Baltigo , New World , Grandline
The wind on Baltigo was a constant with a cold whisper.
It swept across a white landscape that wasn't snow or sand but a fine pale soil that never seemed to hold a footprint for long. It was the secret headquarter of the Revolutionary Army.
But today the quiet was broken by the arrival of the world's most dangerous people.
From the ground itself with a cheerful "Ohohoho", a giant man pushed his way to the surface. It was Morley the commander of the West Army and his Push-Push Fruit power making the very earth his personal elevator. His serious second-in-command 'Ushiano' emerged from the tunnel behind him.
From the sky a swirling black cloud descended. The cloud was made of a thousand crows and as they landed they came together like ink forming the shape of a man in a dark feathered plague with a doctor mask.
This was none other than Karasu the commander of the North Army. His voice was like the sound of a million wings. His second in command, Jiron landed beside him his face a mask of cold and hard with anger.
The lies told about his home in the North Blue had hit him the hardest.
A custom built ship arrived at the hidden port and a small cat-like mink in a jetpack zoomed onto the shore, already experiment with a his new invention. This was Lindbergh the commander of the South Army. He was followed by his large and laughing second-in-command Gambo.
From the East came a woman with a bright smile waving a large flag. This was Belo Betty commander of the East Army.
She had the power to awaken the fighting spirit in anyone. "Alright let's not waste time for feeling sorry for ourselves" she called out. "Let's figure out how to punch the world government back" Her quiet deputy Ahiru simply smiled and waved.
They had all been called here to the central twisted rock castle that served as their headquarters.
Sabo the Chief of Staff, the army's number two stood with his arms crossed. His face was frozen in a mask of cold fury.
Next to him the kind-hearted Koala looked at two newspapers spread across a massive stone table, her expression filled with a deep worry.
Hack, the fish-man and their respected teacher stood beside her and his powerful hands clenched into tight fists.
One by one, the commanders and their deputies entered the great meeting hall.
They were the leaders of a secret war, men and women who commanded armies of rebels across the four seas.
But today, they looked like generals who had been outsmarted. Their eyes all fell on the two newspapers, the two weapons made of paper and ink that had hurt them more than any cannonball.
The first paper, from a week ago showed a picture of the smoking ruins of the Germa Kingdom. The headline screamed: REVOLUTIONARY ARMY'S REIGN OF TERROR! GERRMA 66 ANNIHILATED, KINGDOM LIES IN RUINS!
The second paper from this very morning had a picture of a serious man with red eyes. The headline was even worse: THE HERO OF THE NORTH BLUE, AGENT 'UMI' SAVES FOUR KINGDOMS FROM THE TERROR AND EVIL OF THE REVOLUTIONARY ARMY!
The room was filled with a heavy and angry silence.
Finally, a cold gust of wind swept through the hall. The doors swung open and a tall figure in a dark green cloak entered. His face was stern and marked by a strange red tattoo over his left side of his face.
It was their leader. The World's Most Wanted Man and the worst criminal in history 'Monkey D. Dragon'.
He walked to the head of the table. His presence was so powerful that it seemed to suck all the air out of the room. He looked at the faces of his most trusted commanders and he saw their anger, their confusion and their pain.
"I see, you have read about the latest attack from the World Govement," Dragon said. His voice was calm but it held a dangerous power like the quiet before a hurricane. "They have not used guns or any other weapons. They have used lies. And lies can be the most powerful weapons of all."
Jiron, the North Army commander slammed his hand on the table making the newspapers jump. "This is more than lies Commander Dragon" he said, his voice thick with rage. "It is poison. The people we fought to free in the North Blue... they believe in it."
"They are calling us monsters. They are tearing down our flags. The World Government did not just defeat our armies there. they have stolen the hearts of the people."
Belo Betty gritted her teeth her usual cheerful attitude gone at this moment. "That's their real goal," she snapped. "They want to make the very word 'revolution' sound evil. They want people to be so scared of us that they would rather live as slaves than fight for freedom. They are trying to kill the the idea of 'Revolution' itself."
"It is a really a wonderful strategy," Lindbergh said, his inventor's mind analyzing the problem. "They created a simple story with a clear villain that is us and a clear hero - this 'Umi' character. It's easy for the world to understand and believe."
Sabo get angry when he heard this. He looked at Dragon with his burning eyes. "So what is our move? They have us trapped. If we do nothing, the world will believe their lies. If we attack them, we will just be proving them right. No matter what we do, we will be looked like the violent monsters. Which is they trying to frame us. What can we do?"
The room filled with the sounds of debate.
"We should strike them head-on" Gambo roared. "Show them our true strength"
"And fall right into their trap?" Hack countered calmly. "No this is not a good idea they want us to be reckless."
"We must find this Umi" another commander suggested. "And expose him as a fraud"
"How?" Koala asked sadly. "The World Government controls the narrative. They control the story. Our truth will never reach the people."
They were lost. Their greatest strength the support of the people was being turned into their greatest weakness.
Then, Dragon raised a single hand.
Entire room became Instant silence.
He looked at each of his commanders, his gaze so intense it felt like he was looking into their very souls. The anger in the room seemed to fade replaced by a deep focus.
"They are fighting in the dark with whispers and shadows," Dragon said, his voice echoing in the stone hall. "They believe we will stay in the shadows with them. They are wrong."
He walked around the table and stood before the giant map of the world that covered one wall.
"We have been patient," he said. "We have planted seeds of freedom and waited for them to grow. But our enemy has shown us that they will poison the very soil to stop us. Our old way of fighting is no longer enough."
He looked at Sabo, then at Karasu, Betty, Morley, and Lindbergh.
Dragon turned back to the map. Everyone gathered around it, their shadows long in the dim light.
What happened next was not for anyone else to know.
Dragon's voice dropped to a low,intense murmur, too quiet to be understood from outside the room. His finger traced a path across the sea on the map, stopping on a certain islands.
Karasu made a gesture, and a tiny black crow made of shadow landed on the map. Belo Betty pointed to a different location a confident smile returning to her face for the first time that day. Morley tapped a spot on the map a mischievous glint in his eyes. Lindbergh unfolded a new blueprint and Sabo nodded, a cold determined look on his face.
They were no longer reacting to the enemy. They were building their own storm.
Hours later, the doors opened again.
Everyone walked out. The anger and confusion were gone from their faces. They did not speak. They did not even look at each other. They moved with a new silent and terrifying purpose.
They now had a single goal, a shared secret that bound them together.
Karasu dissolved into a flock of crows and vanished into the sky. Morley sank back into the earth. Lindbergh and Betty headed for their ships. Sabo stood for a moment, then gave a firm nod to Dragon before heading to his own quarters.
Dragon was left alone in the vast empty hall. He stood before the map of the world a world that thought it knew who he was. A world that thought it had him trapped.
He looked out the window at the endless, white land of Baltigo.
A small, dangerous smile touched his lips.
"You have shown me your move, World Government," he whispered to the wind. "Now it is time for you to see mine."