"What we must do is be the first. Burn away everything in this world that is unjust. A new world, a new government. Even a thousand years from now, as the founders of this new order, our names will be remembered. You will become examples in the textbooks. Every child, when they enter school and studies history, will open the pages and see your faces.
"World Federation Government's supreme power, Bullet.
"World Federation Government's supreme power, Enel.
"What do you think?"
Bullet's lips curled into a grin. "That doesn't sound bad at all."
Enel chuckled. "Indeed. And what about you, Uncle?"
Sakazuki's eyes lingered on the glowing screen. After a moment, he smiled faintly. "Dictator... tyrant... It doesn't matter."
* * *
Twin Capes, at the lighthouse.
Inside the whale Laboon's stomach, Crocus lay back on a deck chair, reading the newspaper.
Rustle.
His expression froze, staring at the print. "Hm?"
He reread the page several times before letting out a sigh. "Another old friend gone... Roger..."
The deaths of his companions left him with a deep sense of sorrow. The world was changing too fast. Roger himself probably never imagined this. In just a few years since their disbanding, the crew had nearly been wiped out. Even Tom, the shipwright, was not spared.
"Only Shanks and Buggy remain..."
Boom! Boom!
A violent tremor shook the whale. Crocus rose slowly. "At it again, are you... Laboon."
He went off to prepare the sedative.
* * *
The Grand Line.
On the island known as Baltigo, the Land of White Soil, yellow sandstorms howled without pause. Its harsh environment left it almost untouched by outsiders. Even within the Revolutionary Army, only a handful knew this place. It was their true headquarters.
Hack, master of Fish-Man Karate and close friend of the current Warlord Jinbe, was outside training future recruits.
A group of children stood before him, sweat dripping as they practiced under his guidance.
"Lower your center of gravity a little more. Without talent and strength, there's no point staying here. What you will do in the future will shape the world itself. You cannot afford to slack off, not even for a moment. Do you understand?!"
"Yes, sir!!!" the children shouted through exhaustion.
Among them, Sabo, who had not lost his memory, was far more composed and trained with double the effort. By his side was Koala, once escorted home by the Sun Pirates. At some point, she had joined the Revolutionary Army as well.
Inside the secret base's hall, walls were covered with documents. Meetings never ceased. Discussions of world affairs filled the room.
After years of quiet growth, their influence had reached a staggering scale. Their intelligence network had also taken root.
Dragon tirelessly oversaw it all, studying the world from above, planning their next moves, and deciding which talents to draw in. But the more they acted, the more visible they became. Even the World Government, no matter how arrogant or sluggish, had begun to target them.
Dragon, however, did not retaliate. He just gathered more strength.
Right then, an informant slipped past Hack and rushed in, breathless. "Big news!"
Everyone in the hall, including Dragon, stopped what they were doing and turned toward him. The man glanced outside at Hack, then lowered his voice.
"Queen Otohime of Fish-Man Island... has been assassinated!"
The room erupted.
"What?!"
"Who did it?!"
"Pirates?!"
"How could this be!"
The Revolutionary Army had already gathered a great deal of information. Queen Otohime had worked for years to bring peace between fish-men and humans. She was their ideal ally. Dragon himself had praised her efforts.
But now, before they had even advanced into the Grand Line, such a tragedy had struck.
Dragon, after the initial shock, recovered and said, "What a pity…"
The informant looked at him and asked, "Should we tell Master Hack? She was, after all, the fish-men queen."
Dragon nodded. "Tell him. We can't hide this. Sigh..."
The informant straightened. "Yes, sir!"
Moments later, a roar of disbelief and anguish came from outside the door.
"What?! Impossible! This has to be false, right?! Where's Jinbe?! Damn it!"
Bang!
The doors flew open. Hack burst in with eyes red and full of tears.
"Where's the Den Den Mushi?!" he cried. He wanted to call Jinbe. He had to know why the queen was dead. What was he doing?!
* * *
Marine Headquarters, Marineford.
In the Fleet Admiral's office, Kong rested leisurely on the sofa, sipping tea. Power was gradually shifting into Sengoku's hands as he grew accustomed to the burden.
Sengoku sat at the desk with a growing headache. He'd been grading papers for days and the pile never seemed to end.
With a snap, he put down his pen and rubbed his temples. "Now I know why you used to rub your temples so much. It really is a pain."
Kong laughed. "That's how it'll be every day. Better get used to it. Hahaha."
Sengoku sighed faintly. "I know."
Creaak.
The door opened. Sakazuki walked in, smiling at the sight of the man massaging his temples. "Fleet Admiral Sengoku. What's the mission?"
Sengoku showed a tired smile and gestured for him to sit. Kong patted the empty space beside him.
Sakazuki took a seat and said, "Fleet Admiral, so you're retiring now?"
Kong grinned. "Not for another twenty years. Hahaha."
Sengoku pulled out a sheet of paper. "This is a government assignment. It about the Revolutionary Army."
Sakasaki raised an eyebrow, pretending to be puzzled. "The Revolutionary Army?"
Sengoku confirmed. "Yes. A rising force at sea developing in secret. Our intel shows they have influence spreading across many nations. They're becoming a problem too big to ignore.
"This time, CP has tracked down a high-ranking official. We're sending a team to capture him. Do not let him escape. If needed, bring back a body. He must not be allowed to get away."
Sakazuki replied, "I see… give me the file and I'll leave at once."
Sengoku handed over a stack of papers. Sakazuki stood up, took them, and flipped through.
"Ivankov, huh..."
* * *
Grand Line, Gagao Island.
One of the World Government's member nations, home of the Gregoria Kingdom.
Located near Reverse Mountain, it was once an unremarkable country. Thirty years ago, when the crown prince returned from his travels, who later became king, he made a discovery while surveying the royal hunting grounds. Hidden beneath the land lay an enormous ore vein stretching farther than anyone could measure.
Through mining and trade, the kingdom's wealth rose steadily, and twenty-four years ago it was accepted as a World Government member. Unfortunately, after the king's only child inherited the throne, a series of reckless decrees caused unrest to spread. Discontent grew louder, and it seemed the nation was on the verge of collapse.
* * *
In the dark forest outside the royal city, clouds shrouded the sky and hid the stars. At a glance, nothing seemed unusual. Only within five meters could one notice the figures concealed among the trees, countless men scattered through the shadows.
Commander of the Revolutionary Army's G Army, Emporio Ivankov, glanced at the faintly glowing watch on his wrist.
"Half an hour left. How's the deployment? Inazuma?"
"Don't worry. Everything is ready," a cold, steady voice answered. It belonged to a man with striking half-white, half-orange hair, his clothes split the same way.
His arms had already transformed into massive scissor-blades, his battle form. "The paths to the walls are cut. We can breach them whenever needed."
Ivankov gave a nod. "Good. Be prepared for battle. For some reason, I can't shake this unease."
Normally carefree, tonight his tone was unusually solemn. A strange sense of danger weighed on him.
Inazuma frowned slightly. "I feel it too. This mission is too risky. We're striking a World Government nation after all. That complicates things."
Ivankov let out a sigh. "There's no choice. We're growing too fast. Even if all our funds go into weapons, it's never enough to arm everyone. We can't send fighters into battle barehanded. Most of them are just ordinary people. If we seize this kingdom, the iron reserves here could sustain our own arsenal. We could even supply our comrades across the Four Blues. We have to try."
Inazuma exhaled slowly. "Then let's end it quickly. Install a new leader and leave before dawn. Once the dust settles, the government can't interfere directly. Still, this feeling… it's not a good sign."
"You're right." Ivankov agreed. "The battle must be swift. Tonight's mission is more than just conquest. It's a test of the World Government. Their response will decide much. The outcome will shape the future of the Revolutionary Army."
Purururu~ Purururu~
The sudden ring of a Den Den Mushi broke the silence of the forest.
The fighters tensed, then relaxed as Ivankov picked up. "Phew, scared me there. Dragon, what's the matter?"
Dragon's calm voice came through. "Is everything ready, Iva?"
"Of course. By tomorrow this country will be free of the World Government."
On the other end, Dragon stared at the intel in his hand and spoke after a pause, "Are you confident? If not, pull back. New reports say six marine warships are sailing toward Gagao. They'll arrive before dawn. The government's reaction is stronger than expected. We've already tested them enough. No need for more risk. We'll find another way to get weapons."
Ivankov checked the time on his watch. "Before dawn, huh… Then I think we can finish before they arrive. This iron mine is too valuable. With it, we won't worry about weapons for years. We have to try. Revolution is about risk. Let's gamble."
* * *
Baltigo, the Revolutionary Army's headquarters.
Dragon lowered the papers in his hand and sighed. "In that case—"
Clap, clap, clap.
Applause echoed from the snail. A voice, one he knew well, rang out.
"Well said. But unfortunately… you made the wrong bet."
Click.
The line went dead.
Dragon's pupils shrank.
Sakazuki!
Boom!
He shot out of the base like a storm. Lights flared across the island. The night of Baltigo would not be a peaceful one.
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