"You're not surprised at all?"
Ivankov gave a dissatisfied snort.
Dragon did not turn around. He suddenly looked up at the sky and said, his voice tinged with sadness, "I spoke with Kuma before he left. We both expected this outcome."
With that, Ivankov had nothing more to say. The thought of losing Kuma weighed heavily on him, but for the cause of the Revolutionary Army, for the liberation of the poor across the world, every one of them had to be ready to sacrifice their life at any moment.
No one was exempt. Gaihu, Thunder Dragon, Sean, Whedon, and Inazuma felt the same way Ivankov did. All they could do now was risk their lives and crush the Holy Land's defenders in one decisive push, whether they belonged to the Army or the Navy.
Aokiji promptly split his forces, sending Chaton, Momousagi, Comil, Dalmatian, and ten Army Vice Admirals to the Sacred Temple.
Meanwhile, Ye Chen was cutting down everyone in his path outside the Sacred Temple. The commotion alerted everyone inside.
Princess Vivi was the most excited. She wanted to run outside and see Ye Chen at once, but Cobra caught her after two steps. "Vivi, you mustn't go out. If they discover how close we are to Ye Chen, everyone here will turn against us. Please, restrain yourself. Don't do anything foolish."
Tears filled Princess Vivi's eyes. They had been apart for so long, and the sleepless nights of longing had left her much thinner. She pouted and looked at Cobra reproachfully. But kindhearted as she had always been, she did not let her temper get the better of her, and Cobra soon persuaded her to stay.
"Him?" Queen of Goa glanced at Stelly beside her, her heart uneasy. The Gu Worm Ye Chen had planted inside