The sudden earth-shaking explosion terrified all the Revolutionary troops.
Along with the blast came violent winds, waves of pressure, and a cloud of dust and gravel.
"What happened?!"
"What's going on?"
"Why was the headquarters blown up?!"
"Wait… is this an enemy attack?!"
"How could it be? This island is extremely secretive—it should be impossible to discover!"
"This wind is too strong! What the hell is happening?!"
The Revolutionary Army was in disarray. The storm of dust and rubble made it hard to see, and many couldn't even open their eyes.
"Dragon, what's happening?!"
Ivankov was shaken, but he knew things were about to turn dire — Dragon's face had become deadly serious. Moments ago at the funeral, it had been filled with grief. Now it was grim with resolve.
"A powerful enemy is coming! Everyone, stay alert!"
Dragon's shout froze the troops.
"Enemy?!"
"How could that be?!"
"If Dragon says it, then it's true!"
"Everyone, get ready!"
"Why now? Who could it be?!"
Shock rippled through the Revolutionary ranks.
Dragon stepped forward, positioning himself between the headquarters and his army. Behind him stood Ivankov and the other top officers.
And among them — remarkably — was Nico Robin.
As the only person in the world capable of reading the Poneglyphs, Robin was the sole survivor of the Ohara Incident. For years, Dragon had sought to recruit her, and only two months earlier the Revolutionary Army had succeeded. Though she had joined their cause, she remained a member of the Straw Hat Pirates and intended to reunite with Luffy when the time came.
"Dragon, is this really an enemy attack?" Robin asked, confusion in her voice. But she too noticed the grave look on Dragon's face.
"Yes" Dragon said firmly. "And not just one. Many powerful enemies."
At that moment, the dust cloud ahead was ripped apart by a sudden gale, revealing the sound of footsteps crunching across the shattered ground.
The steps were steady, not hurried, but after Dragon's warning, the sound carried crushing weight for the Revolutionaries.
And then, under everyone's gaze—Elior and his crew emerged.
"The Yonko… Elior!"
"This can't be real!"
"Betty is with him too!"
"How did they find us?! Could it be… Commander Betty…?"
"No way… impossible!"
"Nothing's impossible! Otherwise, how could they find our headquarters?!"
"Damn it… we've been betrayed by our own!"
The sight of Elior at their hidden base sent a chill through the Revolutionary Army. Even the World Government, after decades of searching, had failed to uncover this location. How had a Yonko found it so easily?
Behind Elior marched a formidable force—his entire crew, assembled and ready for war.
"Betty!"
Robin's eyes widened. She saw Betty, haggard and broken, unable even to meet their gaze.
Dragon clenched his fists. Elior's presence here could only mean Betty had revealed the location—but clearly, not by choice. Her sorrowful face, her despair, the signs of torment were unmistakable.
What horrors had she endured?
But everyone knew—Elior was a madman, cruel and tyrannical.
"Elior! I will kill you with my own hands!"
Dragon's fists cracked as veins bulged with fury, his aura surging uncontrollably.
"All units—prepare to fight!"
But the Revolutionaries were unprepared. They had been at a funeral, unarmed. The Devil Fruit users could still fight, but most soldiers carried no weapons, no swords, not even a pistol.
Dragon's heart sank further. They had no choice but to fight, yet Elior had chosen this moment precisely because they were most vulnerable. And the weapons storage had just been destroyed in the blast.
Elior halted only thirty meters away, flanked by Reiju and the broken Betty. The distance was close enough for Betty to hear the Revolutionaries calling her a traitor.
Her body shook violently. Despair consumed her. She couldn't understand—why had she betrayed her comrades to this demon?
What disaster awaited the Revolutionary Army now?
Reiju whispered coldly in Betty's ear, urging her to accept the truth—there was no going back. Whatever Elior desired, no one could stop him.
"Dragon," Elior called out, smiling. "It's been a long time. This should be our first proper meeting."
"And a funeral, no less? How touching."
His gaze shifted, landing on robin. She looked just as she would two years later in the original timeline — pale skin, refined beauty, calm but wary eyes.
Elior's interest sharpened. Since fate had placed her here, why not take her too?
His stare made Robin tremble. It felt as though the King of Beasts had fixed his eyes on her, and she was powerless prey.
"Bastard! Release Betty!" Dragon roared, fury blazing.
"Dragon, don't delude yourself" Elior said coldly. "I brought Betty here so you could see her one last time. Soon, you'll all be in hell. Sooner or later, you would've stood in the way of my rise."
"You…!"
"Dragon, I'm sorry…" Betty whispered weakly, unable to raise her voice.
"I'll kill you!"
Koala charged forward, vengeance burning in her heart. Elior had killed Sabo, her childhood friend, and now he had captured Betty. She couldn't forgive him.
Her speed was blistering—but to Elior, she moved no faster than a snail.
"Koala!" Dragon shouted, panic flashing in his eyes as she dove at Elior.
But with a mere flick of his power, Elior froze her solid in an instant.
"Koala!"
Betty, Dragon, and the others froze in horror as Koala became an ice sculpture before their eyes.
"Master, please!" Betty cried desperately, calling Elior her master in front of everyone.
"Don't kill her… She's my sister!"
But Elior raised his hand. Behind him, Bullet and the others immediately understood his intent.
With a single motion, Elior shattered Koala into pieces with a brutal kick. The frozen body splintered into shards of ice.
At that signal, the war began.
"Koala!!"
"Damn him! Kill him!!"
"She's dead—Koala's dead!!"
"Nooo!"
The Revolutionary Army erupted in rage and grief, their fury ignited into madness.
Barrett and the rest of Elior's crew surged forward, their charge a terrifying force.
Betty's heart broke as she watched Koala die — her shattered face, her lifeless eye frozen in horror. Despair drowned her completely.
"Reiju" Elior commanded, his eyes still on Dragon, "take that woman. Bring her back."
He meant Robin.
Elior's "family" of women was divided into two kinds — true harem members like Reiju, and servants: combat maids, attendants, cooks, like Baby 5. Robin, once captured, would have her place decided by Elior alone.
Reiju nodded, understanding without question. She whispered the order to Bonnie, who also moved to assist.
Then Elior lunged at Dragon. The enraged leader of the Revolutionaries met him head-on, fists colliding with earth-shaking force.
The impact detonated like a bomb. The ground within thirty meters shattered instantly, the earth erupting into rubble.
The shockwave hurled soldiers through the air, knocking the weaker ones unconscious on the spot.