"I'm really only suited to being a martial artist," Duran complained. "Governing a country is pure torture!"
"Husband!" Teresa wrapped her arms around him. Recently Duran had been under tremendous pressure, and Teresa felt sorry for him. "Husband, I can tell. Even though you seem to do whatever you want, deep down you've set a line you refuse to cross. When you fired that super energy sphere at Earth before, even if the Megaroad-01 hadn't appeared, you wouldn't really have destroyed the planet, right?"
Of course not. Duran had only been trying to scare people—and disgust Chairman Durandal a little.
If the Megaroad-01 hadn't appeared, Duran would have simply withdrawn the energy sphere and said something like, "Just kidding."
Duran suddenly realized something.
The reason he was so exhausted was because he refused to abuse his power. Everyone in this world was just an ordinary human. Duran could kill them easily, which was precisely why he had to constantly restrain himself. That was why he acted cautiously and avoided reckless actions.
At most, he just mocked people with his sharp tongue.
"Teresa, my dear," Duran said. "I understand now. I won't worry about ruling Orb anymore. I'll focus on researching technology and cultivating Senzu Beans instead. But before that, there's still one thing that must be done."
At a military base belonging to the Atlantic Federation, alarms suddenly blared.
Duran had arrived.
"Kamehameha!"
He suppressed the power of the attack, but the beam still blasted straight through the entire base.
The space monster was injured by the attack as well.
Then Duran punched through the creature's brain.
He captured Neo, Stella, and Shinn Asuka.
"You three will stand trial before a military court!"
The trial was held publicly, with representatives from every major nation on Earth attending—both Naturals and Coordinators.
"The court will now deliver its verdict for the charges of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and treason committed by Neo, Stella, and Shinn Asuka," the judge announced.
"After unanimous agreement by the jury, the following sentences are declared:
Neo: Guilty of war crimes. Sentenced to 50 years in prison.
Shinn Asuka: Guilty of war crimes and treason. Sentenced to life imprisonment.
Stella: Guilty of war crimes and crimes against humanity. Sentenced to death by hanging, to be carried out on the third day of next month."
The judge's gavel struck the table.
"Court dismissed!"
Outside the courthouse, journalists and crowds had gathered.
When the doors opened and the verdict was announced, the crowd erupted into chaos—some people crying, others cheering.
Duran was immediately surrounded by reporters.
"I believe everyone has already heard the verdict," he said calmly. "I only want to say one thing: all reactionaries who oppose the people are paper tigers."
Seriously… could Duran be any more shameless?
The next day, headlines everywhere reported that Duran had plagiarized the famous quote of a founding leader from China.
Ironically, his popularity soared even higher.
After that, things became relatively quiet for a while.
Cagalli requested to join the military, and Duran generously returned her father's legacy—the Akatsuki Gundam.
She cried when she received it.
Meanwhile, the Eternal, carrying the Strike Freedom and Infinite Justice, had descended to Earth.
The Three Ships Alliance gathered in Orb.
With Orb's jump engine successfully tested, Duran began preparing a decapitation strike against Chairman Durandal of PLANT.
For now, they simply waited for Durandal to publicly announce his so-called Destiny Plan.
For once, after arriving in this world, Duran finally had some leisure time.
He attended the wedding of Kana and Lynn Minmay together with Teresa.
To be honest, Minmay had once been Duran's childhood idol. He would have loved to take her along on his travels.
But Minmay was just an ordinary human.
Her lifespan was limited.
Duran didn't yet possess the ability to grant immortality.
So all he could do was wish her happiness and hope that her songs would live on.
At the wedding, Minmay sang.
Her voice no longer carried the youthful brightness of her younger days.
Instead, it held deeper understanding of life and optimism for the future.
Her singing moved the audience more deeply than Lacus's peace songs—it felt closer to the human heart.
"That's beautiful," Duran said quietly.
He remembered how much he had loved these stories when he lived on Earth in China.
Even though many stories ended imperfectly, he still loved them.
"Mm." Teresa leaned against him. Minmay's voice stirred her own memories as well. "It's beautiful."
The wedding was lively and joyful, supported wholeheartedly by Duran.
After finishing her song, Minmay stood on stage with tears in her eyes.
"Thank you, Mr. Duran—and everyone on Earth."
"Thank you all so much!"
"When we lost contact with the United Earth Government in space, it felt like a nightmare. I still remember when the previous VF squad leader died and asked me to lead the ship. It felt like falling into an abyss."
"Together with the remaining twenty thousand people, we drifted in space for over a year. In the end, only a few thousand of us survived."
"I must thank every member of the colony fleet. Without your support, I couldn't have held on."
"Now we've finally returned to Earth. Even though this Earth is different, its people have accepted us and acknowledged us as fellow humans."
"Everyone… thank you!"
Thunderous applause erupted.
Of course, some people on Earth still held prejudice against the immigrants—just like the hostility between Naturals and Coordinators.
Human beings always seemed to find reasons to hurt each other.
"Minmay," Kana said firmly, looking into her eyes, "there may still be many difficulties ahead. But I believe we can start a new life on this Earth."
"Mm!"
Kana no longer piloted a VF fighter.
Instead, he now worked as a diplomat, traveling around the world.
"Why does war exist?" Chairman Gilbert Durandal asked during a global broadcast.
"It exists because of humanity's inherent flaws—traits embedded in our genes and passed down through inheritance."
"As long as humans exist, war will inevitably continue, until humanity itself is extinguished."
"Since no one wishes for that outcome, I propose the Destiny Plan—a way to eliminate war at its genetic root."
Before this, only Duran had been flamboyant enough to hold worldwide broadcasts like this.
"I actually agree with some of Chairman Durandal's words," Duran said calmly. "Except that his plan is riddled with flaws."
"If human lives could truly be determined entirely by genetics, it might indeed prevent many conflicts."
"But how would we decide someone's future?"
"In my homeland, ancient philosophers once proposed two ideas: humans are inherently good, and humans are inherently evil."
The members of the Three Ships Alliance listened quietly as Duran continued.
"Debates have lasted for thousands of years. Whether humans are born good or evil, the environment during their growth undoubtedly has enormous influence."
"That's why both philosophies emphasized the importance of education and moral guidance."
"But reality is never so ideal."
"Was the first person in this world good, and thus shaped the world into what it is now? Or was the first person evil, and thus led humanity down this path?"
"For thousands of years, no one has been able to determine whether a person will become good or evil before they grow up."
"So Chairman Durandal's Destiny Plan—deciding people's lives based on the opinions of a few elites—would destroy countless possibilities."
"It would turn a person's entire life into a gamble."
"And we cannot allow the world to become a casino run by a handful of people—where the stakes are humanity itself."
The Three Ships Alliance had already locked onto their jump destination.
With Orb's jump engines, they could now appear anywhere in the world without warning—so long as there was space for their ships to land.
At a PLANT colony satellite—
Three armed warships suddenly appeared.
They seized control of the leadership center.
Above them hovered the legendary Freedom and Justice Gundams.
"Mr. Duran, Chairman Durandal has not been found," a soldier reported. "However, we did capture the fake Lacus."
Duran frowned.
Durandal really was clever—and paranoid.
At that moment, Durandal was already aboard a superweapon fortress.
The first shot fired.
After being reflected through mirrors attached to abandoned satellites, the beam was redirected toward Orb.
"Direct as always, Chairman Durandal," Duran said as he sensed the massive energy approaching from the sky.
"But still too weak."
"KAMEHAMEHA!"
The beams collided.
But Duran's attack was stronger.
And his Kamehameha could even change direction.
"Let me show you my anger!"
With a single blast, he pierced the fortress completely.
Then, using Instant Transmission, he teleported the entire fortress into the ocean near Orb.
"Long time no see, Chairman Durandal."
"You're under arrest. You will receive a fair trial."
Durandal was placed in handcuffs.
"…."
"Didn't expect me to capture you this quickly, did you?" Duran said casually. "I told you—people like you are no match for me."
He handed Durandal over to Orb's guards.
"Don't starve the chairman. Prepare food for ten people."
Duran completely ignored Durandal's former status.
In any case, Durandal would either be executed or imprisoned for life.
His political career was over.
A few days later, Stella, convicted of war crimes and crimes against humanity, was executed.
Her life ended while Shinn Asuka cried helplessly.
"How tragic… humanity's ambition," Duran murmured.
But even he couldn't change everything.
"Many people already realize that humanity's future lies in the universe. Yet ambitious men still fight over this one small planet."
He smiled slightly.
"Perhaps… we should play a game."
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