Boom!
The sound of cannon fire echoed, and Babit Hillburt's face turned pale.
He was all too familiar with that sound—the heavy cannons on Naval Warships. It seemed the Navy had arrived.
Fortunately, a batch of confidential documents and personnel had already been evacuated.
"Commander, you should leave now. Leave the rest to us."
One by one, the Revolutionary Army soldiers urged him.
They had once been slaves in this kingdom and had regained their freedom and humanity only with the help of the Revolutionary Army
It was precisely because of this experience that their convictions were no less firm than those of the seasoned Revolutionary Army veterans.
Babit Hillburt opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but his personal guard grabbed his arm and dragged him frantically toward the large ship by the shore.
Watching the commander depart, the remaining Revolutionary Army soldiers smiled.
It was a relief—the commander hadn't been foolish enough to stay and die with them.
In truth, they had long known the consequences this would bring and had heard about the Navy's campaign to suppress the Revolutionary Army.
Everyone understood clearly that even if the commander stayed, they wouldn't win this battle—it would only mean one more casualty.
It was better to let him leave and preserve the Revolutionary Army's strength for future victories.
...
On the battleship, Sakazuki looked down gloomily at the shattered and scattered defenses below, murmuring softly.
"Just this one position held us off for twenty minutes?"
Sakazuki was displeased.
He seemed to see an army no less formidable than his own subordinates.
Although the enemies before him were poorly equipped and no match for the Navy in terms of resources, their willpower was no less resolute than that of the steadfast Navy soldiers.
Buru buru buru buru...
The sound of a Den Den Mushi reached Sakazuki's ears, and he turned to look at it.
"Hello, this is Sakazuki."
Raleigh's lazy voice came from the other end.
"Sakazuki-senpai, are you done over there? Fleet Admiral Sengoku just called me, telling me to return to Marineford after dealing with the Revolutionary Army soldiers in the stronghold. Something about a newly emerged Emperor among the Pirates—he asked me to inform you."
Sakazuki watched the soldiers under his command charging fearlessly toward the island and calmly said, "I've just engaged with the remaining Revolutionary Army forces here. I estimate it'll take half an hour to resolve the battle. A newly emerged Emperor among the Pirates? Could it be that brat Red-Haired Shanks?"
Sakazuki remembered that the most prominent rising star among pirates recently was Shanks.
If anyone among the pirates were to become a new Emperor, it would most likely be him.
"Hmm, yes, exactly. I just never saw that potential in Shanks back then. Had I known, I would've taken him out while fighting Roger," Raleigh's tone was full of regret.
It wasn't that he hadn't tried to attack Shanks before, but Roger and Rayleigh at the time valued Shanks highly and intercepted every attempt.
Thus, Shanks was able to grow up smoothly.
Later, when Shanks made a name for himself in the Grand Line, Raleigh was already busy with other matters.
Regarding this Shanks who would eventually become one of the Four Emperors, Raleigh clearly didn't consider him a primary target.
If encountered, eliminate him, if not, continue with his own affairs—after all, Shanks couldn't affect him.
Sakazuki didn't quite understand Sengoku's approach.
Since Raleigh was on their side, he spoke directly.
"Does a Pirate Emperor really require serious attention from Admirals like us? When Charlotte Linlin and Kaido declared themselves Emperors back then, Fleet Admiral Sengoku didn't make a big deal out of it either, did he?"
Now that the Revolutionary Army's forces had been pushed back into the Four Blues, all that remained was for them to enter the Four Blues from the Grand Line and eliminate the Revolutionary Army sea by sea.
To return to Marineford at this critical juncture just to deal with a brat who just declared himself Emperor—what could they possibly be thinking?
All Revolutionary Army strongholds in the Grand Line had been cleared.
Next, the Navy could logically advance into the Four Blues.
But at this crucial moment, Sengoku used Red-Haired Shanks' Emperor declaration as a pretext to recall all main forces participating in the campaign, undoubtedly giving the Revolutionary Army breathing room.
As for Sengoku's reasoning, though flimsy, Sakazuki had no grounds to refuse.
Theoretically, there were no procedural issues with the meeting Sengoku convened this time, but Sakazuki remained convinced this shouldn't be happening.
He intended to have a proper talk with Raleigh.
...
At that moment, Raleigh lay on a deck chair on the battleship, drinking chilled coconut water, looking nothing like a Navy officer who'd just battled the Revolutionary Army.
In truth, Raleigh understood when he receive the orders—Sengoku was likely secretly supporting Dragon.
Otherwise, the timing wouldn't be so coincidental.
Clearly they could press into the Four Blues and pursue relentlessly, yet they deliberately leave the Revolutionary Army breathing room.
Even a fool could see something's wrong.
According to intelligence from Raleigh's informants within the World Government, the Five Elders—due to the Navy's lack of progress against the Revolutionary Army—had begun investigating which high-ranking naval officer was leaking information.
Of course, they hadn't uncovered anything useful yet.
Because the leak was someone they'd never suspect: the Navy's highest leader.
Regarding this situation, Raleigh also felt there was nothing to be done.
He wasn't responsible for managing everything.
Perhaps it was better for the Revolutionary Army to catch their breath—only then could the World Government's trump cards be forced into play.
If Sengoku continues to maintain this ambiguous stance, merely going through the motions without genuine effort, then the World Government will have no choice but to take matters into its own hands to deal with the Revolutionary Army.
...
South Blue, Sorbet Kingdom.
Currently, Dragon has returned here to oversee the Revolutionary Army's operations worldwide.
Originally, this palace was packed with Revolutionary Army commanders, such as the leaders of various sectors and the former Army Commanders of the five armies.
Now, they have all been dispatched.
Only Kuma remains here to assist Dragon, as his ability is incredibly practical—a simple pat can send someone anywhere.
It is this ability that allows Dragon to stay in the Sorbet Kingdom with peace of mind.
At this moment, Dragon is examining the Revolutionary Army's strongholds on the world map, jotting down notes as he goes.
He casually asks, "How many people have we withdrawn from our strongholds in the Grand Line?"
Sabo, who has already gained considerable standing within the Revolutionary Army, replies with a grim expression, "Two-thirds have been withdrawn. Most of the commanders are safe and sound. However, due to Admiral Sakazuki, a few strongholds couldn't evacuate in time."
Not all Navy officers are like Sakazuki.
Most Revolutionary Army units were able to cut their losses and survive.
For instance, at the strongholds overseen by Raleigh and Borsalino, the Revolutionary Army withdrew almost entirely.
Even some Vice Admirals failed to capture a single Revolutionary Army soldier.
However, Sakazuki's approach is straightforward: whether dealing with Pirates or the Revolutionary Army, once an order is given, it must be carried out flawlessly.
This is why he acted without hesitation even in Ohara.
After listening to the detailed battle report, Dragon's initially grim expression softens slightly.
He says, "It seems the World Government's stance is resolute. Their hatred for our Revolutionary Army far exceeds their hatred for Pirates. But from my perspective now, the World Government is at its wit's end. Faced with a force far superior to us, our ability to withdraw at a cost is already a victory. Their sacrifices were not in vain. When we achieve victory, we will tell the world their names!"
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