The Grand Line, Tartar Island.
The location of the Kingdom of Tolport, one of the World Government's affiliated nations.
Due to the island's extremely peculiar climate, trees grow rapidly, making it a major lumber exporter.
Beneath the facade of a prosperous Kingdom of Tolport, nearly half the population consists of slaves...
Outer City, Logging Camp.
Countless individuals wearing slave collars quickly gathered.
There were only five minutes during the shift change of the guards outside, and they had rehearsed this countless times.
The collars around their necks were being constantly unlocked and removed, otherwise, they wouldn't have dared to resist.
And the man who brought all this about was the one commanding his subordinates, the Revolutionary Army, to distribute weapons and unlock the collars with keys.
Norisk, the Commander of the 77th District of the Revolutionary Army.
"Quick, quick, move! We only have five minutes."
"Don't hesitate later, just run!"
"We'll hold off the guards, run as many as you can!"
A trace of anxiety on his face, as he had received news that Sakazuki was close.
During the period when Dragon initiated the world revolution, the revolutions in the Four Seas had been exceptionally smooth, even overthrowing several affiliated nations, but they had touched the bottom line of the World Government.
The price was the devastating destruction of all strongholds in more than a dozen regions of the first half of the Grand Line.
Where it was suspected to be the headquarters of the Revolutionary Army, the government ordered the Navy to dispatch Admirals to annihilate them.
Although the reason for the leak of information was unknown, leading to the orderly evacuation of Revolutionary Army personnel from the Grand Line and a halt to their advance in the Four Seas.
However, islands suspected by the government, including the Okama Kingdom Kamabakka and the Revolutionary Army Headquarters Baldigo, had all been destroyed.
They were being purged like sifting, from Marine Headquarters towards Reverse Mountain.
And the Kingdom of Tolport here was the last stronghold.
It had been developing for years, and without any accidents, it would have been secured, but no one expected the government's reaction to be so strong.
And so insane...
Although they had received the news early, the Revolutionary Army's network was too vast...
Evacuation inevitably involved moving people from base to base.
Compared to that, the Navy's speed was immeasurably faster.
Based on proximity, G-branch bases along the routes would dispatch warships for localized suppression.
For suspected headquarters, dispatching a single warship and one Admiral to pursue would be enough to resolve it.
If there were any survivors under Borsalino's attack, and if those frozen by Aokiji could be thawed and saved, then under Sakazuki's attack... there were no survivors.
The Okama Kingdom Kamabakka was destroyed under Sakazuki's magma.
The entire island was still flowing with scalding magma, emitting thick black smoke, and was no longer suitable for any living creature to approach...
The Kingdom of Tolport here was the last suspected stronghold.
But due to its peculiar nature, it consisted entirely of slaves, with no property or ships.
And an army capable of suppressing nearly half of the slave population, hence it had to be the last to be evacuated.
After arranging for the evacuation of personnel from other regions, ships would be sent, but they didn't expect Sakazuki to move so quickly.
He hadn't missed any of the bases encountered along the way, all of them destroyed, and without any pause...
The person unlocking the collars for one slave after another looked at his pocket watch and gritted his teeth.
He directly handed over the key in his hand and turned to run towards Commander Norisk. The slaves behind him scrambled for keys to unlock themselves...
The warrior ran to Norisk:
"It's no good, Commander, we need to retreat."
"There's no time, the government's dog is already close."
"There are never any survivors from that guy's subordinates!"
"Even one more second of delay, and who knows what will happen!"
Norisk clenched his fists, looking at the surging slaves...
He wanted to rescue all of them, but as the warrior said... any further delay, and who knows what would happen...
Taking a deep breath, he made up his mind and was about to speak.
Suddenly, he was interrupted by a strange voice:
"There's no need to hesitate."
Norisk was startled, turned his head, and looked:
"Wh...?"
His pupils contracted, he froze, his entire body turned cold, unsure how to react...
Sakazuki said indifferently:
"Magma Birth Cannon."
The crimson light erupting from his body illuminated the night, drawing everyone's attention.
BOOM—!!!!!!!!
It was like the sun rising on the island...
All those who had gathered were engulfed by magma, and even the ships by the shore did not escape, being covered by the surging magma and turned to ash.
-----------------
The magma by the shore churned.
Sakazuki's figure coalesced.
Karol suddenly appeared, his feet coated with Haki, standing on a large rock slowly melting in the magma.
"Admiral Sakazuki, Fleet Admiral Sengoku has sent a message, requesting your return to headquarters for a preparatory meeting."
"It concerns the new Emperor who has appeared in the New World, the issue of Red-Haired Shanks."
Sakazuki narrowed his eyes:
"He certainly found a good opportunity."
The bases of the Revolutionary Army in the Grand Line had been largely cleaned up.
The Revolutionary Army's offensives in the Four Seas had also halted, and they were avoiding affiliated nations.
Sengoku, using the timing of the emergence of a new Pirate Emperor in the New World, recalled all the forces that were围剿 the Revolutionary Army. The government couldn't say anything.
Under normal circumstances, Sengoku's actions were impeccable.
The圍剿 was almost complete, and a new enemy had appeared, so total alert was necessary.
However, Sakazuki realized when the Revolutionary Army began its retreat that Sengoku, that old fox, had already been in cahoots with Dragon.
It had even started years ago. The Revolutionary Army's contraction of forces before the World Conference was likely also the doing of those two old guys, Sengoku and Garp.
While the government was still investigating the mole within the higher ranks who leaked the围剿 information, they didn't realize that the greatest leader of the Navy... was the mole.
Sakazuki reflected afterward that, ultimately, he had underestimated the uncontrollable factors based on his understanding of Sengoku.
Sengoku, in his youth, was an absolute loyalist of the government, never questioning any of its orders.
Even knowing the truth about Ohara, he showed no hesitation when issuing the Buster Call, even reprimanding Sauro for not wanting to follow orders.
In the original work, Sengoku became disillusioned after doing too many dark deeds for the government as Fleet Admiral.
Most importantly, after the Summit War, the government, fearing the panic among the populace caused by escaped prisoners from Impel Down, wanted to conceal it.
Sengoku was completely disappointed with the government's actions and resigned in anger.
Sakazuki believed there would be a buffer period, which is why he confidently let Sengoku take the heat on the front lines.
However, in this world, due to Sakazuki's interference, the Revolutionary Army's influence had become too great.
The government ordered Sengoku to pursue and annihilate the Revolutionary Army, who were not pirates, causing Sengoku, who had only been Fleet Admiral for less than two years, to become utterly disillusioned with the government.
But after decades of loyalty and a lifetime of effort, Sengoku was in a state of great conflict.
He was simultaneously carrying out the government's orders and tipping off the Revolutionary Army.
Unless one side was completely disappointed, their allegiance would be decided.
But this already constituted indirect defection...
Although Sengoku had no issues for now, Sakazuki had already begun to plan... individuals who indirectly defected were simply too uncontrollable.