Buster Call!

In the blink of an eye, more than half a year had passed.

More than half of Figo's sixteenth year in Impel Down had gone by. Since that conflict, life seemed to have returned to peace.

Every day, he beat up prisoners, caught Sea Kings with different textures, and continued developing and refining his Life Return with his ever-strengthening Physique.

Saint Mendsbin of the Five Elders no longer chatted with him over the Den Den Mushi for hours. Instead, Figo's contact with Marshal O became more frequent again.

Marshal O kept Figo informed about the Revolutionary Army's recent intelligence and the World Government's investigation progress. The Revolutionary Army had made no moves in the past half year, but Sapphire had acted twice.

Once, she attacked another Slave Ship.

The other time, she actually found an opportunity to sink a large ship carrying Celestial Dragons, killing a Celestial Dragon father and daughter! Unlike Figo's midnight ambush, which had few witnesses, Sapphire acted in broad daylight and was seen by onlookers, throwing the entire pirate world into an uproar of shock!

The enraged World Government sent additional personnel to frantically search for her. Figo knew it would not be long before she was found. Sure enough, not long after, he received this news through a Den Den Mushi.

"The Revolutionary Army headquarters was located a few days ago. The Five Elders bypassed me and directly ordered Marine Headquarters to launch a Buster Call. The fleet has already departed.

"Figo, if you've still decided to go, there is a warship waiting for you fifty miles southwest of Impel Down. We'll stay in touch on the way!"

"Got it. I'm heading over now!" Figo hung up the Den Den Mushi and took off his Director's cloak.

He found Kinch in the Training Area and said, "Old Jin, I'm heading out for a while. Keep an eye on Impel Down."

"Going to catch Sea Kings again?"

"You could say that. Try to keep Rado from noticing that I haven't returned for as long as possible," Figo said.

"Oh... huh?"

Watching Figo's departing back, Kinch blankly dropped the stone pedestal, nearly crushing his own foot.

Am I going to become Director?

Swimming fifty miles was effortless for Figo. He smoothly left Impel Down, and in just a few minutes, he spotted the warship Marshal O had mentioned.

He recognized the warship. He had boarded it before.

"Sister Miya, long time no see." Using Geppo, Figo stepped onto the ship once more and greeted the still valiant female vice admiral.

"You got here fast." Miya handed Figo a towel and shouted, "Set sail!"

The warship began moving toward the distance. After Figo wiped the water from his face, Miya continued, "The Revolutionary Army headquarters was established on an originally uninhabited nameless island in the New World. The World Government named it Witch Island. The ten warships in the Buster Call are all Marine Headquarters' finest giant warships. They are fast, and they departed before us. We need to travel at full speed from here on."

The so-called Buster Call was one of Marine Headquarters' most intimidating military operations, possessing the power to erase an entire island from the map!

A Buster Call deployed ten of the finest giant warships, accompanied by five vice admirals, dozens of rear admirals, and several thousand elite Marine soldiers. The warships would use their overwhelming artillery advantage to launch indiscriminate, devastating strikes on the target, then use their superior forces to slaughter the survivors!

It was an act of extermination against the target!

Only the Fleet Admiral and the three Admirals could launch a Buster Call. Of course, the Five Elders, who held even greater authority, could do so as well.

Figo was not too surprised that a Buster Call had been launched against the Revolutionary Army. What surprised him was another piece of news he heard from Miya.

"Teacher Doug is leading it?"

Miya shook her head. "Admiral Raul was originally supposed to lead it, but after Teacher learned the news, he went to the Fleet Admiral and took the command authority from him."

Against Sapphire, who could fly, sending Raul was clearly the more reasonable choice. The World Government should not have agreed to let Doug lead the operation either.

Figo considered it for a moment, then shook his head helplessly.

"What is that stubborn old man trying to do?"

His tone made Miya smile slightly, but she quickly suppressed it and handed Figo a Den Den Mushi.

"For more details, contact the Marshal yourself, Figo. More than Teacher, though, won't there really be a problem with you openly defying the Five Elders' orders this time? What do you plan to do afterward?"

Figo said, "Then I can only hope the Five Elders show me some respect this time. Otherwise, the next thing you see from me, Sister Miya, will be a wanted poster. Don't arrest me, hahaha."

Miya paused. "If we hadn't run into each other that day, if I hadn't invited you to Teacher's home, if I hadn't told you about that matter..."

"It would have been the same. At most, it would have happened later. I would still have heard Emerald and Amethyst's story. I only have myself to blame for being such a meddler." Figo smiled.

Miya fell silent for a moment, then smiled as well. "You really are completely different from when you were in the elite class. Looking like this... you're actually kind of handsome."

Elsewhere, ten giant warships were sailing along a Calm Belt route. The steel behemoths spread out side by side across a vast distance, heavy cannon barrels extending from both sides of their hulls and exuding an oppressive presence.

On the central warship, seventy-nine-year-old Vice Admiral Doug stood at the bow with his arms folded, gazing toward the distant horizon with an upright posture.

Although he had secured the position of overall commander for this Buster Call, the Golden Den Den Mushi used to officially initiate it was not in his hands.

He glanced sideways at the silver-haired young man on the neighboring ship, a CP0 member holding the Golden Den Den Mushi.

Just then, the Den Den Mushi's broadcast began.

"Attention, all warships. We are about to leave the Calm Belt route and enter the New World. From this point onward, we may encounter New World Pirate Crews at any time.

"To prevent the Revolutionary Army and the witch from receiving word and relocating ahead of time, should you encounter a Pirate Crew and enter suitable range, warships may open fire at their own discretion. Leave no survivors! I repeat, there is no need to engage in boarding combat. Directly cleanse them with artillery fire!"

Doug withdrew his gaze and continued looking out over the distant sea, his eyes growing slightly darker.

Three days later, noon.

Revolutionary Army Headquarters, Saintess Island.

Inside a building, Sapphire wore a faint smile as she "watched" and responded to the children passing before her.

"Saintess, good afternoon!"

"Saintess! Saintess! I learned ten characters this morning..."

"I learned twelve!"

"I practiced with a sword for an hour!"

"I got up at five today and trained for two hours, you lazybones!"

"You're the lazy one..."

"You've all done wonderfully." Sapphire's words carried a mysterious power that soothed the heart, and the children quickly quieted down.

They walked past one by one with bright smiles. The last of them was a blond little boy of two or three, with a runny nose.

"Sa-Saintess."

"What is it, Xebec?"

"I... I had a nightmare last night."

Sapphire smiled softly and placed a hand on the boy's head, gently rubbing it as she comforted him. "It's all right. Don't be afraid. What did you dream about?"

"A fire, a really huge fire. A big dog covered in flames burned us... burned this place down. And... and there was someone running on the sea..." the boy mumbled.

"Fire? A dog? Running on the sea? How could anyone run on the sea? It was only a nightmare, don't be afraid, Xebec..."

As she comforted him, she suddenly froze. Turning her head toward the southwest, her expression gradually grew grave.

At the same time, a terrified shout carried over from afar. "Saintess! Saintess! Something terrible has happened! Warships! So many warships! The Marines have discovered us!"