The Revolutionary Army headquarters?
The moment Marshall D. Teach heard it, his eyes lit up.
He had been worrying about having nowhere to go.
If he could ambush the Revolutionary Army and seize Baltigo as his base—
That would solve everything.
Blackbeard didn't hesitate.
"You stay hidden there," he told Jesus Burgess excitedly. "I'll be there soon!"
After hanging up, he burst into manic laughter.
"Zehahaha! Finally, luck's on my side!"
"If I wipe out the Revolutionary Army, my name will shake the world!"
"While the World Government and the Beasts Pirates fight for dominance, I'll take Baltigo and build my power!"
"Move out! We're heading to the Revolutionary Army headquarters!"
It took less than half a day for Blackbeard to reach the outer shores of Baltigo.
Burgess was already waiting.
"Captain," Burgess said, lowering his voice, "I scouted the island."
"They don't have many troops here…"
"But there are a few troublesome figures."
"Oh?" Blackbeard narrowed his eyes. "Who?"
"First—Monkey D. Dragon."
"The Revolutionary Army's leader."
"And second…"
"Silvers Rayleigh."
Blackbeard's expression changed.
Dragon being here wasn't surprising.
But Rayleigh?
The former right-hand man of Gol D. Roger?
That was unexpected.
Decades ago, Blackbeard had seen Rayleigh in battle—
When the Whitebeard Pirates clashed with Roger's crew.
Even back then, Rayleigh had been terrifying.
Still…
He was old now.
Surely weaker.
Blackbeard's eyes flickered.
This complication wasn't ideal—
But he had no better option.
Whitebeard's former territories were already taken by the Beasts Pirates and Big Mom.
He couldn't reclaim them.
Facing Kaido, Charlotte Linlin, and Luo Xing…
That was suicide.
Better to gamble everything here.
The enemy was exposed.
He held the advantage of surprise.
That was enough.
Blackbeard made his decision.
"Zehahaha! So what if they're legends?"
"This era belongs to me!"
"Move! We're wiping out the Revolutionary Army!"
The Blackbeard Pirates launched a sudden assault.
Baltigo descended into chaos.
Inside Dragon's office—
Monkey D. Dragon, Sabo, and Emporio Ivankov were speaking with Silvers Rayleigh.
Rayleigh had only recently arrived.
He looked at Monkey D. Luffy—
Now awake, but hollow with grief after Ace's death—
And sighed.
"I came here to train Luffy."
Dragon bowed his head slightly.
"It is my son's honor that you would come all this way."
Rayleigh sighed again.
"To be honest… I have nowhere else to go."
"Sabaody Archipelago has been taken by Luo Xing."
"I was driven out."
At the mention of Luo Xing—
Dragon's expression grew heavy.
"That man has now ignited war in the North Blue."
"With his technology, Germa's clone army has multiplied."
"And with Monster Cells, their strength has skyrocketed."
"They are unstoppable."
"More than half of the North Blue has already fallen."
Rayleigh frowned deeply.
"The world has entered chaos unlike anything before."
"That man has changed the course of the era."
He paused.
Then spoke quietly—
"Perhaps Whitebeard was right…"
"There is no ship left in this new era for relics like us."
There was a trace of sadness in his voice.
The old legends were fading.
One by one, they had fallen.
Only he remained.
But he still had a duty.
Rayleigh straightened.
"Dragon."
"I will stay with the Revolutionary Army."
"And train Luffy with everything I have."
"The era may be unpredictable…"
"But I still believe—"
"The one who will inherit Roger's will…"
"The one who will change the world…"
"Is Luffy."
Dragon nodded.
He believed it too.
Not just because Luffy was his son—
But because of the fruit he had eaten.
The Human-Human Fruit, Mythical Model: Nika.
A fruit with a will of its own.
It chose its user.
Dragon himself had once sought it.
Believing he would be the one to change the world.
But fate had other plans.
Luffy had eaten it instead.
From that moment—
Dragon began watching his son from the shadows.
Protecting him, even after he set sail.
Later, he discovered something else—
Sabo, his chosen successor, was Luffy's sworn brother.
Everything seemed… destined.
Dragon had accepted it.
Luffy—
Was the chosen one.
Joy Boy.
The Sun God.
The one who would save the world.
Rayleigh believed it.
Shanks believed it.
So did he.
Even now—
With the Beasts Pirates rising, and Luo Xing's name shaking the seas—
Dragon still believed.
The final victor—
Would be Luffy.
Because destiny would not fail.
Just as they began discussing how to help Luffy recover and train—
A soldier burst into the room.
"Leader! We're under attack!"
"They call themselves—the Blackbeard Pirates!"
"What?! Blackbeard?!"
Rayleigh stood abruptly, shocked.
"How did he find this place?!"
Baltigo's location was supposed to be secret—
Even the World Government didn't know.
Dragon, however, remained calm.
"A returning ship must have been followed."
Sabo stepped forward, eyes burning.
"Let me go deal with him!"
Blackbeard was the one who handed Portgas D. Ace over to the Marines.
He was responsible for Ace's death.
How could Sabo not hate him?
But Dragon shook his head.
"Now is not the time to fight."
"We must continue to hide our strength."
"And Luffy's training is the priority."
"Sabo—order a retreat."
"No unnecessary deaths."
"Ivankov…"
"It seems we'll have to move the headquarters to your kingdom."
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