Chapter 31: The Nasdaq-Style Madness
The next day, Rear Admiral Drees completed his handover with the incoming officer and set sail from Marine Headquarters, leading a fleet of three warships toward the first half of the Grand Line.
Their destination was Marine Branch G6, located to the left of the Kingdom of Alabasta. Reports said that one of the allied nations there was under attack by a rebel force led by pirates. Absurd as it sounded, that was exactly how it was written in the official reports.
And it wasn't an isolated incident—across the Four Seas and within many allied nations, similar uprisings were breaking out. Though the reasons varied, the culprits were always pirates, many of whom possessed Haki and had risen to power by commanding these rebellious mobs.
It seemed as though someone was orchestrating it all from behind the scenes. Even in the criminal underworld, bounties were being placed on the heads of kings.
Pressure on the Marines was mounting daily. The number of kings flooding the Fleet Admiral's den den mushi line with desperate calls could form a queue. Vice admirals overseeing regional branches were practically wishing they could clone themselves just to stand guard at each allied nation's gates, waiting for pirates to come die.
Unfortunately, that wasn't realistic. And so, it was time for rear admirals and commodores to take the lead.
The Navy had eight major "G" fortresses strategically located throughout the first half of the Grand Line. G1 faced Marineford across the sea and was the only base stationed at the New World's doorstep. It was also the only one guarded by multiple vice admirals—a "Second Marine Headquarters" of sorts.
G1 dealt with the most dangerous pirates in the New World, facing a level of threat that far surpassed anything in the first half.
G2 stood behind Sabaody Archipelago, G3 further behind that, and so on. The farthest out was near Alabasta, where three marine fortresses stood side by side—forming the first major barrier against Four Seas pirates entering the Grand Line. No matter which route they took, it was hard to avoid.
---
A few days later — Glass Island, Kingdom of Glass.
This nation was named for its abundant glass production. The king possessed a rare technique that allowed them to produce durable, crystal-clear glass, once highly prized across the seas.
Ironically, the quality of their goods led to their downfall. In recent years, plummeting sales had driven the king to exploit the lower classes, just to gather enough heavenly tribute to remain part of the World Government's allied nations.
In the Grand Line, lacking allied nation status meant being cut off from support. Pirates here were far stronger than in the Four Seas, and ordinary firearms posed little threat. Only powerful Marines could confront them.
But to request Marine assistance, nations had to pay heavenly tribute—no tribute, no backup.
Now, a fresh assault erupted on Glass Island. The once-mighty inner city walls were in tatters, barely able to withstand another attack.
"Jieh-hieh! Boys, CHARGE! Once we take this kingdom, the nobles' hidden stash of booze and meat is all ours! That's your hard-earned coin they stole—time to take it back!"
"Kill 'em! Down with those greedy nobles and their fat king!"
"Why does that damned king get to feast in his palace while we eat dry, moldy bread like beggars?!"
"And what about those nobles?! Ten years ago, white bread was 100 Beli a loaf—now it's 10,000! Think we're suckers? Die, all of you!"
From a high tower, the pirate captain watched his men whip the commoners into a full-blown revolt. He was giddy with pride.
He had to be the most successful low-born pirate ever—he'd led a rebellion against an allied nation and helped these people overthrow their own monarchy. That alone was enough for a lifetime of bragging rights.
Even the great Golden Lion Shiki would be impressed, right? Who knew one of his subordinates could pull off something this wild?
"Captain, you're brilliant! Took the whole kingdom without losing a single man. Boss Shiki's gonna be so proud—First Mate promotion incoming for sure!"
"Ah, it's all thanks to Boss's guidance," the captain chuckled humbly, hands behind his back as he struck a majestic pose.
It really was all thanks to the allied nation system. To pay tribute, they'd driven prices sky-high. One passionate tavern speech was all it took to rally the entire populace.
Even the pretty girls were volunteering to follow him—no repeats in the past two weeks! Every night was bliss—and all of it given willingly.
BANG! BANG!
Two thunderous gunshots rang out.
The pirate captain spun around, startled. Shouts and screams came from the rear.
Through the haze, he spotted a lone Marine kid wielding what looked like a... double-barreled cannon?
What the hell was that thing?
More importantly—how had the Navy snuck up behind him?! And alone?! Who gave this kid the guts?!
"Get him! That must mean a whole unit's right behind him! Clean up and fall back—we'll ambush the Marines on the other side of the coast!"
The pirate captain kept calm, ignoring the lone soldier. He was more interested in trapping the reinforcements—and maybe scoring some top-tier weapons for resale. That could net millions!
But while the pirate was scheming, Roel had already gone full berserker.
Cradling a massive combat shotgun, he led thirty elite Marines in a covert beach landing, heading straight for the enemy's stronghold.
He infiltrated solo, slipping past sentry posts to begin the assault. The rest of the vanguard held back, waiting for the signal to flood in and gather full intel—so the main force could crush this scum from the New World in one swift blow.
BANG! BANG!
Twin blasts. Hundreds of pellets tore through a wide arc, instantly mowing down rows of fodder soldiers—turning them into unwilling shields for those behind.
But that much firepower came with a cost: reload time.
Now hidden inside a low house in the outer city, Roel frantically reloaded, a short blade at his hip, eyes gleaming with madness.
Three meters ahead—stacked crates of explosives. If they went up, he'd be reduced to ashes in ten seconds. No chance of escape.
And yet... that's exactly what he wanted to gift his enemies.
"Come on... more of you... I want a full party. Don't let me down, you bastards... hehehe…"
His gravelly laugh echoed in the shadows. His hands never stopped moving.
Outside, pirates approached cautiously, terrified of the Marine with a shotgun that felt more like artillery.
The more fear they showed, the more they bunched up—and the more of them died.
Roel didn't care if he died in the blast. He knew Ross was watching over him. That alone gave him all the courage he needed.
"Heheheheh... just a few more… just a few more…"