mattered most!"
"And the World Government, having long been frustrated by the Navy's increasing independence, was more than willing to accept a Fleet Admiral who was eager to show them loyalty. You coming to them of your own accord must have been exactly what they wanted to see!"
"After all, you and the World Government are just using each other to get what you want!"
"It seems the five elders of the World Government never imagined that the thick-headed Akainu could be so treacherous!"
"They believed they had found someone easy to control, but you turned out to be the one in control!"
"Unfortunately, it's too late to say anything now. With my intervention, the five elders have seized the opportunity to elevate Shanks to the position of Fleet Admiral!"
The five elders seek to maintain balance on the seas, while Akainu aims to eliminate all pirates and disrupt that balance! With such fundamentally different philosophies, there's no way they could work together harmoniously!
In the original storyline, Akainu's relationship with the World Government deteriorated after he became the Marine Fleet Admiral, even worse than during Sengoku's era! I doubt the five elders expected to overlook Akainu's true nature!
At that moment, Akainu relaxed the murderous intent in his eyes and turned to Buggy. "Now, what do you intend to do?"
Buggy dipped his finger into his teacup, traced five dots on the table, and connected them, saying, "I want to completely eliminate the pirates. First, we must address the conflicts between the rulers and the common people in various nations!"
"And to resolve these conflicts, we must first tackle the World Government—a colossal entity that looms over the world!"
"So, Admiral Akainu, are you interested in collaborating with me to establish a new order in this world?"
Akainu frowned as he listened, turning to Buggy and saying, "You remind me of someone."
Buggy smirked, a disdainful grin on his face. "Let me guess—you're thinking of the son of your Marine hero, Monkey D. Dragon, right?"
Akainu fell silent for a moment, then nodded. "Yes, he was originally part of the Navy too. However, he eventually realized that the Navy's ideals clashed with his own, so he left and founded the Revolutionary Army."
Buggy chuckled mockingly at this. "Don't flatter that guy too much! The only thing we have in common is our desire to overthrow the World Government. Beyond that, we're worlds apart!"