Baltigo, a nation hidden within the East Blue, remained buried beneath endless wind and snow all year round.
The seasons barely changed there.
Gray clouds covered the sky day after day, while snowflakes drifted endlessly through the freezing air like restless spirits.
The entire land looked as though it had been sealed beneath a silver world.
Towering snow mountains surrounded the country from every direction, their peaks hidden beneath layers of thick white frost.
To outsiders, Baltigo appeared empty and lifeless.
But beneath those frozen mountains lay the true headquarters of the Revolutionary Army.
The mountains themselves had long been hollowed out, forming enormous underground facilities hidden from the world.
Inside one of the chambers, Ivankov stood motionless while holding a newspaper tightly in his hand.
Veins bulged across his forehead.
His expression darkened more and more as he stared at the image printed on the front page.
Bartholomew Kuma.
The picture showed Kuma kneeling on the ground while a Celestial Dragon sat arrogantly on his back.
The sight alone made Ivankov's breathing turn heavier.
Kuma's body was covered in wounds.
Several swords were stabbed into his back, sparks still flickering from the damaged mechanical components beneath his skin.
His clothes had been reduced to torn rags.
Blood covered most of his face, while one side of his mechanical eye had completely lost its outer covering, exposing the cold machinery underneath.
He looked less like a man and more like a broken weapon discarded by the world.
Crunch.
Ivankov crushed the newspaper into a ball instantly.
His trembling hand hurled it straight out the window into the violent snowstorm outside.
"How dare they..."
His voice shook with rage.
Without hesitation, he turned and stormed toward the exit.
The door suddenly opened before he could leave.
Sabo and Koala stepped inside just in time to see Ivankov rushing forward.
Koala blinked in surprise.
"Mr. Ivankov? Where are you going in such a hurry?"
Sabo immediately sensed something was wrong from Ivankov's expression.
Ivankov raised his head slowly.
His eyes had already turned bloodshot.
"Bartholomew Kuma... those Celestial Dragons are using him as a mount!"
His voice echoed through the room with uncontrollable fury.
"I'm going to Mary Geoise right now to save him!"
He pushed past them and headed straight outside.
"Mr. Ivankov, stop!"
Sabo quickly grabbed his arm.
"We're already here to discuss this matter."
Ivankov violently pulled against him.
"What's there to discuss?! If we waste any more time, Kuma might not survive!"
His breathing grew heavier as he spoke.
Koala hurriedly stepped forward as well.
"Mr. Ivankov, you need to think this through. Mary Geoise isn't somewhere you can charge into recklessly. That place is filled with Admirals, Cipher Pol agents, and the Celestial Dragons themselves."
Her expression became serious.
"If we move without a proper plan, we'll only make things worse."
Ivankov clenched his fists tightly.
"You don't understand!"
His voice carried obvious frustration.
"Those Celestial Dragons are complete scum. Every second we delay means Kuma suffers longer!"
He tried to leave again, but several footsteps suddenly echoed from the corridor.
"Ivankov, what's going on?"
A massive figure ducked slightly while entering the room.
It was Morley.
Behind him followed three more commanders of the Revolutionary Army.
Belo Betty walked in while holding a cigarette between her fingers, smoke slowly rising around her short purple hair.
Lindbergh carried a large toolbox over one shoulder while adjusting his goggles casually.
The final figure, Crow, remained silent as always. His pale skin and metal beak-shaped mask gave him an intimidating appearance.
The moment they entered, the atmosphere inside the room became much heavier.
Ivankov paused briefly after seeing them.
Sabo let out a tired sigh.
"We came specifically because of Kuma."
After hearing that, Ivankov finally stopped resisting completely.
Everyone entered the room together.
The moment he sat down, Ivankov slammed both hands against the table.
"What exactly are we still discussing? We're rescuing Kuma, not starting a world war!"
Sabo shook his head immediately.
"We can't make a decision based purely on emotion."
His tone remained steady.
"If we rush into Mary Geoise carelessly, the Revolutionary Army could suffer massive losses. Things could spiral completely out of control."
The others nodded in agreement.
Belo Betty removed the cigarette from her mouth and exhaled slowly.
"Sabo's right."
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
"Kuma is now being used by the Celestial Dragons directly. Rescuing him means openly provoking the World Nobles. Once that happens, our existence will be fully exposed to the World Government."
Koala folded her arms quietly.
"We need proper preparation before acting."
Ivankov lowered his head in frustration.
Normally, he could remain rational.
But Kuma was different.
Kuma was his comrade.
His friend.
Just imagining Kuma enduring that humiliation made it impossible for him to remain composed.
"Then what do you suggest we do?" Ivankov asked through gritted teeth. "The longer we wait, the more dangerous Kuma's situation becomes."
At that moment, Morley finally spoke again.
"We should report everything to Dragon first."
Sabo nodded immediately.
"Yes. We need to hear Mr. Dragon's decision."
Koala hesitated briefly before speaking again.
"Should we also ask Rolan-sama?"
The room fell slightly silent afterward.
Lindbergh suddenly spun the pistol in his hand a few times before speaking.
"We're the Revolutionary Army."
His sharp eyes swept across the room.
"If we can't even rescue one of our own, then everything we've fought for becomes meaningless."
Crow, who rarely spoke, finally opened his mouth.
"We're only rescuing people."
His cold voice carried unusual pressure.
"Even if it leads to war with the World Government, so what?"
The commanders of the Revolutionary Army naturally possessed enormous pride.
They had spent years directly opposing the World Government itself.
Fear alone would never stop them.
Suddenly, Sabo seemed to remember something important.
"Oh right..."
Everyone looked toward him.
"If possible, there's another person we need to rescue during this operation."
The others frowned immediately.
Another target?
But none of them remembered anyone else from the Revolutionary Army being captured.
Sabo slowly spoke the name.
"Vegapunk."
Silence.
Then the room exploded.
"WHAT?!"
Belo Betty nearly dropped her cigarette.
"Vegapunk? The World Government's chief scientist?!"
Even Crow visibly stiffened.
Lindbergh pushed his goggles upward in disbelief.
"Why would we rescue him? Isn't he one of theirs?"
The atmosphere turned strange instantly.
Koala also looked surprised, though she stayed silent.
Among everyone present, only Sabo and Ivankov already knew about this matter.
Sabo explained carefully.
"Vegapunk secretly sent a distress signal to Rolan."
He placed a small device onto the table.
"Using the positioning device he left behind, we confirmed he's currently inside Mary Geoise."
Crow frowned deeply.
"How can we be certain this isn't a trap?"
"Vegapunk has served the World Government for years."
"There's no guarantee this wasn't planned intentionally."
Sabo shook his head firmly.
"Rolan already confirmed the situation himself."
"There shouldn't be any problem."
Belo Betty leaned back slowly.
"If that's true, then rescuing Vegapunk will be even harder than rescuing Kuma."
Everyone understood exactly what that meant.
Kuma was valuable.
But Vegapunk was irreplaceable.
The World Government would never allow him to escape so easily.
The pressure inside the room grew heavier and heavier.
===
Get access to the entire catalog on Patreon, where all chapters are conveniently organized into collections.
If you prefer not to pay for a monthly membership, this is a more affordable option that gives you access to the content you want.
(Buying the collection gives you access to all chapters in it.)
Search for "_Zeph" on P@treon to get started.