"You bastards, take everything in this town! Kill anyone who gets in your way! Kidnap the children, rape the women, and bring them back! It's all worth money!"
"Take all the food! If you can't carry it, burn it! Leave nothing behind!"
"As a pirate, I shouldn't say this, but those who can only plunder are a disgrace."
"Indeed. Being with Lord Kuro makes me forget what a pirate truly is."
"My lord is too noble to be a pirate. Where have you ever seen a pirate who would restore a kingdom by placing a princess on the throne?"
"Hahahaha. You're right."
"Well, never mind. It's about time. Archers, take your positions."
The Kingdom of Mopchi, currently under the control of the Black Cat Pirates and one of their key strongholds.
Hancock, responsible for its defense, was leading a group of relatively new crew members alongside her personal guard, waiting for a band of pirates approaching from a secluded cove.
"But they think they're ambushing us with that... It's laughable. The master would have done it better."
"Well, first we must obey the order to keep silent."
"Exactly. Alright, Perona, count on you."
Perona, who was using her ghosts to scout the area around the island for other pirates, chuckled softly and snapped her fingers.
Then, Mini-Holo knocked away the supports of a rock trap set up on the cliff next to the slope the pirates were climbing, and a large number of rocks rolled down onto their heads.
"Hmm, they're in chaos. Hack."
"I understand. We're going to take the ship with the fishmen, right?"
"As usual."
Currently, the number of fishmen hiding on this island and another uninhabited island was slowly increasing. As a result, the number of fishmen cooperating in combat or production was also growing, quietly becoming part of the Black Cat forces.
"Perona, just to be safe, keep watch around the island."
"Got it."
"Alright, all hands, fire! Fire!!"
The pirates, already injured by falling rocks and in disarray, were now hit by a rain of arrows. Confirming the flawless volley, Hancock, secretly satisfied with the results of their training, reloaded her bow with the prepared whistling arrows and fired them into the sky.
The arrows, which had a unique shape incorporating the same mechanism as a whistle, emitted a high-pitched sound:
"Piiiiii!"
"Oooooooooooh!!!"
Immediately afterward, a battle cry erupted from behind, leaving them unable to react. Before they knew it, they were surrounded by a unit led by the two younger sisters of the Boa Triplets, who had been hiding, and the pirates were swiftly defeated without much resistance.
"...If they hadn't targeted this place, it would have been better... Hancock, what should we do?"
"Hmm. There might still be soldiers left on the ship. Be careful."
"Thank you."
"However, this is the third pirate attack since the master departed. ...Master, the enemy numbers are greater than we anticipated."
***
"Captain, the remaining pirates seem to have barricaded themselves in the castle."
"They're scattering like spiders, attacking recklessly, or barricading themselves... What the hell are these guys... Robin, investigate the enemy's artillery capabilities."
"Got it."
After liberating the port town, we protected and treated the Mogwa citizens who had escaped and the marines we rescued, set up shelters, and distributed food while using our forces to eliminate the pirates remaining in other towns.
We captured two port towns, four towns on the island, and three forts, though to be precise, it was more like chasing away the pirates who fled after witnessing Mihawk's jaw-dropping technique of slicing through the forts.
These guys are really something...
It's a good thing Kuzan was here. Thanks to him, we didn't let the scattered enemies escape.
It would have been better if we could have brought Perona with us, but she's the best at defense. Or escape.
I don't think there will be any problems, but if it's absolutely impossible, I've instructed them to take the queen, the princess, and as many refugees as possible and escape to the main base.
The main base, I'll have to check on that uninhabited island base again.
Toya and the others are checking on it regularly with Hack, but...
"Mihawk is taking Miax to check on the large settlement in the west and provide relief, Amis is escorting the refugees, and Kuzan is defending the port town where the shelter is located."
"All that's left is to take the castle."
"...I never thought we'd have to help the kings who launched a sabotage operation against us."
Well, if they're still alive.
Those guys don't talk about hostages or anything, they just say things like, "Let's go loot together! Hahahaha!" so it's hard to grasp the situation.
"Once Amis and the others have finished escorting the refugees, we'll attack. Robin, once you've confirmed the situation to a certain extent, take a break."
***
"...This place has been burned down too."
"It feels like they're just burning everything in sight."
The great swordsman known as the Marine Hunter was checking the situation in the villages of Mogwa with the female soldier he had taught who was the best at defense among his students, and a rare member of the personal guard who preferred dual short swords.
"There are surprisingly few refugees given the size of the towns and villages. But we haven't found many bodies either."
"...Were they taken away?"
"If that's the case, they're probably not on this island anymore. There's no place to gather them or hide them."
"Unlike our place, they don't keep household registers, so it's unclear exactly how many people are missing..."
"Only Kuro would do something like that."
"...Well, yes."
"Besides, the town hall, the church, even the graveyard is burned down. There's no way..."
It was likely set ablaze on the day of the attack. All the fires had been extinguished, leaving only smoldering embers in the ruins of houses and taverns, and vast fields where it was impossible to tell what had once been planted.
A member of the royal guard with two short swords at his waist, Miaxis, squatted down and pressed his hand against the charred remains of the field, a mat of fine charcoal.
"Ugh... All the crops are gone... Will we be okay with winter coming?"
"It's the navy and the government's job to deal with that. The real problem is the surviving citizens, wait, Miaxis. Don't move... No, take a few steps back."
"Huh?"
As instructed, he crouched down and took a few steps back, and Mihawk approached the space and examined the ground. There were the charred remains of grain. And...
"Are these the remains of torches?"
"...Did someone throw them in?"
After that, Mihawk wandered around the field, which was of considerable size, observing the desolate scene, and said,
"Miaxis."
"What is it, sir?"
"Connect the telegraph to Kuro."
"This is likely not just a disturbance caused by a group of pirates."
***
"The purpose was not looting, but burning everything to the ground?"
"That's the only conclusion I can come to."
After Robin had finished investigating the castle using kites and other tools, and our crew members had taken turns resting, the Den Den Mushi began to ring. It was from Miaxis and Mihawk.
"I'm having Miaxis check other locations, but judging from the burn marks, all the fields in this area were set on fire from the four corners, and torches were thrown into each section. It's too thorough to be just a rampage during a raid."
Robin and Daz, who were eating, also gathered. So did the personal guard who had been resting.
"...It's still before harvest time. We were supposed to start harvesting and prepare for the winter."
"It's not much different from having everything taken by pirates. But there's a difference between having something taken and losing it, in terms of hope for the future."
"...The allied nations might offer aid, but..."
"If this is happening in other regions as well, it might be beyond our control depending on the scale."
"Depending on the World Government's resources, a major famine could break out in the West Blue..."
Ah, what is this? This feeling... I've felt it before.
It's the same feeling I had when Robin told me that the weapons we had helped Amis obtain were from the North Blue, and their origin was unknown.
"If this is a planned operation, then the people behind it are aiming for..."
"I know. If the people are starving, they'll have no choice but to take from others before they die of starvation. The non-member countries will be the first targets..."
There's no way a non-member nation could grow enough crops on such a large scale. In fact, they're already dying of starvation every year. Even the regions we've managed to subdue, like Mopchi and Ruchu, which have somehow managed to establish a production system, don't have any spare capacity.
"It's not just crops. Winter is coming soon, and everything has been burned. They've lost almost all their fuel for warmth."
"...Right, that's true."
"Worst case, smaller conflicts might break out among member nations while they still have some strength left."
Whether it comes to that depends on the quality of the World Government's aid, but once it starts, it'll escalate into war. Plus, there's the revolutionary army, no, it's not just a spark, it's already burning.
Oh, no. This is seriously bad.
From now on, there will be a limited harvest in the forest. So, from now until spring... The more it burns during that time, the more the World Government will...
Damn it! I knew the pirates would team up too quickly and on too large a scale!
Suspected suspect: Sneaky, pink-haired, rotten sunglasses bastard!
Next, they're going to try to divide the member countries! Why are you so active?
In the worst case, this could be the trigger for the blockade of the West Sea, and Robin could become the target of strange hatred! I'll check with Kuzan first, but depending on the situation, we need to take action early! Help me, help me, God, Buddha, Great God Clemens!
***
"I never thought you'd drag me out of retirement... Mr. Doflamingo... Or should I call you Saint Doflamingo?"
"Fufufufu, impressive information gathering skills. Call me whatever you like. After all, you did accompany me against your will."
A tavern in a certain town in the North Sea.
In that tavern, where there was no one else, not even a bartender, two men were drinking together.
"What's the matter? I like the simple reason that there's a man who wants to win. After all, I was defeated by a man who wanted to win. ...Ah, I understand."
A slightly older man with messy, shaggy hair and sunglasses sipped his drink with relish and poured more into the empty glass of the younger man.
"...He resembles the bastard who sent our family to hell, but he has the strength and toughness that bastard never had. I can't stand it, but at the same time, I can't help but like him."
"That's why I want to crush him! That's great! I like that!"
The older man laughed loudly, and the younger man poured him more sake in a good mood.
"But I'm retired now. So I'll teach you everything I know."
"That's fine. I was actually expecting you to refuse. I don't know how many times I'll have to bow my head to you for letting me be your teacher. Fufufufu."
"I'm asking you again. Teach me the skills that made you the best in the world."
"The skills of the world's worst war strategist and the world's best festival organizer, the skills of Bueno Festa."
***
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