The New World — Kamabakka Kingdom, the Queendom of Okama.
Ever since the Revolutionary Army's headquarters in the first half of the Grand Line, Baltigo, had been ruthlessly "dealt with" by Fleet Admiral Sakazuki—crushed to the brink of collapse with catastrophic losses—the battered organization had been forced into a desperate retreat. With no choice left, they relocated their base of operations to the relatively concealed Kamabakka Kingdom, a land closely tied to Emporio Ivankov.
Now, deep within the heart of that kingdom, all of the Revolutionary Army's core leadership had gathered.
Chief of Staff Sabo.
And the four commanders of the North, South, East, and West armies.
They had assembled in a hastily established, highly secretive stronghold to convene a meeting that would determine the future of the entire organization.
And yet—
Before even a single strategic discussion could begin, everything was thrown into chaos.
A freshly delivered extra edition newspaper, still carrying the sharp scent of ink, had arrived via News Coo.
The moment their eyes fell upon the front page—
The explosive headline.
The blurred yet unmistakably shocking photograph—
It detonated in their minds like a bomb.
[Heaven-Shaking Might! Fleet Admiral Gern Reginald Sigmar defeats two alone—capturing 'Red-Haired' Shanks and the world's most dangerous criminal, Revolutionary Army leader Monkey D. Dragon!]
The air seemed to vanish.
Silence.
A suffocating, absolute silence filled the room.
The only sounds left were the faint crinkling of paper being unconsciously crushed in trembling hands… and the heavy, suppressed breathing of those present.
Belo Betty of the East.
Morley of the West.
Lindbergh of the South.
Karasu of the North.
These four pillars of the Revolutionary Army—veterans of countless battles—now stared at the newspaper, their faces frozen in disbelief.
Their leader.
Their symbol.
The man they revered—the soul of the Revolutionary Army—
Monkey D. Dragon…
Defeated?
And not just defeated—but captured?
And not even alone… but in a two-on-one battle?!
"…What… is this supposed to mean…?"
No one could even fully voice the thought.
BOOM!!!
Sabo's fist slammed violently into the heavy wooden table.
The solid surface split instantly, cracks spiderwebbing outward from the point of impact.
He lowered his head.
His blond hair shadowed his eyes—but the grinding of his teeth, the trembling of his shoulders, betrayed everything.
Because that man…
Was his mentor.
His leader.
And…
Luffy's father.
The four commanders exchanged glances.
Silently.
Helplessly.
Because no matter how they looked at it… there was nothing they could say.
Nothing they could refute.
Piecing together fragments of intelligence from multiple sources, the truth became painfully clear:
Dragon had initiated the confrontation.
He had joined forces with Red-Haired Shanks to intercept Gern Reginald Sigmar at sea, before the latter could reach Wano.
Their intent was uncertain—perhaps a warning, perhaps an ambush.
But the result…
Was undeniable.
Two against one.
Defeated.
Captured.
Who could they blame?
Blame Gern for being too strong?
But this had been a life-and-death battle—and Dragon's side had the numerical advantage.
Blame Dragon for a miscalculation?
Who among them would dare question their leader's judgment—especially now, when his life hung in the balance?
Then what…?
What were they supposed to say?
From every angle, no argument held.
No justification stood firm.
The silence dragged on.
Heavy. Suffocating.
Until finally—
Sabo slowly lifted his head.
His voice was hoarse, but resolute.
"We have to rescue Dragon."
Every word fell like iron.
"We start planning immediately. No matter the cost."
His declaration ignited sparks in the eyes of some of the younger officers present.
But the four commanders—
Especially Karasu, known for his cold logic and strategic clarity—
Frowned deeply.
"Sabo."
Karasu's voice was low, rough.
"Calm down. Acting on impulse won't solve anything."
He gestured toward the newspaper.
"Look carefully. Dragon—and Red-Haired Shanks—are being held at the New World's G-4 Marine Base."
"And guarding them…"
His tone grew heavier.
"Are the new Admiral 'Devil' Douglas Bullet… and Admiral Fujitora, Issho."
A grim weight settled over the room.
"Bullet needs no explanation. His strength was already displayed during the escort of the 'Mother Flame'—he even repelled members of the World Government's God Knights. He's a pure war machine."
"As for Fujitora… while his ideals may partially align with ours, his Gravity Fruit is overwhelmingly dangerous—and his sense of duty is absolute."
"With those two stationed there… G-4 is impregnable."
Karasu paused.
Then delivered the final blow:
"And don't forget—New Marineford, the new headquarters of the Marines, is located at the former G-2 base. It's not far from G-4."
"They chose to hold Dragon there instead of sending him directly to Impel Down."
His eyes sharpened.
"Their intention couldn't be clearer."
"This is a trap."
"A deliberate one."
"They're waiting—for us."
"For the entire Revolutionary Army—to walk straight into it."
The words landed like a death sentence.
"If we launch a full-scale assault on G-4…"
"We won't just be facing two Admirals and the base's forces."
"Reinforcements from New Marineford could arrive at any moment—including Gern himself."
Karasu's voice turned cold.
"That would be the end of the Revolutionary Army."
The room's temperature seemed to drop.
Everyone understood.
Every word he spoke… was the truth.
The difficulty of a rescue operation—
Was beyond despair.
"Then what?!"
Sabo shot to his feet.
His voice cracked with fury.
"Do we just sit here?!"
"Watch as Dragon is paraded like a trophy—until they ship him off to Impel Down, never to be seen again?!"
"Or worse—used by that bastard Gern as leverage in some filthy deal with the World Government?!"
His emotions spiraled.
"Don't tell me you actually believe that just because he declared independence from the World Government, he's on the side of the people!"
"Who knows what kind of deals he's making behind the scenes—with Imu, with the Five Elders?!"
"What if he trades Dragon for concessions? For power?!"
"Are we supposed to just watch?!"
"Then what the hell have we been fighting for all these years?!"
"Sabo."
Belo Betty stepped forward, her brows furrowed.
"You're letting your emotions cloud your judgment."
She placed a hand on his shoulder, steadying him.
"At first… we all suspected the same thing."
"That Gern's 'independent Marines' might be some kind of elaborate political scheme."
"But…"
Her tone shifted.
"Since declaring independence, their actions speak for themselves."
"They've accepted any nation willing to abide by their order—regardless of whether they were former World Government members."
"They abolished the discriminatory system where only member nations received Marine protection."
"They've established a broader security framework based on jurisdiction and agreements."
"They've intercepted Heavenly Tribute shipments. Arrested Celestial Dragons. Publicly abolished their privileges…"
Her voice hardened.
"Every one of those actions strikes directly at the World Government's foundation."
"If this were all some hidden collaboration…"
"Do you really think the Five Elders and the Celestial Dragons would sit back and allow their authority—the very basis of their 800-year rule—to be dismantled like this?"
"Would you?"
"For an uncertain 'plot'?"
Her logic cut deep.
Because it was undeniable.
The Marines' actions weren't subtle manipulation.
They were open war.
"And more importantly, Sabo…"
Her gaze swept across everyone present.
"There's something we've all been avoiding."
"Why were we driven out of the first half of the Grand Line?"
"Why were we forced to abandon Baltigo?"
She didn't wait for an answer.
"Because after the Marines took control of those regions…"
"Most of our 'revolutionary efforts' lost their foundation."
"In many places, civilians—under Marine protection and relatively fair governance—no longer needed us."
"Some even began to resent us… for disrupting the stability they finally had."
Her words struck like hammer blows.
"Our conflict with the Marines has shifted."
"We've become the aggressors. They—the defenders."
"Without popular support… we're nothing but drifting rootless weeds."
She hesitated briefly—
Then delivered the cruelest truth of all.
"And Baltigo…"
"The reason it was exposed so completely—why Sakazuki was able to destroy it so precisely…"
"Based on post-incident intelligence…"
"…It was likely reported."
"By the locals."
"Because our actions frightened them."
"!!!"
The revelation hit like lightning.
Morley and Lindbergh lowered their heads.
Ivankov let out a heavy sigh.
Sabo opened his mouth—
But no words came out.
Because everything she said…
Was true.
When the old oppressor is replaced by a new order—
One that offers structure, protection, and stability—
Then what becomes of revolution?
Where does their banner point?
Had they…
Become the ones disrupting peace?
Rescuing Dragon—
Was non-negotiable.
But how?
With their ideals shaken…
Their strength diminished…
And their enemy stronger than ever—
And possibly waiting with a trap—
A reckless move now…
Would mean total annihilation for the Revolutionary Army.