Bonus Chapter for reaching 100 PowerStones.
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"Hmph, as I thought. The West Blue has nothing but cheap liquor. There isn't a single decent thing."
Thinking it was good he didn't bring his family, the man—a king of a nation, a scientist, and a mercenary—slammed his cup violently onto the table.
The King of Mogwa... that imbecile. He thinks all he has to do is pay money.
He urged the woman he'd brought as a server to pour, as if to shake off the impression of that unkingly man—a man whose sloppy, obese body and dirty beard were his most memorable features. No, they were his only memorable features.
"No wonder it's called a 'pirate nation.' To think a vulgar man like that is its king..."
The man—Vinsmoke Judge—was the king of a nation without land.
The only soil he steps on is the battlefield.
The only thing recognized as his domain is the deck of his ship.
That is precisely why he must one day achieve his clan's dearest wish, passed down through generations of ancestors: the revival of the 'Germa Kingdom,' which certainly existed three hundred years ago.
"To think a pirate would be so much better..."
Spread out next to his cup were the research files on the enemy he'd acquired since arriving—'Silent Step' Kuro.
What particularly drew Judge's interest were the development records of the uninhabited island where 'Silent Step's' crew had supposedly stayed.
It should have been impossible to obtain, but he had used his connections within the Marines to extract the detailed records.
For a pirate, he's exceptionally skilled at constructing bases and positions...
The ruins of the base where 'Silent Step's' crew had lived with the Marines they rescued in a certain incident.
The base, abandoned just after the District Headquarters sea battle, was so well-equipped it could be called a small village.
Not just houses for sleeping, but also the remains of a decent-sized field, though the plants had been taken out, soil and all.
A proper hut for housing the wounded and sick.
Bathing facilities made of stone and wood.
A workshop for butchering hunted beasts, drying the meat, and tanning the hides.
Primitive, but fully functional, lumber processing equipment for preparing planks to repair ships.
"Less a pirate and more an adventurer... No, a pioneer. And a first-rate one at that."
He had probably built a living environment that wasn't half bad.
The records state that among the Marines who had temporarily lived with 'Silent Step,' many broke down crying when they were brought to the scene to investigate the abandoned base.
And that not a few of them left the Marines afterward.
"Your Majesty."
Just as he was thinking this was personnel he'd like to have in his service if possible, a commander-type clone soldier appeared to report.
"An armed fleet is blocking our path."
Judge looked up, "Is it the pirates in question?"
"Sir! Ahead are five ships with the three-clawed black cat mark and one high-quality armed vessel flying a different flag. And approaching from the starboard, two more ships... and another two."
"Ten ships in total."
The man put on his helmet and took up his spear.
"Capture the executives alive, if possible. They would be useful assets to have, and even if not, keeping them alive would make a more valuable gift for the World Government—"
And the moment he stood up to look at the enemy ships directly and give his orders, his flagship, which had never so much as swayed before, rocked violently with a deafening roar.
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"...Hoh."
Looking at the fleet visible in the distance—an unnatural opponent, a group of giant ships carried on the backs of enormous Den Den Mushi—the swordsman sheathed the sword he had just drawn and muttered.
"Even with this distance, I thought I could cut it down if it's a living creature... but it's a surprisingly durable creature. I only stopped its movements. An army of science... Interesting."
"""""WE TOLD YOU TO SAY SOMETHING BEFORE YOU CUT, DAMMIT!!!!!!!!!"""""
That bastard! I had a feeling he'd do something when he walked to the bow without a word, but still!!
Mihawk, who is being kicked repeatedly in the back by Hancock, tilts his head in confusion, but you really need to learn to communicate before you act! Seriously!
"Aargh, fine!" I yelled. "Mihawk, what was your impression?"
"With that toughness, even a direct cannonball hit probably won't sink it easily. It will take more than a few shots, I'd say. If it comes to a cannon battle, a long fight will be unavoidable."
"...Just as I thought," I muttered.
A cannon battle is certainly our 'Black Cat's' specialty, but it has a problem. It's a war of attrition.
Cannonballs, gunpowder, even the cannons themselves are effectively consumable goods.
Right now, thanks to all the captured goods, we aren't short on supplies, and we've been firing wildly to advertise our strength... but precisely because this is a strong enemy, I want to settle this in as short a time as possible.
"Captain, it seems they have never experienced an attack strong enough to rock their ship. Their movements are sluggish."
Hancock, satisfied for the moment after getting her kicks in, points at the enemy ship with the bow, which, after obsessive maintenance, now looks like a masterpiece crafted by a master artisan.
"Alright, Perona, get both your Negative and Mini-Hollows ready. Depending on the effectiveness of your ability, this flagship will lead the charge. With support from your Devil Fruit, we'll capture one ship first."
We plan to fight dirty, exploiting their lack of maneuverability due to their size, but the difference in military strength is still obvious.
If we didn't have our fully automatic human-slicing machine and the elite troops he trained, we would have had to commit to a cannon battle, fully expecting to be slowly ground down.
Perona pouted, "My powers won't work on them?"
"I heard Germa's soldiers are adjusted to not feel fear easily. If it does work, it'll be a massive help, but... well, be prepared for the worst."
Since learning about Haki, she no longer overestimates her abilities, but our crew's wide-range-suppression non-lethal weapon still looks dissatisfied. However, if she sticks to explosions, she'll be a huge asset in a chaotic melee.
Excluding humanoid decisive-weapons like Mihawk, the most dangerous person on our crew in terms of pure offensive power... or rather, firepower... is definitely Perona.
"I'll say it again: one ship first," I stated firmly. "We will capture one ship, guaranteed. Mihawk."
"Yeah," he replied.
I continued, "Whether the ghosts work or not, you and I will lead the charge. Got it?"
Our strongest card grins and replies with a single word: "Ofcourse."
"After that, under cannon support from Bege's ship and our 6th and 7th ships, all combatants from ships 1 through 5 will board and take control. Then, using that ship as our new axis, we'll begin capturing the other ships. Mihawk and I will cut loose and whittle down the enemy's pressure."
Germa's greatest weapon is its soldiers.
They crush you with numbers that also have quality, soldiers who don't go down easily.
Conversely, if we use personnel who can overwhelm the masses to thin them out, dealing with them becomes much easier.
And right here, we have a swordsman who is, even now, at the strongest level.
So of course we have to throw him at them and have him cut them to pieces.
"During that time, the deck of the captured ship will be the main battlefield. Amisu and the Imperial Guards, rally the other combatants and intercept the enemy forces that will come to retake it."
We'll consolidate their attack into one place and prevent them from splitting up.
It will become a fierce battle, but for the current Imperial Guards, it's not a problem.
They have Mihawk's seal of approval that they can fight through anything, no matter how long or how adverse the conditions.
After all, besides Amisu, several others have become strong enough to earn an 'interesting opponent' judgment from Mihawk.
"This time, Perona will focus on assisting the combatants' attacks, so enemy observation will be left entirely to Robin."
Robin nods firmly, and Amisu and the others smile, even though they're about to go into battle.
Whether it's because Perona dotes on her and drags her around, Robin is cherished by many of the members—especially by the Imperial Guards.
"Hack, your Fish-Man team, sorry, but I'm counting on you for transport assistance and rescuing any crew members who fall."
Hack nodded, "Mmm, understood."
"And—Daz."
"Yeah."
"This time, I'm focusing on thinning their numbers. If I don't, they'll overwhelm us."
"Makes sense," Daz agreed.
"Right, it makes sense. Therefore—this is an order."
I locked eyes with him, "You are the one who will defeat the enemy leader—Vinsmoke Judge."
"...Captain," Daz said, his voice quiet.
"Yeah."
"Since I started this pirate life with you, a lot has happened, but—"
"I have been waiting for that order."
Whoa, he's really fired up...
No, in any case, everyone's morale is high.
The ships from the second on back have also gained a decent amount of experience, so there's no disorder in the fleet's movements.
"Alright, then—let's go."
We can do this. We can definitely do this.
"The battle begins!!"
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Next Bonus on 300 Powerstones~