Saying he's my brother right in front of Monkey D. Luffy's actual father?!
I don't remember having a son like you!
Though, to be fair, I don't treat you any worse than I would a son...
"Dragon-san! Luffy—he's my little brother! It was seeing his name in the papers that brought all my memories back!"
Sabo was so immersed in the joy of regaining his memories that he completely missed the change in Dragon's expression. He continued speaking enthusiastically:
"And that Marine super rookie, the Logia user of the Mera Mera no Mi, Portgas D. Ace—he's my brother too!"
"But…"
Sabo suddenly looked a little awkward. "I think when I left them, Ace and I still hadn't decided who was the older one…"
"..."
Dragon found himself struggling to keep up with his Chief of Staff's train of thought. He raised a hand and waved slightly:
"You… You mean to tell me that when you mentioned before that you had two brothers, you were talking about Straw Hat Luffy and that Marine Captain, Ace?!"
"What else do you remember? Who's your uncle? And that crystal you carry… the crystal…"
Dragon's expression gradually stiffened as a detail he had long ignored surfaced in his mind.
When they had rescued Sabo all those years ago, he had been unconscious but not in any immediate danger. There had been nothing on him to identify who he was—except for a simple white crystal.
It had seemed so ordinary that everyone assumed it was just a trinket a child would carry. In fact, such things weren't uncommon among kids.
But now that he thought about it… that crystal might not have been ordinary at all.
A face suddenly appeared in Dragon's mind—a blond-haired Marine admiral. And the more he looked at Sabo now, the more he saw…
"My uncle…"
Sabo hesitated. Talking about Luffy and Ace was one thing, but he also remembered that his uncle had once warned him to take this secret to the grave.
However, Dragon wasn't just his savior; he was also his mentor and the leader of the Revolutionary Army. Now that Dragon was asking, it was an awkward situation.
Dragon took a deep breath as he watched Sabo struggle with his answer.
With his intelligence, how could he not see what was going on in his Chief of Staff's mind?
There was no doubt about it. It was exactly as he suspected!
Who would've thought the child he had saved on a whim would turn out to have such a background!
"Hmm… So what's the deal with you, Luffy, and Ace?"
Dragon shifted the topic. When he last met Wright, the admiral hadn't mentioned anything about this. It seemed that despite his vast knowledge of hidden truths, Wright himself had no idea his own nephew was right under Dragon's nose.
Which made sense—back then, everything had happened by sheer coincidence. Admiral Wright had still been stationed at Marine Headquarters; how could he have known about the secrets unfolding in the East Blue?
Even Dadan and the others probably hadn't realized.
Dragon rubbed his chin, feeling a rare sense of satisfaction. It had been ages since he had felt anything close to this, certainly not since deciding to form the Revolutionary Army.
That damned admiral had the audacity to comment on his face…
Could this be considered getting back at him?
Regardless, this revelation made his collaboration with Wright even more crucial…
He couldn't wait to see the look on that guy's face when he realized the truth.
"Ah, well, Dragon-san, Luffy, Ace, and I became sworn brothers back then…"
Dragon listened as Sabo recounted his past with a smile, though he couldn't help but sigh at the thought of his own father—Garp.
Such an important matter, and the old man had never thought to inform him!
Just look at this trio—one a pirate Supernova, another a Marine super rookie, and the last the Revolutionary Army's second-in-command!
And though Sabo hadn't said it outright, the fact that Ace had been raised by Garp and left with Dadan meant he couldn't be just any ordinary child.
It seemed he owed Wright even more than he had realized… Not only had that admiral been his son's mentor, but also his disciple's!
No wonder Sabo has such formidable combat skills and an exceptional physical foundation—he was trained by both the old man and Wright!
But Wright's recent plan… it's outrageous. Looks like I'll need to summon Morley soon.
Sabo, seeing that Dragon had stopped questioning him about his uncle, secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Even though he had lost his memories for a time, joining the Revolutionary Army had been his own choice. Now that his past had returned, he had no regrets.
Meeting Dragon, learning the ideology of revolution—this was an irreplaceable opportunity. To overthrow the Celestial Dragons and eradicate the world's sickness at its root—this was a cause worth dedicating his life to!
Uncle, as a Marine admiral, I now understand what you've been through over the years. I never expected to remember all of this a decade later…
You told me to follow my own path without hesitation, and that you, as my elder, would support me no matter what. That alone means everything to me…
Now, I walk my chosen path forward!
As he continued sharing his memories with Dragon, Sabo's mind drifted back to the day Wright had bid him farewell and given him that letter to read…
"Well then, until we meet again, my little nephew… I wish you luck."
I can't wait… to see you again!
...
Near the Florian Triangle, on a deserted island, the Blackbeard Pirates were feasting. The amount of food and liquor they had consumed could have sustained an ordinary crew for days.
Suddenly, Teach stopped drinking. The crew followed his gaze, turning toward a massive boulder.
Three figures emerged from behind it, their eyes burning with fury as they locked onto the Blackbeard Pirates.
It was three of Whitebeard's division commanders—Marco, Vista, and Izo!
"Zehahaha! Marco… you guys just don't give up, do you?"
Teach set down his cup and slowly rose to his feet.
"You know full well that if I want to leave, you can't stop me. So why keep chasing me?"
"Teach!"
Marco's voice was cold and firm:
"No matter how long it takes, I will bring you back—to answer for what you did to Thatch! To answer to Pops!"
"You're out of luck, Teach. Running into Moria delayed you just long enough for us to catch up!"
Teach grinned, his expression unsettling.
"Zehahaha…"
"Marco… is that what you think?"
Marco's expression darkened. He activated his Observation Haki—but sensed nothing unusual.
He exchanged a glance with Vista and Izo; both shook their heads, signaling that they, too, had found nothing amiss.
"Teach! Quit your mind games! Are you saying you won't run this time?"
"Zehahaha!"
"Marco! You got that right—I ain't running!"
Darkness billowed from Teach's body, stretching toward the sky. His crewmates readied themselves for battle, while Lafitte adjusted his hat, spread his wings, and took to the air.
"Tonight, I'm sending all of you to hell!"
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