"While the World Government's core strength remains untouched, the Marines are a different story entirely. The war a few months ago left them at a severe disadvantage — so much so that they were forced to establish the so‑called Seven Warlords of the Sea just to balance the power across the oceans."
"What are you getting at…?" Tiger already had a faint idea where this was going.
Dragon nodded. "We will split into three groups. I will take the Celestial Dragon with me and draw away the remaining elite forces of the Marines. You two take the chance to sneak into Mary Geoise and rescue your captured brethren. Once done, travel down the Red Line and return to the Sabaody Archipelago."
"Three groups? You only mentioned two just now," Tiger frowned.
"The third group is already waiting at Sabaody," Dragon replied, a smirk forming on his lips. "They possess immense strength. They will definitely help with this plan, and you'll have no trouble finding them."
"And how exactly do we get up to Mary Geoise?" Jinbe asked. "Are we supposed to climb the Red Line with our bare hands?"
"That part is even easier!" Dragon said confidently. "We have a new member who recently joined us. With his ability, he can transport you right to Mary Geoise in very little time. Getting back out, though… that will be entirely up to you."
He turned back to King Neptune. "So? Your Majesty — this way, you save your people, while all hatred and blame falls entirely on us, the Revolutionary Army. In time, we will bring peace to Fish‑Man Island… no — to the entire world."
Neptune fell silent again for a long while. At last, he spoke slowly, his voice heavy. "Then… I place my trust in you."
---
Now — at Karakuri Island, inside the Revolutionary Army safe house.
Dragon finished recounting the story. Grimm, who had poured himself a beer at some point, had already drunk half of it.
"And that's everything," Dragon concluded with a casual wave of his hand.
Grimm drained the rest of the beer in one gulp. "I take it you've already killed that fool Garbatia, haven't you?"
Dragon's brows drew together. "…Indeed we did. Every Celestial Dragon is a plague upon this world — and the fewer of them left alive, the better."
"Dragon… since your goal is already achieved, why don't we have a little fun?" Grimm said — and as he spoke, his form began to shift and change.
Dragon grinned. "Gladly. I've planted enough explosives beneath this building to blow it sky‑high. I'll detonate them — and then let's see which one of us can outrun the Marines first. What do you say?"
His plan had succeeded perfectly: he had lured away a large part of the Marine's top fighting strength and bought enough time. Now that Zephyr, Sengoku, and Kuzan were all here, he could play however he pleased.
With Garp guarding the New World, and Kizaru and Akainu busy elsewhere in the first half of the Grand Line, Marineford itself was practically defenseless.
With the Crimson Crusade acting as a deterrent, Tiger and Jinbe were almost certainly already scaling the Red Line by now.
Without warning, a remote control appeared in Dragon's hand. He pressed the button.
BOOM!!
The entire inn erupted in a massive explosion. Flames and shockwaves sent Sengoku and the others outside scrambling in alarm.
Aokiji reacted instantly, slamming his hand onto the ground and activating his Devil Fruit power. "Ice Wall!"
BOOM! BOOM!
The blast shattered the ice barrier in less than three seconds — but it had done its job, absorbing most of the impact and buying enough time for many Marines to escape, keeping casualties low.
"Wait — hold on! What about the Celestial Dragons inside?!" Kuzan shouted, rarely showing urgency.
According to intelligence, at least two Celestial Dragons had been inside.
The force of that explosion was enough to knock out even a Rear Admiral — let alone Celestial Dragons, who lived pampered, weak lives of luxury.
But the real problem: if two Celestial Dragons died right under Marine watch, the World Government would destroy them all when they returned.
Though… honestly… the thought of two of them dying at once actually sounded quite satisfying.
From the smoking ruins, another wave of energy burst forth. Amid fire and smoke, two figures shot out one after another.
The first was clad in black, his long green coat burned half away and tattered. His face was fully revealed.
Dragon — Leader of the Revolutionary Army.
Ever since the coup in the Kingdom of Los Angeles, his face had been public knowledge. The Marines recognized him instantly.
But the second figure stunned everyone present.
It was a woman with a stunning, flawless figure — also dressed in black. Long, slender legs were wrapped in black silk stockings. She stood roughly 180 cm tall, bare‑shouldered, her back exposed.
Tattooed across her back was a blood‑red cross. Her long black hair cascaded down to her shoulders. In her hands she held an enormous scythe with a black handle and a crimson blade.
She had emerged straight from the heart of the explosion, yet not a mark or smudge marred her clothes or skin.
She appeared to be between eighteen and twenty‑five years old — exactly the kind of beauty that made nearly every man's heart race.
But her eyes burned bright red. That striking contrast gave her a bewitching, alluring, yet commanding presence — a true femme fatale.
Dragon tossed his burnt cloak aside and stood still, watching the woman land nearby. A mischievous, admiring thought crossed his mind.
"Wow… this transformation ability of yours… you can turn into absolutely anything, can't you? I have a rather wild… and bold idea… if you don't mind…"
"Hmph. Dragon — wipe that lecherous look off your face!" the woman snapped, gripping her scythe tighter, annoyance flashing in her crimson eyes.
The Demon Hunter — also known as the Savior, or simply "Lady Four"...or more accurately, Grimm.
Originally he had received a rather useless reward earlier, and decided to try it out for fun: a one‑time‑use item that allowed him to randomly transform into a Dungeon & Fighter class.
And this was the result.
A woman with… perhaps too perfect a figure.
The Marines were completely bewildered by what they were seeing. Zephyr recovered first and turned to Sengoku. "Sengoku — is she on any wanted poster?"
As the officially designated successor to the title of Fleet Admiral — and the man who handled most of Kong's paperwork — Sengoku memorized every pirate with a bounty over 50,000,000 Berries.
Staring at the black‑stockinged beauty standing atop the rubble, Sengoku shook his head.
"Never seen her. She's not in our records. Which means she's either not considered a criminal, or her bounty is too low to be worth noting."
He spoke with absolute certainty — he truly did not recognize this stunningly attractive woman.
"Wait a minute…" Kuzan spoke up slowly, making everyone freeze. "Anyone who walks away unscathed from an explosion like that… unless they are a powerful Devil Fruit user, even someone worth 500 million would have been blown to bits. Wouldn't you agree?"
Zephyr made his decision instantly. "Kuzan — take a squad and capture that woman. The rest of you — follow me and seize Dragon! Even if she isn't wanted, she appeared here for a reason. We will take her into custody and interrogate her thoroughly!"
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