Chapter 506 The Freedom Lex Envisioned
Upon meeting the Dream Weaver Roy, who knew about their background and origins, the Cross brothers, already excited and overjoyed, were moved to tears. Their idol actually knew them.
"Lord Roy! ~ He's so amazing! How can there be such a perfect being as Lord Roy? This...this...this is just too wonderful!"
Compared to the shy Cross Reiner, Cross Ryan was a complete social butterfly, immediately circling around Roy.
Roy smiled and responded, then asked about the important matter: "Rain, Reiner, I am deeply sorry for the destruction of the Kingdom of Tithiat. In this great era, we are powerless to control every place and every island. The chaos is bound to be far greater than before. Even in the West Sea, the tragedy of the Ohara Buster Call still occurred."
Roy was only halfway through his sentence when Reiner, unusually, spoke up first:
“We understand that this is merely a matter of deceit and intrigue between nations, not an act of inaction by Lord Lex and Lord Roy. If all the mistakes that have occurred during this great era are attributed to you, then can all the mistakes of the past eight hundred years be attributed to the Celestial Dragons’ holy land? ... Therefore, Rein and I will rely on our own strength to seek revenge and restore our kingdom, but we have never harbored any resentment towards Lord Lex and Lord Roy. The Great Rise Era was the right one, and even if the kingdom is destroyed, I will always firmly believe in this.”
Ryan jolted awake and quickly added, "Me too!"
Reiner usually doesn't speak, but when he does, the entire room falls silent. Even the usually arrogant Dover couldn't help but re-evaluate the boy named Cross Reiner.
Everyone could see that these were Reiner's sincere words after careful consideration, not just empty flattery.
This is quite commendable.
Lex, the greatest strategist in eight hundred years who single-handedly planned a ten-year grand scheme and ushered in a great era, smiled with satisfaction. His eyes were deep as he nodded and said:
"The nations fought each other, and the seas were in constant turmoil. Most of the conflicts were over interests or personal feelings. Ultimately, they were all driven by desires and ambitions. For eight hundred years, this sea had been like a stinking breeding ground for venomous insects. Desires and ambitions, darkness and chaos had penetrated deep into the marrow of the era. They were not so deeply ingrained as to be difficult to eradicate. So, like oil being poured into a raging fire, the seas were burned away in a spectacular fashion, burning away the ills of the past eight hundred years and thousands of years, and rising from the ashes to move towards the future."
"I am the one who lit that fire with the torch, and I was burned to ashes by this raging flame. It is justifiable for the creditors to hold me accountable. However, I am deeply gratified to have the sincere recognition of both of you. Believe me, a greater and more splendid era of freedom will rise at the closing ceremony of the Great Rise era, and continue until it reaches the endless sea of stars and the Milky Way."
The Dark Lords and Dover around him were filled with admiration. Each of them was a formidable figure, but without a doubt, a single word from Lex Luthor was enough to make them willing to go through fire and water. From initial intimidation to now being completely convinced, more and more people understood what Lex Luthor wanted to do and what Leon's glory meant to this sea and to everyone.
The doubts and insults gradually faded away until they were no longer audible, while steadfastness and trust continued to gather around us, and like-minded people have now occupied half of Qinghai.
Ryan and Reiner longed for it, and regarding the era of freedom that Lex had spoken of, Ryan couldn't help but ask:
"Lord Lex, will that be another great era that you yourself will usher in?"
Lex shook his head and smiled faintly:
"That will be the great era we are ushering in, and each of us, including you, will be part of it. Only by walking side by side can we go further."
The phrase "a heart as vast as the sea" describes Whitebeard, while "a grandeur as vast as the sky" describes Lex Luthor.
At this moment, Ryan and Reiner finally understood why this man could do so many things and accomplish so many feats.
Dover was already used to Mr. Lex's greatness; he was a born bad seed, and even now, working under Lex, he was doing the dirtiest and most evil work, and he enjoyed it.
But even a super villain like Donquixote Doflamingo was willing to merge everything he had into Leon's glory and sacrifice everything for Lex's great cause.
This is beyond what personal charisma and ultimate martial prowess can achieve; it transcends both, something that has never appeared in this ocean before, or rather, something that has appeared once or twice but failed to achieve—
Great ideals and a shared vision!!
What was Lex's ambition? He told Golden Lion when they set sail that it was freedom. There are many kinds of freedom, and everyone's definition of freedom is different.
What exactly is Lex's freedom?
Is it Wang Luffy's silly optimism and childlike innocence?
No.
Is it the personal freedom that Kuma and Ginny, as slaves of the Celestial Dragons, yearn for?
No.
Are they evil pirates who act recklessly, driven by desire and ambition?
No.
Is it the kind of freedom to simply do what you want to do, like becoming the world's greatest swordsman, finding All Blue, drawing a world map, creating a panacea, becoming a sea warrior, pursuing the truth of history, building the best ship, and protecting what's in your heart?
No.
Lex's freedom is something that very few people truly understand.
Even Roy, Lex's closest brother and comrade-in-arms, who was standing shoulder to shoulder with him at this moment, could not fully understand. Even Gion, who had shared a bed with him for many years, could not fully comprehend it. Of course, they both understood some of it to varying degrees.
Just like Lex Luthor and the Red Earl, even a mind-reading 'monster' like Oren couldn't perfectly empathize with others, and others found it even harder to empathize with Lex.
But none of that matters anymore.
The important thing is that Lex has already achieved most of the freedom he pursued, and is still going strong.
More and more people in Qinghai are beginning to take control of their own destiny, gaining power and wings to pursue their own lives. More and more people are beginning to live for themselves and freely pursue what they love. Even in death, most people die willingly and happily because they die on the road to pursuing their dreams, rather than being bound numbly by the shackles that have been deeply rooted for eight hundred years.
The moment this sea became a sea of freedom once again, Lex fulfilled the first great dream he had ever had since setting sail—
Ushering in a perfect era of freedom!
Roy's gaze toward Lex grew increasingly affectionate. He adored his third brother, but his affection for Lex differed from his fondness and care for Shano, which stemmed from pity for a mentally challenged child. Roy's affection for Lex was one of mutual respect between heroes, a deep connection among millions of people seeking a soulmate.
Lex understands Roy so well. This feeling of being understood is the best. Even with his own wife Stussy, Roy can hardly experience this feeling perfectly. Lex can undoubtedly give him this feeling at all times.
Seeing that the atmosphere was quite right, Roy then began to talk about the major event that was about to begin:
"Mr. Ryder's battle against Figarand Fix is ready, and this will also be the closing ceremony of this World's Number One Martial Arts Tournament. Several arenas will be retained afterward. As for the battle between the two rankings, it will be held every five years on schedule."
"In this way, we can better take the initiative and control the largest public opinion force in the ocean, with the two lists at their core."
Dover added.
Lex nodded slightly, then looked around at everyone and said with a smile, "Then everyone, come with me to watch Master's battle. This is the most rare thing in Qinghai."
Everyone should be.
Barolorick Redfield, the solitary Red Earl, is Lex Luthor's only mentor and father figure, and also the true reclusive master of this sea.
The third-ranked demigod-level fighter in the current Ocean!
