Chapter 344: Winds of Change: Seeds of Revolution

“Being young isn’t an excuse you can hide behind.”

Karl’s voice was stern and steady as his gaze swept over the four children before him—Ye Linlong, Ye Linteng, Ye Lintian and Ye Linxia. Their eyes flickered with both fear and determination.

“Even after probing the waters this time, we’ve learned the World Government has already restored the Heavenly King,” Karl continued. “The real battle might be pushed decades down the line.” His words carried a hint of worry for the future and a deep understanding of the current reality.

“But if you reach twenty-five and still can’t touch admiral-level strength, not a single one of you is allowed to set foot outside Cake Island.”

There was no room for argument in Karl’s command. He knew only real pressure would drive his children to grow faster.

No pressure, no motivation—that’s just how it goes.

Give them the right amount of pressure and they’ll develop a real hunger for strength.

It’s only by constantly pushing their limits that they can break through and reach even greater heights.

Who can say what comes after that?

Even with so much uncertainty about the future weighing on his mind, Karl believed that as long as the kids kept improving, one day they’d change the fate of this world.

And that’s not even counting him—a cheat-code all on his own.

“Yes, Father. We understand.”

“We definitely won’t let you down.”

All four—Ye Linlong, Ye Linteng, Ye Lintian, and Ye Linxia—answered in unison.

Their voices brimmed with resolve. They knew getting stronger wasn’t just about meeting their father’s expectations. It was about protecting everything they held dear.

And lately, they really had grown lax. Training had slipped to the back of their minds, but that needed to change. They’d redouble their efforts as soon as they got home.

Karl watched them, a glint of pride flickering in his eyes. He hadn’t expected life would bring him to a point where he’d be brainwashing his own kids.

Still, these children would become the key force to help him change the world. And to see the plan through, he knew he needed to push them.

After all, each one of them carried true Titan blood.

Once their Titan bloodline awakened fully, every single one of them could reach admiral-level power almost by default.

They’d play a crucial role in the epic battle to come. In the end, the number of top-tier fighters could decide which way the scales tipped.

If Karl had even a hundred admirals on his side right now, he wouldn’t need to prepare—he’d just turn the Red Line into dust.

“No need to rush. We’ve still got time,” Karl muttered.

While they spoke, the battlefield below changed once more.

With each new strike from the Heavenly King, the hundreds of Golden Giants on the field had already been wiped out.

Now, not a single living soul remained on the surface of Mariejois. As for Celestial Dragon casualties, they’d lost more than anyone could count.

The land looked like the surface of the moon—craters everywhere, stained with blood.

It’d take years of repairs just to return it to normal—and even if it looked the same, the people would never be as numerous as before.

From what he could see, close to ten thousand Celestial Dragons had died in this chaos—at least eighty percent wiped out.

“Well, even if they’ve managed to restore Heavenly King Uranus, losing this many Celestial Dragons is enough to force him into a long rest.”

“No way he can replace so many people with Celestial Dragon blood in just a year or two.”

Drawing his gaze away from the edge of the Red Line, Karl spoke with calm certainty.

Plus, with armies of slaves escaping, word would spread fast. The whole world would hear about the attack on the World Government.

That would shatter the World Government’s reputation, and trigger even fiercer uprisings all over.

Heavenly Gold collected by the Government would become scarce, while allied nations would drop out one by one.

From a different angle, it was one more way to weaken the World Government’s grip.

If Karl’s intel was right, every time Uranus was deployed, it required Celestial Dragon blood.

They’d lost too many this time for that kind of damage to be repaired any time soon.

Celestial Dragons had always kept their bloodline pure, so most of them married within the family—that’s why there were so many fools among them.

If they wanted to boost their numbers quickly, they’d have to marry outsiders, but that would weaken their bloodline. Who knows, the Heavenly King’s power might not be as strong after that.

“So Father, are we just leaving things like this?”

Karl ruffled Ye Linlong’s hair. “Since we haven’t forced out all the World Government’s trump cards, it just means the time hasn’t come yet.”

“That day will come, though.”

“Even the master of the Red Line needs to start shifting in his seat.”

This time, Karl had come to the Red Line in person, hoping to see if the World Government had any more hidden weapons.

His eyes were razor-sharp, scanning every inch of the continent like a hawk, searching for any sign of concealed power.

He hadn’t expected the Heavenly King Uranus to show up so soon.

The surprise had caught him off guard, but he wasn’t content with just that.

He was certain the World Government’s strength ran much deeper. Uranus was just the tip of the iceberg.

He simply didn’t believe their only trump card was the Heavenly King Uranus.

Rising to his feet, Karl started for the island’s interior, sending orders for Skypiea to head toward the New World. His strides were confident, eyes glinting with future plans.

At the same time, word was sent out. Revolutionary Army forces planning uprisings across the world all hit pause.

Charging in without knowing the enemy’s full strength would only bring pointless losses.

Without more intel on the World Government’s trump cards, now wasn’t the time to go on the offensive.

He needed more time—to observe, to plot, and to get ready.

Apart from a few groups fighting under the banner of resistance, most leaders of the Revolutionary Army had gone to ground, biding their time and gathering strength.

They knew a real war wasn’t sparked by a fleeting impulse. It took long-term planning and strategy.

Karl stood at the edge of Skypiea, gazing out over the wild, rolling sea, hope for the future stirring in his chest.

He believed that, as long as they prepared well, revolution would one day ignite the entire world—bringing real change. And he, too, would finally reshape the world.

On a nameless island in East Blue, Dragon received the letter, staring at the Red Line far off on the horizon. A thoughtful look flashed in his eyes. “So the time hasn’t come yet?” he muttered, halfway between anticipation and impatience.

“Then let me see just what kind of world you’re hoping to create.” Dragon’s voice was resolute. In an instant, his figure faded into the breeze, vanishing from sight.

On that very day, it felt like time across the world had been put on fast-forward.

The surface of the sea appeared calm, but underneath, waves of intrigue were brewing. Conspiracies intertwined as factions jockeyed for position in the great game of power.

It all looked like a stalemate, but the real players knew—change was coming.

This game couldn’t stay in deadlock forever. Sooner or later, someone would tip the scales and set off a new chain of events.