Sea Circle Calendar, Year 1508.
Revolutionary Army Headquarters.
"Dragon-san!!! Dragon-san!!!"
A devastating piece of news suddenly struck the entire Revolutionary Army like a hammer.
Hearing the report from his subordinate, Dragon—now with a tattoo on his face and wearing a green robe—broke out in a cold sweat. He stared at the Den Den Mushi in disbelief.
"Ginny… was kidnapped?!!"
"Yes, my apologies… we encountered an unexpected enemy!!!"
"They say a Celestial Dragon took a liking to her, intending to make her his wife! She was taken away by a Government ship!!!"
"Our entire unit was wiped out!!!"
On the other side, when Kuma heard this news, tears were already streaming down his cheeks without him realizing it.
Ginny…
Kidnapped by a Celestial Dragon?
For the Revolutionary Army, which had only just been founded not long ago and was still in its infancy, Ginny being dragged into Mary Geoise to become the wife of a Celestial Dragon was nothing short of apocalyptic despair.
There was simply no way to save her.
From the perspective of the bigger picture, neither Kuma nor Dragon could possibly start a war with the Holy Land at this point. It was unthinkable to sacrifice the future of the entire Revolutionary Army for the sake of just one commander, Ginny.
For a long moment, everyone fell into silence.
Dragon clenched his fists. Kuma wept. The atmosphere was heavy with despair.
But just then, Ivankov gritted his teeth as if something came to mind. His eyes suddenly widened.
He rushed to stand before Dragon and Kuma, spread his arms wide, and spoke quickly, his tone carrying a spark of hope.
"Hey!!! Kuma, Dragon, it's not like all hope is lost yet!!!"
Ivankov's shout instantly pierced through the grief clouding the other two's hearts. Both turned to him, unsure what he meant by there still being hope.
Right now, they couldn't possibly oppose the World Government—let alone the Celestial Dragons who resided in Mary Geoise!
"Have you two forgotten? For others, the Celestial Dragons may be unreachable enemies that can never be defeated. But that man… he's different!!!"
Hearing Ivankov's words, the two froze for a moment. But after a brief thought, it was like they had just grabbed the last straw of salvation.
Their eyes widened, and they exchanged a trembling glance before speaking in unison.
"Could it be… Ivankov, you mean…"
"That's right!!!"
Ivankov spread his arms in a dramatic pose, his face deadly serious.
"If that man is willing to lend a hand, then Ginny can absolutely be rescued!!!"
"That man is…"
"The Black Emperor, Orin!!!"
At the mention of that name, everyone's minds instantly conjured the image of the king who once ruled half the seas—his scarlet eyes coldly overlooking the world.
Yes…
If it was Orin, the World Government would have no choice but to give him face!!!
What's more, the Revolutionary Army already counted one of Orin's own among their ranks. It wasn't impossible for Dragon to earn that favor!
"Orin-san…"
Kuma wiped his tear-stained face with his paw-shaped hand. He took a step forward, grabbing Ivankov by the shoulders, asking excitedly,
"Ivan-chan, really? Can Orin-san truly bring Ginny back?!!!"
Even in excitement, the gentle Kuma's voice remained soft.
"Of course he can!!!"
Ivankov smiled, brimming with confidence in this matter.
Kuma, still with tears and snot on his face, also managed to smile through them.
But unlike their excitement, Dragon remained far calmer. Folding his arms across his chest, he looked at the two and spoke in a low, steady tone.
"If it's Orin, then yes… perhaps it's possible. But…"
At this, Dragon's voice shifted, his face tinged with worry.
"Since two years ago, Orin hasn't appeared anywhere on the seas. Even Ginny, with all her skills in intelligence, never once managed to find a trace of him during this time."
In Dragon's mind, scenes from recent years flashed by.
"His deputy, known as [Hawk Eyes], seemed to have taken over Orin's control of the seas, displaying overwhelming strength in the process. From that time on, ambitious people began to whisper… had the king who once ruled an era already died from some unknown cause?"
"And with the absolute might of Mihawk, Crocodile, Enel, and other powerful subordinates—plus the support of underground titans too afraid to act rashly—the seas remained surprisingly stable. That is… until the great incident last year!!!"
Even Dragon, bold enough to establish the Revolutionary Army, broke into a cold sweat as he spoke of it.
"Dragon, you mean?" Ivankov's expression turned just as grave.
A vision of raging flames engulfing the Holy Land seemed to unfurl before their eyes.
"Yes. Fisher Tiger, the fishman, stormed the Holy Land, liberating countless slaves from Mary Geoise. Most famously… among those rescued were the Woman Island sisters, once said to be Orin's exclusive slaves, and his most beloved ones!!!"
Anyone who knew even a little about Orin understood how terrifyingly cruel his retribution could be. For someone to trample on his pride so brazenly—
And yet, even after escaping Mary Geoise, Fisher Tiger still roamed the seas freely, openly founding the Sun Pirates.
When word spread, countless hidden ambitions stirred in people's hearts.
Underground powers and kingdoms under the Black Emperor's rule saw their chance, attempting to break free and claim independence.
And then…
Mihawk unleashed a slash a kilometer long, erasing an entire faction from the map in a single strike.
Although Orin's subordinates successfully suppressed rebellion with sheer force, without the Black Emperor himself as the ultimate deterrent, everyone wondered how long his underground empire could endure.
"In other words, even if this plan could work in theory, the prerequisite is that Orin has not vanished… and must reappear upon the seas once more."
At these words, the two men's excitement dampened significantly. But Ivankov still forced a smile, trying to comfort Kuma.
"Don't worry, Kuma. A man like the Black Emperor can't be defeated so easily. He's bound to show himself again. When he does, we'll go beg him. There's still hope."
On his honest, simple face, Kuma tugged a smile into place, nodding.
In his heart, he had always thought of Orin as a kind person. Surely he would be willing to help.
Little did they know…
The Orin they prayed to for salvation was, at that very moment, standing aboard the Sun Pirates' ship.
After his initial shock, Tiger eventually lowered his head before him like a child.
Though he believed he was right to have freed Hancock and the others, he knew that he had clashed with the benefactor of Fishman Island—Orin himself.
"I'm sorry, Orin-sama…"
"I've let you down!!!"