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"Y-you…"
"Ugh!"
Dragon's eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at Akainu. He opened his mouth and spat out another mouthful of blood.
Although his heart had not been pierced, his lungs were nearly incinerated. With each breath, Dragon experienced the very essence of "Hell."
"Don't look at me with those eyes, Dragon…"
Magma Human Akainu slowly said, "To deal with enemies, you must eliminate them completely... Isn't that what you once taught me?"
Molten lava dripped from his body, giving Akainu the appearance of a demon. A layer of Haki that had been enveloping his fist gradually dissipated.
Many prisoners were held in Impel Down.
Not counting the newly infamous Level 6 Thunder Hell, the upper five levels housed at least over 2000 prisoners.
But among them, the number captured personally by Akainu was precisely zero!
It wasn't close to zero; it was zero!
Not a single one!
Now, Rowen understood why. Looking at the pitiful state of Dragon, he couldn't help but think, wasn't this poetic justice?
"I was wrong back then!" Dragon gasped and roared with a ferocious snarl. "And so are you, Akainu!"
His eyes were not filled with fear or anger but with urgency and regret. Akainu was walking further down the path Dragon had once tread, a path Dragon, as a former friend, never wished for him.
"No, you weren't wrong."
Akainu met his gaze calmly. "The world is wrong, those criminals who wish to rebel against the government are wrong!"
"You owe them nothing. You have no obligation to help them."
"I... cough, cough!"
Dragon was infuriated, opening his mouth to cough up more blood clots.
Akainu's magma fist embedded in his chest would have killed Ace, but because it missed a vital point, it wasn't immediately fatal for Dragon.
However, not being immediately fatal doesn't mean it isn't lethal.
Such injuries, without effective treatment, would even kill someone like Kaido!
"Enough, Akainu! Bring him back alive. We need to publicly try him for his crimes!"
Momousagi said, holding a Den Den Mushi close, her eyes sad but her resolve stronger than ever.
Through this battle, she realized just how close she had come to her old dream.
Dragon had always been a knot in her heart. That tall, broad figure that provided safety not only became her reliance but also an insurmountable mountain.
She had never wanted to cross that chasm.
Now, Momousagi understood.
If he is an enemy, no matter how high the mountain, she must cut through it with her sword!
What is right or wrong, what does it matter?
Life isn't about endless 'whys'. If you believe it's worth it, then do it.
Tsuru, acting as the chief commander of this battle, her orders carried the weight of Sengoku's authority. As an Admiral, Akainu had to obey the higher command.
**Zī Zī…**
The sound of searing magma cooling echoed as Akainu retracted his fist, turning Dragon's body over to the marines who immediately began securing him for transport.
The news of Dragon's capture spread like wildfire. The Revolutionary Army leader, once seen as an untouchable beacon of rebellion, was now a prisoner of the Marines. The world watched in stunned silence, waiting to see how this monumental event would unfold.
The sound of crackling electricity heralded Rowen's arrival beside Akainu and Momousagi. "I believe none of you brought this, did you?" he said, holding up a pair of Seastone handcuffs he had retrieved from an aircraft hovering in the distant sky. As an outsider, Rowen knew his place.
Akainu remained silent, lowering his arm and letting Dragon fall to the ground.
No one is worried about Dragon's ability to escape.
With his spine shattered, Dragon had lost not just half his life but also any chance at a future.
Even with government intervention, the best they could do was save his life; a full recovery was nearly impossible.
The "nearly" came from the Sea's unknown Devil Fruits.
However, placing hope in a Devil Fruit was less practical than hoping a doctor could heal him.
**Gū lū... gū lū...**
Layers of magma peeled off Akainu's body. He raised a hand to stop the non-Devil Fruit user Momousagi, who wanted to assist, and personally took the Seastone handcuffs from Rowen, standing before Dragon.
"It's all over, Dragon."
"Your ambitions, your criminal life, ends here!"
"Cough Cough, maybe…"
Dragon weakly rolled onto his back, staring at the now clear sky with a hint of a smile.
It was clear he had many things left unsaid, but only one phrase escaped his lips: "Do you remember the bet we made long ago?"
"Do me a favor, Akainu, bury me in the grave you chose for me."
Akainu paused, lowering his baseball cap.
"I've long forgotten about that."
**Kā Chā…**
A few minutes later, Tsuru arrived swiftly upon receiving the news.
She said nothing, treating Dragon like a stranger. One by one, Seastone chains bound the unconscious Dragon to a steel plate, ensuring he had no chance of escape before she arranged for a doctor to stop his bleeding.
"Thank you for your hard work, Akainu, Momousagi... and Rowen."
Tsuru saluted the three of them. "Your bravery has erased one of the greatest threats to the Sea!"
In terms of threat level, even the combined Yonko didn't surpass the Revolutionary Army!
Capturing Dragon not only cleansed the stain lingering over Sengoku and others for decades but also brought greater peace to the Sea, saving countless lives from unnecessary sacrifice.
Regardless of rank, this salute was well deserved.
"Why do I feel like I'm just an extra," Rowen shrugged, noticing Tsuru's meaningful look. He quickly straightened and returned the salute. "For Justice, it cannot be shirked without dishonor!"
---
Several days later, a world-shaking piece of news spread across the Sea.
The leader of the anti-government militant group, the "Revolutionary Army," who vowed to overthrow the Celestial Dragons, Monkey D. Dragon, labeled as the "most dangerous criminal in the world," was officially captured by the Marines!
Simultaneously, the Marines destroyed the Revolutionary Army's headquarters on Baltigo, capturing thousands of core members and killing numerous enemies.
An unimaginable storm swept through the world.
The Revolutionary Army branches in the Four Seas reacted most violently.
Since the establishment of the Independent Commission Against Corruption, with Headquarters Vice Admirals stationed in the Four Seas regions, crime in the Four Seas has taken a severe hit.
Pirates struggled to survive, even fearing to raise their pirate flags.
The only force that could confront the elite Marine soldiers from Headquarters was the Revolutionary Army!
When they learned of the headquarters' destruction and Dragon's capture, ambushes erupted, and nations declared independence, attempting to pressure the government into releasing Dragon.
Naturally, the Marines would never compromise.
Intense battles raged across the Four Seas, becoming a hot topic in the news.
In contrast, the Grand Line remained eerily quiet.
This wasn't just because the Grand Line's Revolutionary Army had lost its leader; it was also because everyone realized they had no room to maneuver.
In the New World, the Marines were locked in a fierce battle with Yonko Big Mom. No one dared to provoke the Marines at this time.
In the Four Seas, the Independent Commission Against Corruption coordinated cleansing operations with various branches, making it an untouchable stronghold.
Everything was now confined to the First Half of Paradise.
With so many threats, no one dared to be the first to stand out, leading to an unexpected tranquility.
In the midst of this turmoil, everyone waited, anticipating the government's declaration...
---
"We can't wait any longer. Impel Down is no place for a human! We must rescue the Leader!"
On the Red Line, in a newly liberated nation.
Sabo glared at the small giant in front of him and shouted with red eyes, "Without him, who can lead us all? Do you think you can?"
"Calm down, Sabo. Kuma doesn't mean that. Impel Down is extremely dangerous. We can't rush into this…"
Koala tried to hold Sabo back, sensing the slight trembling of his body. Her words of comfort grew weaker and finally faded away.
Sabo knew that Kuma didn't mean it that way, but it still represented the voice of some members, making it easier to seize the initiative by stating it outright.
Since when did the Revolutionary Army need this?
Koala thought sadly.
Dragon had only been captured for a few days, and morale was already crumbling.
Facing Sabo's accusation, the towering small giant, Bartholomew Kuma, one of the Shichibukai and known as the "Tyrant," closed his book and calmly replied, "I had the opportunity to let the Leader escape and be captured in his place."
"It was the Leader who refused."
Traces of dirt could still be seen on Kuma, having not groomed himself for days. At that time, he had hidden underground, capable of sending Dragon to the ends of the earth with a single tap.
Even if the Marine's fastest officers pursued, it wouldn't be easy to catch up.
"Why? Didn't he know how important he was?!"
"It was precisely because he knew that he said those words."
Kuma closed his eyes, recalling the conversation he overheard underground.
Dragon was not a cowardly person!
He refused because he believed his death would be more significant than his life!
But what exactly did that mean?
Kuma couldn't understand.
---
(From Author- "Stay calm, everyone. This book still has hundreds of chapters unwritten... You may not believe it, but Dragon's capture was planned for the previous volume, yet it only got written now. Yonko, the government— these two targets can easily stretch out a million words. The end is far from near. Well, it seems I've said too much. Slipping away now.")
(End of Chapter)