Boom!
Crimson cannon fire blazed relentlessly. Amidst anguished cries, the vast expanse of the nation was engulfed in the flames of war. The fiery glow reflected upon the colossal snail-shaped castle docked just offshore. An endless stream of cold-faced soldiers, armed with long spears, poured forth from the castle, rushing towards the embattled island nation. They themselves were soldiers of a nation, the notorious war syndicate known as Germa 66—a group that lived for conflict, hired by countries across the globe to wage war, earning their keep through blood-soaked commissions.
Deep within the castle's innermost sanctum, Vinsmoke Judge, the master of Germa 66, sat enthroned upon a high chair. His frigid expression betrayed no emotion, his eyes like two razor-sharp blades, boring into the man forced to kneel on the ground before him, restrained by two soldiers.
The man's head was bowed low, his once-white robes now utterly disheveled, spattered with blood and crisscrossed with lacerations—clear evidence of severe torture.
"Well… I've told you already, I haven't researched any machine guns. Why… why won't you believe me?" the man suddenly lifted his head, his gaze meeting the imposing figure on the high chair. His tone was tinged with a weary resignation, yet his eyes shone with a light of "sincerity," as if pleading, Believe me.
The castle chamber was deathly quiet. Vinsmoke Judge, seated on his throne, remained expressionless, his gaze fixed intently on Jesse. After a long moment, he twitched the two distinctive, golden whiskers flanking his mouth and spoke in a chilling tone, "I can give you one more chance. You've spent time in Germa 66; you should be well aware of the limits of my patience. So… do not test it further! As for…"
"Harboring any delusions about that Warlord Wilder coming to rescue you, I strongly advise you to dispel such thoughts immediately. No matter how you look at it… the Warlords of the Sea are merely attack dogs propped up by the World Government, are they not? There are plenty of individuals like that! You can't possibly be naive enough to believe a Warlord truly possesses that much power, can you?!" For the first time, a cold sneer flickered across Vinsmoke Judge's face. His words were laced with a persuasive, almost bewitching quality: "Instead of remaining the attack dog of an attack dog, as a scientist, you can receive far more respect and importance here with me. Wouldn't that be a better prospect?"
"Speak up, or hand over the machine gun blueprints for your future colleagues to study. It will be no loss to you. If… you harbor some sentimental attachment to your past, then rest assured, this matter will absolutely not cause any repercussions for Warlord Wilder."
"Enough…" Jesse's gaze suddenly sharpened, becoming firm and resolute. He forcefully cut off Vinsmoke Judge's words. "I think you've misunderstood a few things…"
"Hmm?" Vinsmoke Judge's eyebrows shot up. A grim and cold killing intent erupted from him, and an icy aura enveloped his entire being. His face darkened ominously.
Jesse, however, remained unfazed. He continued, speaking his mind, "From beginning to end… the initiative was never in your hands! I, Jesse! Stupid as I may be… I still possess that much sense and a working brain."
The words had barely left his lips when one of the soldiers behind him delivered a vicious punch to his back!
"Waah!" Jesse's eyes bulged from the sudden, brutal impact, and he couldn't stop himself from coughing up a mouthful of blood. His breathing became ragged and erratic.
Vinsmoke Judge, on his high chair, had strangely regained his composed expression. However, a keen observer would notice a vein subtly throbbing at his temple, a tell-tale sign of the furious anger simmering beneath the surface.
"Cough, cough!" Jesse coughed a few more times, revealing a set of bloodstained teeth, yet a defiant smile played on his lips. Since being captured and brought here, he had endured such treatment numerous times. By now, he found that he wasn't quite as terrified as before. It wasn't that he no longer feared pain, but rather… the shadow Wilder had cast over him was far more profound. He couldn't be certain… if he were to reveal everything, whether Wilder would grant him the mercy of a quick death.
He… he hadn't lived nearly enough yet.
Besides, compared to the stifling work environment here, he much preferred the freedom to let his imagination run wild with inventions within the Black Serpent organization.
"Take him away," Vinsmoke Judge commanded, not pressing the interrogation further. He knew that gradual persistence and unwavering resolve were the keys to eventual success. Torture was no different. No one… could endure daily torment indefinitely. Over time, even the strongest will would inevitably begin to erode.
Jesse was led away. As he passed through a dark, gloomy corridor, he turned his head slightly, his gaze falling upon a nearby cell. There… Korosar lay motionless on the cold, hard floor, barely clinging to life. His treatment had been far worse. The injuries covering his body were countless times more severe than Jesse's, his face swollen to the point of being unrecognizable.
"Germa 66!" Jesse's face contorted into a ferocious snarl. He gritted his teeth and averted his gaze. He had never held any fondness for this place.
Ultimately, Jesse was locked in a cell a few doors down from Korosar. As the heavy iron door clanged shut with a deafening thud, everything was plunged into darkness.
"The battle is nearing its conclusion," Vinsmoke Judge stated calmly, his gaze fixed on the island, now a canvas of firelight and ceaseless cannonades. Interrogating Jesse was a daily ritual, and today's session was complete. "As per our agreement, once the remaining commission is collected tonight, we can depart. After we've cleaned up the battlefield tonight and rested, we shall set off."
"Yes, sir."
As twilight deepened, a semblance of calm gradually descended upon the island. The colossal snail castle, in accordance with its routine, began to move away from the island's shore, coming to rest a moderate distance out at sea. This was their standard procedure: as night fell, they would relocate the mobile fortress away from the island, only to return to the coast at sunrise to rejoin the battle. This practice helped them avoid many unnecessary complications.
Tonight was no different. Within the castle, most of its inhabitants had already retired for the night. Only the artificial human soldiers and a contingent of "ordinary human" soldiers remained at their posts, either standing guard or conducting patrols. Generally, the artificial humans were assigned patrol duties, as they were less susceptible to fatigue, while the "ordinary humans" manned fixed positions, primarily responsible for monitoring the surrounding sea.
Soldier #1012 was on duty tonight, assigned to one of the northern guard posts. The post was situated on a stone buttress of the castle wall. Two other soldiers accompanied him, their task to monitor the expanse of sea flanking the long side of the castle.
"The fog is a bit thick tonight, eh," remarked Soldier #1012, who happened to be an ordinary human. It was a common failing of ordinary humans to grow complacent during long, repetitive tasks, but a compensating advantage was their ability to pass the time with conversation.
"Yeah, it is. Can barely see much beyond five hundred meters," the soldier beside him chimed in, seemingly taking a perverse pride in his status as an ordinary human.
"I wonder if one day my fart will be powerful enough to blow away such a thick fog," the third soldier mused, seemingly harboring a deep, ancestral grudge against fog. He was busy picking his teeth as he spoke, casually examining the dislodged particle before wiping it clean on the castle wall.
"Heh… you're dreaming. If your fart ever possessed such power, the first thing you'd feel wouldn't be glory, but a profound sense of inferiority," the first soldier retorted. "And… could you please not do such disgusting things every single time you're on duty with me?"
"Sorry, force of habit," the third soldier replied. He then proceeded to dislodge another particle from his teeth, glanced at it, realized it was a piece of meat, and promptly popped it back into his mouth.
"Ugh!" A chorus of dry heaves immediately erupted from his companions.
"Damn it!"
Their banter was abruptly cut short. All three of them froze, as if sensing something, their gazes simultaneously snapping towards the distant sea fog.
"What's that?" Soldier #1012 raised his binoculars.
A colossal shadow had materialized within the waters, its form indistinct and wavering as it distorted the swirling mist. All they could discern was a vast, hazy expanse.
"It must be a ship," was their immediate, collective thought. At sea, ships were the most common sight.
"But at this hour… and, from the looks of it, it's heading this way…" Soldier #1012's expression grew slightly grave. He was the senior man on duty for their shift, meaning he bore the primary responsibility for the three of them. Every development had to be treated with utmost caution.
"Let's observe a bit longer. The fog is interfering with our judgment; their actual course might not even be towards us." Such occurrences were not unheard of at sea. Oftentimes, strange weather conditions could conjure even stranger, more deceptive apparitions. Even perceived direction could sometimes be unreliable.
"Regardless, stay alert," #1012 reiterated, still feeling a lingering unease.
"Mm."
"Whoosh!"
Just then, a wind picked up over the sea. Indeed, their current position was just outside the Calm Belt. The arrival of wind meant the fog would soon begin to disperse.
The three soldiers stared, their eyes wide, as the dense fog was slowly pushed aside by an approaching behemoth, gradually revealing its true form. By now, the distance between them was less than three hundred meters.
It was only then that they finally got a clear view of the massive shadow lurking behind the dissipating fog.
A hull of black and red, immense and ferocious. From its mast, a black serpent flag, emblazoned with its fierce insignia, snapped and billowed in the wind.
"That's…" Soldier #1012's face paled. The other two, at this point, also spotted a procession of ten more ships, similarly colored in black and red, emerging in formation behind the giant warship.
"Quick, sound the alarm!" #1012 immediately spun around, roaring at the man beside him, his face slick with nervous sweat.
But as his words left his lips, he heard a series of strange pfft pfft pfft sounds nearby. He whirled back, his pupils slowly dilating to their absolute limit! Then, turning again, his expression contorted into one of desperate, hysterical urgency, he screamed without a moment's hesitation,
"Run!"
"BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!" His voice was instantly swallowed by a series of sharp, protracted whistling sounds tearing through the air, immediately followed by the deafening roar of explosions and the concussive force of detonating gunpowder!
"BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!"
An even greater barrage of cannonballs rained down from the distant ships, smashing into the snail castle! The three soldiers—no! Countless other soldiers in various locations across the fortress were annihilated in the fiery onslaught!
The surprise attack had come without any warning, without any semblance of reason. Or perhaps, from the very beginning, the cannonballs themselves were the only reason they had prepared!
The castle erupted into utter chaos. Innumerable individuals were violently jolted from their sleep! The soldiers stationed on the castle ramparts began to mount a desperate counterattack!
"Quick, quick, quick!"
Puff, puff, puff! Cannon ports along the castle walls were thrown open, and a hail of cannonballs, trailing plumes of smoke, arced towards the approaching fleet!
However, the distance was still too great. The shells plunged into the sea a good fifty meters short of their intended targets.
"Damn it! How is the range of their cannons so far?!" Fear began to creep into the soldiers' faces. Not every soldier was an emotionless artificial human; they too feared death in the face of such a devastating assault!
Fires began to blaze all over the castle. The enemy cannonballs not only possessed superior range and devastating power, but the fires they ignited also spread with terrifying rapidity. Many soldiers, engulfed in flames, fell screaming. Others, perhaps, had lost consciousness and life from the very first terrifying shockwaves of the explosions.
Vinsmoke Judge was violently awakened!
Gradually, some of the defenders managed to get a clearer view of the figures standing on the deck of the foremost, colossal black and red warship. At their head stood a tall man, his posture proud and erect, his expression unreadable, as if the unfolding chaos around them was of no concern to him.
Behind him stood a group of figures, each with a uniquely savage, beast-like demeanor, cruel smiles plastered on their faces. They watched as the cannonballs slammed into the castle, each impact extinguishing numerous lives, as if such a spectacle brought them immense, perverse pleasure.
"That's…" The soldiers who managed to get a clear look felt their expressions contort in horror, their pupils contracting. "The Warlord of the Sea, Lucifer Wilder!!"
"And that one… that's 'Fierce Husband'—Vice!"
"'Suffocator'—Yves!"
"'Tearer'—Sherilmo!"
"'White Ronin'—Bica!"
"'Polar Bear'—Bacon!"
"'Jumping Twin Guns'—Franpetar!"
"'Thousand Faces Assassin'—Eigg!"
"Every single one of them… is a heinous criminal with a bounty exceeding one hundred million Beli!" With each name uttered, the speaker's face grew paler, his voice finally cracking into a trembling shout.
"Why?! Why would such a group of individuals appear here, and why would they launch an attack on us?!"
Most of the soldiers were completely unaware of the history between Wilder and Germa 66. Their terror was mingled with a profound sense of bewildered indignation.
The enemy fleet drew closer. And now, the castle's cannons were finally within effective range. A new round of counterattack began.
"All hands, attention!" Vice, as the commander of the Battle Units, bellowed, his voice ringing out!
"Aye!" The crew's response was a single, unified roar that cut through the din of battle!
"Shoot down the enemy cannonballs!"
"OOOH!"
"Boom! Boom! Boom!" Soon, the dense barrage of cannonballs arcing from the castle was being systematically shot down by the crew using a variety of methods. Every crew member participating in this operation was an elite. Unfazed by the scale of the enemy's cannon fire, they quickly formed up, led by the executive-level members, and began to pick off the incoming shells one by one.
The fleet continued its relentless advance. Soon, they were within twenty meters. Both sides tacitly ceased their cannon bombardment, switching instead to firearms and crossbows!
The sound of dense, orderly footsteps echoed across the castle. The soldiers desperately defending the walls couldn't help but look. An army composed entirely of artificial humans was marching in perfect formation from within the castle. At their head, his face a mask of ugly fury, was Vinsmoke Judge!
The attack inexplicably paused. Judge stood firm on the castle wall, his gaze, so sharp it had become a chilling calm, fixed directly on the figures aboard the Black-Red Warship. Simultaneously, those on the warship returned his stare.
"Prepare to land," Wilder stated, his expression unreadable, his voice calm yet carrying an undeniable weight. Though not loud, his words carried clearly to the snail castle. Hearing them, Vinsmoke Judge's face finally lost its composure! Fury blazed across his features, and blood vessels began to spread like a crimson web across his eyes!
"Wil… der…!" The sound was a guttural snarl, each syllable dripping with his unbridled rage and murderous intent!
However, in the next instant—
His black cloak billowed dramatically in the wind. Wilder's body, moving like a phantom, a gentle breeze, appeared without any warning upon the castle wall. His feet landed softly on the walkway, his calm, indifferent gaze settling upon Vinsmoke Judge. Words, flat and utterly non-negotiable, issued from his lips.
"Vinsmoke has only two choices today: compromise, or… annihilation."
Behind him… stood a menacing assembly of notoriously fierce madmen, their intentions undeniably hostile!