Chapter 13: Long-Range Sniper Kill
In the East Blue, within the Frauce Kingdom, Queen Ban Dedessinée burst into laughter after receiving the reply from the Goa Kingdom. "Hahahaha, it seems my influence is quite strong."
The "softening" and "concession" of the Goa Royal Family made her feel incredibly happy and satisfied. With a single phone call, she had halted the Goa Kingdom's expansionist war. This big news would be explosive, and the names of Ban Dedessinée and the Frauce Kingdom would be known throughout the East Blue, intimidating various kingdoms. She might even become the leader of all the East Blue kingdoms.
After all, a war that even the World Government and Marineford couldn't stop had been halted by her alone. She would surely shake the East Blue and become famous worldwide. Ban Dedessinée's eyes were filled with ambition.
Meanwhile, the officials under Ban Dedessinée outwardly congratulated their Queen with excitement, but inwardly, they grumbled, "Is the Goa Kingdom really giving face to Ban Dedessinée?" It was clearly the Goa Kingdom's fear of the Germa 66 army. If Ban Dedessinée hadn't repeatedly mentioned Germa 66 during the call, the Goa Kingdom probably wouldn't have agreed to a ceasefire so readily.
"Our Germa mercenary army—whether you want to continue fighting the Goa Kingdom or not, whether you fight or not—you still have to pay!" The Germa 66 mercenary liaison official stared coldly at Queen Ban Dedessinée. As long as a deal was struck and the Germa 66 army was deployed, payment was mandatory. Otherwise, Germa 66 would show the Frauce Kingdom what an evil army was like.
"Uh... don't worry, we won't shortchange Germa on the mercenary fees," Queen Ban Dedessinée chuckled awkwardly, responding to the Germa liaison official with considerable apprehension. She indeed did not dare to provoke or offend the infamous Germa Kingdom. They had hired the evil Germa army precisely to deter the Goa Kingdom. It was to hire a bodyguard for herself, lest the Goa Kingdom continue to expand into the Frauce Kingdom's sphere of influence.
Now that the Goa Kingdom had backed down, she also didn't want to go to war with them. After all, the Goa Kingdom was the most beautiful kingdom in the East Blue, favored by the Celestial Dragons. It was also the hometown of Marine Hero Garp the Fist. Going to war with the Goa Kingdom was not a good choice! If they offended the Celestial Dragons and the Marine Hero, their Frauce Kingdom would likely face a major disaster.
In the Conomi Kingdom, Cocoyashi Village, after Nami told Nojiko and Genzo about the news, it quietly spread among the villagers. They needed to protect themselves, be ready to flee at any time, and not be caught in the battle between the Goa Kingdom and the Arlong Pirates. Nami felt that these two forces were definitely going to fight.
In Arlong's territory, a group of Fish-Men led by Arlong the Sawshark gathered after receiving a notice from Colonel Nezumi, preparing for a potential battle.
"Big Brother Arlong, can that greedy bastard Nezumi really hide from that Goa Kingdom? Can Nezumi really make Marineford stop the Goa Kingdom? Our protection fees won't decrease because of the Goa Kingdom's rule, will they?!" The Fish-Men were filled with dissatisfaction and resentment. The war initiated by the Goa Kingdom had severely impacted their comfortable lives. The carefree life in the Arlong Empire deeply fascinated them, a hundred times more comfortable than the gloomy Fish-Man District.
Six years ago, it took them more than half a year to occupy over twenty villages in the Conomi Kingdom, suppressing and massacring several fiercely resisting towns. They forced these "inferior humans" to pay a monthly living fee: 100,000 Berries for adults and 50,000 Berries for children. Every year, they obtained huge sums of money from over twenty villages.
In Cocoyashi Village, they built their Arlong Empire, mimicking the architecture of the Sabaody Archipelago. To avoid Marine subjugation, Arlong also bribed Colonel Nezumi, their protective umbrella. They allied with Colonel Nezumi and forced the Conomi Kingdom's royalty into submission, beginning their tyrannical reign.
They hoped that the Goa Kingdom royal family, like the Inaba Rose royal family of the Conomi Kingdom, would not provoke them. Otherwise, they would show those humans from the Goa Kingdom the power of a superior race, the Fish-Men.
"If the Goa Kingdom dares to come, we will sink all their warships! Just like that idiotic Rear Admiral Pudding!" Arlong grinned, revealing a mouthful of sharp teeth, not fearing the Goa Kingdom army at all. Back then, they had even dared to kill Rear Admiral Pudding, the commander of Marine 77th Branch.
"Big Brother Arlong is right, we are the masters of this great sea! If Nezumi can't handle the Goa Kingdom, we'll personally wipe out these human armies!" With Arlong's confident declaration, the Fish-Men echoed him one after another, each one incredibly arrogant. After six years of comfortable life in Cocoyashi Village, they had come to believe that all humans in the East Blue were as useless as those in these twenty-odd villages and could be bullied and trampled on at will.
Just as these Fish-Men were boasting and arrogantly viewing humans as useless, a frantic Fish-Man rushed into Arlong's territory. "Big Brother Arlong, they're really here! The Goa Kingdom fleet is really here!"
"What?!" All the Fish-Men of the Arlong Pirates suddenly stood up, their eyes filled with anger and killing intent. "That Nezumi fellow is indeed useless, completely unreliable! My subordinates! Follow me to battle and wipe out these humans!"
At Arlong's command, a large group of ferocious and grim Fish-Men streamed out, rushing towards the sea. "Into the sea! Pierce their ships!" Arlong commanded as he ran. The sea was their territory, and he would not give the Goa Kingdom army a chance to land.
"Yes! Charge!" Each Fish-Man was incredibly excited, their eyes fearless. Humans were merely their slaves.
But in the next second, before these Fish-Men even reached the shore, they all fell to the ground one by one.
"No! It's a sniper! Be careful!" Arlong's eyes instantly turned red. The enemy sniper was so far away that he couldn't even hear the gunshots, yet they could snipe them.
"Quick, save them!" Hatchan and Kuroobi quickly dragged their fallen brothers into the buildings for cover. The running Fish-Men hurriedly sought cover, dodging the enemy's ultra-long-range sniping. A trace of fear spread among them.
This Goa army seemed different from the humans in these villages. They seemed to recall the days on Fish-Man Island when they were intimidated and oppressed by Grand Line pirates and Marines.
Meanwhile, on the fleet that had appeared on the sea, the Royal Guard soldiers were loading bullets for Van Auger, rotating sniper rifles one by one. Besides Van Auger's famous rifle 'Thousand Lands,' there was also Kael's golden sniper rifle and other ordinary sniper rifles.
"Good! Van Auger, you've bought us some time." Kael held the golden telescope, observing the situation in Cocoyashi Village, revealing a satisfied expression.
"Sniping within visual range is nothing to boast about," Van Auger responded casually while firing. Even with an ordinary sniper rifle, he could still shoot accurately at this distance. If he used his beloved rifle 'Thousand Lands,' he could shoot enemies beyond visual range.
He could shoot seagulls and enemies from extremely long distances, and the opponent wouldn't even see the island or pirate ship he was on.