Chapter 496: Storm Before the Revolution

“No, I just didn’t expect you to come in person, sir…” Ivankov picked up where the conversation left off, gesturing at the massive pit before them.

Now that Karl himself was here, it was clear—something down in that empty pit was coveted even by the Four Emperors. He’d double-checked with Molly just before: if the monsters beneath were released, chaos would sweep the land. What he didn’t know was whether Karl could keep them suppressed.

Karl must have some confidence he can handle whatever’s under there. Otherwise, there’s no way he’d show up in person.

“Oh, I remember you now—Karl the Emperor, one of the leaders of the Revolutionary Army. Molly, at your service.”

It finally clicked for Molly who Karl truly was. She sprang upright and gave him a respectful salute.

Karl’s arrival had once again united all Giants across the seas. Out in the open, they still kept to their own homes, but in private, connections flourished—all thanks to Karl’s behind-the-scenes support.

So Molly felt deeply grateful.

“It’s been what, over ten years? It’s normal if you forgot. But listen—if you hear a huge commotion from below, don’t think about anything else. Just grab everyone and run.”

Karl shifted his gaze into the hole. Right now, he could sense the powerful auras wafting up from below, clearer than ever.

To him, those people down there were easy enough to kill. Still, he knew they’d been locked away for ages, their strength a shadow of what it once was. Even if they weren’t a real threat after being freed, they’d be enough to give the Navy and World Government a real headache.

“Yes, Chief!”

Ivankov and Molly answered in perfect unison.

Karl strode to the edge of the pit. With one sweep of his wide hand, the covering above was torn away. He paused, then glanced back at Ivankov.

“Luffy—Dragon’s son—is here too. When we make our move, you have to guarantee his safety.”

Before the final battle started, Karl didn’t want Luffy dying because of some slip-up. That would throw off everything he’d meticulously planned.

“Whoosh!”

As soon as the words left his mouth Karl leapt down into the pit.

“Luffy?”

“Molly, now—move!”

At the mention that Luffy was just outside, Ivankov instantly decided to get everyone out. Never mind waiting for something to happen below—who knew what kind of trouble Luffy might kick up if they dragged their feet.

He’d been stuck in Impel Down all these years, but news still managed to reach him from outside.

Luffy, ever since he’d set out to sea, had never once stopped causing trouble. And the warden here—Magellan—was said to be the strongest in nearly a hundred years.

“On it!”

Molly stood up and thundered her reply. The two of them got moving right away, rounding up all the pirates on Level 5.5 and getting ready to bust out.

Meanwhile, Viaz led Alsto, Marty, and Russ—his three deputy commanders—through a tunnel within the Red Line, arriving in East Blue.

“Sir, the most active Revolutionary Army group in East Blue is attacking Goa Kingdom. We haven’t found their main base yet.”

Alsto reported to General Viaz, holding a document just handed to him by an intelligence officer.

These days, the Four Seas were riddled with Revolutionary spies. Any new pirate crew cropping up? The Revolutionaries knew before anyone else—a massive improvement over the World Government’s own intelligence network.

“If we can’t find their headquarters, we’ll just wipe out their strongest force instead. Once they’ve lost their edge, they’re bound to slip up. So our target is Goa Kingdom. Let’s go!”

Viaz didn’t hesitate. Take out the most high-profile Revolutionary Army faction, and the rest would make mistakes. As the saying goes, the more you do, the more you risk messing up.

“Yes, General!”

Alsto saluted, relaying orders to every warship. The signalman flew flag codes, and hundreds of warships—big and small—set sail for Goa Kingdom in East Blue.

“That’s quite an armada. Even as bait, the World Government’s been hoarding some powerful things all these years.”

Dragon hovered in midair, Bear at his side.

The two of them gazed down at the maze of lights below.

“Dragon, what are you planning?”

“Are we wiping them out right here and now? Or playing for time?”

Bear couldn’t buy that Dragon had brought him all the way out here just to watch.

If that’s all it was, he might as well have stayed home.

“Bear, can you slap those ships away down there?”

Dragon hadn’t invited Bear out at random. He already had a plan—now it depended on whether Bear would play along.

Bear didn’t answer right away. He studied the warships below and took stock of his strength.

After a moment, Bear gave a small nod and turned to Dragon. “With my current stamina, I can only transfer about 150 mid-sized or smaller ships.”

Dragon looked at the lights scattered below. In his mind, a blurry number surfaced—201 ships.

So, if Bear went all out, he could hurl three-quarters of the fleet. And where would they end up? Naturally, in the desert kingdom of Alabasta.

Ever since Luffy and his crew made a scene in Alabasta, Cobra and Koza had shaken hands and returned to peace.

But the Navy, in the name of justice, set up a base near Alabasta. The World Government flooded the region with agents, probing every corner of the desert kingdom and causing the deaths of many innocent civilians.

Cobra and Koza were furious but helpless—they couldn’t hope to stand against the World Government’s might.

In truth, those agents were searching for the remains of Pluton—the weapon Crocodile had let slip about.

Of course, the Five Elders knew exactly where Pluton’s body was. But the agents below them were just out for glory, not always thinking straight.

Once word spread that Pluton’s remnants might be here, every department sent its own squad, all scrambling to claim the credit. The more people, the fiercer the infighting—cooperation was a distant dream.

The result? Chaos in Alabasta, and in that muddle, Dragon seized an opportunity to strike a deal.

Cobra remained the king, but now he had to spread the Revolutionary Army’s ideals of equality. The two sides became allies, supporting each other against the oppression of the Navy and World Government.

Cobra hadn’t wanted to agree at first. But as the civilian death toll kept climbing, he had no choice. Once Dragon stepped in, he sent Revolutionary Army agents to hunt the World Government’s agents down.

The slaughter of so many agents left the survivors rattled. Most pulled out of Alabasta, sneaking information as they could but no longer acting openly.

Thanks to Revolutionary support, Alabasta entered a new golden age. Its island specialties found buyers far and wide, and its prosperity returned—even the desert showed signs of change.

With the help of powerful ability-users, countless new oases appeared, draping the island in green.