Accompanying Wilder was a refined, middle-aged man named Krem, a deputy director of the Munitions Department.
"Your Majesty, the third-generation cannon has not yet had its official test firing. Would you like to see it in action?"
Wilder had yet to tell anyone about his plan to build an artillery corps. Hearing Krem's words, he nodded slightly. "Approved."
"Where shall we conduct the test?" Krem was not a combatant, so he deferred to others on such matters.
"I'll have Vice come over. We'll ask them," Wilder said. He wasn't an expert in this area either. He immediately called Vice, Claire, and the others.
Before long, Vice and Claire arrived, along with Akira, who had recently stepped down from the Talent Development Department to oversee multiple affairs of state.
Wilder had summoned them primarily to discuss his plan for the Artillery Corps. He knew that others might think of problems he had overlooked.
After they arrived, Krem gave them a rundown of the third-generation cannon and the planned test firing. Vice was immediately thrilled, running his hands all over the weapon, much to the exasperation of the others.
"Boss, why don't we test it in the rocky area to the north?" Vice suggested after he had finished his inspection, reluctantly pulling his hands away. "We can level those rocks and clear the land for construction or planting later."
Everyone, including Wilder, looked at him strangely. Feeling their gazes, Vice grew a little flustered. "Wh-what are you all looking at me for?"
Claire covered her mouth and giggled. "Vice, I didn't know you had such a practical mind. Not bad."
"Hehehe..." Vice scratched his head, a goofy grin on his face. "Well... I learned it from the boss, didn't I?"
Such a suck-up...
The others looked at him, speechless.
Wilder shook his head with a faint smile. "Alright, we'll do as Vice says. The test site will be the rocky area."
"Yes, sir!" everyone responded. A large group from the Munitions Department then loaded the third-generation cannons, which were covered with black cloths, onto horse-drawn carts and set off for the destination.
Along the way, Wilder called the heads of the Research Department and several other key departments, inviting them to witness the test. The group walked with the Munitions Department staff, closely guarded by members of the Battle Units. Farther out, agents from the Monitoring Unit kept a lookout for any suspicious individuals, while Akira called his subordinates to evacuate the area around the test site.
The entire process was orderly and extremely secure. Not even a fly could have gotten through.
All of this was the result of the institutional reforms.
Wilder walked at the front, flanked by Claire and the heads of several non-combat departments, from the major ones like Research, Munitions, and Industry, to the smaller logistical ones.
Coincidentally, two of the deputy directors from the Research Department walking with Wilder had similar backgrounds: Jesse and Caesar.
Jesse had been much more subdued since Wilder had beaten him and locked him up for a while. He had contributed to the creation of the machine guns and had since dedicated himself to his research, becoming a fully integrated and diligent member of Morass. And while his personality had mellowed, his passion for science remained unchanged.
As for Caesar, with his heart still in Wilder's possession, he had initially been resentful about being thrown into the Research Department. But after a short time, he had fallen in love with the place. It was the best working environment he had ever been in.
The king was a staunch supporter of science, and he was surrounded by brilliant colleagues who were both respectful and incredibly skilled. Caesar now loved it here.
As Wilder walked, he was keenly aware of everything happening behind him. The sounds, auras, and images were all perfectly clear in his mind.
The third-generation cannon was a national treasure. He would not allow any potential infiltrators to learn of its existence.
Fortunately, Morass had always been thorough in its security screenings, and with the Monitoring Unit operating in the shadows, it was not easy for outside forces to penetrate their defenses.
Furthermore, the coastline was dotted with fortresses that served as both defensive and surveillance points. While they didn't cover the entire coast, the defensive line extending from the eighteen major ports already encompassed the most critical areas.
The remaining areas were not easily accessible, as they were located behind the Calm Belt. Any enemy would have to bypass the heavily monitored front lines and enter through the dangerous waters, a long and risky journey that was simply not worth the effort.
"Jesse, Caesar."
Jesse and Caesar, who were walking beside Wilder, were startled by his voice and quickly turned to look at him.
Wilder's "gaze" was on the horse-drawn cart behind them. "Can you two create a vehicle that can travel quickly?" he asked thoughtfully as they walked. "Something to replace these horse-drawn carts."
"Hmm?" Jesse and Caesar's eyes widened. They exchanged an excited glance. "Boss, that's a brilliant idea! Why didn't I ever think of that?"
"Don't worry, Boss, that shouldn't be too difficult! Leave it to me!" Jesse pushed up his glasses, a proud, almost chuunibyou-like smirk on his face.
Caesar scoffed. "Shurorororo! This is a job for me! I just finished my last project, and... anything I make is guaranteed to be the best! Jesse, I acknowledge your scientific ability, but you've got another ten years before you can compare yourself to a true genius like me!"
Jesse shot him a haughty glare, which Caesar met with one of his own. The two scientists, rivals at last, were about to face off.
But their moment was cut short by Wilder, who smacked both of them on the head.
"This is just the first step," he said. "I want the Research, Industry, and Munitions Departments to form a joint project. Using a motorized transport vehicle as a base, I want you to develop combat vehicles, mobile artillery, and so on. This will be a series of projects, and it's not something you two can handle alone."
"This..." Jesse, Caesar, and the other department heads were stunned.
"Brilliant! This idea...! This is an invention that could change the world! Of course...! Only an invention of this caliber is worthy of my participation! Shurorororo!" Caesar's eyes widened with excitement. He placed one hand on his hip and pointed to the sky, letting out a wild, triumphant laugh.
"Hmph... idiot," Jesse muttered, pushing up his glasses with an air of superiority, a disdainful smirk on his lips. "This is a job that only I..."
"Both of you, shut up!" Akira, the minister of multiple affairs, delivered a sharp blow to each of their heads, instantly raising large bumps.
"Ow! You... you can use Armament Haki!?" Caesar cried, clutching his head as he stared at Akira in disbelief.
Akira calmly took out a handkerchief and wiped his hands. He glanced at Caesar and said flatly, "Just a little."
After that brief bit of drama, the department heads all made a mental note of Wilder's words, planning to get started on the project as soon as they returned.
Soon, they arrived at their destination: the rocky area.
As far as the eye could see, there were massive boulders and sharp, basketball-sized rocks scattered across the plain.
In the distance was a large cliff face, from which the rocks had clearly fallen.
"Begin," Wilder said, his gaze fixed on the cliff.
"Yes, sir." The head of the Munitions Department gave a nod to Vice, who then ordered his men to unload the fifteen third-generation cannons from the carts and line them up on the ground, each with ten shells.
The cannons were loaded and aimed at designated boulders within the rocky area.
The Munitions Department staff operated the weapons. With a wave from their director, the order was given. "Fire!"
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! Fifteen plumes of dust and fire erupted from the ground, followed by a sharp, tearing sound as the projectiles ripped through the air.
A deafening roar echoed from the distant rocky area. The shells had crossed the two-thousand-meter distance in just a few seconds. Fifteen massive mushroom clouds rose into the air.
A wave of intense heat washed over them, and the giant boulders were blown into dozens of charred pieces, which were sent flying in all directions.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Without pausing, the next volley was loaded and fired. After ten volleys, the smoke cleared to reveal that the rocky area had been completely leveled. A powerful shockwave, carrying a cloud of pulverized rock dust, swept over them, leaving everyone too stunned to speak.
"Gulp."
Vice swallowed hard, his eyes wide with disbelief. "That... that kind of power..."
Aside from the Munitions Department staff, who wore faint, proud smiles, everyone else was shocked by the terrifying power of the third-generation cannon.
"Not bad," Wilder said. He was calmer than the others, though he, too, was impressed. But what pleased him most were the other aspects of the cannon's performance.
Its firing speed, accuracy, and range.
In terms of artillery alone, Morass was now unrivaled.
No one else in the world could hit a target from two thousand meters away. Aside from the first-generation cannons Morass had sold to the Marines, there wasn't a single cannon on the market with a range of over five hundred meters.
But Morass could do it. And the potential for future development was limitless.
At this thought, a surge of excitement went through Wilder, further solidifying his decision to create an Artillery Corps.
One day, I will shatter the balance of this world and build a supreme legacy! I will use science to build a powerful nation and a mighty army!
Suppressing the turmoil in his heart, Wilder turned to face the others. They all straightened up, their eyes fixed on him.
Meeting their gazes, Wilder clasped his hands behind his back. "I have decided to establish an Artillery Corps."
His calm words made their hearts skip a beat. They understood the literal meaning, but they sensed a deeper implication in his words.
Vice was the first to voice his confusion. "Boss, we understand what an artillery corps is, but... don't we already have one? Our ships are already manned by specialized artillery crews. We saw the results of that with our own fifty warships. I agree with the idea, but since you're bringing it up now, it must be something more. So... what's different about this Artillery Corps?"
The others nodded in agreement.
As far as they were concerned, Morass had been prioritizing artillery ever since they had developed their advanced cannons. In a sense, the Artillery Corps already existed.
Wilder shook his head.
"You're right. Our fifty warships are equipped with powerful cannons, and they did annihilate the enemy with artillery alone. You could call that an artillery unit."
"But that is just the foundation. The Artillery Corps I envision will be a comprehensive, independent, large-scale military branch. It will be a major deterrent force for Morass, not just a group of you 'special forces' standing on the deck watching the grunts fire the cannons!"
"I need a disciplined, professional Artillery Corps that can hit any target I designate. A corps where every member, regardless of their personal combat ability, can be a formidable force through the power of their artillery!"
Wilder's words stunned them. They didn't know what "special forces" meant, but they understood he was referring to how they had stood on the ships during the last battle, not lifting a finger while the lower-ranking soldiers had won the fight with the cannons.
Of course, Wilder wasn't blaming them. He himself had done the same thing.
But that only proved the power of Morass's artillery. It was powerful enough to change the world, as long as it was deployed on a large enough scale, with flexible and precise operation, and supported by advanced ships. In the future, they could open fire from thousands of meters away. Not even Big Mom herself would be able to withstand such a barrage.