"Sit anywhere you like."
Ian dropped himself onto a soft cushion. "So, Dragon, you came all the way here to see me. Don't tell me it's just about signing a new purchase contract?"
Dragon sat down on the cushion below Ian, smiling faintly. "If you're willing to sell those warplanes to us, I certainly wouldn't mind signing a new contract."
"At this point, even if our dealings are exposed, you wouldn't care anymore, would you?"
Even if the World Government discovered that the Beasts Pirates were trading with the Revolutionary Army—so what?
Could the World Government possibly hate the Beasts Pirates any more than they already do?
"Well, it's not impossible."
Ian chuckled.
Dragon froze for a moment, then immediately leaned forward, bracing a hand on the floor as he craned his neck toward Ian. "Really?"
The Beasts Pirates' bombers—he had coveted them for a very long time.
As a man who could transform into the storm itself and stand proudly in the skies, Dragon naturally understood just how important air supremacy was in war.
And with those bombers, the Revolutionary Army could seize control of the skies!
"Of course," Ian said with a smile. "We've already developed more advanced warplanes. Right now, we're gradually phasing out the older models. Selling the outdated equipment to you isn't out of the question."
"It's a deal!"
Without the slightest hesitation, Dragon answered directly.
So what if they were older models?
The Revolutionary Army was still dirt poor, and its entire aerial force relied solely on Dragon himself.
Even outdated bombers could greatly make up for their lack of air power.
"Good."
Ian nodded with a knowing smile.
He had been wondering how to get rid of those old machines. Since Dragon was eager to take them off his hands, why would Ian object?
As for whether this would cause the Revolutionary Army to become too powerful to handle—he found that unlikely.
Their industrial base was practically nonexistent. They couldn't even manufacture weapons and equipment on their own.
If the bombers broke down, whether they could repair them was another matter entirely. Even the bombs and ammunition would likely have to be purchased from the Beasts Pirates.
So what was there to worry about?
"Excellent!"
Dragon's joy was unmistakable.
After all, the World Government's air force was already beginning to take shape. When his teacher, Zephyr, defected from the Marines, he had taken with him a batch of aircraft designed by the Navy's scientific division.
It was foreseeable that in the coming era, without strong aerial power, winning a war would no longer be an easy task.
So, let this be the beginning—the development of the Revolutionary Army's aerial force.
Ian was quite satisfied with this.
Not only could he gradually shed outdated equipment, but he could also earn a great deal from the Revolutionary Army in the process.
A win-win situation, so to speak.
"Then, let's get to the real topic."
Dragon's expression grew serious. "Ian, what do you think of Miss Robin?"
"What do I think of her?"
Ian thought for a moment. "She's quite beautiful. Not much worse than Yamato, honestly."
Dragon's eye twitched. Even for a man as serious as him, the urge to punch Ian flared up.
"What I mean is—how do you intend to handle her?"
Dragon asked intently.
"Handle her? She may be beautiful, but she's probably not suited for me," Ian said with a sigh.
In his previous life, when reading the manga, he had always liked Robin.
Strong and determined, beautiful and alluring, with a touch of dark humor at times.
But now, if Ian were to get involved with her, Robin would likely end up being frozen into an ice block or turned into stone every other day.
"Ian, I'm not joking with you!"
Dragon's fists tightened.
"Haha," Ian laughed heartily. "Don't take it so seriously. To me, the only thing truly attractive about her is her beauty."
Other than that, the girl didn't hold much meaning for him.
"But if you're asking me how I plan to deal with her," Ian said slowly, "I'll let her be a historian. I don't think she'd oppose that at all."
"That would indeed be best."
Dragon nodded lightly.
With that, he could feel reassured entrusting Robin to Ian.
Though it might sound a little presumptuous, the logic was sound.
"Ian, you're the one most suited to become the Pirate King!"
Dragon suddenly declared.
"...Huh?"
Ian was stunned, momentarily unable to understand what Dragon was saying.
"Only you!"
Dragon looked at Ian with solemn eyes, the crimson tattoo on his face making his expression appear even heavier. "Ian, only you are truly worthy of becoming the Pirate King!"
Although no one knew exactly what the legendary treasure contained, since Roger declared that all the world's wealth and power were buried there, it could only mean that something extraordinary was hidden within.
And among all the pirates in the world today, besides Ian, there was no second person qualified to claim that treasure.
"Ian, if you become the Pirate King, will you reveal the history that the World Government has erased?"
Dragon asked seriously.
"Isn't that obvious?"
Ian replied as if it were a matter of course. "Since the Government went to such great lengths to conceal that history, it can only mean it's a dark past they cannot allow to be exposed."
"Then I have no problem."
A smile finally appeared on Dragon's face.
The reason he had gone through so much trouble to find Robin was precisely for this—to uncover the truth hidden by the World Government and shake the very foundations of its rule.
If Ian would also do such a thing, then entrusting Robin to him was indeed the right choice.
Dragon did not believe Ian would ever deceive him.
A man like Ian had no reason to stoop to something so dishonorable.
Ian wasn't entirely sure what Dragon was thinking. He simply gave a surprised smile. "So, you came all the way here just to tell me this?"
"These words are very important to me."
Dragon answered with a smile.
"In any case, thank you for your answer, Ian. Now, let's properly discuss the matter of fighter planes."
After that, they carefully confirmed the upcoming trade contract for the war machines.
Once the deal was sealed, Dragon declined Ian's invitation to stay for dinner. In the next moment, he turned into a raging gust of wind and vanished from Onigashima.
He still had far too many things left to do—he couldn't afford to waste any more time here.
**********
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