Another wave of bombardment had just ended.
The Revolutionary Army officers, scattered across different warships, were gasping for breath—many of them covered in wounds. After all, very few of the revolutionaries had abilities that allowed them to intercept attacks from long range.
And that wasn't even considering the special electromagnetic shells fired every minute—those were so deadly that even someone like Dragon himself wouldn't be able to stop them.
Among them all, Sabo was fighting the hardest.
Although he had already learned Armament Haki, his recent awakening meant he was still new to it. Every time he intercepted attacks at close range, it took a toll. After several rounds, he was thoroughly battered. His entire left arm had been broken and now hung limply at his side.
"I wonder how things are going on Mr. Dragon's side…"
He whispered to himself after catching his breath.
---
Meanwhile, Dragon was furiously charging toward the flagship of Mihawk's Second Fleet.
But Mihawk, standing calmly in place, was unleashing slash after slash infused with Armament Haki. His attacks were so precise and relentless that Dragon couldn't get close.
All he could do was watch helplessly as the fleet under Mihawk's command continued firing round after round of artillery at the Revolutionary Army's ships.
After watching the fight between Dragon and Mihawk for a while, Luo Lan shook his head.
Mihawk's fighting style was the polar opposite of Zoro's.
Though both were swordsmen, Zoro constantly unleashed flashy special attacks. Every move was a named technique—he practically refused to make a normal strike. Mihawk, on the other hand, relied on a single, simple move:
Raise the sword. Swing it down.
Aside from the basic flying slash, it was just more flying slashes—nothing fancy.
At the level of a sword master, it might count as a sword technique. But at Mihawk's level, a true Great Swordmaster, this was basically a normal attack. Low energy cost, long range, and high destructive power.
Infuse it with Armament Haki and... well, it was basically overpowered.
Just as Luo Lan was about to order the fleet to increase the rate of bombardment, something clicked in his mind.
He slapped his forehead.
"How could I forget that?"
If Sabo got taken out by one of those electromagnetic shells…
Ace would completely lose it.
Even if Ace's loyalty was supposedly unshakable, losing Sabo could destroy his spirit. He might never recover, never improve. The emotional impact would be too much.
---
Luo Lan rushed to the second main cannon at the bow of the ship and opened the hatch.
Inside, Ace had transformed into his Raijin (Thunder God) state, standing like a living battery. Strange contraptions surrounded him, constantly drawing electrical energy from his body.
"Ace, get out here!"
"Just a minute—let me finish charging this cycle."
"Screw the charge! Sabo's about to die! If you don't care, then stay put!"
"Sabo...? Wait—Sabo?!"
Realizing what Luo Lan had said, Ace instantly dropped his Raijin form and stared, stunned.
"He's alive?"
"Yeah, he's with the Revolutionary Fleet. If you don't go now, it might really be too late."
Before Luo Lan could even finish speaking, Ace had already transformed into lightning and shot into the sky—his direction unmistakably toward the Revolutionary Army's fleet.
---
"All ships, listen up."
"Cease fire for three minutes."
"Viola, keep your eyes on the Revolutionary Fleet. Report any changes immediately."
After Ace flew off, Luo Lan picked up the transponder snail and gave the order.
The current command system of the Jun Lin Fleet was based on modified transponder snails. It could bridge up to 208 connections simultaneously.
Don't ask why 208. The author made it up.
"Yes, Fleet Admiral!"
"Sky Patrol has received the order!"
---
Soon, all ships halted their bombardment and began a three-minute countdown.
As for Ace…
It took him less than ten seconds to appear above the Revolutionary Fleet.
"Damn… that's rough," he muttered as he reverted to his human form and surveyed the devastation below.
Sweeping the area with Observation Haki, he quickly locked onto a familiar yet tenacious presence—Sabo.
He was alive. And he had gotten stronger.
Still nowhere near Ace's level, but definitely far ahead of Luffy.
But to think Sabo had joined the Revolutionary Army—and was now helping Dragon pull off a stunt that could kill hundreds of thousands…
Ace knew he'd have to drag him back and give him some serious ideological correction.
The next moment, Ace transformed into lightning again and struck down like a bolt from the heavens.
---
"Sabo, hang in there!"
Koala ran to Sabo's side, frantically wrapping his broken arm in bandages.
"Koala, take one of the lifeboats and leave."
"What are you saying?!"
"I'm serious. It's over. The Revolutionary Army's fate is sealed. While you still have the chance—"
"Shut up, Sabo! Mr. Dragon already went over there. If we just hold on—"
Before she could finish, Sabo raised his right hand and covered her mouth.
"Think about the timing. Dragon should've already arrived—but look at Jun Lin. Has the bombardment stopped?"
That one sentence shut Koala up completely.
He was right. With Dragon's speed, he should've crossed twenty or thirty nautical miles by now.
And yet the shelling hadn't ceased.
There were only two possibilities:
One—Dragon hadn't actually gone to Jun Lin's fleet and had escaped alone while they were distracted.
But Koala refused to believe Dragon would do that.
The only other possibility—
He had made it to the enemy fleet, but failed to stop them.
Either way, the result was the same.
The shelling would not stop. Escape was impossible.
"Koala, do you understand now?"
"Go. While there's still time."
"Don't get involved in things like this again. Just find a safe place… and live a peaceful, normal life."
Sabo's tone softened as he pleaded with her.
But right then—
A bolt of lightning slammed down just over a meter in front of him, blasting up a storm of shattered wood.
Through the flying debris, Sabo glimpsed a figure.
"Yo, isn't this my foolish little brother? What's this—saying your final words before dying?"
Sabo's eyes widened in disbelief.
His brain felt like it had been struck by a hammer.
Clutching his head, he let out a scream:
"AAAHHH!!"
And just like that, memories he had long forgotten came rushing back like a flood.
That person in front of him...
It really was...
"Ace..."
Thud!
After barely whispering out the name, Sabo collapsed unconscious.