At the factory entrance, everyone froze as they watched Sabo suddenly strike—knocking Hiyori unconscious and killing Ronmoku and the other two.
The scene fell into dead silence.
Koala's petite frame trembled uncontrollably as she stared at Sabo in disbelief.
"What have you done, Sabo?!"
Slap!
A sharp sound echoed as Koala, her chest heaving, struck Sabo across the face.
Sabo retracted his fiery chain, his expression unshaken like solid rock, unaffected by Koala's slap.
His voice was low and resolute.
"We're moving too slowly. At this rate, how long will it take for our revolutionary cause to succeed?"
"Comrades, I believe we can no longer afford such weak compassion! Before we usher in a new world, the flames of revolution must scorch this earth!"
"I have decided—I shall be the torch that ignites the first spark."
"It's about time," Karasu, the North Army commander clad in black robes, spoke abruptly.
His demeanor was cold, his entire form pitch-black like ink, save for his ruthless eyes—making him seem like a living shadow.
"I agree. Our methods have been too lenient, leading to the pointless sacrifices of our comrades."
"Look at Kuma—had Sabo not exchanged Ryokugyu for him, Kuma's fate would have been unthinkable."
"To achieve our ultimate goal, decisive action is necessary. Excessive hesitation will only hinder our cause!"
Lindbergh, the South Army commander, hoisted a short, thick weapon and adjusted his goggles as he voiced his agreement.
Betty and the giant Molly remained silent, their eyes fixed on the charred corpses on the ground.
Ivankov, sensing the tension, sighed inwardly before forcing a smile and stepping forward to mediate.
"Let's not fight among ourselves. Finding the Pluto Battleship is our priority—it's crucial for the Revolutionary Army's future. We can't afford distractions."
"Have faith in Sabo. Don't we all know his character? Robin, do you remember where Kozuki Sukiyaki showed you the Poneglyph?"
Robin's gaze was profound. Witnessing everything unfold, the last shred of idealism she held for the Revolutionary Army was extinguished by Sabo's actions.
Help them find Pluton, then leave—find Luffy.
That was her only thought now.
Softly, she replied, "Yes. Bring Hiyori. Pluton may require the bloodline of the Kozuki family to activate."
Sabo nodded, brushing past Koala as he lifted the unconscious Hiyori and strode out.
Karasu stepped forward, his form flickering eerily, his large black robes billowing.
He glanced at the unconscious Ulti and said coldly,
"Sabo, what about these people? If we don't handle them properly, they might leak information. If that monster in Totto Land finds out, we'll be in grave danger."
Sabo didn't look back, nodding to both sides before following them away.
"Do whatever you want with them."
Koala's face was full of disbelief, unable to understand why Sabo had suddenly become like this.
The chilling aura and the cold, unapproachable expression were completely different from the naive and emotional young man he used to be.
Lindbergh stepped forward with his weapon, saying coldly:
"In that case, let's just kill them all? To avoid complications—just like with the Beasts Pirates and Big Mom Pirates back then. If we don't finish them off, we'll always have to worry about them reappearing."
"Uprooting the weeds is a good method. These pirates have committed countless atrocities. Executing them now is only justified!"
Karasu spoke while drawing his long blade.
Betty and Molly, who had remained silent until now, finally couldn't hold back.
They rushed forward in quick strides, blocking Karasu's path.
Betty frowned and scolded.
"Karasu, Lindbergh, I know about your past experiences—they were indeed painful. But remember, we are the Revolutionary Army, here to save the suffering, not indiscriminate executioners!
If sacrificing one or two lives is necessary for the greater cause, so be it. But there are so many innocent civilians here—how can you even suggest killing them all?"
"This is also for the greater cause. We can't let the news leak. Betty, you saw it yourself—how terrifyingly strong that monster Caesar is. He's beyond anything we can oppose. If he finds out about this place..." Karasu's expression remained cold.
"You go search for the Pluton! Betty and I will stay behind to guard them. We won't give them any chance to inform Caesar!"
Molly held her long trident horizontally, standing between Lindbergh and Karasu to prevent unnecessary bloodshed.
Betty also nodded, positioning herself in front of them.
Dozens of workers still lay unconscious in the factory.
Their nature simply couldn't tolerate Karasu and the others' actions, which resembled absolute justice.
Karasu's gaze swept over Ulti and Black Maria.
Seeing this, Betty flared up in anger.
"Karasu! They're women—are you really going to kill women too now?"
Karasu shook his head and said nothing more, turning to follow the direction Sabo had left.
"Compassion will only bring disaster," Lindbergh muttered as he followed.
As Karasu passed by the unconscious Page One lying in the crater, he suddenly swung his blade!
Swish!
A flash of steel cut through the air.
Page One, still unconscious, had no chance to resist—his head was severed in one stroke, blood spraying over ten meters away.
His head, eyes tightly shut, rolled to a stop at Betty and Molly's feet.
The giant Molly turned away, unable to bear the sight, while Betty closed her eyes in pain.
"They... have changed..."
As Sabo and the others left with Robin, the vast factory fell into dead silence once more.
Black Maria, her face pale, approached cautiously.
Betty suddenly looked up, her eyes red and swollen, gritting her teeth as she snapped,
"Spider-woman! You'd better not make any sudden moves, or else—"
Black Maria raised her hands weakly.
"Don't worry... I just... wanted to collect my fallen comrade's body."
Upon hearing this, Betty and Molly fell silent, quietly leaving the spot and entering the factory.
They found a corner to sit in, watching the unconscious Ulti as the atmosphere grew still.
Outside the factory, Black Maria saw the two depart and quickly picked up Page One's severed head, leaping into the large pit in a few strides.
Gazing at Page One's headless corpse, Black Maria held the head in one hand and gripped the body with the other.
Sharp spider silk threads emerged from her fingertips as she swiftly stitched Page One's head back onto his neck.
Then, she discreetly pulled out a small vial from her bosom, poured something into Page One's mouth, and quickly withdrew it.
"Page One, rest in peace," Black Maria murmured softly before gathering some scattered rubble from the pit's edge and pushing it in, burying Page One's remains.