"Since you know that I will be participating in the War of the Best, I propose that the Revolutionary Army move immediately to free the slaves from the three remaining bridges. This will advance my side of the operation: I will only need to destroy the bridges. As for the Red Line, it's not yet the perfect time to strike; we haven't taken any direct action against the World Government yet," Jason explained with his usual coldness and precision. His analysis was solid and strategic — no one in the world knew about his alliance with the Revolutionary Army, and that element of surprise would be decisive. Dragon understood the intention immediately, as did Sabo and everyone else in the room. While the whole world was focused on Jason and the War of the Best, the Revolutionary Army could launch a combined attack silently and devastatingly against the three bridges.
Dragon carefully considered Jason's plan. It was undoubtedly the smartest move they could make at that moment. The army already had plans to free the slaves in Tequila Wolf, but Jason had anticipated the initiative. And, let's face it, it wouldn't be fair to the alliance if Jason did everything on his own, ignoring the Revolutionary Army's ability to contribute strategically.
"I agree," Dragon finally said, his voice firm. The commanders of each ocean nodded, absorbing the plan and immediately beginning to devise strategies to maximize the impact of the joint attack on the three bridges. Every detail was studied, every movement calculated. It would be a precise, brutal, and synchronized strike.
"You need to be careful," Jason warned, fixing his gaze on everyone in the room. "The World Government has a group called the Holy Knights. They are the elite guards of the Celestial Dragons, positioned just below the Gorosei. Do not underestimate their power for even a moment."
Jason deliberately left out any mention of the real figure who moves the world from the shadows. Dragon still didn't know of her existence, and knowing now wouldn't change anything in strategic terms. Besides, Jason had his own plans—it wasn't time yet to tame that fiery redhead, so it was better to keep her out of the equation. Besides, he had already revealed too many secrets about the World Government; the alliance was necessary, but it would not be a burden he would carry alone.
Dragon already had experience with the Holy Knights from the events at God Valley. He knew exactly how deadly and unpredictable they were, and quickly began instructing his subordinates on how to act cautiously, avoiding unnecessary confrontations.
"Thanks for the warning, Jason," Dragon said with a firm nod.
But Jason, always meticulous, still had one question he needed to clarify. His eyes fixed intently on Dragon.
"I believe you have some method of circumventing the immortality of these Holy Knights, right?" Jason asked, seeking a direct answer. He remembered that Dragon, when he was young, was just a rookie in the Navy, unable to deal with the elite warriors of God Valley. At that time, Dragon only knew of their existence, but had no means of seriously injuring them, let alone exploiting any vulnerable points in their regeneration and supposed immortality.
"Immortality?" Sabo interrupted, confused, frowning.
Dragon also frowned. He had no idea about that detail. And Jason knew exactly why: in God Valley, Dragon was still a rookie sailor, armed only with a rifle, without the slightest ability to face the top tiers present that day. It would be impossible for him to wound a Holy Knight enough to force him to use his regenerative abilities.
Jason then calmly explained, as if describing an unpleasant but inevitable truth:
"The Holy Knights possess extreme regeneration. It is an ability that borders on immortality. They do not fall. They do not remain wounded. Every injury, no matter how devastating, heals as if it never existed. They are guardians created to never be defeated by conventional means."
The silence that followed was heavy.
Dragon, Sabo, the commanders, all stared at Jason as if the world had just grown teeth. Disbelief and shock were written all over their faces. Suddenly, they realized how little they really knew about the enemies they intended to take down.
"So... everything we've planned so far needs to take this into account," Sabo muttered, still absorbing the gravity of the revelation.
Jason didn't respond to the comment. His thoughts were already elsewhere—on the inevitable confrontation with the Elders. He couldn't wait to test his Haki against those arrogant old men, so confident in their immortality that they had forgotten what it was like to feel fear.
"It's curious," Jason continued, crossing his arms. "People can achieve immortality if they know where to look and are lucky. There are a few ways... one of them involves Pure Gold. Have you heard of this legend? Well, it's real."
The reaction was immediate. The members of the Revolutionary Army, and even Robin, thought the same thing:
Does the World Government have access to Pure Gold?
Jason shook his head.
"But that kind of immortality only keeps the body young and immune to disease. The Holy Knights age. So, that's not it. They found a different kind of immortality. Something that gives real regeneration."
The disappointment was almost palpable.
If it were just eternal youth, there was a chance to kill them. But complete regeneration? That made everything much more complicated.
Koala took a deep breath, his voice heavy with anxiety:
"What can we do against people like that? How can we fight it?"
"I think I've already shown you a solution," Jason replied.
Koala frowned in confusion, but the others already knew the answer.
"Conqueror's Haki," Dragon said with a heavy sigh. "If their bodies regenerate everything, then we must hurt their spirit... their soul. Not their physical body."
His voice had the resigned calmness of someone who understands the truth and accepts its weight.
Dragon was too experienced to deny the obvious:
The true monsters of the world, Whitebeard, Shanks, Kaido, Big Mom, all had one thing in common: the Haki of the Conqueror.
In the end, only those who master the Conqueror leave their names in history.
And that was the biggest problem with the Revolutionary Army:
Among thousands of soldiers, thousands of dreams, and thousands of fighters...
Only Dragon possessed the Conqueror's Haki, and he had not yet mastered it to the point of causing spiritual damage.
Jason noticed the morale in the room dropping, tense expressions, lowered gazes, the heavy breathing of those who felt too small in the face of the enemy. He sighed, rested a hand on the table, and spoke with the calm firmness of someone who knows exactly what they are doing.
"You're forgetting one simple detail," Jason said, getting everyone's attention. "I told you to be careful with the Holy Knights... but I didn't say they'd be waiting for you on the bridges."
The revolutionaries looked up, confused.
"Get organized, don't make basic mistakes, and all you'll face are ordinary soldiers and, at most, a few local agents. Freeing people and getting out is a clean job. Don't invent danger where it doesn't exist."
He straightened his posture, looking at everyone like a teacher scolding talented but overly eager students.
"The war of the best is just around the corner. I've already confirmed my presence there. The World Government sees me as an arrogant, powerful man who does whatever he wants. In their minds, if I attacked the bridge, it was because it was Saturday and I was bored... nothing more than that."
In that distorted view that the government had of him, there was an advantage for everyone.
Jason was perfectly aware that he did not have much faith in that pre-time skip army. They had ideals, courage, and willpower... but they lacked strength and scale. Still, that did not change the fact that, strategically, the operation was perfectly possible.
"The World Government doesn't know about our alliance," Jason explained. "They don't expect me to work with anyone. They think I act alone. That means they won't anticipate coordinated action between you and me."
He paused, checking to see if everyone was following.
"And no one outside the top brass understands the real importance of the bridges. Admirals, CPs, local commanders... all they have are orders, not information. They don't put Holy Knights on guard duty for construction. That would be a waste."
Jason then concluded, bluntly and confidently:
"While everyone is looking at Marineford, you free the slaves from the bridges and leave. After that, I'll take care of the rest."
His confidence, sometimes arrogant but always solid, finally eased the tension in the room. Morale, which had been plummeting, rose again, just as Jason had planned.
Robin smiled wryly, impressed by how easily Jason could break morale only to rebuild it again. It must be that, for him, these immortal enemies are nothing more than a little difficult to kill because of his haoshoku, but you can see that it's not the same for the revolutionary army and the rest of the world. It seems as if he was used to and had plenty of experience fighting immortal beings.
"Well, this meeting has been going on for over four hours, and I'm late for a few things."
Jason rose from his chair, stretching his arms as if waking from a lazy sleep. No matter what world it was, strategic meetings always took longer than they should.
"Now I have to go to Impel Down. I have to deliver one last gift to the World Government and also heal Luffy, who must be agonizing from Magellan's poison."
Jason spoke as if commenting on the weather—calm, almost casual.
Robin and Dragon, however, froze.
"What did you just say?" Dragon asked, his voice tense.
"That I'm going to give my gift to the World Government?"
"After that."
"Ah. That Luffy is in Impel Down."
Jason's expression brightened, as if only then understanding the reason for the reaction.
"What is my son doing in Impel Down?" Dragon narrowed his eyes, each word laden with tension.
Jason just smiled.
"It turns out I ran into Luffy on an island in the Calm Belt. He found out Ace had been arrested and asked me what was the fastest way to get to Impel Down. So I opened a portal for him inside. Or did you want me to let him build a raft, grab an oar, and row to the prison?"
The provocative tone made Dragon narrow his eyes for a moment... but he soon took a deep breath.
He knew his own son: impulsive, determined, impossible to stop when he made up his mind.
Robin, however, couldn't hide the tremor in her voice.
"W-what happened to Luffy, Jason?"
Her concern was evident, and Jason realized that this doubt had been gnawing at her mind since the speedboat, only now becoming inevitable.
"Many things," he replied, crossing his arms.
"When he entered Impel Down, Luffy wasn't exactly... discreet. He ignored my warning. He freed some famous pirates, caused riots, turned the place upside down. And with every floor he descended, he made even more of a mess."
Jason sighed, not out of pity, but out of realization.
"The problem is that the warden of Impel Down is a man obsessed with discipline. He didn't like a pirate turning the prison into an amusement park one bit. And since Magellan is almost untouchable... Luffy didn't stand a chance. He was swallowed by the poison and thrown into a cell without an antidote."
The silence grew heavy.
"Luckily, he has a good friend who saved him. The two found Ivankov, who injected him with hormones. Right now, Luffy is fighting for his life."
The entire room was plunged into tension, reality finally sinking in for everyone.
And Jason, as always, spoke the truth without sugarcoating anything.
Robin turned pale upon hearing about Luffy's desperate situation. Her posture remained elegant and controlled, as always, but something in her gaze broke.
It wasn't irrational fear; it was deep concern, the kind that touches ancient roots.
Even though Luffy was strong, resilient, and incredibly stubborn, Robin still saw him as something too precious to lose. To her, Luffy was a peculiar mix: a younger brother she wanted to protect... and at the same time, the captain she deeply respected.
He gave her a place in the world.
He gave her freedom.
He gave her a reason to continue existing.
So hearing that he was literally fighting for his life, agonizing between poison and pain, made something tighten inside her. Robin didn't break down; she wasn't that kind of woman, but the heavy silence that fell over her said it all.
Jason, however, showed no concern. He understood very well what Luffy meant to her... and, internally, he was calm. He trusted his own abilities too much and, of course, his rizz.
Robin was strong, intelligent, loyal... exactly the kind of woman Jason wanted by his side.
And he knew it would happen in due time.
But for now, he just watched her expression harden again, her determination replacing her anguish as she stared at Jason.
"Even though he's suffering, he won't die so easily. After all, the boy wants to be the king of pirates... and he's also very important to this world."
Silence immediately filled the room.
Importance to the world?
The revolutionaries, Robin and Dragon, kept their eyes fixed on Jason, serious, waiting for him to explain. But Jason just took a deep breath and looked away, as if he didn't have the patience to discuss it.
Instead, he stared at Sabo.
"What about you, kid?"
Sabo blinked, confused, pointing at himself.
"Me?"
"You yourself. Your brother is being prepared for execution by the navy... your other brother is poisoned and fighting for his life... and you don't react to any of this? What kind of cold heart is that?"
The people in the room frowned.
Brothers?
Wasn't Ace the son of the Pirate King? Wasn't Luffy the son of Dragon himself? What the hell was Jason talking about?
"What are you talking about, Mr. Jason?" asked Sabo, trying to understand.
Jason walked up to him, calm.
"You must have amnesia. Let me take care of this."
His eyes glowed slightly. A thin, almost invisible mist escaped from his hand and touched Sabo's forehead. The moment the mist crossed his mind, Sabo froze.
"Aaaaaaah!"
The scream echoed through the room as he clutched his head, as if his skull were cracking from the inside.
"Sabo!!"
The revolutionaries rushed to him, desperate. Jason didn't move. Neither did Dragon; he just watched silently, knowing that Sabo suffered from amnesia and that Ace, Luffy, and Sabo came from the same place.
"I'm... I'm fine..." Sabo managed to say, panting. His eyes remained closed; his face tense.
Jason watched silently. The recovery was going too fast. His mental strength was well above the original version. It didn't take Jason long to understand why: his wanted poster, training, discipline... all of this had strengthened the boy's mind.
"A-Ace... Luffy... Dadan... Makino..."
When Sabo finally opened his eyes, tears were already streaming down his face. He began to murmur names that, until seconds ago, were foreign to him.
Everyone was shocked.
"Y-you got your memories back, Sabo?" Karasu asked.
Sabo nodded, wiping his tears with his forearm.
"I remember everything... the gray terminal... our cabin... my brothers... Dadan and the mountain bandits..." He swallowed hard, trembling. "And I remember the day when... my boat was destroyed... by a huge ship. A ship... from a Celestial Dragon."
Everyone was happy about Sabo's recovery, as they knew he suffered from amnesia and couldn't remember anything from his childhood.
"And now? Are you going to allow your brother to be executed by the navy?"
Jason asked, interrupting Sabo's moment of memory recovery. That wasn't important now, after all, he had recovered his memory too late when Ace had already been killed. Now that Jason had given him this chance, he wanted to see how events unfolded.