"It's done."
"It's all arranged," Williams said confidently, glancing at the time on his wristwatch. "If nothing went wrong, Shuma and his team should be arriving right about now."
Everyone else in the room smiled knowingly. All of them were trusted subordinates of Aaron and aware that Maysfield, the promising newcomer in the royal army, was secretly one of their own.
However, aside from Aaron and his two brothers, no one else knew Maysfield's true identity.
"That's excellent," Aaron nodded. "With those supplies, that guy should finally have enough to secure his foothold over there."
Aaron was well aware of what his replica, Arik, was planning. Through their shared consciousness, he knew that Arik was in desperate need of supplies. So, the previous night, Aaron had instructed Williams to prepare a massive shipment of goods and secretly send it to the harbor in Snow Town.
The shipment included not only vast quantities of food but also a large cache of weapons and ammunition, enough to arm a three-thousand-man force.
To ensure its safe arrival, Aaron had even assigned Shuma, a Devil Fruit user, to personally guard the convoy.
Snow Town
At that very moment, under the lure of food, more than two thousand laborers had gathered at Snow Town's docks. Most were villagers from nearby settlements, now working under Arik's command to clear the wreckage of ships that had long since turned into reef-like obstacles around the pier.
With so many hands working together, the results came quickly.
By midday, the once-ruined harbor had been mostly cleared, its old shape and structure beginning to reappear.
"Look! Ships, there's ships coming in!"
A sentry posted on a high perch shouted, pointing toward the horizon.
The workers immediately turned to look out to sea and sure enough, several large vessels were approaching. There were three in total.
Since none of the ships bore distinctive flags, the dockworkers couldn't tell whether they were merchant ships or pirates.
Still, seeing them head straight for the harbor, the stationed troops swiftly formed ranks and sent someone to inform Arik.
"Everyone, back to town, now!"
Dalton, who was overseeing order at the dock, immediately barked his command.
The workers, not wanting to get caught in a fight, dropped everything and hurried inland.
Yet, even as they fled, a few merchant-looking men ran toward the dock instead.
"So, they've finally arrived," Arik said, his eyes lighting up as he sheathed his sword. He'd been practicing on a patch of open ground when the report came in.
Thanks to his mental link with Aaron, he'd already known the main body was sending him supplies. That was why he had come to Snow Town early, using what little food he had to hire locals to help clear the wreckage and restore the port.
But as the morning dragged on with no sign of the ships, he'd grown increasingly anxious.
Just earlier, he'd received word from the royal army that the rebel forces had dispatched a thousand-man unit toward Snow Town. By afternoon, they would arrive.
His personal strength was formidable, yes but not enough to take on an entire, well-armed battalion alone. Unlike his main body, he hadn't eaten the Munch Munch Fruit, nor did he have access to a collection of powerful Devil Fruits to amplify his combat power.
If Shuma's convoy didn't make it in time, and the rebels reached Snow Town first, his only choice would be to withdraw with his small force.
Soon, the three large ships docked safely in their berths.
Standing at the bow of one ship, Shuma, wearing his trademark paper mask, spotted Arik among the soldiers assembled on the pier. Beneath the mask, a faint smile crept onto his face.
He nodded slightly to Arik before turning to the foreign merchant beside him.
"Go ahead," he said calmly. "Complete the exchange."
"Yes, Lord Shuma," the merchant replied respectfully, then hurried off to coordinate the offload.
Before long, news spread throughout Snow Town:
Three cargo ships from the Kingdom of France, loaded with grain, had arrived and that Lord Maysfield had purchased all of it using his own treasure hoard.
The town erupted with joy.
The locals had heard that Maysfield's troops had seized a pirate ship carrying grain and that he'd been offering food in exchange for labor. But once they arrived, they realized the captured supply was barely enough to feed everyone for two or three days.
The food crisis had never truly been solved and tension hung over the town.
Now, with the arrival of the supply ships, hope finally returned. The people's long-suffering hunger might at last be eased.
The Royal Army's Main Camp, Outside Frost City
"Lord Norland, are we really not sending any reinforcements to Maysfield?"
Lieutenant Milton, Norland's adjutant, asked anxiously. "He only has a hundred men under his command, while the rebels are sending a full thousand, including three hundred reindeer cavalry! And both Michellea and Monica are marching with them. Even if his personal strength is exceptional, he can't possibly win!"
A noble by birth, Milton also looked down on the "traitor" Maysfield.
Yet as someone responsible for tracking military achievements, he understood just how valuable Maysfield's strength was. Losing him in Snow Town would be a tremendous waste.
"Relax, Milton," Norland said, puffing leisurely on his pipe. "That kid's fine. In war, anyone can die but he's the one most likely to live. If he can't win, he'll just run. That guy isn't the patriotic type to die for the Drum Kingdom. He's far too cunning for that. Instead of worrying about him, think about whether we can use this opportunity to seize Frost City."
Norland exhaled a ring of smoke, his lips curling into a cold smile.
He knew exactly why Maysfield had chosen Snow Town as his base:
Because it was the perfect location strategically valuable, resource-rich, and defensible. He wanted to profit from the chaos, establish his footing, and secure protection from royal retaliation once the civil war ended.
But claiming a treasure like that never came easy.
Without bloodshed, there could be no gain.
Facing the rebel army alone, that was the trial Norland had prepared for him.
If Maysfield managed to repel the rebel attack, Norland would have no objection to letting him keep Snow Town. Defeating a thousand enemies would be a major contribution, and the location could serve as a valuable supply base for the royal army.
If he failed, though, it would still be a win for Norland.
He'd use the defeat as an excuse to cut Maysfield's growing influence within the army and reclaim the resources he'd obtained, forcing the outsider to continue fighting under their control.
In short, no matter the outcome, the royal army wouldn't lose.
The only losers would be the rebels and Maysfield, the "traitor" among traitors.
"Buru-buru-buru-buru!"
Suddenly, the red Transponder Snail on Norland's desk began to ring loudly.
Seeing which snail it was, Norland's relaxed demeanor vanished. He grabbed the receiver sharply.
"What happened? Report!"
"Bad news, Commander Norland!" a panicked voice came through. "Three fully loaded cargo ships have just arrived at Snow Town's harbor, enough food to supply a three-thousand-man army for three months!"
Bang!
Norland slammed his hand down on the desk, fury twisting his face.
"Damn it…!" he snarled through clenched teeth, turning to Milton. "Send orders! Dispatch reinforcements to Snow Town immediately! And put the entire army on high alert we're going to battle readiness, Level One!"
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