Broccoli Island, Kris Kingdom.
This was a residential area, surrounded by low-slung, one-story houses. They were a mix of brick and tile, and some corners of the roofs were even broken, bearing only the marks of simple repairs.
Clearly, the common people of this country were very poor.
The sky was gloomy, and a drizzling rain had begun to fall. The streets were quiet, empty of any people. There were only closed doors and the constant patter of the rain.
Everywhere... there was an eerie silence.
Looking closely, the muddy roadside still held the faint traces of bloodstains, washed clean by the rain. The stench of blood, mixed with the fresh scent of the earth, permeated the entire street.
Not far away, in a dark alley, the two adjacent houses seemed to be in better condition. Their extended eaves pressed tightly together, leaving no gaps for any light to enter. The pitch-black darkness meant few people ever set foot here.
At this moment, in the deepest part of the alley, a small boy was curled up tightly in the corner. His features were hidden, but one could vaguely make out two large, tear-filled eyes.
"Father... Mother..."
The boy mumbled incoherently, as if unconsciously numbing his own mind and body.
His name was Lionel Andrew. Just a few days ago, he was the most distinguished person in this kingdom. His father was the king who ruled this nation; he had a gentle and kind mother and a lively, adorable younger sister. He was enveloped in immense happiness almost every day.
However, all of this was destroyed a few days ago by the arrival of that man—the man who called himself the "Corrupt King." With just his own strength, he defeated the kingdom's guards, occupied the country, killed his family, and brazenly led his pirates to declare their rule over the Kris Kingdom.
The Kris Kingdom had not been established for long; the boy's father was only the second-generation king. It was neither a member nation of the World Government nor did it belong to any of the three Emperors of the Sea. Its ability to exist safely for so long was purely due to luck. This time, however, Lady Luck did not seem to be smiling on this country.
Andrew had only survived because his mother had hidden him in advance. But in doing so, he had also witnessed everything that pirate had done to this country.
Cruel, tyrannical... no word was sufficient to describe that man's atrocities.
It was as if killing was the pirates' only form of entertainment. This country was suffering an unprecedented catastrophe!
That's right!
Suddenly, Andrew, who was still silently licking his wounds, thought of something. He fumbled in his clothes and carefully pulled out a Den Den Mushi.
His mother had given this to him before she died, telling him it was the only way to save this country from its crisis.
He nervously dialed the number from his memory. Andrew's reddened eyes stared at this final straw of hope.
Soon, a deep voice sounded—to the despairing Andrew, it was like the voice of an angel.
"Hello, this is Marineford."
...
"What? Another mission? Are you kidding me? I just got done fighting that guy Kaido!"
The roar of Atlas echoed from the commander's office at the G-5 base.
He had only just taken over the G-5 base. There was a huge pile of things and documents he hadn't even processed yet, and that old man Sengoku was already trying to send him out again.
"I can't help it either. The sole heir of the Kris Kingdom personally called Marine Headquarters. The World Government is also paying close attention to this matter."
Sengoku gave a bitter laugh. He knew full well that Atlas had just finished a major battle and needed rest, but the situation was too urgent. High-ranking officials from the World Government had personally called to inquire about it.
"What about that guy Aokiji? He should be at his base, right? Logically, Broccoli Island is closer to his base, isn't it?"
"That guy Kuzan..."
At the mention of Aokiji, Sengoku gritted his teeth. "He took a leave of absence and rode his bicycle off to who-knows-where!"
Well, then!
Atlas understood. That guy Aokiji had probably snuck off to see Robin again. What a perverted lolicon...
Atlas sighed, looking at the ceiling.
This generation of Marines was really hard to manage!
"Also, Sakazuki is out on a mission and not at his base."
As if afraid Atlas would find another excuse, Sengoku cut off all his escape routes.
"..."
"What's the situation? Tell me."
Helpless, Atlas had no choice but to accept. Garp was out of the question. The G-3 base was far away, and with Garp's personality, he would shirk it if he could.
"Avalo Pizarro. A pirate from the North Blue. I'll fax you the detailed intel later. This guy has a bounty of 800 million berries. He's been in the New World for a long time but hasn't shown his face much."
"A while ago, he and some pirates occupied the Kris Kingdom on Broccoli Island and carried out a massacre. The royal family didn't escape, but the sole heir of the Kris Kingdom survived by a stroke of luck."
"This little guy called the Marines, requesting that the Kris Kingdom join the World Government as a member nation in exchange for Marine protection to drive Pizarro out."
Atlas's brow twitched. "They're joining just like that? When did those guys in the World Government become so easy to talk to?"
"Actually, the Kris Kingdom had applied to become a member nation a long time ago. After all, in the New World, there are no other options for survival. But some of the specific conditions hadn't been agreed upon, so it's been dragged out until now. Those guys probably extorted a hefty sum from that poor little kid. Otherwise, it wouldn't have been so easy."
"Fine, I'll take it. As soon as the fax arrives, I'll head to the Kris Kingdom."
Click!
The call ended. Atlas turned and ordered Smoker, who was buried in paperwork in the corner.
"Hey, brat Smoker, go get that intel from the fax machine for me. I need it urgently."
"Got it~ Vice Admiral!"
Hearing this, Smoker had to pull himself away from the mountain of documents. He replied wearily, his face long.
By the way, shouldn't you, the commander, be handling this stuff? What has a mere Commander done to deserve the authority of a Vice Admiral!
However, Smoker dutifully ran to the fax room and handed the intel to Atlas. He had heard the conversation clearly and understood the urgency.
"Tsk tsk, what an incredible guy..."
Atlas casually scanned the intel on Pizarro and couldn't help but click his tongue in amazement.
He had to admit, Pizarro's life story was quite rich.
Avalo Pizarro. Born in the North Blue. Suspected Zoan-type, Cat-Cat Fruit user, model unknown. A man who loves to be at the top.
Before setting sail, he was so displeased that the king of his homeland could rule over him that he used violence to enslave the entire kingdom. He plundered illegally and used forced labor, using the country's resources for his own enjoyment. He has a cruel personality and loves to torture and kill. His epithet is the "Corrupt King."
He was later discovered and driven out by the Marines. Because his influence was so heinous, the Marines issued a bounty on him.
Atlas shook his head inwardly. He knew that even if the Marines drove Pizarro out of that country, it was already too late. The nation was doomed.
He continued reading the intel.
After setting sail, Pizarro gathered a crew of pirates and became a captain. Everywhere he went, he destroyed countries and cities. He was deemed a heinous criminal by the World Government, and his bounty rose steadily.
It seemed this time he wanted to use the same old trick, turning the Kris Kingdom into his private territory.
Unfortunately...
Pizarro had misjudged the current situation in the New World. As a pirate, his only options now were to be hunted by the Marines or to challenge an Emperor and become a new ruler.
Wanting to own territory without sufficient power is a death wish in the New World. Neither the Three Emperors nor the Marines would allow it.
"Smoker, get a ship ready. We're heading out to Broccoli Island!"
Putting away the intel, Atlas grabbed his "Justice" coat from the rack, put it on, and spoke to Smoker, who had just sat back down.
"Yes, sir!"
...
At the port, a medium-sized, standard-issue Marine warship was docked quietly.
Rear Admiral Maynard stood at attention with the base's officers, watching as teams of Marine soldiers boarded the warship.
Atlas did not mobilize the White Tiger. That massive island-ship was currently floating quietly above the G-5 base, manned by a permanent crew, and also hidden by Atlas's ability.
As long as no one deliberately used Observation Haki to scan the area, there was almost no risk of it being exposed.
The mutated Snake Talisman was very interesting. As long as Atlas didn't actively deactivate the effect, the invisible person could remain invisible indefinitely.
Although the ship's modification time was short, its entire weapons configuration was of the highest Marine specifications. It was the latest creation of Dr. Vegapunk from the Science Unit. Combined with the extreme recoil the White Tiger's massive hull could withstand, it could be said that, apart from the legendary ancient weapon Pluton, no other ship in the world could match its firepower!
"Maynard, I'm leaving the defense of the G-5 base to you for now. If necessary, you can issue orders to the ship above."
Atlas walked up and clapped Maynard heavily on the shoulder.
Although this guy was big and brawny, his meticulousness in handling matters was completely at odds with his appearance.
"Rest assured, Vice Admiral! I will not allow a single pirate to get near this base!" Maynard guaranteed, full of confidence.
In the battle a few days ago, he had clearly witnessed the terrifying strength of this young Vice Admiral, and he was completely convinced by Atlas.
After all, in the Marines, strength and military merit are what matter.
"Alright, I won't waste any more words. Move out! Target: Broccoli Island!"
After giving some token instructions, Atlas turned and boarded the warship, giving the order to the helmsman. The warship slowly began to move, heading toward the Kris Kingdom.
The warship's speed was not slow. Broccoli Island, where the Kris Kingdom was located, was not far from the G-5 base. At full speed, it would only take about a day and a half to arrive. But under the control of Atlas's Rooster Talisman ability, this time could be shortened to about one day.
A day passed in a flash. Broccoli Island soon appeared within the warship's range of sight.
Broccoli Island wasn't very large. There was only one kingdom on it, the Kris Kingdom, which didn't have a long history. It was nothing compared to a place like Dressrosa in the New World.
At the somewhat dilapidated port, quite a few pirate ships were docked.
But the flags on these ships were strange. The most numerous was a laughing skull with light-blue hair. There were also a few other ships with different insignias.
"This guy..."
"Is he trying to turn this country into a Pirate Nation?"
Atlas's eyes narrowed, lost in thought.
A "Pirate Nation" is a country that does not prohibit the free entry and exit of pirates, but they must pay a certain fee to the country's hidden ruler.
Of course, the prerequisite is that the country's occupier must possess an armed force that other pirates cannot resist. Otherwise, it would just be taken over by someone else. Pizarro clearly had this qualification.
There are many such towns and even islands in the New World, lawless zones similar to Sabaody, which are in a state of anarchy.
The warship's arrival did not attract anyone's attention. As a precaution, Atlas had used his ability to make the warship invisible. He believed no one would be bored enough to just scan the area with Observation Haki.
"Smoker, Kyros, you two bring a few teams and come with me. The rest will stay on the warship. If anything happens, contact me by Den Den Mushi."
After giving his simple orders, Atlas stepped onto the shore. His figure materialized step by step, as if appearing from thin air. Smoker and the others did the same.
This wasn't some dragon's lair or tiger's den. It was just Pizarro. It wasn't worth Atlas and his team hiding. Atlas simply revealed himself, figuring it might attract the pirates' attention more quickly.
Like most countries in the world, the outermost area was the commoners' district. The nobles and the king lived on higher ground or in the center of the country, symbolizing their supreme royal power.
"Mr. Atlas, there doesn't seem to be anyone here..."
Kyros carefully scanned the surrounding streets. As a former captain of the Dressrosa Kingdom's army, he could acutely sense that this place had recently been ransacked by pirates.
The closed doors, the lack of cooking smoke despite it being mealtime, the still-damp and mottled bloodstains on the ground—all of these spoke of the tragedy that had recently occurred here.
"Of course there's no one. Isn't that right, Your Highness the Prince, hiding over there?"