One Piece: King of the World-Chapter 358: Dragon: I Can’t Beat Him.

In the East Blue, Shimotsuki Village, Isshin Dojo.

The dojo was closed today—word had spread that the dojo's master, Koshiro, had a guest.

At this moment, in the dojo's courtyard, Koshiro sat across from a figure, a small wooden table between them.

The guest was none other than Monkey D. Dragon, leader of the Revolutionary Army.

"Dragon, please," Koshiro said, setting down his cup and gesturing for Dragon to drink.

Dragon nodded, took a sip of tea, and then stiffened slightly. He sighed, "Maybe I don't understand refined tastes, but to be honest, I can't really tell what's so special about this tea."

Koshiro chuckled. "I suppose that proves I haven't improved much in my tea-making skills over the past decade."

He had once offered his tea to Claudius as well, and the reaction had left Claudius completely dumbfounded.

Hearing this, Dragon smiled. "Ah, Claudius. He mentioned this to me before."

"Yes, His Highness," Koshiro nodded.

Dragon stroked his chin, his tone carrying a hint of nostalgia. "The first time I met him was in Marineford's infirmary. That guy was talking with Gion… and, of course, he stabbed himself to force a draw."

"If I recall correctly, Saint Claudius was just a teenager then, wasn't he?" Koshiro mused.

"Yes, only seventeen or eighteen," Dragon confirmed.

"Then he was truly ruthless with himself," Koshiro chuckled.

"If he weren't, he wouldn't be where he is today. The Whitebeard Pirates reigned over the seas for decades, only to fall at his hands," Dragon murmured, shaking his head with a smile.

Koshiro nodded but remained silent, sipping his tea. After a brief pause, he asked,

"With all the chaos in the New World, has your Revolutionary Army made any moves?"

Dragon, seemingly trusting Koshiro, smiled and said, "We've made arrangements, but there's no need for me to be there personally."

"Really? Then I suppose it must be your legendary chief of staff?" Koshiro asked.

A proud expression crossed Dragon's face as he nodded in satisfaction. "Yes, Sabo."

Koshiro pondered this for a moment before smiling. "Entrusting him with such an important task—you must have great confidence in him."

"I intend for Sabo to be my successor. But to be honest…" Dragon's expression turned uncertain. "Right now, all of this seems far less important."

"You're uncertain?" Koshiro asked, surprised.

Dragon rolled his eyes. "I'm not a god—I can be confused too."

"I always thought you were the type of person with unwavering conviction," Koshiro joked.

"I am," Dragon admitted without hesitation. Then he shook his head. "But even so, I still have moments of doubt."

"So, you came here to clear your mind?" Koshiro asked curiously.

"Something like that," Dragon replied, rubbing his forehead.

"Hahaha, that's rare. What's troubling you?" Koshiro asked with a laugh.

Dragon sighed. "That guy, Claudius, wants to absorb the Revolutionary Army into his faction."

Koshiro, who had just taken a sip of tea, nearly spat it out in shock.

"What do you mean?" he asked, baffled.

Dragon paused, then suddenly realized. "Oh, right, I haven't told you yet—Claudius is planning to rebel. At this upcoming Reverie."

"Pfft!"

This time, Koshiro couldn't hold back—he spit out his tea completely.

"Cough, cough! Wait, did I hear that right? Donquixote Claudius, one of the highest-ranking Celestial Dragons, is rebelling against the World Government?" Koshiro exclaimed.

"For you, it must seem sudden. But to me, I've known his intentions for a long time.

In fact, my decision to leave the Marines and walk this path had a lot to do with him."

Dragon wiped the tea from his face, not minding at all, and began recounting his history with Claudius.

Reminiscing, Koshiro listened intently and gradually came to understand the long-standing connection between the two.

After a while, Koshiro poured Dragon another cup of tea and sighed.

"I never would have expected this.

I always thought Claudius was different from the other Celestial Dragons, but I didn't think he was this different.

A Celestial Dragon who wants to overthrow the World Government…

That's even more rebellious than you, the son of a Marine hero."

"Hahaha! And yet, that's exactly why we're friends," Dragon said with a hearty laugh.

"That makes sense," Koshiro mused.

Dragon had once been on the path to becoming a top Marine.

Had he stayed, he would have been a guaranteed candidate for Fleet Admiral within the next few years.

After all, he possessed the talent, ability, and strength for it.

Yet, he had chosen to abandon that future, turning instead to revolution—going from a promising Marine officer to the world's most wanted criminal.

And then there was Claudius—a Celestial Dragon plotting to overthrow the World Government itself.

No wonder the two of them got along.

"This only proves that both you and Claudius are men of great ambition," Koshiro remarked.

"That's true. I see him that way as well," Dragon admitted.

"But let's get to the point," Koshiro said with a smile. "What do you think?"

"If I had already made up my mind, I wouldn't have come here seeking advice," Dragon replied, shaking his head helplessly.

Koshiro studied Dragon for a moment before speaking.

"That's not necessarily true. I think you have already made up your mind."

Dragon frowned slightly. "And why do you say that?"

"With everything happening in the New World, you're not concerned about any of it.

Instead, you're focused on one question—if you were to cooperate with Claudius, how would it change the Revolutionary Army? How would it change the world?"

Dragon froze mid-thought.

"See? You already have your answer," Koshiro said with a smile.

Dragon chuckled, shaking his head. "That's quite the trick. You're a bit sly, aren't you?"

"Perhaps. But tell me, if you were to oppose Claudius, how confident are you in defeating him?" Koshiro asked seriously.

Dragon remained silent for a while before finally shaking his head.

"I've known him for years, and I still can't see through him.

He's ruthless yet unpredictable.

He can patiently plan for decades for a single goal…

Or he can swiftly devise a strategy to topple the Whitebeard Pirates in mere moments because of a single Devil Fruit.

The Revolutionary Army has had successes, but we've also suffered many failures.

Yet Claudius—he always wins.

I try to tell myself it's because I started from scratch while he was born into power.

But deep down…

I don't think I can beat him."

Koshiro nodded and said softly,

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"To be frank, Dragon—you can't beat him.

From the very beginning, that was already decided.

You lost decades ago."