Chapter 283: Sabo's Silent Wrath

"Quick, swallow these!"

Amidst the swirling sea of flames, Sabo inspected the injuries sustained by Koala and Hack. Reaching into his inner coat, he pulled out two small beans and placed one into each of their mouths.

These were the Senzu Beans that Drake had entrusted to him earlier. Sabo held absolute trust in Drake's words, and Drake had explicitly assured him that these miraculous beans could instantly restore a person's vitality and permanently close any lethal wound.

Once the beans dissolved down their throats, Sabo slowly rose to his feet. A blazing path of fire parted before his boots. Pressing a hand against the brim of his top hat, he casually spun the heavy steel pipe he had carried for years in his free hand.

"Look over there! It really is Sabo of the Revolutionary Army!"

"Is that for real?! The Chief of Staff and Second-in-Command... how is he here? What on earth happened?!"

"Wasn't he supposed to be defeated by the two Admirals earlier? How can he be standing there without a scratch?!"

As the Marines and CP0 agents broke into frantic muttering, Sabo casually stepped out of the inferno. Behind his back, both Koala and Hack stood up completely unharmed, their former life-threatening injuries erased.

"Look at those two! They were at death's door a second ago—how do they look like nothing even happened to them?!"

BOOM!!

The ground shuddered violently as a thick plume of smoke parted, revealing several formidable silhouettes stepping onto the field one after another.

"Those are... the Army Commanders of the Revolutionary Army!"

"And the Dragon Flag Pirates of the Four Emperors!" A Marine Vice Admiral felt his stomach drop the second his eyes landed on Bell, Locke, and Kenshin stepping forward.

"There are only four of them, though. Surely they shouldn't pose much of a threat?" a CP0 agent muttered dismissively. "Besides, their captain doesn't even seem to be present."

He was naturally familiar with the Dragon Flag Pirates. Yet as far as intelligence was concerned, the crew had only been elevated to Yonko status due to the overwhelming, absurd combat mass of their captain, Vale D. Drake.

Because Drake was a Yonko, his crew was automatically categorized as an Emperor-tier fleet.

Could a group comprising merely five members even be considered a proper pirate crew? Let alone a Yonko crew!

What lay completely beyond their awareness was that the Dragon Flag Pirates actually boasted six members now—and that sixth member was none other than former Marine Admiral Aokiji!

Meanwhile, Drake had already bypassed the main battle lines of the Holy Land plaza, slipping deep into the interior precincts of Mary Geoise.

"Sabo... is that really you? How did you arrive so quickly?" Koala asked, following closely behind Sabo's blazing trail.

"I'll explain the details later. I have a massive surprise waiting for you shortly," Sabo replied with a warm grin, though the moment he turned his face back toward the enemy, his expression hardened into absolute zero. "As for right now... it's time I settle this debt in full!"

In the next microsecond, Sabo converted his entire frame into a blinding streak of fire, zig-zagging through the open air. Before anyone could react, he materialized directly before a detachment of CP0 agents.

"Tell me... do you think you can take a single punch from me?"

"What did you just say?!" The white-robed agents sneered in contempt. They knew Sabo's combat mass was exceptional, but they were hardly weaklings themselves!

"Fire Fist!"

Sabo offered no further words, driving a heavy fist straight forward. A colossal pillar of fire accompanied by a suffocating thermal wave erupted toward the CP0 line.

That iconic name—a technique known to every soul on the battlefield—was the legendary signature move of "Fire Fist" Ace years ago.

Though now, he went by Flame Emperor Ace.

"Hmph, and here I thought you were preparing some terrifying secret technique. It's just Ace's old Fire Fist. Like we haven't seen that a hundred times before, right?" The CP0 operatives felt absolute zero concern.

"Exactly! Hahaha... A strike of this tier won't even scratch our defense!"

"Iron Body!"

"Those absolute idiots!" Akainu's face turned hideously dark as he roared at the CP0 agents via the loudspeaker: "Can't you fools even gauge the kinetic density of an incoming attack?! Move out of the way, NOW!"

"Huh? Akainu is actually telling us to dodge? Is he losing his mind?"

"Who cares? He's not our direct superior anyway. Ignore him." One of the CP0 agents raised a hand toward Sabo in blatant provocation. "Let's see what the Second-in-Command of the Revolutionary Army actually brings to the table!"

"Hey, hey, hey... What are those fools doing? Are they seriously attempting to tank a direct hit from the Revolutionary Army's Chief of Staff?!" From a distance, Admiral Ryokugyu—who was actively engaging Red-Haired Shanks—stared at the CP0 agents as if looking at suicidal madness.

"An attack of that density isn't something even Fujitora and I would dare take head-on! Do those bastards have any idea what they're dealing with?!"

BANG! A sharp shockwave whipped across the air, brushing against Ryokugyu's face.

"Is it really wise to let your focus wander while fighting me?" Shanks noted with a calm smile.

Wiping a trail of blood from the corner of his lips, Ryokugyu's gaze turned exceptionally dark as he eyed Shanks. "Point taken..."

"Let's go again, Kaido!"

"Gladly!" Kaido grinned wildly.

He had already assumed his hybrid form. For reasons he couldn't quite articulate, Shanks felt infinitely more unfathomable than before; if he failed to go all-out, he might genuinely end up suffering a catastrophic defeat here.

"Thunder..."

ROAR... KABOOM!!

Almost simultaneously, Sabo's Fire Fist connected. The arrogance on the faces of the CP0 agents vanished in an instant, replaced by utter, terror-stricken horror—yet the fiery tempest granted them zero margin for regret.

An overwhelming thermal wave engulfed the line, incinerating their robes to ash within a fraction of a microsecond. Enveloped in the roaring inferno, they could do nothing but let out bloodcurdling screams before their life signatures were permanently erased.

Within seconds, they received absolute, permanent release.

"The CP0 agents... were obliterated..." A junior Marine collapsed limp onto his knees, his trembling finger pointing at Sabo in pure horror.

BOOM!

Sabo converted his body into a beam of fire once more, soaring straight into the heavens like a scorching arrow. His trajectory was locked directly on... the high platform anchoring the rear of the entire battlefield!

"Look! He's heading straight for the high platform!" the troops gasped.

"Chief of Staff! DO IT!!"

The Revolutionary Army soldiers erupted into wild cheers. If Supreme Commander Dragon was their sacred pillar, Sabo was their living hero.

Achieving monumental military distinction at such a young age, he had climbed to the absolute Second-in-Command of the Revolutionary Army relying on his supreme strength and tactical genius.

Sabo was the ultimate idol for every young soldier in the Revolutionary Army!

The young soldier who wielded the same steel pipe earlier was merely one among millions who idolized Sabo.

"Did you really think I'd let you pass so easily?" Kizaru transformed into a golden streak, giving chase at high velocity. Suddenly, a brilliant sword light flashed across his path.

CLANG!

"Hm?! Who are you?" Kizaru blocked the blade with a single arm, instantly snapping his long leg around to drive a light-infused kick toward the attacker's head.

CLANG! Another sharp sword arc cut through the air, parrying the high kick cleanly.

"We... can't let you pass either..." Kenshin's lips curled into a calm, confident smile.

Beside him, the first attacker slowly raised his head, offering Kizaru an innocent, beaming smile.

"That's right!"

It was Bell!

"Ann! Let me handle this flank!" Locke chuckled as he watched the two clash with the Admiral, stepping smoothly onto the battlefield alongside Ann.

By this time, Sabo had already reached the front of the elevated platform, where dense layers of elite defenses—anchored primarily by Marine Vice Admirals from the Giant Squad—stood ready to intercept him.

"Looks like everything is under control out here." Standing deep within the Holy Land, Drake slowly withdrew his perception.

"Good! Now let's see where they've locked up Kuzan." With a quiet flicker of spatial energy, Drake vanished into thin air.