The figure who had quietly set sail pulled his hat brim lower amid the swirling sand. Sabo stood on the Revolutionary Army's small speedboat, gazing through layers of mist toward the New World.
"Sabo, have you left already?" Koala's worried voice came from the Den Den Mushi hanging at his waist.
"Yeah, I just left the waters around Baltigo." Sabo held the receiver, watching the speedboat rise and fall on the waves. "Leader Dragon asked me to make contact with that 'Fifth Emperor.'"
"Lorne? The guy who crushed a Celestial Dragon's skull underfoot at Marineford?" Koala sounded a little nervous. "I heard he's as strong as a monster. Even Kaido and Big Mom together couldn't kill him. It's too dangerous for you to go alone. How about I bring a team to meet you?"
"No need, Koala." Sabo smiled and pulled his windproof cloak tighter. "I'm only going to talk, not fight. Besides, Leader Dragon thinks the 'Fourth Pole' he established might be an important opportunity to change this world."
"All right, but you have to be careful. If anything goes wrong, retreat immediately. Don't try to be a hero."
"I know. We'll stay in touch." Sabo hung up the Den Den Mushi, recalling Dragon's expression in the office before his departure.
At the time, Dragon had been holding the latest newspaper, bearing the headline "A new emperor takes the throne! Lorne alone crushes three eras!" His gaze had been deep.
"Sabo, the World Government considers Titan Island an extremely important heavy industrial base. It has extensive seastone processing technology and weapons production lines." Dragon stood by the window, looking out at the yellow sand filling the air, and spoke in a low voice. "By taking it, Lorne has effectively seized part of the World Government's throat in the New