The land was devastated, everywhere eyes could see.
Sear and his group walked past dead remains of people and animals in every street.
Alvida and Gin, who were just teenagers, had never witnessed such a scene even in the slums of Goat Island where they lived their whole life.
Roughly after an hour of walking, finally the four arrived at the center square of Cozia Island's royal capital.
If the rest of the city appeared like hell on earth, then stepped into the royal castle, the four really found out what the devil's lair looked like.
The castle was far worse in every facet of that word. It was a complete massacre. All they could see were mangled and charred corpses in far worse conditions.
Even Sear, who had served in the army, hadn't seen such carnage. They came across burned bodies of men and women with their eye sockets missing. Alvida and Gin's reactions could be imagined.
At least in the streets, there had been survivors that were alive among the rubble. Here however, there were none.
Saga, who was at the front, leading the group, stopped at a rather unassuming door.
"If humans are sinners, what makes the gods ruling over them?" he asked.
"Demons!!" replied a voice from beyond. Slowly the door opened with a creak.
...
The mood inside the room was grim. The revolutionaries were all wounded; some were barely alive.
They shook hands, but there was no rejoice to be had.
Everyone was seated on the floor.
"Those Government dogs, we lost Miss Ginny to them, dammit! She was taken right before our eyes." One of the guys broke down in tears. A few more followed.
Sear quietly listened to the conversation. Saga however spoke,
"It couldn't be helped. This attack was really unprecedented. None of us in East Blue are equipped to face a Warlord, Cipher Pol and Germa-66 at once."
The revolutionaries who were involved in the mission at Cozia remained silent, but the rest who also arrived recently agreed.
"Anyway we have to get to headquarters and recuperate. There is no time to waste. Everyone close to here who could provide support has arrived. Now it shouldn't be difficult transporting the injured."
Others reinforced this sentiment.
"Right! We can't be helpless for long!!"
"Yes, we need to bounce back stronger and show them what we really are!!"
"To Buster it is."
Slowly voices in agreement echoed in the room.
***
The Revolutionary Headquarters, Eastern Branch.
Buster wasn't the name of any island, it was the name given to East Blue HQ after the previous HQ was completely destroyed in a Buster Call.
So rather than being located on any particular island, the HQ moved locations every so often.
It constantly shifted between different non-government islands, inhabited or uninhabited, which weren't designated on any government maps. Only a few were known.
Currently Buster was situated at an extremely remote part of the sea, somewhere near the humongous stretch of the Grand Line.
The whole base was in an uproar. Deputy Commander Belo Betty had ordered the leaders in East Blue to regroup.
Saga was among those who were able to heed the call and be present at Buster at the moment. Many were unable to do the same, due to a variety of mission constraints.
Right now all those with decision-making roles were gathered inside a large tent, in the middle of the forest.
"We need to save Commander Ginny, ASAP," an injured man cried out.
Another man chimed in, "That's right! Betty-san, please request reinforcements from the main HQ at the Grand Line."
In this heated exchange, only a few leaders, including Saga, were calm and collected.
Betty saw this, and so asked for his opinion on the matter.
"What do you suggest we do?"
Replying to her question, he said, "We should wait and see how the HQ reacts first. Making any hasty decision could pose greater risks."
"Hmm." Betty nodded. At the same time, her assistant Ahiru barged into the tent, running.
"It's a call from the Grand Line."
"Ohhhhhhh!!!!" everybody exclaimed.
"Please excuse me!" Betty left to receive the call.
Sear and his two new comrades, Alvida and Gin, were at the living quarters when a commotion grabbed their attention.
They went out to see what happened, learning afterwards that a huge man like a bear had suddenly appeared at Buster out of thin air.
"Bartolomeo Kuma," Sear blurted out as he rushed to the main tent.
There he saw all the leaders along with the huge man himself.
Kuma, someone from the Buccaneer race, towered over any normal human. Even Sear, who was taller than the usual man, paled in comparison.
Sear pushed past the crowd that had gathered. "Sorry, coming through! Sorry! Sorry!"
Just in time he reached the very front and heard the conversation that was happening between Kuma and Betty.
"I was supposed to meet up with Ginny's group. This year was supposed to be the start of a renewed offensive, but..." Kuma was letting up very few emotions while speaking. His voice was heavy as if boulders were pressed on his throat.
(A/N — Sear started his journey at the beginning of a new year, but he is still 16 because his birthday hasn't come.)
"In her place, I would like to help finish the work she started at Buster."
"You really don't have to." Betty looked at the big guy with sadness. "You have suffered enough pain. We can manage everything ourselves." She was almost pleading with him.
Everyone in the surroundings also felt a sense of pity for Kuma. They couldn't begin to imagine what he was going through.
"I can help bring Ginny back." Suddenly a voice came from among the crowd.
It was of course Sear.
Everybody present turned their head toward him.
"How can you help? Who even are you?" a random guy asked.
Belo Betty had seen that face before. "Saga, isn't he your friend?" she asked.
Seeing many gazes fall on him, Saga nodded his head. What is he up to now? He too was curious.
Sear was rather nervous after causing the commotion.
Still he was adamant. "I have never met her before, but I know a method that can help save Miss Ginny from the God's Knights and the Celestials."
"God's Knights?"
"Does he mean they actually exist?" the crowd buzzed.
Existence of God's Knights wasn't a top secret, but the revolutionary higher-ups generally kept it vague to the regular soldiers so as not to demoralize them.
To the general public, they were as obscure as CP-9 and CP-0. In parts of the Four Blues, even Devil Fruits were things of legend as the government controlled the circulation of information.
Sear went on speaking, "Sometimes I can see glimpses of future and past events that not many are aware of. Your special lineage, for example, and the Drums of Liberation." He lied, because obviously there was no way to explain that he is a reincarnated soul in this world.
Only Betty and Kuma understood what he meant by special lineage and Drums of Liberation, but before believing his words, Betty stepped forward to put up a question.
"How can we be sure you aren't working with the government and trying to deceive us?"
"Well..." Sear had no answer to this.
Before the situation could worsen further for the young man, Kuma stepped forward.
"Are you sure you can help?" he asked with a solemn look.
"I am certain," Sear spoke with confidence.
"Alright, I will be responsible for you."
Kuma grabbed Sear's shoulders with his palm, which had cat-like paws in it — a feature of his Devil Fruit.
"Everyone, I have to go somewhere with this boy."
As he thumped his own chest with the other palm, the two disappeared from the spot.