Somewhere on Carocal Island...
Deep within the lush forest, towering ancient trees reached skyward, their dense canopies almost completely blocking the sunlight. The murmur of running water echoed clearly through the silence of the woods.
The Impaler, a pirate ship, sailed cautiously along a river that wound through the forest. Its massive hull occupied nearly two-thirds of the narrow channel. The towering mainmast repeatedly collided with overhanging branches on either side, ripping even more tears into the already tattered sails.
Finally, the pirate ship reached a large lake and docked at a relatively level section of the shore.
"We're finally... finally, on land! Sob sob sob sob!"
"Oh sweet heavens, that's the scent of earth!"
"I'd rather cross the Calm Belt a hundred times than go through that undersea hell again!"
"Mom... You must've been watching over me from above!"
"…"
The pirates on deck, as if holding it in for far too long, rushed to lower the rope ladders and gangplanks, then poured ashore in a frenzy, each one savoring the solid ground beneath their feet as if it were salvation itself.
Even Uren, Baka, and Gero stepped off the ship, following the others to once more feel the reassuring presence of land beneath their boots.
Truthfully, the Impaler's crew had only been at sea for a little over ten days, not an unusual stretch for pirates.
But this particular voyage had been no ordinary sailing.
During their escape beneath the ocean, the other four ships that had set out with them had all been destroyed, one after another. The pressurized coating bubbles meant to shield them from the crushing weight of the deep had ruptured. The sea pressure annihilated the ships and their crews alike, leaving the Impaler as the sole survivor.
And no one aboard knew when, or if, their turn would come next.
Death itself wasn't what terrified them.
It was the endless waiting for it.
In the crushing silence of the deep sea, tension aboard the Impaler had built to a fever pitch. Some crew members sat frozen, awaiting the inevitable.
But death didn't come.
They waited left, waited right, but it never arrived.
Yet the illusion of its approach lingered constantly, tormenting them like some cruel trickster. The psychological strain drove many to the brink of madness. Several developed full-blown bathophobia, an intense fear of the deep.
But they had made it.
They had survived and arrived in the first island of the Grand Line's first half they'd set foot on in days: Carocal Island.
"Alright, you lot!"
Uren stood at the water's edge and shouted to his men, "Clear the brush, cut down some trees, and set up a temporary camp. We're staying here to rest for a couple days!"
"Long live the Duke!"
"You got it, Duke Uren!"
"Let's get moving! His Grace has given his orders!"
"…"
With cheers and shouts of relief, the pirates sprang into action, bustling through the dense woodland.
Clearing brush!
Chopping trees!
Pitching tents!
Setting up perimeter watch!
The wild-haired, dirt-caked pirates threw themselves into the work with an almost childlike glee.
"Ahem…"
Watching his men recover their energy, Uren cleared his throat, then turned to the two men beside him and said, "Baka, you stay here for now. Gero and I will take a small group, disguise ourselves, and head into town for supplies."
"...Alright, I guess."
Hearing he wouldn't be going into town, Baka slumped onto a nearby boulder and let out a defeated sigh.
"Your Grace, allow me to go in first," Gero said calmly. "If the Marines have set up an ambush inside the city, I'll be able to scout it out."
Uren gave Gero a thoughtful look, then patted him on the shoulder. "It's in your hands. Keep the Den Den Mushi with you and stay in contact."
"Understood, Your Grace."
Gero nodded and accepted the small Den Den Mushi that Uren handed him. It wore a tiny golden crown, and its features bore a slight resemblance to Uren himself.
Then Uren narrowed his eyes.
"By the way, Gero," he asked, "how many of your Plague Bombs do you have left?"
Gero met his captain's gaze, instantly understanding the implication.
"Not many," he replied. "Only five AH-40 plague virus bombs. Most of the stock was used back on Cullen Island to hold off the Big Mom Pirates."
"Then figure out a way to make more," Uren said coldly. "Hide them inside Skoggy. If we're discovered, we'll take the fight into the city and detonate the bombs in the chaos. That'll buy us enough time to escape."
A wicked grin curled across Gero's lips. He ran his tongue over his dry mouth and whispered, "Understood. Leave it to me."
…
Skoggy, the City of Sculptures.
"Make way! Move aside!"
"Marine operation! Civilians, stay clear!"
"You squad, sweep that sector!"
"Don't lag behind! Stay in formation!"
"…"
Marines stationed at the harbor were now flooding the streets. Over four thousand sailors split into unit after unit, fanning out across the city in coordinated search teams. They stalked through alleyways and avenues alike, eyes sharp, movements swift.
After losing contact with their embedded agent in the Impaler Pirates, CP had immediately notified the Marines.
Without inside support, the original capture plan had collapsed. The Navy had no choice but to lock down the entire city and prepare for the pirates' eventual arrival.
The agent's final transmission had warned that the Impaler had entered the waters near Carocal Island and was expected to make landfall within three hours.
According to prior intelligence, the Impaler Pirates were low on supplies and had neither the means nor the resources to reach any other island. Carocal was their only option. If they didn't want to die of thirst at sea, they'd have to bite the bullet and come ashore, walking straight into the Navy's trap.
By the Navy's own estimation, Vlad Uren, the infamous Impaler Duke, was no fool. He wouldn't be so reckless as to dock in the main port, which suited the Navy just fine. If he tried, they'd welcome it, so they could crush the pirates at sea with overwhelming force.
Most likely, the pirates would avoid the port altogether, land at a hidden inlet, and send a small party into Skoggy to purchase fresh water, food, vegetables, and fruit.
Vice Admiral Borsalino and Vice Admiral Kuzan had anticipated this exact maneuver.
Their plan placed six warships and over four thousand men in ambush around the port. Once the pirates entered the city, CP's agent embedded among them would report their position, allowing the Navy to strike swiftly.
With Cross and his Live-Live Fruit deployed, the objective was to capture the pirates in one decisive blow, or force them out of the city and into an open engagement.
But now the agent had been discovered.
The Navy had lost track of the Impaler Pirates.
Carocal Island was vast, far too big for the Navy to monitor in its entirety. They didn't know when the pirates would land, or even if they already had. They didn't know when the crew might enter Skoggy, or whether they'd slip away after resupplying without the Navy ever knowing.
To avoid that scenario, the Marines had no choice but to act. Working in coordination with CP agents and Navy Intelligence, they moved to establish full control over Skoggy, hoping to catch the pirates the moment they appeared in the city.
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