Under the shroud of night, a massive three-masted warship sailed across the open sea. Fluttering proudly from the main mast was the Navy's emblem: the Seagull of Justice, unmistakably declaring the identity of its crew.
Pere pere pere...
Click.
Inside the captain's quarters, the Den Den Mushi rang a few times before it was picked up.
"This is Sengoku."
"It's me, Tsuru."
With her usual calm demeanor, Tsuru lifted the receiver. The voice on the other end was unmistakable, Admiral Sengoku of Marine Headquarters, renowned as the "Buddha" and "The Strategist."
"Where are you right now?" Sengoku asked without preamble.
"Has something happened?" Tsuru replied. "We've just left the territorial waters of the Lvneel Kingdom. We were planning to return directly to Headquarters."
"I've just received word from the World Government, one of the North Blue member nations, the Tobias Kingdom, has come under pirate attack. The attackers are the Scoundrel Pirates, led by their captain, 'Scoundrel' Manol Kubi, bounty: 37 million Berries. Can you make it to the Tobias Kingdom within a day?" Sengoku asked.
"The Tobias Kingdom…"
Tsuru narrowed her eyes slightly at the familiar name and replied in a grave tone, "If I recall, Branch 201 is stationed nearby. They should be able to arrive within a day. What exactly happened?"
"According to intel, the Scoundrel Pirates appear to have access to an arms dealer. They're heavily equipped; cannons, mortars, and more. Their firepower is overwhelming. They crushed the Tobias Kingdom's military and took 500 soldiers hostage. They're using them as leverage, demanding the king abdicate within a day," Sengoku explained. "I checked Branch 201, they've only got 800 Marines, one third-class warship, and two fourth-class ones. Even if they go, they're no match for this pirate crew."
"I understand. But unfortunately, I'm headed in the opposite direction. It'll take me at least four to five days of sailing. I won't make it in time," Tsuru replied evenly.
"I see. Then we'll leave it to the World Government," Sengoku said bluntly, and with a click, the line went dead.
Tsuru set the receiver down as the Den Den Mushi let out its idle doot doot tone. She looked up at the massive wall-mounted sea chart across from her, murmuring softly:
"Tobias Kingdom… Amphitrite Cross…"
...
Several hours earlier.
Tobias Kingdom, Port City.
"Run! The pirates are coming!"
"Hurry! Get out of here or we're all dead!"
"Help! Somebody help me!"
"Where's Cross-sama? Save us!"
Cannonballs shrieked through the air, trailing arcs across the night sky before slamming into the docks and buildings. Explosions thundered across the port city, each blast tearing through the darkness and igniting massive fires that lit up the horizon like a burning sea of clouds.
Panic gripped the people as they fled in all directions. Desperate screams and cries for help filled the air in a cacophony of chaos and despair.
Hundreds of savage-looking pirates stormed ashore, wielding blades and muskets, cutting through the broken peace of the port with blood and steel.
"Boys! No mercy, slaughter to your heart's content!"
"Kill every last one of them! No survivors!"
At the head of the pirates, 'Scoundrel' Kubi laughed maniacally as he brandished a large-caliber flintlock pistol. The city, now in full-blown chaos, was reflected in his wild, gleaming eyes.
"Don't back down! Defend this kingdom from the pirates!"
"Everyone, charge! Drive them out!"
Within the city, over a thousand royal soldiers clashed with the pirate raiders. The air was filled with the roar of gunfire, the ring of steel, and the cries of the dying. The battle played out like a tragic symphony of death.
Though the kingdom's soldiers were valiant, they had long known peace. Their mettle was no match for pirates who had spent their lives battling on the high seas.
Still, bound by duty and loyalty, the soldiers held their ground. Their resistance was fierce from the outset, throwing the fight into an immediate and brutal stalemate.
Bodies fell with every passing moment.
"Bring up the mortars! Blow them to hell!" Kubi shouted with a twisted grin, the deep red curls of his beard twitching under his chin.
Soon, ten heavy cannons were rolled into position by pirate artillery crews, aimed directly at the kingdom's second-line forces.
"Fire!"
Whistle—
A high-pitched screech ripped through the air. A cannonball slammed into the royal castle's rooftop, striking the national flag. A massive explosion followed—BOOM!—shattering stone and sending debris flying. The blast rocked the soldiers gathered below.
"Damn pirates!" someone cursed.
But the next moment, a barrage of shells rained down. Whistling through the air, they struck the streets with deafening force.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
The explosions came in waves, fireballs erupting across the city. Royal soldiers were torn apart, some launched into the air by the shockwaves, others shredded to pieces where they stood.
Against these gods of war, cannons, mere human bodies stood no chance. The kingdom's soldiers had no means to fight back.
In minutes, the streets were littered with mangled corpses and the screams of the wounded. Severed limbs and rivers of blood turned the battlefield into a scene of pure carnage.
"They've got mortars!"
A soldier, hurled by a shockwave, cried out in horror.
"Hahahahaha! It's over, you bastards!" Kubi roared. "If you want to live, surrender now! Anyone who resists gets blown to bits!"
The unrelenting cannon fire shattered the formation of the kingdom's troops. Morale collapsed. Their own cannons, only a dozen in total, were mostly mounted in the royal castle. The few stationed in the port city had already been destroyed by the pirates' ship-based bombardment.
Swords and muskets were no match for the sheer firepower of mortars.
And most of these kingdom soldiers had never witnessed such brutality before.
"We… we can't win…" one soldier muttered in despair, falling to his knees as the longsword slipped from his hand with a metallic clang.
His surrender became a spark. One after another, soldiers glanced at each other, dropped their weapons, and knelt in defeat.
"Hahahaha! These cowards are all hostages now. Lock them in the warehouse!"
Kubi let out another mad laugh, waving his men forward. The pirates surged in, rounding up the surrendered soldiers.
"Captain, we're ready to begin the plan!" a pirate shouted excitedly.
"Hahahahahaha!"
Kubi's expression twisted with glee. He stood amid the inferno, surrounded by burning buildings, his voice echoing like a demon's proclamation:
"Send someone to deliver a message to the king! Tell him, if he wants these men to live, he'd better abdicate. Give me the throne within the day, or I'll execute every last hostage and storm the palace myself!"
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