Someone carved a wooden urinal in the shape of Kaido's head. Others visited a human doll shop and customized several silicone dolls resembling Big Mom in different poses.
According to the shop owner, demand for Big Mom-sized dolls has surged, with dozens sold daily.
Lynch couldn't help but laugh. These are truly warriors of my great West Blue—even charging against Big Mom herself!
Meanwhile, Robin's beautiful face was clouded with concern. "Among civilians, fear and panic are inevitable. Lately, people have been stockpiling food and staying indoors."
She had done her best to spread positivity, but she couldn't change human nature.
Lynch reassured her, "Humans are neither gods nor ghosts. It's natural to feel fear in the face of a powerful enemy."
"Let them stay home. Once the war is over, everything will return to normal."
In truth, the civilians were handling the situation well. There were no riots, no looting—proof that they still believed in West Blue. Fear was just a natural instinct.
Lynch had seen far worse during his time as a Marine. He had witnessed nations collapse before the enemy had even arrived—citizens turning on each other, fighting over supplies, tearing apart their own country in desperation.
When people believe they are doomed, they become unhinged. The things they secretly longed to do but never dared, the grudges they carried, the darkest parts of human nature—all of it comes rushing to the surface.
In the face of death, morality becomes an afterthought.
Robbery, murder, unspeakable crimes...
The entire kingdom had turned into a land of chaos. Before the enemy even arrived, the nation was already destroying itself, consumed by the darkness within human nature.
Humans are strange creatures. No wonder Aokiji, even in his old age, still wrestles with doubt.
Lynch had once pondered deeply about what it meant to be human.
Then he figured it out—Screw it! Instead of exhausting myself like Aokiji, I'd rather embrace the madness alone.
"Robin, keep an eye on West Blue's market prices. Anyone trying to profit off this crisis—kill them without mercy."
"Understood, my husband." Robin calmly made two notes in the small notebook she always carried, committing his words to memory.
...
After a brief exchange with Robin, everyone quickly returned to the palace.
Lynch ascended the throne, gazing down at the gathered officials on both sides. After a moment of thought, he spoke:
"Gion-nee, Yakushi Kabuto, Robin, Shikamaru, Reiju."
"Your subordinate is here!"
Yakushi Kabuto and Shikamaru stepped forward and knelt on one knee. As for Gion and Robin, they simply strode out confidently, lifting their chins in acknowledgment. A joke. Even if they were willing to kneel, would Lynch ever allow it?
"Each of you, draft a plan for this war and submit it to me."
"There's no rush. Take your time, consider all angles, and deliver it within half a month."
Lynch had always believed that professional matters should be handled by professionals.
Though he was the King of West Blue, he had spent far less time here than Robin and the others. In truth, he was a hands-off ruler—Robin and Shikamaru were the ones managing daily affairs.
They understood West Blue far better than he did. Entrusting them with the battle strategy against Kaido and Big Mom put Lynch at ease.
Of course, he wouldn't rely on them entirely. He would also write down his own insights on the war, then combine the best ideas from all the plans—discarding the rest.
Lynch already had a tactic in mind: using the Red Line as a natural barrier to block Kaido and Big Mom's million-strong coalition at Reverse Mountain, preventing them from entering West Blue.
A defensive battle had clear advantages over an offensive one. Just crossing Reverse Mountain from the Grand Line into West Blue would cost the pirate alliance countless lives.
As for other strategies—whether to counterattack, set ambushes, or allocate forces—Lynch hadn't made a final decision yet.
With millions fighting on both sides, it was impossible for him to account for every detail alone. His goal was to work with his team and finalize the full strategy within a month.
"Yes, sir!"
Shikamaru and the others withdrew, and Lynch turned to his next set of orders.
"Mark, during the war, you'll command the First Marine Corps."
"Long live the boss!" Mark, now a Hurricane Fruit user, accepted the role with excitement.
Despite his playful nature, Mark had led the SWORD division for years under Lynch's guidance. His command abilities were solid—he had gone from a nobody to a formidable leader.
"Tsunade. You'll be the commander-in-chief of the Second Marine Corps."
"Got it. Leave it to me!"
Tsunade confidently patted her proud chest and promised, the waves suddenly surged, it was so spectacular!
Before Lynch summoned her, Tsunade had been immersed in war since childhood—first as a soldier, then as a commander. She possessed a natural talent for leading battles.
West Blue currently had a combined force of 1.1 million: 800,000 Marines and 300,000 Army troops.
Each corps consisted of 100,000 soldiers, forming eight Marine corps and three Army corps.
The Army would not engage in direct combat but would stay behind to protect civilians.
Not all Marines could be deployed at once—two corps had to remain in West Blue's waters to guard against surprise attacks from other enemies.
After all, Reverse Mountain wasn't the only way into West Blue. There was also the Calm Belt from North Blue and secret passages controlled by the World Government.
That left Lynch with the task of appointing commanders for six Marine corps.
Lynch had a sharp instinct for military command.
From a Marine foot soldier to an Admiral, and now the ruler of West Blue, he had accumulated years of battlefield experience. He could coordinate millions of troops at once, but even his abilities had limits.
At best, he could control the grand strategy of a million-strong army, but commanding every detail alone? That was beyond even him.
Lynch focused on overseeing the grand strategy and commanding officers, leaving the direct management of soldiers to his appointed commanders. He did not micromanage troops on the battlefield.
If he were to personally lead and command a legion, he estimated he could handle up to 160,000 troops with precision and efficiency. Beyond that, coordination and accuracy would suffer.
That's why each corps needed its own general commander during the war.
With talented leaders like Tsunade, supported by several deputy commanders and hundreds of officers, managing 100,000 troops per corps would not be an issue.
War was far more complex than most could imagine.
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TO BE CONTINUED
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