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Chapter 100 is out!!!! +40 advanced chapters monthly
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"Conquer the Green Fruit Kingdom," Shiro enunciated every single word. Ni
"And after we conquer it?" Arlong asked, licking his lips.
He knew Shiro was closely affiliated with the Marines, but for Shiro to actively seek him out for this... did that mean Arlong would get to enjoy the privileges of a Warlord and pillage completely legally for once?
"Do whatever you want! I don't care, and no Marines will come to exterminate you for it!" Shiro said, tilting his chin up slightly.
"Alright, it's a deal!" Arlong agreed without a second thought.
No matter how poor a kingdom was, the gold and silver sitting in their national treasury wouldn't be a small sum. A fully legal raid with zero Marine interference? Why the hell wouldn't he agree? After all, it was just conquering a single country; to pirates like them, that was child's play.
"But there is one thing I want you to remember. Your only job is to conquer the Green Fruit Kingdom."
"If any of your subordinates dare to use this opportunity to slaughter innocents or commit atrocities like assaulting the women, don't blame me for showing no mercy. I will gun them down on the spot!"
Just before leaving, Shiro turned and delivered this frigid warning. The utter indifference in his eyes made the entire Arlong Pirates crew shudder. They finally realized just how naive they had been, thinking that Shiro couldn't touch them while they were out at sea. Now they knew: if Shiro wanted to, he could wipe out their entire crew in an instant, exactly like he had done to the Tiger Pirates.
The Buggy Pirates
Buggy had assumed he would never have any ties to someone like Shiro for the rest of his life. Yet, he hadn't gone looking for Shiro; Shiro had come looking for him.
Buggy instantly looked at Shiro as if facing a mortal enemy. A sudden visit from this guy couldn't possibly mean anything good.
"Buggy the Clown. Do me a favor."
Shiro's very first sentence left Buggy completely stunned.
A favor? What kind of favor?! If there was something a monster like Shiro couldn't accomplish, why would he need Buggy's help?!
"What is it?" Just like Arlong, Buggy had an expression that screamed, 'Are you messing with me?'
"Conquer the Green Fruit Kingdom. That's all," Shiro said indifferently.
"And what do I get out of this?!" Buggy was no stranger to the Green Fruit Kingdom, but he needed to know what the payout was for lending a hand.
"The entire national treasury is yours. I don't want a single Berry." Shiro looked at Buggy with a half-smile.
"Alright, it's a deal!"
Buggy—who would one day become a Warlord of the Sea and open the largest mercenary dispatch company in the pirate world—was no fool when it came to business. A guaranteed profit with zero losses? He agreed without even needing to think about it.
"But there is one thing I want you to remember. Your only job is to conquer the Green Fruit Kingdom."
"If any of your subordinates dare to use this opportunity to slaughter innocents or commit atrocities..." Shiro repeated the exact same warning he had given Arlong.
"Got it!" Looking at Shiro's piercing, razor-sharp gaze, Buggy felt his scalp tingle with fear.
"I hope you can keep your subordinates on a tight leash and wrap up this transaction properly." Leaving those parting words, Shiro spread his wings and took off, leaving the Buggy Pirates behind.
In short order, the entire criminal underworld of the East Blue was thrown into a frenzy. Shiro visited every pirate crew he deemed capable of actually breaching the Green Fruit Kingdom's defenses—bypassing any crews with measly three or four million Berry bounties.
Even with his selective standards, Shiro still managed to gather a massive, densely packed armada of pirates, leading them straight toward the Green Fruit Kingdom.
"Hiss..."
Back at the Ship-Cutter's Island, T-Bone felt a sudden headache coming on and sucked in a sharp breath of cold air.
He could only smile bitterly as he rapidly issued a series of emergency orders, deploying nearly the entire Marine branch to stand guard at various key locations across the sea.
With a pirate army of that sheer scale, he had no choice but to be on high alert. Sure, Shiro might be able to keep them in line on the way there, but what about the way back? Who could guarantee those pirates wouldn't take the opportunity to line their pockets by raiding other islands? If that happened, it would be the innocent civilians who suffered!
"That's Shiro for you... always doing whatever he pleases!" T-Bone shook his head, but he didn't actually oppose Shiro's methods.
Sometimes, when dealing with these arrogant, self-important royals, you had to let them taste a little suffering before they truly understood the importance of the Marines. Blindly bowing and scraping to them only made them more unreasonable.
It was supposed to be such a simple matter: hand Aki over, and everyone walks away unharmed. But now? Being targeted by Shiro was practically the prelude to the complete annihilation of their nation. If Aki had suffered even the slightest injury, T-Bone couldn't even begin to imagine the apocalyptic scene that would follow.
The Green Fruit Kingdom!
Port Biao!
"Pirate attack!"
"Pirate attack!"
A high-pitched, terrified scream suddenly tore through the air, prompting the garrison soldiers to frantically pull the alarms. In an instant, the blaring wail of sirens echoed across the entire port, carrying all the way to the Royal Palace.
Panic immediately seized the citizens at the harbor. The Kingdom's military forces were mobilized in a state of sheer emergency, rushing toward the port at top speed.
The streets were flooded with marching troops, while the civilians scrambled to hide inside their homes, anxiously peering through cracks in their doors and windows to observe the chaos outside.
"Hurry! Move it!"
The shouts of commanding officers rang out everywhere as the thick, acrid smell of gunpowder began to permeate the air. For the first time in over twenty years, the Green Fruit Kingdom was facing a pirate invasion.
"What is the meaning of this? Why are the alarms sounding?!" King Hoben demanded from his throne inside the palace, his voice heavy and stern.
"According to the soldiers' reports, Sire, it's a pirate fleet attacking the port!" a man dressed in the uniform of a commanding general stepped forward, saluting crisply.
"What?!"
"Pirates are here?!"
The moment the general spoke, half the ministers in the court went pale. Worry flashed in their eyes as they immediately began whispering frantically among themselves.
"How many are there? Are you confident in our forces' ability to repel them?" Hoben pressed.
"Regarding that... please forgive me, Your Majesty. I am incompetent, but I fear we lack the strength to push them back. The attacking pirate fleet... they completely blot out the entire harbor!" The general smiled bitterly and dropped directly to his knees.
"What?!" Hoben's eyes blew wide open in sheer shock.
"Who is leading them, General Bils? Why are even you so uncertain of victory?!" Hoben stood up from his throne, rushing over to help the general to his feet. The surrounding ministers also stared in anxious curiosity.
"Does Your Majesty recall the man who captured a pirate worth 100 million Berries alive a year ago? Ronel Shiro," Bils sighed heavily as he stood up.
"You mean the one who achieved the unprecedented feat of being awarded a Marine Captain's Medal of Honor despite being a mere civilian?" Hoben asked, searching his memory.
"Yes. That's him," Bils nodded grimly.
"Are you saying... he brought this pirate fleet here?!" Hoben's eyes widened to their absolute limits. He grabbed Bils by the shoulders, screaming the question in pure disbelief.
"Yes," Bils nodded solemnly.
"Hiss..."
Hearing the confirmation directly from Bils, Hoben sucked in a sharp breath of cold air. His legs suddenly turned to jelly, and he collapsed hard onto the marble floor, his face awash with absolute horror.
No wonder so many Marine warships had showed up at the borders earlier... so that was why.
BOOM!
Suddenly, the deafening, terrifying roar of cannon fire erupted from the distant port. The blast echoed straight up to the clouds, ringing clearly through the halls of the Royal Palace.
"Your Majesty, given the current situation, the only way to save the Kingdom from total destruction is to appease the White Eagle's wrath."
"We must check on the woman the Prince captured. If she is unharmed, then perhaps we can... sigh!" Bils trailed off, unable to finish his sentence. He knew Hoben understood exactly what he meant.
"No! We still have the Marines! What are we so afraid of?! We have the Marines!" Hoben suddenly shrieked, as if remembering a lifeline, staring desperately at Bils.
"Sigh... Your Majesty, if we could count on the Marines, why would I be so pessimistic?"
"Ever since the attack began, all Marine communication lines have been completely dead. We can't reach the local branches, and we can't even get a signal through to Marine Headquarters!" Bils smiled bitterly, utterly severing Hoben's final thread of hope.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Four more cannon blasts thundered in rapid succession, shaking the very souls of everyone in the room.
"Your Majesty, you must decide on a course of action immediately. We absolutely cannot just sit here and wait for death!" Bils urged.
"The General is right, Your Majesty! You need to make a decision!" an elder statesman chimed in, bowing deeply.
"Yes, Your Majesty! Please!" The other ministers quickly echoed in agreement.
"Is there truly no other way...?" Hoben sat slumped on the floor, looking as though he had aged ten years in a matter of minutes. His face was masked in despair.
They weren't afraid of the Marines, but they were utterly terrified of pirates. And the most horrifying part of all was that they were actively being besieged by pirates, and the Marines were refusing to answer their calls.
Without the absolute backing of the Marines, very few allied nations could withstand a full-scale pirate invasion. After all, pirates were the dominant, most vicious power on the open sea; anyone who survived out there was bound to have serious combat skills. They were not an enemy that a standard kingdom's standing army of ordinary soldiers could repel.
The Port!
"Conquer the Green Fruit Kingdom!"
Shiro issued the attack order. The very next second, his body flickered like a phantom, vanishing completely from his spot.
When he reappeared, he was already standing directly behind the Kingdom's defensive army lines at the harbor.
"KILL!"
At Shiro's command, the pirates—who had been chomping at the bit for far too long—surged forward like rabid dogs let off their leashes. Their eyes gleamed with a predatory, emerald-green hunger that sent shivers down the spines of the defenders.
The Prince's Quarters.
"He's here! He's here!"
In stark contrast to Ricky's ghastly pale face, Aki was beaming with joy. She leaned against the balcony railing, crying tears of absolute happiness.
"Damn it... he actually came!"
Ricky had never expected Shiro to make good on his threat so quickly. He had no idea who Shiro was, but he wasn't blind—he could tell the man's strength was absolutely terrifying. If he had the power to make the infamous Arlong Pirates obey his every command, how weak could he possibly be?
"Just who the hell is he?!" Ricky roared viciously, grabbing Aki—who was still bound up like a dog—by the ropes.
"I'm just Aki. Nothing more," she replied. Knowing Shiro was finally here, all the fear had completely vanished from her heart. She knew he would find her.
"Damn you, I know you're Aki! I'm asking who he is!" Ricky yanked a handful of her hair, completely ignoring her pained expression as he pinched her delicate face, barking the question like a madman.
"Ronel Shiro. Have you truly never heard the name?" A mocking, sarcastic smile tugged at the corner of Aki's lips.
"Who is he?! Why can he command so many pirates to do his bidding?!" Ricky swore to the heavens he had never once heard of this Shiro, nor did he have a clue what the man represented.
"Then go find out yourself. I'm certain there's someone in this country who knows who he is!" Aki stared him down, her gaze refusing to yield an inch.
The Royal Palace.
"Our only viable plan now is to secure Aki before Ronel Shiro can find her. We must keep her firmly in our grasp to use as a hostage to negotiate terms with him," Hoben declared. "Otherwise, this Kingdom will absolutely be reduced to ash by the pirates he brought with him!"
Bils nodded slightly, breathing a quiet sigh of relief in his heart. Thank goodness their 'wise' King hadn't completely lost his ability to think under pressure.
He stepped forward. "Your Majesty is absolutely correct. Therefore, we cannot afford a single second of delay. You must dispatch someone capable to execute this task immediately!"
"Who would be best suited for this...?" Having received Bils' agreement, Hoben completely ignored the opinions of his other ministers, muttering nervously to himself.
"Your Majesty, there is no time left to hesitate. Let me go!" Seeing Hoben agonizing over the choice at a time like this, a flash of pure anxiety crossed Bils' face as he volunteered.
"Yes, yes, yes! In that case, please depart immediately, General! Here is my royal warrant—you absolutely must succeed!" Hoben finally snapped out of his daze, realizing they didn't have the luxury of time. Every single second was invaluable.
The Streets.
How could the Kingdom's standard royal guard possibly be a match for these vicious, blood-soaked pirates? The soldiers were forced into a constant retreat, their casualties mounting exponentially with every passing second.
"Gehahaha! Just give up! There's no way you can stop us!"
"Our mission is to utterly destroy the Green Fruit Kingdom! If we don't finish the job, that guy is going to be very unhappy. And if he's unhappy, we're the ones who are going to suffer! So, do us a favor and just die already!"
Arlong charged at the very front of the vanguard, wielding his massive Kiribachi (saw-tooth sword). He hacked through the royal guards like he was chopping vegetables; not a single soldier could withstand even one of his strikes. The sheer amount of blood splattered across his already hateful, terrifying Fish-Man features made him look like a demon out of nightmares.
Meanwhile, Buggy the Clown was carving open an entirely different path in another sector of the city, the deafening roar of cannon fire ringing out endlessly.
Thanks to his Bara Bara no Mi (Chop-Chop Fruit) powers, Buggy had absolutely nothing to fear from conventional bullets or swords; only heavy artillery gave him pause. But naturally, he wasn't about to give the guards a chance to fire their cannons at him. And besides, his own crew was no pushover, either!
In other sectors of the city, various large and small pirate crews swarmed through the streets in complete chaos. Yet, despite their lack of coordination, their objective was uniformly identical: slaughter, slaughter, slaughter. However, they strictly confined their killing to the Kingdom's armed forces. They didn't dare lay a single finger on the ordinary civilians. If they did, they knew Shiro would never let them leave this island alive.
"Tell me... where is the Prince's palace?"
Shiro abruptly materialized directly inside the Royal Palace, grabbing a random court official by the collar.
"Intruder! Who goes there?!"
The instant Shiro appeared, swarms of royal guards poured in from all directions, encircling him tightly in a matter of seconds.
"I said... tell me, where is the Prince's palace?" Shiro completely ignored the guards, repeating his question to the terrified official with a completely indifferent expression.
"I-It's... over there!"
The captured minister was scared out of his wits. His face was deathly pale as he pointed a violently trembling finger toward a towering architectural structure in the east.
"Excellent."
Having obtained the answer he wanted, Shiro casually knocked the minister unconscious with a single palm strike. A chilling, bloodthirsty smile crept onto his face.
Suddenly, a sharp, pungent stench of urine permeated the air, causing the surrounding guards to instinctively cover their noses. A pool of warm, yellow liquid began to slowly spread out from beneath the unconscious minister's robes.
He had literally been scared into wetting himself.