The Revolutionary Army—a dangerous organization dedicated to overthrowing the World Government and ending the Celestial Dragons' unequal rule.
They had launched multiple uprisings over the years, liberating nations and people oppressed under the World Government's tyranny.
Some succeeded. Some failed. But one thing was undeniable:
Over the years, the world's perception of the Revolutionary Army had shifted—from "a force attempting to overthrow the World Government", to "a force capable of overthrowing the World Government", and finally, to what it was now: "the enemy of the World Government."
The scale of the organization was immense, with influence stretching across all four seas and even throughout the Grand Line.
Yet their operations remained shrouded in secrecy. Their methods of communication were absurdly secure—so much so that the outside world only ever realized their movements after the Revolutionaries had already made their move.
Naturally,the World Government treated them as a top priority, issuing massive bounties for Revolutionary officers and core members worldwide.
They even formed CP9, an assassination unit within the Cipher Pol agencies, solely to eliminate key Revolutionary figures.
However—that didn't mean contacting the Revolutionary Army was impossible.
A massive organization like that still needed new recruits, trade partners, and supplies. If one knew where to look, even the black market could provide a contact route.
And when it came to finding that route—
Robin was, after all, Robin.
Her capability was far beyond anyone's expectations.
After wrapping up the aftermath of Darwin Island, she immediately tapped into her own information network—and within a day, secured the contact method of a high-ranking Revolutionary officer.
As a result,Ren's original plan—to rely on royal influence to locate the Revolutionary Army—was rendered unnecessary.
At this moment,inside the finest hotel on Darwin Island, Ren, Robin, and Bonney shared a room.
Robin had changed into a light-colored, low-cut outfit, kneeling naturally at her boss's feet. Her expression was submissive to the extreme—as if she would obey instantly if Ren told her to undress the next second.
Considering the explosive collar around her neck and the Seastone cuffs around her wrists,one could easily mistake her for a captured beauty sold to a master.
"Ren—uh, Boss, what do you want now? It's dinnertime."
Bonney sprawled lazily on the sofa, one leg draped over the armrest, visibly impatient.
"Shut up, glutton. You'll have your turn to talk later."
Ren didn't even lift his head as the Den Den Mushi began to buru buru loudly.
Soon,the line connected. The snail transformed into a masked face, and a deep male voice came through.
"Who is this?"
"A future friend of the Revolutionary Army," Ren replied smoothly. "Whoever you are, please connect me to either the Commander or the leader of your army. If not, at least the Chief of Staff—Sabo."
Ren began weaving his words skillfully, leading the high-ranking officer on the other end to momentarily believe in his intentions.
It wasn't difficult—he simply cursed out an entire Celestial Dragon family right on the spot.
Given how extreme his phrasing was, the Revolutionary officer immediately concluded Ren couldn't possibly be with the Government.
Following the logic of "it can't hurt to check", the message was escalated up the chain of command.
Moments later,Ren's Communications Den Den Mushi Wristwatch rang again.
The snail morphed into a face with purple hair, a cigarette dangling from its mouth, and red-tinted glasses.
"I'm Belo Betty, Commander of the East Army" she said coolly. "Per your request, this call is secure from eavesdropping. Now—care to explain your purpose, 'man who lost to a Yonko?"
She didn't know what business this man had with the Revolutionary Army, but the title he introduced himself with piqued her interest enough to take the call.
Still, since the man offered nothing else, her tone remained frosty.
Yet the moment she heard his next words, Betty's eyes narrowed sharply.
"Poneglyphs. The Devil Child Nico Robin. Jewelry Bonney—the daughter of Bartholomew Kuma. Which one would you like me to start with?"
"…What did you just say!?"
Betty shot to her feet, cigarette falling from her lips.
The amount of information packed in that single sentence completely shattered her composure.
What the hell kind of lineup was that!?
Across the room, Bonney froze—then abruptly sat upright, her face a swirl of tension, fear, curiosity, and disbelief.
She hadn't traveled with Ren for long, but she'd learned one thing: the man didn't bluff. From every subtle action, it was clear he truly could find her father.
That was why, even when she realized she'd be drawn into dangerous battles, she hadn't run away.
Partly, she feared her crew—like Dery—would be hunted down if she deserted. But mostly… she hoped. Hoped Ren would keep his word.
She just hadn't expected it to happen this fast.
For Robin, however, it was pure shock.
"Don't be too surprised," Ren said calmly. "At least show the Commander some composure."
"Who are you?" Betty demanded.
"East Blue. Name's Ren."
"So it's true... you really are that man?"
"…Yeah."
Ren had to admit—his most famous title these days was "the one who was defeated by a Yonko."
Every time someone mentioned it, he felt a faint sting. It was, after all, a loser's moniker.
Still, it was better to be infamous than nameless.
Before Betty could respond, Ren continued, "Miss Betty, I'll be straightforward. Everything I mentioned is true. If you doubt it, give me a second—I'll fax you a few pictures."
He then snapped several Photo Den Den Mushi shots—first of Robin, fists clenched tightly despite her calm face,then of Bonney at age nine, and again as she looked now.
A few moments later, three crisp photos came through on Betty's end.
The other line fell silent.
Meanwhile, the snail in Ren's hand bulged its eyes, its entire face twitching in shock—a clear reflection of Betty's expression.
"Miss Betty," Ren said evenly, "you've seen the evidence. Now, please be quiet and listen."
He seized the conversational reins, speaking with composure.
"First, I'm not your enemy. Second, I know far more than you think—and I understand your cause.
So I won't expect immediate trust. But let's skip the usual interrogation nonsense and move on to something useful."
A deep inhale echoed from the line before Betty's voice returned.
"…What do you want to discuss?"
"A deal," Ren said. "But one built on friendship with the Revolutionary Army.
If you can guarantee Bonney will be reunited with Kuma, I'll hand her over safely.
And to prevent misunderstanding, let me make this clear—according to Bonney herself, she escaped the Sorbet Kingdom under orders from a certain royal figure.
The person treating her was a CP agent under the World Government.
As for how we met—she entered the Grand Line, attacked my ship out of hunger, and I retaliated in self-defense."
Ren laid out every relevant detail—the origin of the 670 million Beli debt, and his plan to repay it.
He even mentioned how Kuma, after Someone defeat, had to propose him as the next Warlord of the Sea.
Betty listened in silence. At first, she wanted to deny any connection between Kuma and the Revolutionaries—that was, after all, classified.
But Bonney's existence changed everything. She was Kuma's most precious daughter.
Betty remembered the few times she'd met Kuma—how he'd grumble about Bonney never writing back.
She'd never imagined the problem lay with the Sorbet Kingdom itself.
First Ginny… now Bonney.
A burning frustration welled in her chest. And it was far too late to deny anything now—the man on the line knew too much.
How?
Did he eat the Prophecy Fruit or something!? Why the hell did he know all this!?
After a long silence, Betty finally said, "Then please, protect Bonney. The Revolutionary Army will remember your friendship."
"Good," Ren said lightly. "Now then—interested in extending that friendship into a trade?"
"…I'm listening."
"There's a kingdom in the Grand Line's Paradise region—Alabasta.
Its current Warlord, Crocodile, is plotting to collapse the nation from within.
My own power is limited, so I need allies.
Conveniently, I know his real objective—an Ancient Weapon known as Pluton."
"What!?"
"Please, don't interrupt."
"…Go on."
"He believes Pluton lies hidden in Alabasta because the royal family has preserved its secret for generations—engraved on a Poneglyph.
To confirm it, he's recruited the survivor of the Ohara Incident—the Devil Child, Nico Robin."
At that, Betty's breathing grew noticeably heavier.
Across the room, Robin tensed up too, panic flickering in her eyes.
Was he… selling her out?
But she'd behaved perfectly! She hadn't even begun forming a rebellion plan yet!
Why would he—?
Ren gave her a single glance and lowered his hand slightly, signaling her to stay calm.
"I trust you understand the implications," Ren continued."If Crocodile gains both Robin and the Poneglyph pointing to Pluton's location, he'll possess a force capable of rivaling nations.
You Revolutionaries call Nico Robin the 'Light of Revolution', don't you? The first to defy the world's silence. You've been searching for her for years.
Well—she's sitting right in front of me. For certain reasons, she's currently a prisoner.
So tell me this: if Nico Robin were willing to join you, would the Revolutionary Army help her uncover the Poneglyphs?"
The sudden turn left Betty momentarily stunned.
Ren switched the line to speaker mode, setting the receiver down.
After a moment's pause, Betty replied, "Of course. You know what the Revolutionary Army stands for.
If the World Government is so desperate to erase the Void Century—then it's our duty to dig up the truth and show it to the world."
"Excellent," Ren said, retrieving the receiver and glancing at Robin.
Her expression cycled rapidly through confusion, shock, and realization—like a flashing neon sign at a hair salon.
In the end, her face froze into a single look of speechless disbelief.
(⊙_⊙…)
(End of Chapter)