"Excellent! Excellent! Well done!"
After reading the report, Aeridar clapped his hands and cheered.
"After the victory at the Battle of Amott Valley, the Dunlite Kingdom seized the opportunity to break through the Barrid Kingdom's border camp and capture Goza Fortress. They've even pushed 150 kilometers into the Barrid Kingdom's territory and taken several cities," Mina reported.
"Hmph. If they weren't so weakened from years of constant war, they would have probably tried to flatten the entire Barrid Kingdom in one go," Aeridar said with disdain.
"Exactly, but that wouldn't be in our best interest, would it, Captain?" Mina asked, smiling playfully.
"That's right!"
Aeridar grinned. "We need the war to continue. Otherwise, who would we sell our weapons to? Heh heh heh. Besides, even though we dealt a heavy blow to the Garfield Pirates, they haven't been completely defeated. We still need this war to slowly wear them down and force Caesar to come to Aznat Island himself. That's the only way to ensure we can take out the Garfield Pirates once and for all."
"My, how wicked you are, Captain. Hehehehe," Mina said, covering her mouth with a light laugh.
"What do you know? This is a kingpin's cunning," Aeridar said, rolling his eyes at Mina.
"Yes, yes, a kingpin's cunning!" Mina agreed, still smiling.
Aeridar wrapped his arms around her, his smile turning mischievous. "Oh, you dare to mock me? I'll show you a turtle with hair!"
"Ah! No! I don't want to see a turtle with hair! They're ugly!" Mina exclaimed, a blush spreading across her face as she struggled playfully.
"You have the nerve to call me ugly? I'll have to teach you a lesson!" Aeridar threw Mina onto the bed and pressed down on her with a wicked grin.
After the Battle of Amott Valley, the news spread, and many reporters rushed to the battlefield to interview and take photos.
The sheer carnage of the scene caused nine out of ten reporters to vomit, and several even fainted on the spot, leaving many with psychological trauma.
As the news spread across the New World, many factions realized that the Chris Pirates had also participated in the battle, which explained why the Garfield Pirates and the Barrid Kingdom suffered such a devastating defeat.
The death of four Island Ruler-level executives was unprecedented for the Garfield Pirates since their formation.
Many wondered whether the Garfield Pirates would give up on supporting the Barrid Kingdom after this brutal defeat or continue the fight at any cost.
Some believed the Garfield Pirates would give up because facing the combined forces of the Donquixote Family and the Chris Pirates would likely lead to their complete annihilation.
But others argued that with four Island Ruler-level executives killed, it wouldn't be in the style of Duke Caesar and the Garfield Pirates to not seek revenge, as their subordinates would lose heart. They would undoubtedly continue the fight.
In the end, everyone had their own reasons, and no one could convince the other. The only thing they could do was wait and see what the Garfield Pirates' next move would be.
Of course, the conflict between the Garfield Pirates and the Donquixote Family and Chris Pirates shocked the New World, but the brutal nature of the Battle of Amott Valley also stunned the world.
The Marines, the Revolutionaries, and the various kingdoms were also a little disheartened. After all, such a brutal war was rare on a global scale.
Time passed, and other major events unfolded across the seas. For example, the Beasts Pirates and the Whitebeard Pirates clashed again. One of the Big Mom Pirates' Sweet Commanders, Charlotte Katakuri, killed another rookie pirate who tried to challenge Charlotte Linlin. Several nations that had been in a state of constant war unexpectedly declared a ceasefire.
There was even news that greatly angered the World Government: a World Government-affiliated kingdom in the North Blue was overthrown by the Revolutionary Army.
All these events kept the world in a state of constant turmoil.
After the crushing defeat at the Battle of Amott Valley, the Garfield Pirates finally responded. To the surprise of some but the expectation of many, the Garfield Pirates sent reinforcements to Aznat Island. The specific number of reinforcements was unknown, but what was certain was that all of their subordinate pirate crews had been mobilized.
At the port of Florent in the Barrid Kingdom, several ships bearing the Garfield Pirates' flag or a flag related to them entered the harbor daily.
There were pirate ships with a large number of pirates and merchant ships loaded with various weapons and supplies. In the underworld, Caesar also hired a large number of mercenaries at a high price.
It seemed that Caesar was planning to use almost all of his forces to fight the Donquixote Family and the Chris Pirates.
However, Aeridar and Doflamingo were not too worried. As long as Caesar himself didn't show up, the forces stationed on Aznat Island were enough to deal with the weakened Garfield Pirates.
But to minimize their own losses, Aeridar and Doflamingo also used their power in the underworld, spending a fortune to hire a large number of mercenaries to send to the battlefield.
Perhaps because they were intimidated by Aeridar's power, Germa 66 actually accepted Aeridar's offer, sending 5,000 elite soldiers to the battlefield. Vinsmoke Judge even came in person with his children.
But Aeridar didn't treat Judge poorly. Instead, he gave him a weekly payment of 100 million Berries. They were also allowed to use high-end military equipment such as rapid-fire flintlocks, large-caliber firearms, and heavy cannons without restriction.
Aeridar had plenty of money, and his military weapons were manufactured in-house. So if he could solve a problem with money, he didn't see the need to do all the work himself.
Because the Dunlite Kingdom had pushed 200 kilometers into the Barrid Kingdom's territory, the two nations redrew their borders and began stockpiling supplies, recruiting new armies, and preparing for the next round of war.
....
On the Grand Line, on a white island.
This was the headquarters of the Revolutionary Army—the Island of White Soil, Baltigo!
"Dragon-san, why did you pull our people back from Aznat Island? Aren't we going to help those two countries?" A young, naive man with a scar over his left eye and wavy blond hair asked, looking confused.
"We can't, Sabo. Aznat Island is too chaotic right now, and the people from the Chris Investigation Bureau's External Affairs Department are constantly infiltrating both countries. If we stay any longer, our people will be exposed," said Dragon, a man with a red square tattoo on his face.
"So we're just leaving?" Sabo asked, his brow furrowed.
"Those two countries have been fighting for so long that they've become sworn enemies, from the king to the common people. With the three powerful pirate crews clashing there, a revolution would be impossible," Dragon said, looking helpless.
"I see. So it's pointless for us to stay there," Sabo said, his eyebrows relaxing as he nodded in understanding.
"By the way, Sabo, you really have a knack for being a staff officer," Dragon said, a faint smile on his face.
"Really?"
Sabo scratched his head and laughed awkwardly. "Hahaha, being a staff officer sounds pretty good, too."
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