The Shining Gold Guard
The Shining Gold Guard was a private military force founded under the Shining Gold Trading Company long ago.
As the Shining Gold Company took root within Aaron's territory and expanded rapidly, opening more and more trade routes abroad, this armed force grew alongside it, evolving from its original 100-man unit into a formidable army of over a thousand.
But this wasn't some ragtag group of hired thugs. Nearly every member of the Shining Gold Guard was a retired veteran, and not just any veterans, elite soldiers who had seen real combat across the Grand Line.
They came from various nations, recruited through the Shining Gold Company's global trade network lured in by high pay and exceptional benefits, or poached directly from the security divisions of rival merchant guilds.
In essence, the Shining Gold Guard was a disciplined mercenary corps, well-trained, battle-hardened, and constantly engaged in live combat during their escort missions. They regularly clashed with pirates on the high seas and had developed an exceptional level of combat strength.
With proper weapons in hand, their firepower rivaled even the elite troops of some small kingdoms.
Thanks to this powerful private army, the Shining Gold Company's ships rarely fell prey to pirates. In fact, through countless successful anti-pirate operations, their reputation had grown to near-legendary status along the surrounding trade routes.
Nowadays, merchant vessels flying the Shining Gold emblem traveling between the Drum Kingdom and neighboring nations were so well-defended that most pirate crews wouldn't dare approach them.
At this very moment, the forces assisting Arik in sniping down the rebel army were none other than the Shining Gold Guard themselves.
Monica hadn't been wrong earlier, Arik's personal troops alone couldn't possibly withstand the assault of a thousand rebels, especially with Monica and Michellea among them. His defeat would have been inevitable.
In that case, Arik's only option would've been to retreat.
But Aaron would never let Arik fight alone. When he ordered Williams to send food and weapons, he also dispatched the Shining Gold Guard as reinforcements. For now, Shuma was serving as their acting commander.
Although only five hundred members of the Guard had been deployed, more than a hundred of them were elite veterans proficient in Basic Gun Techniques. After years of combat drills and anti-pirate engagements, they had mastered the use of long-range sniper rifles.
Arik's own rifle, the Death Falcon, was a top-grade weapon, a semi-automatic sniper rifle purchased at great expense from the Future Kingdom on Mechanical Island. Its range exceeded one kilometer, and it could fire ten consecutive rounds without reloading.
The hundred sharpshooters of the Shining Gold Guard, armed with such rifles, unleashed their first volley.
In an instant, dozens of rebels fell dead on the snowy plains.
By the time they emptied their magazines, the once-thousand-strong rebel force had been reduced to barely five hundred standing men, the rest lay scattered across the white field, either motionless or writhing in agony.
Those who survived charged forward desperately, fueled by the instinct to live.
At barely five hundred meters from the treeline, they covered the distance in less than a minute. But the moment they reached the forest's edge, a new wave of death awaited them.
Small explosive devices, miniature bombs were hurled from the Shining Gold Guard's ambush positions.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
A chain of thunderous explosions tore through the air.
Each bomb could kill seven or eight men outright, and within seconds, the remaining five hundred rebels were annihilated almost to the last.
Those few who somehow remained standing were swiftly gunned down by disciplined volleys from the Guard's long rifles.
In under five minutes, the thousand-strong rebel army had been utterly destroyed by the overwhelming firepower of the Shining Gold Guard.
"It looks like it's over," Shuma said, floating down beside Arik in his Paper Angel Form, a faint smile on his face. "Once you took down those two troublesome Devil Fruit users, the rest of the headless rebels were nothing."
Arik shook his head. "No, it's the Shining Gold Guard who deserve the credit. Without their help, my men alone could never have withstood that onslaught."
He grasped Shuma's outstretched hand and slowly descended to the ground, then turned to Dalton and the stunned soldiers behind him.
"Start cleaning up the battlefield."
He raised his voice: "Surrender, and you will not be killed!"
Arik had no interest in pointless slaughter. As he led his troops onto the snowfield that had served as the battlefield, his voice echoed across the silence.
The surviving rebels recognized him as Maysfield, the identity he had assumed. Hearing his words, they wasted no time, they dropped their weapons, raised their hands, and knelt in surrender.
His soldiers quickly moved in to secure the prisoners.
Arik strode past them all without a glance, heading straight for the two Devil Fruit users, Monica and Michellea.
"Get up," he said coldly. "Stop pretending. I know you're awake."
"You've grown arrogant, Maysfield!"
In an instant, Monica sprang up from the snow, thrusting a dagger straight toward Arik's chest.
Having secretly absorbed the blood of fallen soldiers using her Blood-Blood Fruit, she had already healed most of her injuries. She'd been waiting for the perfect moment to strike, to take a hostage, force a retreat, and maybe even redeem herself for the failed rebellion.
But the fantasy shattered the moment she attacked.
Clang!
A slender rapier flashed faster than her eyes could follow, knocking the dagger from her hand. The blade's gleaming edge came to rest against her pale neck, pressing just hard enough to draw a thin red line.
One slight movement, one breath and her head would fall.
Monica froze. The killing intent in Arik's cold eyes sent a chill through her bones.
"There won't be a next time," he said, his voice deadly calm.
Then his right fist darkened, Armament Haki coating it in black and drove hard into her abdomen.
"GAHH—!"
The blow sent Monica flying backward, blood gushing from her mouth as she screamed. The pain tore through her body like fire, she could feel her organs shattering inside her.
"Monica!"
Michellea, who had just regained consciousness, cried out, only to be silenced by a vicious kick to the face.
Arik's boot connected with brutal force, sending her tumbling across the snow. Her face swelled instantly; blood and teeth spilled from her mouth as she fell unconscious.
The watching soldiers swallowed hard. None of them doubted anymore, Arik was no sentimental man.
"Don't misunderstand me," Arik said coldly as he walked up to Monica, who was still gasping in pain. "The only reason I haven't killed you is because you're still useful to me. But the moment you cease to be…"
He wrapped one hand around her neck and lifted her off the ground effortlessly.
"…I won't hesitate."
Monica clawed desperately at his arm, trying to breathe. Her Blood-Blood powers flickered, but each time she tried to use them, Arik's fist slammed into her stomach again.
Within seconds, her struggles weakened. Her face flushed deep red from the pressure; veins bulged along her temples.
"I… I… understand…" she choked out at last.
Faced with death, Monica finally submitted.
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