The overall combat strength of Elior's side was far greater than that of the Revolutionary Army.
The only formidable opponent the Revolutionaries had brought to this island was Morley, with only a handful of deputy commanders at his side. But none of them could ever hope to stand against the likes of Shiryu.
Morley faced both Shiryu and Weevil alone. At first, the battle was fierce, but within ten minutes his body was covered in wounds. In the end, Shiryu and Weevil severed his left and right arms, leaving him collapsing helplessly to the ground.
Bleeding heavily, pale from blood loss, Morley's eyes still burned with rage even as his strength ebbed away. But the sight of his Revolutionary comrades falling one after another brought only despair.
Would the Revolutionary Army perish here today?
"Are you going to kill them all?" Morley roared, anger flaring through his fading body.
"Weevil. Finish it" Shiryu ordered coldly.
Weevil swung his blade, and Morley's head was severed, tumbling to the ground as blood sprayed across the battlefield.
He died with his eyes wide open.
"No!"
Belo Betty's scream rang out. From where she was restrained, disbelief and grief tore through her chest. Her comrades were being cut down one by one before her eyes.
At that moment, Betty herself was already a prisoner of Elior.
"Please… let them go…" she begged, tears streaking her face. "I'll do anything you ask!"
But Elior said nothing. He wasn't one to negotiate. Making someone obey him was far too easy—he didn't need her consent.
Soon the Revolutionary Army was reduced to corpses and the wounded. No one was left standing.
The citizens who had once raised their arms for freedom now collapsed in despair, watching from a distance as the light they had believed in turned into an even deeper darkness.
"Crocodile, you'll handle the cleanup" Elior commanded.
Crocodile nodded. He knew exactly what Elior wanted. This land was to be folded into Elior's growing dominion. Elior wouldn't simply leave behind chaos; he would claim it.
In fact, Elior's territories in the New World were among the most stable and secure—far more so than Big Mom's domain, and even more so than the nations under the World Government's banner. The price was high protection fees, but Elior ensured order.
Perhaps in the future, once his power was consolidated, he would even develop these territories further.
As for Gothia, the kingdom the Revolutionaries had "liberated" its fate was sealed.
Crocodile, who had once nearly seized control of Alabasta, was efficient as ever. Within hours, the flag of the Elior Pirates flew over Gothia, a puppet king was installed, and the nation was declared part of Elior's territory.
The corpses of the Revolutionaries were left behind for the locals to deal with.
Elior himself departed, dragging the shackled Belo Betty with him. Her bold attire drew many eyes, but none were surprised. Everyone knew Elior's taste in women.
"Don't overthink it" Elior said with a grin to his men. "I'll break her. She'll tell me where the Revolutionary Army's headquarters is, and then we'll wipe them out in one strike."
His followers nodded in agreement. Capturing a high-ranking Revolutionary was the fastest way to find Baltigo.
But Elior had more in mind. Not only would he extract her secrets, he intended to make Betty his captive. Her Devil Fruit ability was far too useful to waste.
The Pump-Pump Fruit could sway the hearts of entire nations. If Elior used her to manipulate a World Government member state, brainwashing its citizens into his service, the results would be catastrophic for his enemies.
"I'll never tell you!" Betty spat, trembling with rage and grief.
The Revolutionary Army's headquarters was unmarked on any map. Even under interrogation by the World Government, no Revolutionary had ever betrayed that secret. Betty swore she never would either—not for torture, not for pain, not for death.
She would not let the dead Revolutionaries suffer in vain.
But she underestimated Elior. With his ability to impose absolute command, her will could be shattered with ease.
That night, Elior chained Betty with seastone shackles and dragged her back to his residence. The women of his household looked on in silence, already knowing her fate.
Behind closed doors, muffled cries and the steady rhythm of domination carried through the night.
Reiju sighed and gathered the others. "Come on, sisters. Let's keep busy."
They sat around a table playing the card game Landlord that Elior had taught them, while Yamato, Baby 5, Ayu, and Sugar watched.
"Hiyori" Tama asked innocently, "what's brother doing with the new sister? It sounds really loud…"
The room went red with embarrassment. Reiju's face burned, and even Yamato and Sugar looked away awkwardly. Only little Tama, too young to understand, remained clueless.
Hiyori patted her head gently. "They're just playing games together"
"Don't say strange things to her, Hiyori" Reiju snapped quickly. She leaned toward Ayu and warned, "Just remember—if you don't behave, brother will punish you."
Tama blinked, then rolled her eyes. "But don't you sisters always get punished by him at night?"
The women froze, mortified. None of them knew how to respond.
By morning, the truth was undeniable. Under Elior's command, Betty had revealed the location of the Revolutionary Army's headquarters.
Elior wasted no time. He convened his crew and announced their next move. In two days, they would set sail for Baltigo to annihilate the Revolutionary Army once and for all.
Meanwhile, at Baltigo itself, grief and fury swept through the ranks.
Morley was dead. Betty's fate was unknown. And countless Revolutionary soldiers had been lost.
The shadow of despair loomed heavy over their headquarters.