Kizaru looked at Mike whose eyes were gleaming with the unmistakable excitement of a man who had just found a new and exciting way to avoid work.
"Found a destination that suits your fancy, have we?"
"Alabasta," Mike's voice was brimming with enthusiasm, his mind already fantasizing about the glorious casinos of Rainbase.
'Heh, let them witness the skills of the God of Gamblers! Back when I played poker on the warship, I never lost a single round!'
'A puny place like Rain Dinners? Piece of cake! First lets set a modest goal—earn myself a cool billion Belly!'
"Oh? Isn't that the desert kingdom where the Warlord Crocodile resides?" Kizaru's eyebrows lifted slightly.
"A fine destination. As my adjutant, you'll be well-received there. A perfect place for a long... 'patrol'."
"Great! It's settled then—next stop, Alabasta!"
"Hahaha~" Kizaru chuckled, turning to leave with a lazy wave.
"Enjoy your vacation. I'll send word ahead. I'll be heading back to Headquarters first."
"Safe travels!" Mike waved back as Kizaru's figure transformed into a dazzling yellow streak of light, slicing through the sky and vanishing in an instant.
Mike then turned his gaze to Smoker, who had been silently observing their conversation.
"Hey, Smokey~"
"Mike, you bastard!" Smoker roared, his patience finally snapping.
"Right now! Immediately! Explain to me properly what happened with all those damn support requests!"
"See? Always so impatient," Mike sighed, holding out a single, tempting cigar.
"Want one more for the road? Admiral-grade."
"..." Smoker grumbled, but snatched the cigar from his hand.
"Fine, give it here..."
.....
Far away, across the Grand Line, lay the Revolutionary Army's hidden headquarters: the white soil island of Baltigo.
"Thud—!"
A figure cloaked in green staggered out of the sky, as if drained of all his strength, before crashing heavily onto the open ground of the base.
"That's... the Leader!" a sentry cried out, his voice laced with disbelief and urgency.
His shout quickly drew the attention of others, who gathered in alarm, their eyes fixed on the collapsed figure.
"Dragon-san!"
A blond young man and a lively young woman were the first to reach his side.
The man's golden hair swayed in the arid wind, a deep scar over his left eye adding a touch of ruggedness to his usually confident face.
Now, that confidence was replaced by shock and deep concern.
He was the Revolutionary Army's Chief of Staff and second-in-command—Sabo.
Beside him, Koala, the Fish-Man Karate instructor, rushed forward, her usual cheerful personallity overshadowed by panic.
The two knelt beside their leader, their gazes locked on the gruesome, cauterized wound on his chest.
"Dragon-san, how did you get hurt this badly?" Sabo asked, his voice shaking as he supported his leader with a trembling hand.
"This wound… who did this to you?"
"Dragon-san, hang in there! I'll get the medics!" Koala cried, dashing toward the base.
Sabo's hands trembled while his mind reeling.
Dragon had always been a symbol of invincibility for the Revolutionary army.
To see him like this, grievously wounded... Just who in the world could have pushed him to such a state?
Dragon weakly raised a hand, signaling for Sabo to calm down.
After catching his breath, his voice came out, low and strained.
"Sabo... immediately notify all Revolutionary Army officers. Tell them... to go into hiding. Halt all current operations."
His tone was resolute, but as soon as he finished speaking, he coughed violently, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.
"Halt all operations?!" Sabo gripped Dragon's hand tightly, his expression conflicted.
"Dragon-san, you know how much we've spend, how much we've sacrificed for these plans!"
Dragon didn't respond immediately, his eyelids drooping heavily as if gathering his thoughts.
The situation at sea had undergone an unpredictable, catastrophic change.
The Marines had produced an entirely unknown person with overwhelming power.
That slash that had split the sky was not just an attack; it was a warning to the entire Revolutionary Army.
If that blade had struck any other revolutionary higher ups other than him, they would have been instantly annihilated.
"Sabo, listen to me," Dragon's voice was hoarse but firm, carrying an undeniable weight of authority.
"Proceed as I've ordered. A major upheaval has occurred. Until I give new orders, no one is to make any rash moves."
Sabo fell silent, his eyes filled with complex emotions.
"Understood," he finally said, carefully helping Dragon toward the headquarters' hidden chamber.
Along the way, his mind churned.
'Just what kind of things happen that could make Dragon of all people take this so seriously?'
After settling Dragon onto a bed, Sabo leaned in.
"Dragon-san… what exactly is this 'major upheaval' you mentioned?"
Dragon slowly opened his eyes, his gaze deep as the ocean, his voice weak but laced with a chilling undertone.
"The Marines… An unknown monster has appeared in them." He paused, letting the words sink in.
"Marine Headquarters Captain, Mike."
"Mike?" Sabo stiffened.
"Captain? A mere Marine Captain? Is such a drastic response really necessary for one man?"
Dragon raised a hand slowly, pressing it against his bandaged wound, his brow furrowed as he fought against the pain.
"This wound..." he said, his voice a grim whisper. "Was inflicted by him."
He met Sabo's gaze, his own eyes reflecting a deep, haunting wariness.
"With just one slash."
"One... slash?!" Sabo straightened abruptly, his mind refusing to believe it.
"How is that even possible?!"
"It is," Dragon repeated, his voice heavy with the weight of his defeat.
"From the moment he swung his blade to the moment it broke through all my defenses—it was just one, single slash."
He recalled Mike's final, chilling words.
"Warn everyone in the Revolutionary Army," he relayed, his voice a low command.
"Stay away from Mike and stay away from his men."
-----------------------------
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