"What's this? What kind of work?"
Joy Boy barged in with his usual wide grin, nearly colliding with Michael.
"Big bro, you're the leader of the resistance! Even if it's just for show, could you at least act a little more composed?!"
"Ah, my bad, Michael." Joy Boy scratched his head, his tone apologetic but his face showing no remorse.
"You said something about work? Is it time for Joy Boy to shine?"
"In a way, yes, it is time for you to shine."
"Hahaha! Don't worry, leave it all to me! No matter how strong the enemy, I'll send them flying!"
"Uh, maybe hold off on the flying for now..." Michael beckoned Joy Boy closer. "Well... we're just going to stir the pot."
"...Could you phrase that any more disgustingly?"
"Probably not." Michael chuckled before continuing, "This time, you won't need to fight, but it's a mission only you can accomplish!"
"R-really?" Joy Boy, flattered by Michael's words, flushed slightly with pride. "Well, I suppose I can reluctantly hold back my power then."
Michael nodded.
This was the advantage of having simple-minded allies...
Manipulating them was quick and easy.
"So, who among us will go to Elbaf with Joy Boy?" Michael glanced around the room.
"Lily and Imu are obviously out of the question... Which means it'll have to be me and Joy Boy?"
"Actually, I think Lily should go with you," Imu interjected, pointing at Lily.
"As the current ruler of Alabasta, she needs to accumulate some political capital."
Michael frowned and turned to Imu.
"You should know that political capital... isn't really our style."
"But the revolutionary path you've planned—we can hardly stay on track with it, can we?" Imu sighed.
"Sometimes, a good idea in the wrong era isn't necessarily a good idea anymore."
Imu's words slowly eased the tension in Michael's brow.
She... had a point.
The environment over 800 years ago was fundamentally a revolution led by kings, entirely different from the Revolutionary Army and Marines of 800 years later.
Michael would undoubtedly stick to his ideals...
But forcing others to follow his lead would be difficult for these kings to accept.
After all, getting the common folk of this era to understand concepts like "revolution" and "free will" was nearly impossible.Not long after first meeting Imu, Michael had once tried to promote his ideology to her in a manner almost akin to pyramid scheme marketing.
But Imu... wasn't buying it.
She understood clearly that the only ones with a chance to challenge the Great Kingdom were those who wielded power—the ruling classes of various nations.
As for the common people, those among them who possessed strength...
Were practically negligible.
This meant that while they might support you, when it came down to the bloody clash of blades...
The common folk would still be utterly powerless.
Though it's said that "water can carry a boat, but it can also overturn it," when the water isn't deep enough, it still can't capsize a massive warship.
It was at this moment that Michael realized what the so-called "Great Pirate Era" truly represented.
Though it symbolized chaos, it was also a path for the lower classes to gain more power—even giving rise to the "pirates," a force so vast it could rival the Marines.
Most pirates originated from the lower classes, and their very nature forced the common people to seek greater strength.
This was also the reason Michael, eight hundred years later, could truly ignite the flames of revolution.
"Alright, Lily, you and Xiao Shi come with me for a trip?" Michael nodded at Lily. "Go find Toki, and we'll meet at the docks later."
"Oh, right—Donquixote will be accompanying you to Elbaf again..." Imu shrugged. "He has good relations with Elbaf, and he's practically an old partner of yours by now."
"Wow, the classic team-up." Joy Boy rubbed his chin. "But how should I present myself in Elbaf?"
Imu gave Joy Boy a puzzled look.
She had no idea that during his time in Elbaf, Joy Boy often used the power of the Nika fruit to inflate himself into the form of a giant...
This led to most people in Elbaf, aside from a few elders who knew Joy Boy's true identity, believing he was actually a giant.
But Michael was fully aware of Joy Boy's antics.
"Isn't it obvious? Of course, you should appear as a giant," Michael answered without hesitation.
"The whole point is to fully win over Elbaf. By appearing as a giant, not only do you represent your own stance, but you also force the giants to cooperate with us... After all, their legendary 'Sun God' is already our leader."
"Whoa, that's... kind of evil, isn't it?" Joy Boy tilted his head, bringing his face close to Michael's.
"Aren't you deliberately deceiving our giant brothers' feelings?"
"Is it deception?" Michael rolled his eyes. "If the Great Kingdom doesn't try to win over the giants, I'd be perfectly happy to let them stay out of this era's conflicts."
Of course, Michael was just saying that.
From the historical records eight hundred years later, the giants not only rebelled against the Great Kingdom but were one of the main forces in the war.
Likely because they displayed overwhelming power during the conflict, when the spoils were redistributed afterward, the giants were clearly ostracized by the other factions.
After all, the Giant Tribe, the most reliable allies during wartime, became the thorn in the side of the Twenty Kings after the fall of the Great Kingdom.
In the end, the giants could only return to Elbaf, passing down the legends of the "Sun God" and the "Doomsday Archangel."
It wasn't until Michael reappeared and learned of these tales.
This…
Was yet another closed loop.
Michael sighed.
This was what they called the inertia of history and its self-healing nature.
Every time Michael seemed to alter the course of history, he would, by some twist of fate, end up aligning even more closely with the history recorded over 800 years later.
Thinking of this, Michael's gaze toward Imu…
Grew even more regretful.
For this woman, he had never concealed his fondness.
But fate seemed destined…
To make them ultimate adversaries.