Bullet let out a menacing grin.
"Pirates, huh? Nothing surprising."
"Looks like it is going to be fun."
Enel chuckled darkly.
"Yeah, just arrived and we already ran into such stupid pirates."
"Hahahahahaha."
The ten massive warships cut through the waves, and moments later, finally entered the waters of the South Sea.
...
Holy Land, Mary Geoise.
Upon receiving the king's plea for aid, the Elders couldn't help but be stunned. Pirates… had managed to attack the royal palace?
The burly Elder with the W-shaped beard showed a trace of anger.
"When did the allied nations' standards fall to such a disgraceful level?"
"A bunch of useless trash."
The Elder holding a sword closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
"Send the CP organizations to take care of it first."
"If a member nation of the World Government is wiped out by pirates—"
"—that would be the biggest joke in the world."
"Once this matter is over, we'll deal with them."
"It's clear the time has come to reselect who deserves to be allied nations."
"Truly pathetic…"
...
Grand Line, first half.
Tahama Kingdom, at the port.
At this moment, the port was engulfed in flames. A massive pirate ship was docked there, with several smaller boats alongside it.
Taking advantage of the Great Pirate Era that Roger had ushered in, the pirate captain had returned to his homeland to recruit men and plunder far and wide.
They had grown into a pirate crew of over a thousand men. Though none were truly strong, they were all ordinary people but they had numbers, and large firearms like cannons and mortars.
For the Tahama Kingdom, an agrarian nation, this meant they were now teetering on the brink of destruction.
Countless kingdom soldiers clashed with the pirates in bloody battle.
Spears, swords, blood, and corpses covered the entire port.
A grinning pirate sub-leader barked orders to his men.
"Alright, boys! Don't hold back!"
"Kill to your heart's content!"
"Slaughter every last one who resists!!!"
"This country will be ours soon enough!"
"Hahahahahaha!!!"
A royal guard, hearing these words, shouted in defiance.
"Do not falter!"
"Drive these pirates out of our land!"
"Kill!!!!"
But… it was useless.
After half a day of fierce fighting, even though the kingdom's guards resisted desperately, they were still driven back step by step by the ruthless pirates—until they were forced to fall back to the gates of the royal palace.
The pirates slowly surrounded the castle.
At that moment, the pirate captain, a head taller than the others, stepped forward.
With a wave of his hand, several mortars were aimed at the national flag atop the castle.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The flag was obliterated, the castle's rooftop completely blown away.
Next, the mortars turned toward the defending soldiers. Countless men were blasted into the air, their fates unknown.
The pirate captain looked over the now-silent battlefield and smiled in satisfaction.
He shouted to the remaining royal guards.
"Hahahahaha!"
"This is the end of the line, you bastards!"
"Anyone who wants to live, surrender quietly!"
"Anyone who resists—blast them to pieces with the mortars!!!"
"Go tell your king!"
"Have him issue an abdication decree!"
"Otherwise, you're all dead!!!"
Facing the ferocious pirates, someone—no one knew who—dropped their weapon with a clatter. Then more and more followed.
The captain of the guard burned with fury as he watched his soldiers surrender, but he was powerless.
Helplessly, he went to the royal hall to report.
The surrendered soldiers were herded by the pirates into a large warehouse—exactly five hundred men, no more, no less.
...
New World, towering hidden sanctuary.
A figure with golden hair and a golden cloak stood at the cliff's edge, gazing down at the giant beasts.
The aura around the Golden Lion was no longer as sharp as it once had been.
Wounds of both body and soul were the surest way to wear a man down.
He radiated the air of a lion at dusk…
Paired with his expressionless face, he seemed even more terrifying and unfathomable than before.
Pupupupu—
A strange sound of footsteps approached. Dr. Indigo, looking like a clown, walked over.
"What is it?"
The Golden Lion's voice was calm.
"How's the research coming? Can we mass-produce yet?"
Dr. Indigo replied.
"The experiments have succeeded."
"But the formula can still be optimized."
"Right now, the success rate is only about forty percent."
"Failures turn into uncontrollable berserk beasts."
"We still need to refin—"
"Enough," the Golden Lion cut in abruptly.
"Start mass production immediately."
"Success or failure, as long as they're alive, it's fine."
"From the five years I set, there's only half a year left."
"Spend this last half-year creating as many beasts as possible."
"I can't wait any longer."
Dr. Indigo froze for a moment, then said.
"Understood."
He retreated slowly.
The Golden Lion stood silently at the cliff's edge.
He was no longer the lion king who once sought to dominate the world.
The decline of his body and abilities tormented him with the knowledge that his strength was fading.
For a man like the Golden Lion, this was worse than death.
Now, he only wanted to do one thing in the last moments of his life—something that would shock the entire world.
To show the world what cruelty truly was… to show the hero-worshippers of the seas what a real pirate was.
As if at peace, his calm voice drifted into the wind.
"Roger…"
...
Grand Line, first half, Tahama Kingdom.
Compared to the grand exterior, the interior of the royal castle was surprisingly plain.
The king's throne was made of stone, and the vast hall was utterly bare of decoration.
An old white-haired king held his forehead, thinking with a troubled expression.
A thin minister spoke.
"Your Majesty, for the sake of the people, you must firmly reject the pirates' vile demands."
A somewhat plump minister added.
"That's right."
"If we combine the royal army with the guard forces, we have no reason to fear those pirates."
The king lifted his head as if coming to a decision.
"But if we fight to the death—"
"—what will happen to the soldiers who have been taken hostage?"
"They are my subjects as well. I cannot just watch them die."
"Even if the throne is taken, there's always a chance to reclaim it."
"But lives, once lost, cannot be brought back."
The plump minister frowned in doubt.
"But even if we agree to their demands—"
"I doubt they would honestly release the hostages!"
Da-da-da—
At that moment, the sound of hurried footsteps rang out, followed by a guard shouting.
"Your Majesty!!!"
"A messenger from the World Government has just arrived!!!"