Inside the Captain's cabin of the Winter Gramma, the air felt thick enough to choke on. It was heavy, like a damp cloth being wrung out. Monkey D. Dragon slowly lowered the receiver of the Den Den Mushi after finishing his short but world-shaking call with Takuro. His eyes, deep and calm like the bottom of the ocean, stared out of the porthole at the endless sea. The storm of change was finally coming.
"Ivankov, Ginny," Dragon called out in a low, steady voice. "I need you to set up our highest level of encrypted communication immediately. We are holding a meeting right now."
A few moments later, the Revolutionary Army's secret network combined with the Golden Group's advanced technology to bridge the gap between thousands of miles. A remote strategic meeting began. It was a gathering that would decide the fate of the entire world.
Images of powerful leaders and representatives appeared on screens via Den Den Mushi projections. The atmosphere was eerie and filled with tension. Pirate Emperors, high-ranking revolutionaries, former government spies, and even the Fleet Admiral were all there. These people were usually enemies who would kill each other on sight. Now, they were forced to sit together because of a shared goal and the terrifying power of one man.
The meeting started with the usual pirate chaos and aggressive energy.
"Mamamama! Takuro, my dear son-in-law! Is it finally time to move? My bones are itching because I've been waiting so long!" Charlotte Linlin shouted first. Her voice was so loud it made the communication lines buzz and distort. "I'm telling you now, I get first pick of the treasures and sweets in Mary Geoise!"
"Worororo! Linlin, you're dreaming!" Kaido took a huge gulp of sake and laughed like a madman. "The strongest opponents belong to me! I'm going to be the one to crush the World Government's strongest warriors!" Even through a screen, people could feel a violent Ki coming from him. It made their hearts pound in fear.
Whitebeard snorted coldly. He slammed his massive polearm, Murakumogiri, onto the ground with a loud thud. "Gurarara! You two are fools. You're already talking about loot and duels before the fight has even started? Watch out, or those rats in CP0 will gnaw your bones clean while you're distracted!"
"What did you just say, Whitebeard?!" Kaido and Big Mom screamed at the same time, glaring at the old man.
"All of you, shut up!"
A cold, impatient voice cut through the noise. It wasn't loud, but it hit everyone like a heavy hammer. The room went silent instantly.
It was Takuro. He was sitting in the main chair with his hands stuffed in his pockets. His scarlet eyes lazily scanned the arguing legends on the screen. With just those few words, a soul-trembling pressure seemed to travel through the screens and across the ocean. It wrapped around everyone like a physical weight. Big Mom and Kaido stopped talking immediately. They looked uncomfortable and even pulled back their Ki instinctively. Even Whitebeard raised an eyebrow and stayed quiet.
In this world, absolute power meant absolute authority.
"Are you done arguing yet?" Takuro pouted, looking bored. "I don't have any interest in your nonsense. Dragon, bring the kid in."
Dragon nodded and made a gesture. Rob Lucci took a deep breath and stepped in front of the camera. He was now being watched by the most powerful people on the planet.
"Who is this brat?" Kaido narrowed his eyes. His tone was mean and unfriendly. To him, a stranger who looked like a child had no business being at a meeting of kings.
"This is Rob Lucci," Dragon explained in a deep voice. "He is a former member of CP9, the World Government's secret intelligence agency. They called him the strongest member in the history of the group."
When they heard this, everyone behind the screens—including Fleet Admiral Sengoku and Vice-Admiral Tsuru—looked shocked. Only Takuro and a few revolutionaries who already knew the secret remained calm.
"A CP9 grunt?" Kaido scoffed, unimpressed.
"No, Mr. Kaido," Lucci said. His voice was calm and steady, as if he were just talking about the weather. "I was an undercover agent in Water 7 for five years. I led the operation to steal the Ancient Weapon blueprints at Enies Lobby. I know how CP0 works and who their people are. More importantly, I was in charge of security checks for Mary Geoise. I know the internal layout, the secret paths, the power rooms, and the restricted areas of Pangaea Castle better than anyone else."
He paused for a second, his sharp eyes looking at the pirate lords.
"For instance, the slave cages in 'God's Land' are mostly in the western underground. They are sealed with Sea Stone fences. However, there are three hidden passages used for moving food and supplies. The defenses there are very weak."
He continued without emotion. "Another example is the emergency power source under the 'Hall of Power.' If we cut the main power, this backup turns on to keep the defense systems and radios working. I know exactly where it is located. Also, the CP0 command center is usually in the East Wing of Pangaea Castle. There is a fast-track hallway there that leads straight to the 'Flower Room' where the highest authorities stay."
Lucci spoke clearly and threw out secret after secret about the heart of the World Government. Some of this information was news even to Dragon. On the other side of the screen, Sengoku and Tsuru looked pale. They knew Lucci was telling the truth, and it was terrifying.
The meeting fell into silence again. This time, it wasn't because of Takuro's pressure, but because everyone was stunned by the value of this intelligence.
Kaido, who had just insulted Lucci, now looked very serious. Big Mom rubbed her chin, probably thinking about how to use those secret paths to steal more gold. Whitebeard gave a small nod, showing he respected the tactical advantage they now had.
"Very good," Takuro said, stopping Lucci from continuing. "It looks like I found someone useful after all. We will build the attack plan using this information. I don't care about the tiny details, but I do have one requirement."
A flash of wild, predator-like excitement appeared in his red eyes.
"Once the war starts, I'm going in through the front door. I don't care if it's CP0 or the God's Knights—anybody who stands in my way will be crushed by my own hands. Your job is simple. After I break their main line, you need to take control of Mary Geoise as fast as possible. You need to find what I'm looking for."
"And what exactly is it that you want?" Dragon asked. This was the question everyone wanted to ask. Takuro didn't seem to care about money or ruling the world, so why was he doing all of this?
Takuro looked at Nico Robin, who was standing beside him. Robin understood the signal. She stepped forward gracefully and spoke to the camera.
"We have studied the Poneglyph information we've gathered so far. We also used the Golden Group's intelligence network to check the facts. We are almost certain that the last Poneglyph is in Mary Geoise. This specific tablet records the exact location of the Dragon Ball. We also believe the last Dragon Ball itself is kept deep inside the 'Flower Room.' That area is controlled directly by the highest authority of the World Government."
The Dragon Ball! The truth of the Void Century!
Those words made everyone's heart skip a beat. For Dragon and the Revolutionary Army, the answers to history were finally within reach.
"Alright, so we have two main goals," Dragon said, quickly organizing the plan. He was a natural commander. "First, we must smash the World Government's main defense. Mr. Takuro will handle that. Second, during the chaos, we will send elite teams to sneak into the 'Flower Room.' They will secure the Poneglyph and the Dragon Ball. While they are there, they will find out the truth about the Void Century."
"Mamamama! No problem! My children will rip apart anyone in our path!" Big Mom shouted, hitting her chest with her fist.
"Worororo! A frontal assault? That's exactly what I wanted!" Kaido laughed loudly.
"Gurarara... saving the slaves is also our duty," Whitebeard added in his deep, rumbling voice.
Sengoku and Tsuru stayed quiet. They didn't say yes, but they didn't say no either. In this situation, their silence was basically a way of helping.
"Now, let's talk about troop placement and the routes we will take..." Dragon began to explain the first draft of the plan. Each group was given a specific task based on their strengths and the maps Lucci provided. They argued a bit, made deals, and finally created a plan. It was a risky move, but it was the best chance they ever had.
Lucci stood there and listened. Every now and then, he would add a detail about a trap or how the guards might react. He watched these legendary figures—people he used to think were untouchable—all gathered together by one man's crazy goal. They were planning a war that would change history forever. The fire of revenge in his heart burned hotter than ever before.
As the meeting ended and everyone agreed on the plan, Takuro stood up. His scarlet eyes stared into every screen at once.
"The talking is over."
"Three days."
"In three days, I want to see Mary Geoise burning in ruins. Only then will a new dawn begin."
He grinned, showing his teeth like a hungry beast.
"Dismissed."
The screens went black one by one. At that moment, the world shifted. The gears of fate were turning in a violent new direction. The ultimate storm had started its final countdown.
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