Under the cover of night, bonfires illuminated the ruined town and port. A few damaged ships still burned in the bay, their flames casting an eerie glow on the dark sea. Four massive warships were beached on the port's land, with many Marines bustling about, continuously dismantling cannons from the ships.
However, none of this concerned Cross, as he had already mounted the giant silver eagle, soaring high into the wind-swept sky, from where he could only look down upon the scene below.
"I'm truly destined to be busy! You all get to eat meat and sing songs, while I have to complete a mission. I hope there's some good food in the Bion Kingdom's palace!" Cross sat cross-legged on the giant silver eagle's back, gazing at Oneway Port, which was gradually shrinking below him in the vast night sky. His expression was a mix of helplessness and annoyance.
Screech—
The giant silver eagle shrieked upwards, its wings beating faster, stirring up chaotic air currents. It shot forward like an arrow, swiftly leaving Oneway Port behind and flying deeper into Shiloh Island.
Shiloh Island was one of the few large islands in the New World.
However, it was surrounded by mountains on all sides, with overlapping mountain ranges internally and few flat plains. It was easy to defend and difficult to attack, hence rarely disturbed by external enemies.
Whether before the Great Pirate Era or after its beginning, many pirate crews had set their sights on the Bion Kingdom, hoping to claim the island as their territory. Yet, they all failed, at most plundering the port city before reluctantly departing, never even breaching the fortress at the other end of the Oneway Canyon.
Cross observed that the fortress was built entirely from sturdy bluestone, making it not only exceptionally robust but also extremely complex in its internal structure.
The four towering turrets on its sides had molten iron poured over their walls, which cooled to form iron towers, making them almost indestructible. Combined with the fierce firepower of heavy cannons, it was exceedingly difficult to breach from the outside.
Yet, the Roberts Legion's attack had almost completely destroyed the entire fortress. He wondered how those pirates had managed it.
Cross didn't ponder for too long, soon captivated by the scenery of Shiloh Island under the moonlight.
The moon was more than half visible tonight, casting ample moonlight upon this island of overlapping mountains and lush greenery—a beautiful sight impossible to witness on the boundless open sea.
Suddenly, he saw an elliptical inland lake. Illuminated by the silvery-white moonlight, it resembled a beautiful gem. When a gentle breeze swept across, the lake's surface rippled in layers, shimmering with sparkling light.
"It's all my fault for not studying well in school. Such a beautiful scene, and I can't think of anything good to say!" Cross sighed, holding it in for a while. No poem came out, but expletives tumbled from his mouth. He hadn't been well-versed in ancient poetry, but he was certainly steeped in the "trash-talk culture".
And so, under the bright moonlight, a young Marine riding a giant silver eagle soared through the vast sky, traversing over a dozen mountains of various sizes. Finally, he discovered a majestic mountain, nearly a thousand meters tall, standing before him.
In a world where islands served as landmasses, mountains several thousand meters high were impossible, and even those over a thousand meters were extremely rare. He hadn't expected Shiloh Island to have one.
"We're here! The Holy Mountain of the Bion Kingdom, Holy Mountain Gangoma!" Cross's expression changed. His serious gaze fell upon the towering, giant cone-shaped mountain and the magnificent city built around it:
Doma City!
The capital of the Bion Kingdom, named after its first king, Doma I.
Within this city, the higher a person's status, the higher their residence. At the foot of Doma City lay the impoverished commoners' district. The middle levels of the mountain housed the wealthy merchants, the upper levels the noble aristocrats, and the castle at the very top was the location of the royal palace, home to the ruling family of this country—the Doma family.
The entire Bion Kingdom had approximately one million people, most of whom were concentrated in Doma City and nearby villages. It could be said that this was the wealthiest place aside from Oneway Port.
Of course, if it weren't for the frequent pirate raids on Oneway Port after the Great Pirate Era began, a large number of nobles and merchants would surely have built cities on the plains behind Oneway Port.
Boom, boom, boom...
Boom, boom, boom...
"Kill!"
"Stop these pirates!"
"Fire the cannons! Quick, fire!"
"Monsters ahhh—"
"..."
However, a series of thunderous cannon roars and the shouts of thousands battling made Cross, who had traveled a long distance, realize that the Roberts Legion was actually attacking Doma City.
He wasn't sure if the Roberts Legion had been fighting from day to night or if they were launching a night raid, but it was clear that the battle was still ongoing late into the night.
It seemed the sudden arrival of the Marines had made the Roberts Legion anxious, so they were desperately biting at Doma City.
Since they were now caught between two enemies, it made sense to concentrate their forces to deal with one side first, then engage the other, to avoid the perilous situation of a two-front war where forces couldn't be concentrated.
If Cross were in a high-ranking position within the Roberts Legion, his thoughts would be the same.
The Oneway Port had undergone two battles, with the town and port largely destroyed, causing the Marine landing to be slow and unable to immediately attack the Roberts Legion. So, by creating a time difference, the Roberts Legion might not necessarily lose.
Cross rode the giant silver eagle, looking down at the battle from the sky. He saw that Doma City and the several fortified mountains nearby were all engulfed in the flames of war.
From the lush forests at the foot of the mountain, pirates from the Roberts Legion continuously emerged, laboriously carrying cannons and gunpowder rounds, and ferociously attacked Doma City and its garrisoned fortresses.
Due to the terrain, Cross could see that the Roberts Legion's attacking forces were very dispersed, but there was nothing that could be done about that.
However, both sides were fighting fiercely. Although the Bion Kingdom's army was no match for the ferocious pirates, they fought with their lives to protect their homeland. Coupled with the terrain, this made the Roberts Legion's advance incredibly difficult.
Cross observed and gradually discovered something interesting.
The Roberts Legion's deployments and objectives for each attack were very precise. Some specifically besieged the garrisoned fortresses on the surrounding mountains, some cut off Doma City's communication channels with the outside world, and some attacked Doma City's gates...
Their seemingly dispersed forces were actually hitting crucial points. It was as if the Roberts Legion knew Doma City's troop deployments and defensive situation, thus employing precise strikes.
Logically, as it was the Roberts Legion's first time on Shiloh Island, facing complex mountainous terrain and forests, even if they had captured locals to guide them, they shouldn't have such clear knowledge!
Rumble rumble—
Suddenly, the air churned, and strong winds raged.
A massive tornado formed between the mountain ranges, moving forward like a giant, rotating dragon.
The intense storm blew sand and stones through the air, as if the end of the world had arrived.
Many trees were snapped by the terrifying storm.
Yet, in the path of this tornado, a bluestone fortress built on a small hill, whose sturdy defenses could normally withstand ordinary cannon fire, was effortlessly destroyed by the cataclysmic tornado.
In the face of a natural disaster, everything else was powerless!
Seeing this, Cross, who had been sitting on the giant silver eagle's back, suddenly stood up and exclaimed, "Whoa, whoa, whoa!"
"This tornado formed too quickly and too suddenly; it's not a naturally occurring tornado at all!"
"It must be a Devil Fruit user! A Devil Fruit user in the Roberts Legion!"
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