After being captured by Blackbeard, the Whitebeard Pirates' Second Division Commander, Portgas D. Ace, was handed over as a bargaining chip, Blackbeard's ticket to becoming one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea.
From that moment, Ace was imprisoned deep within Impel Down, the Great Underwater Prison.
To prevent any rescue attempts, Vice Warden Magellan personally took charge of his confinement.
At the same time, the Navy publicly announced Ace's death sentence, broadcasting it across the seas.
People everywhere assumed that Whitebeard and his crew would immediately wage war against the Navy.
Yet to everyone's surprise, the mighty man who once shook the seas, and the countless pirate crews under his command, vanished without a trace.
Meanwhile, the underworld's leaders began to sense something strange in the air.
They noticed the Revolutionary Army's growing movements, more frequent and aggressive than ever before. It was clear, they were preparing for something big.
Those aware of Ace's true heritage began whispering a possibility: perhaps the Revolutionary Army had joined forces with the Whitebeard Pirates.
The Navy, of course, had already caught wind of the Revolutionaries' activity.
To wipe out Whitebeard's forces once and for all, Fleet Admiral Sengoku mobilized reinforcements from every branch, wary of any interference from the Revolutionaries.
He even forced the Seven Warlords to join the upcoming battle, bolstering their high-tier combat power.
The Five Elders, already aware that Kaido intended to intervene, secretly negotiated with Red-Haired Shanks, offering him conditions tempting enough to act.
After much hesitation, Shanks agreed, but only to stop Kaido's interference. His own actions would remain beyond the Five Elders' control.
What truly troubled them now was the Fourth Emperor, Arima.
His grudge against the World Government ran so deep that reconciliation was impossible.
After lengthy discussions, they decided to send the very man who once ambushed Arima to Sky Island, hoping to keep him occupied.
As for the Revolutionary Army, the Five Elders had long prepared their countermeasure.
They dispatched CP0 to the Baltigo, the Revolutionaries' headquarters. Their plan was simple: kill the leader, and the rest would crumble.
Everything appeared to be unfolding exactly as the Five Elders had planned.
When Luffy heard the news that his brother Ace was to be executed, he panicked like a caged animal.
Every second that passed drove him closer to madness, he wanted nothing more than to fly to Ace's side that instant.
But at that time, Luffy was still just a 100-million-berry rookie.
Zoro's bounty stood at only 60 million. In the New World, their strength was barely a ripple in the ocean, insignificant compared to the monsters that ruled it.
What frustrated Luffy even more was their location, they were still near Jaya Island, while Marineford, the execution site, lay impossibly far away.
To reach it before the execution? That was nothing but a dream.
Then Sanji spoke up.
"I remember Nojiko's sister, Nami, once said that the Fourth Emperor, Arima, is on Sky Island right above Jaya.
If we can get up there and ask him for help, we might actually make it to Marineford in time."
The moment Luffy heard that, his eyes lit up like stars. It was as if a dying man in the desert had suddenly found an oasis.
With information from Mont Blanc Cricket, they learned that an updraft would soon appear nearby, strong enough to carry a ship to Sky Island.
Nojiko, worried for her crewmates' safety, hurried to her room and called her sister, Nami.
Upon hearing the news, Nami quickly set out with Kushina to meet them, terrified that her sister's reckless captain might do something foolish.
Using Kushina's Float-Float Fruit ability, they easily lifted the Going Merry and everyone aboard straight into the sky, ten thousand meters above the sea.
Normally, Luffy would've been ecstatic at such an adventure, but now his heart was too heavy with worry for Ace to enjoy it.
The moment Kushina docked the Going Merry at Sky Island's port, Luffy bolted off the ship, desperate to find that man who might help him.
But Sky Island was vast, and Luffy, being Luffy, soon got hopelessly lost.
Eventually, Kushina tracked him down and led the Straw Hat crew all the way to the Hokage's Office.
Inside, Arima and Dragon were already waiting for them.
"Dragon, your son's quite the loyal one," Arima said with a chuckle. "Ever since Ace's capture, he's been running around like a headless chicken."
Dragon smiled wryly. "You flatter me. Those two grew up together. Their bond runs deep, as you'd say."
"Haha.. Yes… that's something worth protecting. We'll have to lend those brothers a hand."
"And how do you plan to help them?" Dragon asked.
Arima rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
"I could simply rescue Ace myself, but… I've already spoken with Whitebeard.
The old man insists on leading his sons into Marineford personally. Says it's his duty to bring Ace home himself."
Arima sighed. "Stubborn as ever. But I'll respect his wish."
Dragon frowned. "Then at least prepare a fallback plan, just in case."
Arima nodded slowly. He wasn't certain his Transformation Technique could fool all the sea's strongest warriors.
If he startled the World Government too soon, things could spiral out of control. Who knew what other cards they were still hiding?
As the two spoke, Kushina and Nami entered the room with the Straw Hats.
"Arima! Luffy's crew is here!" Kushina announced.
Before she even finished, Luffy burst forward and slammed his hands on Arima's desk. "Hey.. Please send me to Marineford! I have to save Ace!"
His crewmates froze, sweat beading on their foreheads. They were terrified Luffy's impulsiveness might offend the Emperor.
Fortunately, Arima only smiled, his calm demeanor unchanged.
Turning to Dragon, he asked, "Well? What do you think?"
Dragon replied evenly, "It's understandable. He wants to save his brother. Perhaps we should grant him this favor."
Arima faced Luffy.
"I can send you there. But the battlefield is dangerous, very dangerous. There's a real chance you won't come back. Are you sure you want your friends to follow you into that?"
Luffy's eyes hardened. After a moment, he said firmly, "Send me alone. I'll bring Ace back myself."
"Luffy…"
"Luffy, wait, !"
Before they could argue, Luffy cut them off with a grin. "Take care of Merry for me, guys. I'll be back, with Ace."
Sanji lit a cigarette, taking a long drag before saying quietly.
"You'd better come back in one piece. You still owe me that trip to All Blue."
Zoro folded his arms over his swords. "If you don't make it back… I'll slice Marineford in half for you."
"Tch! You moss-headed idiot!" Sanji snapped. "Can't you say something nice for once?!"
As the two began to argue, Nojiko and Chopper hurriedly held them back.
Luffy just laughed. "Don't worry, everyone! I'm going to be King of the Pirates, my dream won't end here!"
Watching their fiery spirits, Arima felt a pang of nostalgia. When he was their age, he'd never had this kind of camaraderie.
"Dragon," Arima said softly, "these kids have good hearts. You ever think about training them?"
Dragon smiled faintly. "They are good seeds indeed. In them, I see traces of Sabo."
"Sabo? You mean your Chief of Staff? I've never met the kid."
"I rescued him from the Goa Kingdom in the East Blue," Dragon explained.
"A pure-hearted boy. In truth, aside from me and Belo Betty, no one else in the Revolutionary Army has met you.
But after hearing your legend from Betty, Sabo's always wanted to meet you in person.
He just returned from Baltigo and is here on Sky Island now. Would you like to see him?"
Arima thought for a moment, then nodded. "Alright. Have him come. He should meet Luffy and the others, too. These kids will be the pillars of the new world someday."
As the Straw Hats bid farewell, Dragon made the call.
Moments later, a firm, youthful voice rang from outside the door.
"Reporting in!"
Sabo had arrived, having rushed over the moment he got the call, eager to meet the man Belo Betty had described as a living legend.