When Sabo regained consciousness, he found himself in a dimly lit room, his entire body tightly restrained by Seastone chains.
He narrowed his eyes, struggling to adjust to the darkness before finally making out his surroundings.
The small room was clearly part of a massive prison. The atmosphere felt suffocating, a heavy pressure lingering in the air, likely caused by the Seastone embedded throughout the cell.
His mind drifted back to his clash with Saint Nusjuro, and his brows tightened.
The Five Elders, the highest authority within the World Government, possessed terrifying strength. Their power exceeded even that of the Yonko.
If he wanted to stand against them, he would need to awaken his Devil Fruit.
"Sabo, you're awake."
A voice broke the silence.
Sabo turned his head sharply, his pupils shrinking. "Ivankov!"
He quickly scanned the room. "Karasu, Dellinger, Kuma... you're all here."
At that moment, his heart sank completely.
Not only had their mission to rescue Kuma failed, but everyone who had infiltrated Mary Geoise had been captured.
Ivankov and the others wore expressions filled with regret.
If not for them, Sabo might have escaped on his own.
Their weakness had dragged him down with them.
Sabo saw everything clearly.
Given his sharp mind, there was no way he could misunderstand their thoughts.
At the same time, guilt surged within him. If he had been just a little stronger, he might have been able to bring everyone safely back to Baltigo.
"Ivankov, this is my fault. I wasn't strong enough to get everyone out."
Ivankov immediately shook his head. "No! If anything, we held you back. Without us, you would have made it out of Mary Geoise for sure."
"He's right, Sabo. If I were stronger, we wouldn't be in this situation," Morley added, her expression filled with self-blame.
Dellinger remained silent, but the look on his face said enough.
Karasu sat quietly in the corner, saying nothing.
After a brief silence, Ivankov spoke again, his voice heavy.
"This whole thing started because of me. When Dragon learned that Kuma had been captured and turned into a Celestial Dragon's slave, he said we needed to think things through carefully. Rolan also warned that this could be a trap set by the World Government, meant to lure us into a rescue attempt."
As he finished speaking, Ivankov lowered his head.
Sabo already knew this.
As Chief of Staff of the Revolutionary Army, he had received the same warnings from Dragon and Rolan.
But at the time, everyone had been overwhelmed by Kuma's situation. They rushed in without a proper plan.
If they had listened, things would not have ended like this.
A heavy silence filled the prison.
Karasu finally spoke, breaking it. "Right now, arguing about responsibility changes nothing. We need to think about how to escape."
His words made everyone fall silent again.
If this had been an ordinary prison, there might still be hope.
But this was Mary Geoise, the heart of the World Government.
Escaping from here was nearly impossible.
And yet, one question lingered in Sabo's mind.
Why hadn't they been executed immediately?
There had to be another reason.
He chose not to dwell on it further.
...
Inside the grand lounge of Pangaea Castle.
Five elderly men sat on luxurious sofas, their expressions filled with confusion.
"They are nothing more than insignificant rebels. Killing them would be effortless, so why did Imu-sama order that they be kept alive?" Saint Saturn said, unable to hide his doubt.
Although he had not personally taken part in the battle, he had witnessed everything.
Saint Nusjuro and Saint Shepherd Ju Peter had captured Sabo and the others without much difficulty.
Given their strength, there had been no reason to spare them.
Yet at that moment, Imu had issued a direct order to capture them alive.
This was unusual.
In most cases, Imu would have ordered their immediate execution.
Saturn shook his head slightly.
There was no point trying to understand.
Imu's will was absolute.
Imu was the ruler of the world, the one who granted them their current forms and their near-immortality.
Defying him was unthinkable.
At that moment, a summons echoed within their minds.
The five elders exchanged glances before rising to their feet and heading toward the Throne Room.
...
The Throne Room lay within Pangaea Castle. The distance was short, and they arrived quickly.
As they stepped inside, the vast and solemn hall filled them with a sense of reverence.
They rarely came here unless something of great importance had occurred.
Since Rolan's rise, these summons had become more frequent.
Each one marked a major turning point.
Footsteps echoed through the hall.
A dark figure slowly ascended the steps toward the Empty Throne.
The Five Elders immediately knelt.
"Greetings, Imu-sama."
The figure paused briefly before taking a seat upon the throne.
Then, a voice echoed through the chamber, neither male nor female.
"I have decided. The captured members of the Revolutionary Army will be publicly executed in the coming days."
The elders were momentarily stunned.
A public execution?
These prisoners were insignificant in the grand scheme of things. There was no real value in such a display.
Still, none of them dared to question the decision.
They bowed their heads. "Understood."
Imu continued.
"Make preparations. In one month, we will go to war with the Ion Pirates."
For a brief moment, the elders responded instinctively.
"Yes, Imu-sama... war with the Ion Pirates..."
Then the meaning of those words sank in.
"What?"
"War?"
"With the Ion Pirates?!"
Shock spread across their faces.
In their eyes, Rolan was nothing more than a troublesome pirate, powerful but far from a true threat.
There had never been any need to treat him as an equal opponent.
Yet now, Imu was ordering full-scale war preparations.
Even during the God Valley incident, such urgency had not been shown.
But this time, it was different.
Imu rose from the throne and descended the steps, leaving the hall without another word.
Silence lingered long after the figure had disappeared.
Only then did the Five Elders slowly stand.
They exchanged glances, each seeing the same disbelief reflected in the others.
"There's no time to waste."
"We need to prepare immediately."
"One month... that's all we have."