Why would a Saint Seiya become a pirate?

"Once I recover, I can return to the Flower Country."

"sick?"

Old Cai asked with a puzzled look, thinking to himself, "My wife looks perfectly fine."

Clara nodded: "Yes, Miss Bebe has a serious mental illness, just like I did back then."

At this point, a painful memory flashed in Clara's eyes.

"I was just lucky back then, and I was rescued by Fisher Tiger, a liberated warrior, a role model of the GM army, and a great hero of the merfolk."

After listening, baby-5 was silent for a while, then said firmly, "Okay, I promise you."

Old Cai looked at Baby-5, then at Clara, wanting to say something, but suddenly remembered that there was someone else next to him who hadn't said a word.

He looked at the hooded man beside him: "And what about this one?"

Then Merry took off his hood, revealing his signature ram's head.

He said slowly, "I am Merry, the Gold Saint of Aries, from the Sanctuary."

"We now formally invite Mr. Cai Yi and everyone from the Flower Kingdom to come to the Holy Land for further studies."

"Gold Saints?!"

Old Cai and everyone around him were stunned, their mouths agape, wide enough to fit an egg.

"Mr. Merry, we're pirates!"

Old Cai said with a wry smile, thinking to himself, "Pirates going to the Holy Land for further studies? Isn't that a pipe dream?"

Merry, however, said with a serious expression, "Regardless of one's identity, anyone who is righteous can don the Saint Cloth and become a Saint."

Upon hearing this, Lao Cai and Baby-5's eyes lit up, as if they had seen new hope.

……

Chapter 148 Dressrosa, a Constitutional Monarchy: Luffy and the Reborn Ace Part Again!

The atmosphere in the royal palace in Dressrosa was as tense as a fully drawn bowstring, ready to be pulled at any moment.

Riku Dold III stood in the center of the hall, looking at the uninvited guest before him, his face as black as the bottom of a pot.

"King Riku, hello."

The visitor was none other than Sabo, the Chief of Staff of the GM Army and the Dragon.

He wore a warm smile, but to King Riku, that smile seemed like the prelude to an impending storm.

"What are you doing here, Sabo!"

King Riku gritted his teeth and squeezed out those words.

Even though Sabo had just helped save his country, his vigilance remained undiminished.

Sabo scratched his head, trying to ease the tension: "We're here today to discuss something with you."

"Discuss? Do you have your eye on my country?"

King Riku snorted coldly, his eyes full of suspicion, as if Sabo was about to devour his country at any moment.

"Yours? No, this should be the people's country!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Fanny walked in, carrying a little girl in one arm.

King Riku frowned even more when he saw Fanny.

“Mr. Fanny, I think it’s best if you don’t get involved in this kind of thing.”

"what about me?"

A crisp sound came from above. Everyone looked up and saw Lillie leaping down lightly like a nimble little deer.

She even stretched her body a bit, as if to show off her energy.

"Saint Lillie!"

King Riku looked closely and almost jumped up, looking like he was about to explode with a lit firecracker in his mouth.

He never expected that this distinguished figure would appear here, and even get involved with Sabo and his group.

Fanny watched King Riku's reaction, a slight, almost imperceptible smile appearing on his lips.

"Can we talk properly now?"

King Riku seemed to have all his strength drained away, his shoulders slumped, and he said helplessly, "Alright, please speak."

At that moment, he was like a defeated rooster, behaving himself obediently.

Sabo cleared his throat and said with a serious expression, "Dresrosa has suffered under the rule of princes and nobles for too long. Now that you have abdicated, there is no need for you to sit back down."

"Then what about this country? Are we just going to hand it over to your GM army to wreak havoc?"

King Riku was still somewhat unconvinced. He couldn't shake his suspicions about the GM army, always feeling that they had ulterior motives.

In his haste, Sabo blurted out, "Offline monarchy, how about that?"

As soon as the words left his mouth, he knew he was in trouble and inwardly cried out in alarm.

Fanny almost burst out laughing when he heard this, and he raised his hand and slapped Sabo on the head.

"It's a constitutional monarchy! Sabo, you've been wasting your time in class, haven't you? Go back and have Robin give you a proper make-up lesson!"

Sabo scratched his head awkwardly, his face turning red and then white: "I was wrong."

He looked like a primary school student who had made a mistake, which made people laugh.

In an attempt to save face, Sabo quickly composed himself.

"King Riku, you see, in a constitutional monarchy, the king is still the symbol of the country."

"But the real power will mostly be handed over to the parliament and government, which are better able to represent the will of the people."

"This way, we can preserve the traditions of Dressrosa while also setting the country on a new path of development, allowing the people to truly be the masters of their own destiny."

King Riku listened, his brow furrowing and relaxing intermittently, clearly weighing the pros and cons in his mind.

His gaze darted back and forth between Sabo, Fanny, and Lillie, trying to find the answer in their faces.

"But how can I be sure that such a system would really be good for Dressrosa?"

King Riku finally spoke, his voice tinged with weariness and confusion.

He has been in this position for too long and has weathered too many storms. Now that he is to entrust the future of the country to a new system, he finds it difficult to make a decision easily.

Fanny quickly explained, "King Riku, think about it. Dressrosa was in chaos because Doflamingo made things difficult for us. Wasn't that because power was too concentrated in the hands of a few people?"

“A constitutional monarchy can avoid this situation, provide checks and balances on power, and ensure that the voices of the people are heard.”

Sabo chimed in, "Yes, King Riku. Look at Dressrosa now, everything is in ruins and needs a fresh start."

"This system has proven its feasibility in many places and can make the country prosperous."

"Our GM army will fully support the development of Dressrosa; we are not here to cause trouble."

Lillie blinked her big eyes and said innocently, "Lord Riku, everyone is doing this for the good of Dressrosa."

"Although I don't understand these systems very well, I know that as long as everyone is happy and can live a good life, that's good."

Her voice was clear and melodious, like a spring flowing through the tense atmosphere.

King Riku listened to their words and fell into deep thought.

His mind was filled with images of Dressrosa over the years: the suffering of the people, Doflamingo's brutal rule...

He knew that this country truly needed change.

"How are the candidates for parliament and government determined?"

King Riku asked, this was one of his most pressing concerns.

He fears that the new regime will fall into the hands of those with ulterior motives, plunging Dressrosa into trouble once again.

Sabo quickly replied, "This will be decided through a fair and just election."

"Give every citizen of Dressrosa the right to participate and elect the people they trust."

"Only a parliament and government elected in this way can truly serve the people."

King Riku nodded; he was fairly satisfied with the answer.

But a lingering worry remained in his heart: "What about me? What will I do after I abdicate?"

Sabo smiled and said, "King Riku, you are still an important figure in Dressrosa."

"Under the new system, you can continue to exert your influence in Dressrosa as a symbol and representative of the nation."

"Moreover, you can live the life you want without being burdened by heavy administrative duties."

As King Riku listened, the expression on his face gradually softened.

He looked up at the people in front of him, and his doubts gradually dissipated.

He knew that a new era was about to begin in Dressrosa.

And he should let go of the past and embrace this new beginning.

Then, unbeknownst to King Riku, his wish to retire peacefully would be completely shattered because of this decision.

……

Luffy gripped Ace's arms tightly with both hands, his fingers turning white from the force, and he swayed back and forth like a spoiled child.

"Ace, why don't you stay a couple more days?"

The voice was drawn out, full of coquetry and reluctance, and the eyes sparkled with longing.

It was as if if he persisted just a little longer, Ace would change his mind.

With a gentle yet firm smile on his face, Ace gently pried Luffy's hand off his, shook his head, and spoke in an unquestionable tone.

"No."

"No~ I don't want to."

Upon hearing this, Luffy immediately clung to Ace again, this time wrapping his arms around Ace's waist.

His legs were kicking restlessly, and his signature straw hat swayed back and forth with his movements.