The Grand Line, Paradise segment—On the White Soil Island of Baltigo, a towering structure rose from the pale wasteland.
The long-hidden headquarters of the Revolutionary Army—one that the CP agencies had failed to locate for over a decade—was concealed right here upon this barren land.
Inside the colossal building, in a grand conference hall, a heated discussion was underway.
The topic of debate, naturally, revolved around one man—Ren.
The man who held a Poneglyph recording the whereabouts of Pluton, one of the Ancient Weapons. The man connected to the former Warlord of the Sea—Crocodile—and the Light of Revolution—Nico Robin. The man involved with Bartholomew Kuma's daughter—Jewelry Bonney—and the one who had somehow linked all of them together: the Demon Ren.
Even the Revolutionary Army could not ignore him.
"Even putting aside all those external ties," said Belo Betty, her cigarette glowing faintly between her lips, "Ren himself is absolutely not an ordinary man. Everyone here knows what kind of power Red-Haired Shanks possesses. And yet, Ren survived his personal visit to the East Blue.If someone offers you goodwill, repaying it with hostility only leads to loss."
As she concluded her statement, Betty looked around at the faces before her—and the rows of Den Den Mushi resting upon the conference table.
One white-shelled Den Den Mushi represented Monkey D. Dragon, their Supreme Commander, and was fitted with a white anti-eavesdropping receiver. Another belonged to Sabo, the Chief of Staff. To the left and right sat the commanders of the South and West Armies: Lindbergh, the feline Mink inventor, and Morley, the giant commander.
The seat for the Grand Line Army remained vacant—the former commander still imprisoned in Impel Down. Thus, the only one physically present with Betty was the North Army's commander—Karasu.
The tall, pale-skinned, bald man sat quietly, his face concealed behind a beak-shaped metal mask. A faint purple tie hung around his neck, a black feather coat draped across his shoulders, and his dark trousers matched the shadowy aura he carried. His presence was chilling—like a man born from gloom itself.
At last, Karasu spoke in a low, distorted tone:
"I agree with Betty's stance. If the other side extends goodwill, we should accept it. But Bonney cannot be left out there alone any longer. In the past, we allowed it because we believed she could handle herself. Keeping her distant from dangerous figures like us was meant to shield her from attention. But after learning the truth, we must face the fact—she's still only a nine-year-old child. Even if Kuma can't personally bring her back, we should at least return her under our protection."
"So you're in favor of the deal?" The deep, oddly feminine voice belonged to Morley, the giant. "Men are always reckless and driven by ambition. Someone who suddenly proposes a deal while holding leverage over things we deeply value—can we really assume his motives are pure?"
Betty lit her cigarette with a sharp click of her lighter.
"What are you afraid of, Morley?"
"Afraid of being used," Morley sighed. "Afraid the bait is too tempting—so much that we'll refuse to let go and end up crippled in the process. Men are trouble."
Then his playful tone vanished, replaced by cold seriousness.
"Just as Betty said, our informants across the East Blue have already been mobilized. Through stolen Navy documents and intelligence gathered from our local spies, we've learned nearly everything there is to know about this man—Ren."
"About three months ago, the man known by his original name, Keya, was nothing more than a civilian from a small Marine town. A man who killed a Marine officer's nephew and was forced to flee to sea. By all logic, he should have either fallen into depravity or died as prey to the strong. And yet… we all know what happened next."
"In barely three months, he wiped out all the top pirate factions in the East Blue—forming the Demon Pirates, a crew of his own making. Even that swordsman, Zoro, was sighted surviving a duel with Dracule Mihawk himself. Everyone knows Mihawk never spares a challenger unless he truly admires their resolve. And yet, that man is merely Ren's first mate."
"The true leader, the real mind behind it all, is Ren—a commoner with no lineage, no inheritance, and not even formal combat training before all this. Within months, he's become a force capable of defeating senior agents of Baroque Works in Alabasta. He just happens to possess items and allies the Revolutionary Army cannot ignore. Tell me—if this isn't a trap, what is it?"
The room fell silent.
For the Revolutionary Army, whose network of spies spanned the globe—capable of hiding from CP surveillance for decades—uncovering someone's background was a trivial matter. And yet, what they discovered defied explanation.
How could a man with no power, bloodline, or heritage rise so impossibly high in under four months? A genius? True prodigies reveal their talent early; they don't emerge from nowhere.
Through the Den Den Mushi, Morley's deep voice continued:
"Enormous profit blinds even the sharpest eyes. I don't believe this is simple. Accepting such a trade outright would compromise—no, it would shatter—our principles of secrecy. For the sake of the revolution's survival, every member of our organization is bound by the 'captured equals dead' pact. If any Revolutionary is defeated and captured, we assume them lost—no rescues, no exceptions."
"That's why, when Ginny was abducted by the Celestial Dragons, we didn't storm Mary Geoise, even though she was one of our own. The World Government has dangled captured comrades as bait countless times, but our decision has always been the same—let them go. That rule will remain until the grand strategy begins. That time hasn't come yet."
Lindbergh's Den Den Mushi flicked its whiskers as his voice rumbled through:
"I'll speak my piece. Pluton—the battleship itself—one of the Three Ancient Weapons. If we could obtain it, or even its ancient schematics, I'm confident I could reverse-engineer its super-technology. That would be an enormous advantage for our eventual war."
"I doubt it's real," Morley retorted.
Betty exhaled a cloud of smoke.
"Then what about the girl? Kuma is one of us. Bonney must be brought home. She's not part of the pact, nor is the World Government focusing on her. Bringing her back—how can that be wrong?"
Sabo's voice came next:
"What does Kuma himself say?"
Dragon finally spoke, his tone measured yet resolute.
"He has an agreement with Vegapunk. I've informed him of the situation. He can't take a position yet—only asks that we protect Bonney."
"I believe we can intervene in the Alabasta affair," Dragon continued. "Our primary goal: retrieve Bonney. Perhaps we can persuade Kuma to return to our ranks. Secondary: secure Robin. She survived the Ohara Incident, and her dedication to the Poneglyphs remains unchanged. The enemy would never accept her as a spy. As for the Poneglyph that records Pluton's location—if we can obtain it, do so. But don't overextend our hand. If all else fails—let the winds decide."
The hall went quiet as the supreme commander's voice faded.
Betty glanced at the Den Den Mushi around her, noting their subtle expressions.
"All right," she said, raising her hand. "Let's put it to a vote—majority rules. Shall the Revolutionary Army accept Ren's offer and take action to assassinate Crocodile?"
Three seconds of silence.
Sabo spoke first.
"As Chief of Staff, I know the risk. Rationally, I should refuse—that's our principle. But emotionally… I can't ignore that Kuma's daughter is out there alone. Therefore—I abstain."
"Opposed," said Morley flatly.
"I agree," Lindbergh chimed in. "Even if it's a false lead, I can't let go of the chance to study Pluton."
Karasu pressed the button on his beaked mask.
"In favor."
"In favor," said Betty.
Dragon's Den Den Mushi raised its eyes.
"In favor."
Betty nodded.
"Good. Last question—who's going?"
"I will," Karasu replied. "Let me handle matters in Alabasta. If anything goes wrong, you'll know what to do."
"Understood," Dragon said. "I'll remain in the skies. If anything happens, prioritize your safety—and Bonney's."
"Got it," Betty responded. "I'll have the Grand Line division ready."
And with that, the meeting concluded.
The Revolutionary Army had chosen—and prepared for the worst.
Alabasta, Alubarna Royal Capital
The Baroque Works transport turtle rested outside the city walls, having just completed a delivery run.
Three figures disembarked: Robin, Vivi, and Igaram.
As expected, Robin left first—quietly slipping into the royal mausoleum. Vivi and Igaram infiltrated the palace using the Invisibility Cloak and Invisibility Potion Ren had provided.
No one could guarantee that Crocodile hadn't planted spies within the castle. Though Baroque Works now danced on Ren's strings, with every message to Crocodile intercepted and altered, caution was still essential.
Thus, King Cobra was startled when his daughter and captain suddenly appeared before him—and then shocked silent as he read the documents they brought.
"So… this is the truth? I always believed Crocodile, despite his past, truly cared for Alabasta's people. I turned a blind eye to his growing influence, even aided his development of Rainbase. But now… he's the cause of the drought?!"
Cobra's hands trembled in fury.
Meanwhile, in the silent tomb beneath the palace, Robin stood before a towering stone slab—her gaze locked upon the ancient glyphs carved into its surface.
"So this… is the Poneglyph."
The Poneglyphs were indestructible monoliths created during the Void Century.There were two types: Four red Road Poneglyphs that pointed toward the island of Laugh Tale, and twenty-six History Poneglyphs that chronicled fragments of that lost century—nine of which contained particularly crucial information.
Together, their combined records formed the full account of the hundred missing years—the true history of the world.
Thus, the act of studying them had been branded a crime by the World Government. No one knew why the government was so desperate to suppress history's truth. Many revolutionaries believed it contained evidence that could topple the Celestial Dragons—those self-proclaimed "descendants of the Creator."
But no one truly knew.And since the destruction of Ohara, only Nico Robin remained capable of reading them.
That was why she was hunted—why she had to die. No mercy, no compromise.
Yet Robin didn't despair. At first, she had pursued the Poneglyphs out of pure fascination. Later, it was to fulfill her mother's dying wish. After Ohara's annihilation—it became vengeance.
If you so desperately wish to bury history, she had once thought, then I will expose it for all the world to see.
But that dream was always out of reach. Endless betrayals, endless chases—her life reduced to survival.
Through that torment, she became the Devil Child, the woman of darkness reviled by all.
Even so, Robin had reached her limit. The dream felt impossibly far, and she was exhausted from running.
In the end, she had turned to Crocodile—hoping Alabasta's Poneglyph would hold the truth she sought.And what did she find?
Only failure. This stone contained not the truth of the Void Century—but the location of Pluton.
A fragment, yes—but not what she truly desired.
Her knees weakened. Even though Ren had warned her of the truth beforehand, her body trembled. Dozens of spectral arms bloomed from the floor, supporting her.
No amount of preparation could soften the sting of reality. To reach this Poneglyph, she had aided Crocodile's cruel scheme—making her partly responsible for Alabasta's suffering.
But Ren's presence had changed her.
This wasn't the end. There would be another chance. And she was certain—the next stone would not speak of weapons.
It's not over yet, she thought, her eyes hardening."Crocodile… you must die."
With a whisper, Robin began taking photographs, annotating them carefully before transmitting the data back.
(End of Chapter)