Revolutionary Army Headquarters – Baltigo!
A colossal fireball, brilliant as the sun, hovered in the sky above the Island of White Soil. It radiated scorching heat that combined with the town's raging fires to turn Baltigo's already summery climate into a stifling, dry furnace.
In the town below, the streets were choked with bodies lying in haphazard heaps. Weapons and firearms were scattered everywhere, and the landscape was a mosaic of jagged sword-slashes and charred craters.
Squads of Marine soldiers and burly, scarred pirates stepped over the blackened corpses. The scent in the air, disturbingly similar to roasted meat, made many faces pale with revulsion. The smell of burning flesh was enough to turn anyone's stomach.
In stark contrast, the black-suited agents of Cipher Pol moved through the ruins with practiced indifference, methodically scouring the buildings for anything of value.
…
"Terry Gilteo, right? I believe that's your name."
"Now, be a good lad and tell me... where did Dragon go?"
On the balcony of a ruined three-story building, Aeridar stood with a thin smile, his fingers clamped around the throat of a bearded man wearing a bear-themed helmet. He hoisted the man off the ground with a single arm.
"Stop... wasting your breath... Just kill me..." Gilteo forced out, his eyes bruised and bleeding. Though he struggled for air, his gaze remained fixed with a resolve that welcomed death.
Shuuu—!
Suddenly, a blinding flash of golden light streaked across the balcony, condensing into a human silhouette.
"How scary~ As expected of a Revolutionary Army officer!"
Borsalino sat leisurely on the balcony railing, legs crossed and lips pursed in his trademark display of mock trepidation.
"Aeridar-sama, he is the Revolutionaries' Intelligence Controller. Hand him over to me; I have ways of making him speak," a middle-aged man with an eyepatch and a white suit said, stepping forward with an expressionless face.
"My, my~ Interrogation is indeed a specialized course within Cipher Pol. It seems Nadas-sama is quite the expert in that field!" Borsalino turned his gaze toward the CP0 agent, looking at him with curious amusement.
"You?"
Aeridar glanced at the agent named Nadas and let out a derisive snort.
CRACK—!
In the next heartbeat, Aeridar's fingers tightened. Without a shred of hesitation, he snapped Gilteo's neck.
"You!"
Nadas flared with rage, glaring at Aeridar.
"A man who has already embraced death is a waste of time. Even if you spent hours extracting a scrap of intel, we wouldn't catch Dragon now. Do you really think he hasn't received word that his headquarters is under attack?" Aeridar looked at Nadas mockingly before tossing Gilteo's corpse onto the floor like trash.
Gilteo had been prepared to die. Even if he eventually broke under torture, he would have stalled long enough for Dragon to relocate. Furthermore, the man was already critically injured; a heavy-handed interrogation would have simply killed him before he spoke. His value was spent.
"So decisive... what a terrifying man, ne~," Borsalino remarked, eyeing Aeridar with newfound interest.
Nadas's expression did not soften. His face remained grim. He hadn't just wanted Dragon's location; he had intended to squeeze out every secret the Revolutionary Army held. He realized now that Aeridar had seen right through him and killed the captive specifically to spite the World Government.
Just then, Mina, dressed in a crimson gown, arrived upstairs alongside Strawberry. Her red high heels clicked sharply against the floor as they navigated the corpse-strewn hall to join the group.
Seeing her, Borsalino offered a greasy greeting. "Ooh~ Mina-san, you're looking more beautiful by the day!"
Mina flashed a polite smile but didn't pull any punches. "Admiral Kizaru, you're looking more sleazy by the day as well."
Borsalino threw up his hands in a helpless, mock-hurt gesture. "Goodness, such words truly break my heart!"
Strawberry remained silent, standing like a statue behind the Admiral.
Mina turned her attention to the group, her tone turning professional. "Preliminary counts confirm this was indeed the Revolutionary headquarters. The volume of clerical staff, intelligence officers, and recovered documents leaves no room for doubt."
She paused, a trace of regret crossing her face. "Unfortunately, the main force was absent. We found no trace of the leader, Dragon, nor any of the four Army Commanders."
Strawberry finally spoke, his voice flat and robotic. "Approximately four thousand Revolutionaries were eliminated. We have five hundred captives, mostly administrative staff and recruits. Both Cipher Pol and the Chris Investigation Bureau have secured a significant amount of intelligence."
"While we lack Dragon's current coordinates, we have uncovered the locations of numerous secret Revolutionary outposts and cells."
…
The following morning, News Coos took flight, raining newspapers down upon every corner of the globe.
[Baltigo Fallen – Revolutionary Army Headquarters Destroyed!!!]
[The Alliance of World Government, Marines, and Chris Pirates Crushes the Revolutionaries!!!]
[A Scattered Remnant: The Main Force of the Revolutionary Army Annihilated!!!]
This news sent a shockwave through the world that rivaled the Dressrosa incident.
The Revolutionary Army, a massive entity dedicated to the total overthrow of the World Government. Mysterious! Powerful! Those were the two pillars of their reputation. To survive for decades under the Government's pursuit and to successfully topple multiple member nations spoke volumes of their strength.
For many civilians living in squalor and oppression, the Revolutionaries were saviors, the "Light of Hope."
But first, Sabo, the Chief of Staff and No. 2 of the organization, was defeated and captured in Dressrosa. Now, their very heart had been torn out by the combined might of the Government, the Marines, and the Chris Pirates.
A profound sense of despair washed over those who had secretly supported the cause.
The destruction of the headquarters meant that countless outposts across the seas lost contact with their leadership, plunging the organization into chaos. With the secret intel Aeridar and the Government had seized, the purge began.
Cipher Pol agents, Marine fleets, and Chris Pirate executives were deployed en masse to uproot every exposed cell.
Bribery, betrayal, assassination, and encirclement, every tool of suppression was utilized. The loss of low-to-mid-level personnel was staggering. Panic began to rot the Revolutionary Army from within, as if the final curtain was about to fall on their era.