At the same time—Naval Headquarters, New Marineford.
Urgent intelligence regarding Straw Hat Luffy's landing on Egghead Island and his clash with CP0 had already been delivered, through the Marines' special channels, straight to the Fleet Admiral's office.
Seated behind his broad desk, Gern Reginald Sigmar calmly finished reading the encrypted report.
There was not the slightest hint of surprise on his face.
Under Tesoro's silent watch, he neither issued immediate orders nor showed any urgency toward Vegapunk's vast database.
Instead, he rose to his feet.
Alone, he left the office.
He did not return to his quarters, nor did he head for the command center. Instead, he turned deeper into the headquarters—toward a heavily guarded temporary prison constructed from special alloys and reinforced with Seastone.
After identity verification, the massive gate slid open with a low, mechanical hum.
Inside, the lighting was cold. The air carried a faint blend of disinfectant and metal.
With a simple gesture, Gern dismissed all the guards.
Then, alone, he stepped into the deepest cell.
The chamber was small.
Every wall was forged from a special alloy infused with powdered Seastone, its dull gray-white surface suppressing all power within.
At the center of the room sat a figure, bound to a reinforced stone chair by thick Seastone chains.
The restraints coiled around his wrists, ankles, and torso—completely sealing away his strength, his stamina… and any Devil Fruit ability.
Hearing the footsteps, the man slowly raised his head.
His dark green cloak had long since been removed, revealing short black hair and a weathered, hard-edged face.
The distinctive red tattoo on the left side of his face stood out starkly.
But now, those eyes—once enough to make the World Government tremble—were dimmed, weighed down by injury, exhaustion, and the helplessness of captivity.
The leader of the Revolutionary Army—
Monkey D. Dragon.
Or rather… Dorag.
He had been secretly transferred here from the G-4 base—clearly for tighter confinement.
"Your Revolutionary Army…" Gern began calmly, his voice echoing faintly through the silent chamber,"…has been quite active lately. Stirring things up across Paradise and the New World."
"Dorag… senpai."
Dragon's body shifted slightly. He lifted his head, his expression still pale, his gaze tired—but the unyielding core of a leader remained.
"…Gern…"
His voice was weak, but steady.
"After all… I lost."
A defeated man had no right to boast.
Especially after being crushed head-on—two against one—and captured alive.
The defeated lose their voice. Their subordinates scatter… or fall into chaos.
Gern stepped closer, looking down at Dragon bound in chains.
He was silent for a moment.
Then—
He spoke a sentence that made Dragon's pupils violently contract, as if he had misheard.
"I can release you."
"!!!"
Dragon's entire expression changed.
The dim light in his eyes reignited instantly—like embers flaring back to life.
He stared at Gern, voice trembling slightly with shock.
"You… what did you say?!"
"I said," Gern repeated evenly, "I can release you."
He pulled over a simple chair and sat down across from him, bringing their eyes level.
"The ideals of the Revolutionary Army…" Gern said slowly,"…I acknowledge them."
"The World Government… should not exist. The privileges of the Celestial Dragons—their eight hundred years of oppression… must be brought to an end."
A complex emotion flickered through Dragon's eyes.
"Then why… have you still—"
"Because I succeeded where you failed."
Gern cut him off without hesitation.
His tone was absolute. Unquestionable. Carried by ironclad confidence.
"From the moment I left God Valley… and chose to deceive Zephyr…"
Gern's gaze drifted, as if looking back over a long, thorn-covered path.
"…I have walked step by step to where I stand today."
"I am not you, Dorag."
He met Dragon's eyes directly.
"When you faced the corruption of the Marines and the oppression of the World Government, you chose to leave—start from nothing—build the Revolutionary Army."
"That path is difficult. Long. And forever outside the core of power… unable to secure a true foundation."
A pause.
"Whereas I…"
"…was smarter."
"I realized early on—if you truly want to overturn the old world…"
"…then the Marines—the force that controls the seas, the choke points of the Grand Line, the greatest military power, and the very symbol of order…"
"…are the foundation of everything."
"So I didn't leave."
Gern's voice deepened, steady and powerful.
"I chose a path far more dangerous—far more difficult—but one that, if successful, would multiply the results tenfold."
"To carve the Marines away… layer by layer… from the rotten, bloated corpse of the World Government."
He raised a hand, counting each step.
"From the era of Fleet Admiral Kong—laying groundwork, exerting influence…"
"To Sengoku's tenure—quietly pushing forward, building strength…"
"And now—"
"I, Gern Reginald Sigmar… have declared independence."
"The Marines—after decades of endurance, planning, and succession across three Fleet Admirals—"
"…are now…"
"…independent."
Gern clenched his fist.
A blazing fire burned in his eyes.
"This—"
"…is my revolution."
He leaned forward slightly, his voice turning into a declaration.
"Compared to your Revolutionary Army… nibbling at the edges, relying on agitation and guerrilla tactics…"
"…I am the only one."
"Because—"
He spoke each word slowly.
"I hold greater… and broader… authority over the world itself."
"…"
Dragon fell completely silent.
He lowered his head.
For a long time, he said nothing.
Gern's words were not wrong.
They struck directly at the core of everything Dragon had built over decades.
He had to admit it—
Gern's path, though seemingly one of betrayal and usurpation…
…had achieved results far beyond anything the Revolutionary Army had managed.
Yes…
If the Marines themselves became the force of revolution—
Then what need was there for the Revolutionary Army at all?
The thought brought a deep, suffocating sense of powerlessness… and confusion.
At last, Dragon slowly lifted his head again.
The turmoil in his eyes settled, replaced by calm, analytical clarity.
He stared at Gern and asked in a low voice:
"…What do you need me to do?"
He no longer questioned.
He was considering the terms.
Gern had been waiting for that.
He leaned back slightly, hands resting together on his knees.
"Dorag… when I spoke to you before declaring Marine independence…"
"…I meant it."
"The Revolutionary Army's ideals—the way you work among the people… the way you ignite hearts…"
"…the Marines need that."
"The Revolutionary Army should merge into the Marines. Take charge of ideological work."
"Let 'liberation' and 'justice'…"
"…take root in every soldier. In every civilian under Marine control."
"That is the only way to ensure lasting stability."
"You could become…"
"…the 'political officers' of the Marines."
Dragon's brow furrowed deeply.
"…So you want me to bring in the remnants of the Revolutionary Army? Help you absorb them?"
A reasonable assumption.
But—
Gern shook his head.
His gaze sharpened.
"No."
"What I need…"
"…is for you to lead the Revolutionary Army…"
He paused—
Then dropped a statement like a thunderbolt.
"…to attack Mary Geoise."
"WHAT?!"
Dragon's composure shattered instantly.
His voice broke with shock.
"Attack Mary Geoise?!"
The very heart of the World Government.
The nest of the Celestial Dragons.
The summit of the Red Line—guarded by the God's Knights, CP0's elite, and countless defenses.
"You… what are you saying?!"
Gern didn't react to his shock.
He simply continued, calm and unwavering.
"I will release you."
"The Marines will provide support—weapons, medicine, food."
"And we will supply… a group of liberated slaves."
"Those who can no longer return to normal life. Those who harbor absolute hatred toward the Celestial Dragons."
"They will be your vanguard."
He met Dragon's eyes.
"And the Marines will also assign…"
"…a 'hero' to fight alongside you."
"A hero?"
Dragon instinctively thought of one man.
"My father—Garp—"
"Not Vice Admiral Garp."
Gern cut him off again.
"…but the 'hero' your father risked everything to save…"
"…from Pirate Island."
"Koby."
"!!!"
Dragon's expression collapsed.
Koby…?
Who the hell is that?!
Wait—are you serious?!
Is this a joke? A check? A trap?
Or… another move in a game he couldn't yet see?
Dragon stared deeply into Gern's eyes, trying to dredge up the truth hidden beneath that calm surface.
But Gern only returned the gaze, silent… waiting.
To release a tiger back into the wild—
Only to have it lead an army straight toward the dragon's lair.