The White Earth Island of the Grand Line – Baltigo.
"This guy really can't sit still for even a moment!"
Within the headquarters of the Revolutionary Army, Dragon studied the latest newspaper with a serious expression. He quickly saw the enormous strategic importance of Alabasta.
The Nefertari family was one of the original Twenty Kings. If the Revolutionaries helped Alabasta's rebels overthrow their rule, it would deal a tremendous blow to the World Government and shatter the so-called divine sanctity of the Celestial Dragons.
The descendants of the Twenty Kings, just as Souta Kiryuu had once said, were nothing more than ordinary humans.
With that thought, Dragon immediately began deploying his commanders into Alabasta. Their mission: to guide the rebels, topple the Nefertari dynasty, and further erode the image of the Celestial Dragons as untouchable gods in the eyes of commoners.
"Leader, I've heard that King Cobra of Alabasta is actually a benevolent ruler. Right now, it's only one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, Crocodile, who is framing him. Do we really want to overthrow the Nefertari family's rule?"
The young Chief of Staff, Sabo, raised the issue seriously. If Cobra truly was an innocent and just king, then overthrowing him would seem to go against the very principles the Revolutionary Army stood for.
Their cause was to topple tyrants and end cruel regimes, so that common people could live better lives. The higher mission was to overthrow the Celestial Dragons entirely.
If a nation already had a good king, what justification did they have for tearing down its royal family?
"Truth is, I've been reflecting on this as well," Dragon admitted, his tone conflicted. "Right now, our army acts like firefighters—wherever there's oppression, we rush in to extinguish it. But Souta Kiryuu once told me, this only treats the symptoms, not the root. When our ultimate goal is to bring down the Celestial Dragons, then the system of monarchy and aristocracy in each nation is another towering mountain standing in our way."
The more Dragon exchanged ideas with Souta, the more he felt their doctrine was incomplete. The idea of royalty, just like the supremacy of the Celestial Dragons, had been etched deeply into the hearts of the masses.
Every royal line had both virtuous kings and cruel tyrants. But as long as the system was inherited generation after generation, there would always come a time when a decadent king would plunge his kingdom into ruin.
What kind of world was the Revolutionary Army truly striving to create?
Was it simply a world without the Celestial Dragons?
"…"
Sabo fell silent. Would that mean all royalty had to be overthrown? Even the good kings? The thought left him shaken.
"Don't overthink it for now," Dragon told him. "Our most important goal remains the Celestial Dragons. As for the question of monarchy, we'll need time to explore and search for a better system."
Even Dragon himself hadn't fully resolved this in his heart. How could a young man like Sabo be expected to?
In truth, Dragon was so plagued by doubts stirred by Souta Kiryuu's words that he wished he could drag the man into the Revolutionary Army itself—let him design the blueprint for their future world.
As for Alabasta, Dragon had already made his decision. Whether Cobra was innocent or framed didn't matter. The Nefertari family were descendants of the Twenty Kings. Overthrowing their rule would shatter the image of divine authority that the Celestial Dragons claimed.
Once the Nefertari line could be toppled, it would prove to the world that the others could fall as well.
That was the belief Dragon wanted to instill in commoners across the world.
Meanwhile, in the desert near Rainbase City.
Admiral Aokiji—Kuzan—stared grimly at the ominous storm clouds swirling overhead. Clouds like these, appearing suddenly over the desert, could only be unnatural.
From the destruction at Enies Lobby and the terrifying storms over the Sorbet Kingdom, Kuzan immediately recognized this as the handiwork of that "God of Thunder," Enel.
So the Souta Kiryuu Pirates had defeated Crocodile and not only refused to leave—they were waiting here for the Navy.
"Ara ara… stop advancing. Let me go check this out."
Kuzan halted the naval troops marching forward. If they entered the storm's range, they'd be nothing but targets for Enel's lightning.
"Admiral Kuzan, is it really the Souta Kiryuu Pirates up ahead?"
A nervous Marine captain asked. The reputation of that crew had already been seared into the minds of ordinary soldiers.
At Enies Lobby, nearly ten thousand guards and Marines had vanished during the incident, the entire island swallowed by the sea. At Sorbet, an entire part of the kingdom had been annihilated.
Now, whenever dark thunderclouds gathered overhead, Marines saw only one meaning: destruction.
"They really don't seem to have left. Pull back one kilometer and fortify your defenses. Wait for Admiral Akainu and Vice Admiral Garp to arrive. I'll go ahead alone to investigate."
Kuzan spoke casually, then walked straight into the storm clouds looming over Rainbase.
Delaying the Souta Kiryuu Pirates was a standard task for the three Admirals.
Still, Kuzan secretly wished they'd just leave early. Then he would only need to handle Alabasta's aftermath. But since they lingered, he had no choice but to confront them.
That crew was truly a thorn in his side.
The Marines behind him couldn't hide their unease as they watched their Admiral step into what looked like a carefully laid trap. Even though they had faith in the Navy's strongest, their opponents were infamous monsters.
The "God-Slayer" Souta Kiryuu with a bounty of 3 billion Berries.
The "Tyrant" Bartholomew Kuma at 1.296 billion.
The "God of Thunder" Enel at 1 billion.
The former Warlord of the Sea, Gecko Moria, at 620 million.
Even for an Admiral, facing such a lineup alone risked being overwhelmed.
The soldiers wanted to cry out, to call Kuzan back. Why not wait for Akainu and Garp, and strike together?
Beneath the black storm clouds in the desert…
"Yehahahaha! As expected of a Navy Admiral—charging in alone without fear!"
Enel's body crackled with lightning as he grinned at the bronze-skinned man draped in the cloak of justice. Though Kuzan's lazy demeanor remained, his presence radiated pressure strong enough to make even Enel thrill with excitement.
"Ara ara… looks like I walked right into a trap. Are you here to hunt me down?"
Kuzan's eyes swept across the Souta Kiryuu Pirates, until they locked onto a familiar figure. His expression instantly hardened, a surge of freezing air erupting from his body.
"Nico Robin… so you've joined a crew this dangerous."
His voice grew heavy. He hadn't expected the girl he once spared—out of respect for his friend Saul—to become part of the world's most wanted crew. Was his decision back then a mistake?
"Kuzan," Souta Kiryuu stepped forward with a smile, positioning himself beside Robin to shield her from Kuzan's oppressive aura. "I've received inside information. The Five Elders intend to appoint Akainu, Sakazuki, as the next Fleet Admiral. Your vision of justice will never take root in the Navy."