Chapter 164: The Revolutionary Army Appears! They're Here to Fight Over the Boss Too?
Marine Headquarters, Marineford.
Staring grimly at the revived Buggy, Sengoku growled, "That bastard Smoker—did he even follow my orders? How dare he allow Lord Saint Buggy to die in battle?"
"In the Trial Tower created by the Game Merchant, even death isn't permanent. He'll revive—it's fine."
Aokiji had already taken off his eye mask. His eyes scanned the visuals from the Den Den Mushi.
Pirates frantically fighting over treasure. Branch Navy units banding together to resist the pirates. Civilians, clearly the weakest, still struggling to survive.
Every scene was reflected in his eyes, hidden behind the lenses.
"The issue isn't whether one can revive or not—it's about dignity, reputation, the pride of the World Nobles!"
Sengoku slammed the table in fury, smashing one corner of the conference desk.
Moments later, marines came in carrying a new table—replacing yet another piece of furniture destroyed in a fit of rage.
Aokiji, still looking laid-back, nodded slightly. "Is that so?"
Beside him, Kizaru pouted and commented in his signature strange tone, "Still so lazy. As a Navy Admiral, you should put more effort into capturing pirates, don't you think?"
Aokiji rolled his eyes. "Spare me your concern. The last thing I want is you questioning my work ethic."
"Send my orders—strip Smoker of his rank as Colonel. Demote him to a regular marine."
"And that Straw Hat pirate who dared to strike a Celestial Dragon—bounty: 50 million."
"And especially that orange-haired woman—bounty: 80 million Berries. The Orange Devil!"
Sengoku's brow remained tightly furrowed as he issued the orders regarding Smoker and the Straw Hat Pirates.
That should be enough to appease the Five Elders.
Aokiji shifted his posture, lounging more casually in his chair.
So this is the Five Elders' version of justice?
No investigation. No understanding of whether the Straw Hats posed any threat to civilians. Just because they struck a Celestial Dragon, they're now worth a combined bounty of over 100 million.
It reminded him of the Ohara Incident.
A group of scholars who broke the World Government's laws—erased by the Buster Call. His friend Saul had fought to the death to help that so-called demon child escape.
Was that justice too?
Aokiji felt lost.
Despite his usual lazy demeanor, his eyes were fixed on the countless feeds from the visual Den Den Mushi.
He had a strange feeling—maybe the justice he had long questioned could be found in the convergence of these pirates, marines, civilians, and even the storm-stirring Game Merchant.
"Hehehehe… so this is the place?"
Suspended in the air by a single thread, Doflamingo gazed carefully at the pitch-black tower.
Within a certain range of the tower, Devil Fruit abilities were nullified?
Pop.
A white thread shot out.
It pierced through a pirate ship, pulling Doflamingo over in an instant.
His pointed shoes landed with a crisp sound.
"This ship is now requisitioned by me."
"Bastard—"
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Threads snapped out like bullets, piercing through the bones of the pirates. The momentum threw them overboard into the sea.
Earlier, Doflamingo had already killed a pirate and stolen his Contract Fruit, granting him access to the Trial Tower.
He wanted to verify the truth of the so-called "Celestial Dragon Bloodline" for himself.
Even knowing that countless Den Den Mushi eyes were observing the area, Doflamingo acted without a hint of restraint.
The pirate ship cut through the waves and landed on the edge of the Island of Death.
Suddenly, a group of pirates emerged.
"Another big fish caught."
"Too bad for you—we're the Thieves Guild. Hand over your valuables or we'll kill you so hard you won't even qualify for resurrection."
The leader of the thieves sneered.
They were a band of thieves from the Goa Kingdom. After landing on the Island of Death, they realized they couldn't compete with the fierce pirates and the numerous marines to snatch corrupted monsters. So, they came up with a clever plan—to camp out at the island's edge and ambush new players.
Most of these new players hadn't even completed their Contract Quests. They typically carried only a beginner skill or item. Easy prey.
They had been lurking here for four days.
And business had been booming.
"Valuable things?"
Doflamingo looked at the players of the Thieves Guild, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. Then, he burst out laughing.
Ever since becoming the emperor of Dressrosa, recruited by the Navy as a Warlord of the Sea, and partnering with Kaido to become the underground Black Emperor, it had been a long time since anyone dared say such foolish words to his face.
There had been reports that in the East Blue, every pirate with a bit of strength had been captured by the Navy hero Garp. Even information about the Grand Line had been completely sealed off.
It was laughable.
"If we're talking about the most valuable item here, wouldn't it be my head?"
"What nonsense—kill him twice and he'll stop talking!"
The thieves' leader made the first move, slashing out a wave of sword energy that only a true swordsman could unleash.
It was a skill he had gained from his Contract—extremely powerful.
"So this is a skill? Pretty terrifying... I can't use my String-String Fruit, and even my Haki is..."
"Hehehehe, now I'm even more curious about the reward for the Celestial Dragon Bloodline quest."
Doflamingo shifted slightly, dodging the sword strike, and then suddenly swung his right fist forward.
In the next moment—
A mechanical gauntlet appeared on his right arm, flames gushing out with intense heat, turning the thieves' position into a sea of fire.
This was the skill Flamecloud Arm, a reward after completing the Contract Fruit quest.
It came from a demonic world of puppet masters skilled in mechanical arts. They could craft bizarre automaton armor and even merge with them, unleashing inhuman power.
"At just level 5, its power already rivals the Five-Color Strings I've honed for years. Incredible."
Retracting his arm, Doflamingo watched the fading flames of the Flamecloud Arm, clearly intrigued.
This new ability, known as Mechanism Art, seemed to pair extremely well with his String-String Fruit.
"Leveling up in the game to get stronger? How interesting."
He lifted one pointed shoe and stepped into the depths of the Island of Death.
Meanwhile—
At the Navy-guarded island entrance, several pirates from various ships had already been captured and chained up, then hauled aboard the battleships anchored offshore.
These latecomer pirates and civilians—just like the Thieves Guild said—each had maybe one skill or a piece of starter gear. They were no match for the Navy forces.
"Good. Keep it up. Don't let any more new players land on the island."
This was the Navy's 8th Division.
They had received direct orders from Fleet Admiral Sengoku: strictly reduce the number of new players landing on the Island of Death.
The portly officer Nelson Roy, with his thin, ratty mustache, idly twirled it between his fingers.
His beady eyes darted around, and in spots where the shipboard Den Den Mushi couldn't see, he confiscated all the valuables off the captured pirates and civilians—and sold them to the Reincarnation Game.
Dozens of beginner items and all the Berries he could squeeze from the captives had been sold off for several hundred reward points.
Though it wasn't a huge profit, it was all his to pocket—and every bit went toward upgrading his skills.
"Once I save up enough reward points, I'll sell everything in one go. That could be worth tens of millions of Berries—enough to buy a better post from those bloodsuckers at Marine Headquarters."
Though Roy was an admiral of a branch base, he dreamed every day of returning to the Grand Line.
The East Blue was poor and weak, with no real chance to make a fortune.
"Report, Admiral! A ship is approaching!"
"Intercept them!"
Roy spotted the slowly approaching merchant vessel, and his eyes gleamed.
Pirates were usually broke, but merchant ships? They carried nobles and wealthy traders. At worst, he could bleed them for a few million Berries.
At the top of the pitch-black giant tower, inside the game room once again, Fang Yi's gaze fell upon the edge of the Island of Death.
"Never thought someone who's always so cautious, always trying to grow in secret and avoid Marine attention, would show himself voluntarily."
In Fang Yi's field of vision, a man stood on the deck of the merchant vessel approaching the shore. He wore a dark green coat, his expression grim, and a red square-shaped tattoo marked his left cheek.
Ah Fu frowned and asked, "Who is he?"
"The leader of the Revolutionary Army. A man who dares to challenge the World Government and the Marines with nothing but his own power."
"Impossible."
Ah Fu rejected the idea without hesitation. "From what I sense, the World Government has several individuals with peak Tier 1 power levels. Add in the Marine Admirals, and even if the Four Emperors combined their forces, they'd only barely hold their ground."
"With the Revolutionary Army's overall strength, there's no way they could shake the World Government."
That was her most logical assessment.
Fang Yi chuckled. "Some things, and some people, know full well they can't win—but still, they do it anyway."
"People like that often unleash a power ordinary folks could never imagine. They ignite new sparks, inspire others, and create new forces."
"I'm very curious what kind of power Monkey D. Dragon—the man known as the most dangerous criminal in the world—will gain from the Reincarnation Game."
At the edge of the Island of Death,
the merchant ship had now slowly docked.
The portly Marine admiral twisted his round body, glaring and shouting, "I am the admiral of the East Blue's Eighth Branch! By direct order, no one is allowed to land!"
Dozens of flintlock rifles were raised, their dark barrels aimed at the merchant ship.
These flintlocks were the most basic starter firearms. Cheap to exchange for and lacking any special powers, but a barrage of bullets could still cause serious damage.
Dragon raised his head and swept his gaze calmly across the Marines. There was no fear in his eyes—only quiet resolve. "Apologies. We have no choice but to land."
"Fire!"
The Marine admiral sneered.
If these new players didn't suffer a little pain—didn't pay a few million Berries in resurrection fees—they'd never show proper respect to a pirate admiral like himself.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Black smoke burst from the flintlocks as bullets rained down on the figures standing on the deck.
Beside Dragon, the purple-haired Ivankov suddenly leapt into the air. A massive golden shield materialized in front of him, deflecting every bullet.
Holy Light Shield.
A spell from the world of magic. Those who mastered the Holy Light could suppress evil, and had powerful healing and buffing abilities as well.
"How is this possible?"
The Marine admiral's eyes nearly popped out of his head. How could a new player's skill be this strong?
"Sorry, darling," Ivankov said, batting his eyelashes. "My Holy Light Shield has a +13 Defense stat. These little flintlocks can't pierce it."
His exaggerated black eyeliner and raspy voice made the sight almost nauseating.
"By the way, Dragon, can you buy me a Perception Pill? I want to reroll the stat to full defense."
"Sorry, the Revolutionary Army's funds are limited. Once your skill levels up, it should close the gap."
"But I'm a perfectionist. I don't like flaws, darling~"
"Then figure it out yourself."
Dragon bent his knees slightly, then launched himself directly into the middle of the Marine formation. Surrounded by dozens of dark barrels, he swung his arms wide.
A layer of fine, emerald-green scales began to grow from the flesh of his forearms.
In a blink, his arms transformed into something like dragon claws.
As he swung them, he manipulated the air itself—sending the surrounding Marines flying like ragdolls.
"So powerful... as expected of our leader!"
Ivankov looked on in awe.
Dragon had chosen this as his Fate Item from the game room—a bloodline that carried a six-digit debt in reward points: Lesser Wind Dragon Bloodline.
In a high-tier magical world, dragons were terrifying beings capable of destroying continents with ease.
Wind Dragons were among the strongest of them, masters of wind-elemental magic, whose breath could level mountains like a hurricane.
Although Dragon only possessed a lesser-grade version of the bloodline, he already had the ability to partially transform his body into a dragon's and cast several potent wind-element spells.
Compared to Ivankov's Holy Light magic, the difference was like night and day.
The Marine admiral's face darkened. "You've completed all Contract Quests and purchased a Fate Item, haven't you?"
Among Marines, such intel was shared freely.
Players who completed all contracts could access the game room and purchase Fate Items—extraordinarily powerful upgrades that started at tens of millions of Berries.
Anyone who owned one was far beyond the strength of ordinary players.
"Everyone attack! Take them down!"
The admiral grinned viciously.
Even so, these players had just landed on the Island of Death—they hadn't had time to level up. In terms of level, they were still weak.
And the Marines had numbers on their side—they could overwhelm them.
If they could capture these players and force them to hand over their Fate Items...
That was all he could think about.
"Wind Dragon Claws!"
Dragon had no intention of wasting time.
His emerald dragon claws shimmered as a massive, intricate magic circle appeared in front of him.
Twin dragon claws made entirely of swirling wind magic crashed down on the ground.
Boom!
Two enormous craters appeared, several meters deep. Cracks webbed outward as dust filled the air.
Every Marine was flattened in an instant, forced into resurrection mode.
Even the admiral didn't have time to activate his prized skill. He too was consumed by a flash of white light.
"This Trial Tower... it might be the Revolutionary Army's chance to rise."
From the merchant vessel, more and more youthful figures stepped out and made their way onto the Island of Death.
They were all new recruits to the Revolutionary Army, once slaves under the tyranny of the East Blue nobles. Under Dragon's leadership, they had overthrown noble mansions and seized control of city streets.
Born anew through blood and fire, they were branded with the symbol of the Revolutionary Army, their old slave marks wiped away.
"Dragon, the higher-ups at Marine Headquarters don't seem to trust the Game Merchant. Are we really going to take such a risk?"
Ivankov's expression was filled with concern.
The sudden appearance of the Game Merchant had shaken all the great powers of the pirate world, but few dared to step forward.
The Four Emperors remained silent.
The Five Elders showed no response.
Not even a Vice Admiral from the Marines had taken part.
Everyone feared the Game Merchant had ulterior motives—perhaps he was a user of a mysterious Devil Fruit capable of controlling the players entering the Trial Tower.
For Dragon, the leader of the Revolutionary Army, to personally participate was dangerously reckless.
"I mean, let me go scout ahead. Once I confirm it's safe, you can enter later."
Ivankov added anxiously.
Monkey D. Dragon was the hope and spiritual pillar of the Revolutionary Army—he absolutely could not be put at risk.
"If I did that, then how would I be any different from the Marines?"
Dragon stepped forward slowly, his expression calm. "I'm not special. Even if I die, a new Revolutionary Army leader will rise. That kid Sabo—he's not bad at all. Hahaha. I have high hopes for him."
"What we aim to do is overthrow the absurd world built by the World Government, not become the next Celestial Dragons."
Though he had founded the Revolutionary Army, Dragon never believed himself to be irreplaceable.
The world of pirates never lacked the will to rebel. Anyone could become the leader of the Revolutionary Army. His role was simply to build a better environment for them to grow.
The mysterious Game Merchant, the wondrous Trial Tower, a dizzying array of new skills.
It was an opportunity they could not afford to miss.
Dragon had a gut feeling—if they could seize this chance, the Revolutionary Army might experience a revolutionary change.
"The Revolutionary Army?!"
Sengoku's eyes widened as he picked up the Den Den Mushi and barked out an order:
"The most dangerous criminal in the world has appeared—on the Island of Death! All Marine forces stationed at the island's edge, regroup at the southwest sector. Capture the leader of the Revolutionary Army at all costs!"
They had caught a big fish.
Compared to the pirate swarms across the seas, it was the Revolutionary Army—those often overlooked fighters—that posed the real threat to the World Government.
Even Whitebeard only dared carve out territory in the New World.
As powerful as Shanks and Big Mom were, they never dared to challenge the World Government or the Celestial Dragons directly.
But the Revolutionary Army?
They dared to openly declare war on the World Government.
They sought to overthrow the nobility.
Marine Headquarters could tolerate certain pirates, even recruiting Warlords of the Sea when manpower was lacking—but they would never tolerate a faction dedicated to bringing down the World Government.
All this time,
the Revolutionary Army had been elusive, stirring rebellions across the Four Seas and the Grand Line—riling up slaves and civilians to revolt against nobles, causing chaos.
And by the time the Marines showed up? It was always too late.
But this time—they had them.
Sengoku shouted into the Den Den Mushi with excitement:
"All Marines, full mobilization! Those without Contract Fruits, form a perimeter outside the Trial Tower. All units on the Island of Death, move in for the capture!"
"Are these scumbags insane?"
Akainu raised his head, eyes narrowing at the video feed showing the Revolutionary Army boldly out in the open.
Steam hissed from his mouth as he growled, "They spread war and slander the name of the World Government, openly oppose the Marines—these parasites need to be cleansed."
"Prepare a ship!"
"Sakazuki?!"
"I'm heading to the East Blue. I'll personally exterminate these pests."
Akainu braced his hands on the table, rising slowly, and made his way out of the meeting room.
Sengoku frowned deeply.
These lunatics never followed orders—they always did whatever they pleased.
Still, dispatching a Marine Admiral to capture the Revolutionary Army was appropriate. Sakazuki's actions aligned with Sengoku's goals, so there was no need to stop him.
It was just that Sengoku had a different candidate in mind—Borsalino.
With his fruit ability, he could have reached the East Blue much faster.
Sengoku turned his head—
Only to see Kizaru, unshaven and slouched, one leg crossed over the other, watching Dragon on the screen with a "wow, how strong" look plastered on his face.
Forget it. Sakazuki was the more reliable one this time.
Deep within the Island of Death.
The terrain turned into mass graves, ghostly blue flames flickered in the wind, paper money drifted down like snow, and clusters of old buildings loomed overhead.
All four directions were surrounded by ancient architecture.
Scarlet doors, bluish-grey stone floors, crimson lanterns hanging high—sorrowful, eerie voices echoed from within the walled estates.
If the outer parts of the island merely had a sinister vibe,
then the deeper region was like stepping into an ancient ghost town.
"Even the dead can't block the path of my sword."
Hawkeye's sharp gaze locked onto a courtyard lit by red lanterns. He stepped forward.
In seconds, dazzling sword aura and wails of crimson-clad spirits burst over the high walls.
His current level: 11.
The surrounding red spirits were between level 9 and 13—clearly arranged by the Game Merchant to encourage players to go deeper into the island to level up.
Hawkeye had spent most of his reward points from hunting corrupted monsters on one thing: the Sword Seed within his body.
Unlike other players who upgraded multiple skills or mixed gear sets and accessories...
For Hawkeye, decent gear, one good weapon, and the Sword Seed that amplified his sword aura—that was all he needed.
His Sword Seed had reached level 10.
It granted two attributes:
Level 5 Trait: Sword Aura +18
Level 10 Trait: Sword Aura +43
Now, every swing of Hawkeye's blade unleashed terrifying green sword energy.
Flames of green light that not only tore through flesh—but also seared the soul.
Buzz.
The red-clad wraith split by the sword aura vanished, and a burst of purple light flared in its place.
A drop?
Hawkeye stepped forward without hesitation and picked up the purple glow.
As the light faded, it revealed a pitted, slightly purple-hued stone.
"A whetstone?!"
Even for someone as composed as Hawkeye, it was hard not to shout in excitement.
He had hunted over a dozen of these red spirits before—whetstones dropped occasionally, but they were usually green or blue in rarity.
His purple-grade black blade required a purple whetstone for upgrades.
"At last."
Hawkeye took a deep breath and gently pressed the whetstone against the black blade.
[Whetstone (Purple) consumed successfully. Weapon Sharpness +1]
A sharp gleam flashed along the blade's edge—so bright it felt like it could blind anyone who looked directly at it.
"Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!"
In a rare display, Hawkeye threw etiquette aside and burst into wild laughter.
Inside the game room, Fang Yi could only shake his head with a sigh.
"All that joy over a single whetstone. When the pirate world catches up with the ninja world and the enhancement system gets unlocked… won't Hawkeye lose his mind?"
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