Chapter 189: I Will Lead the Charge!
Chapter 189: I Will Lead the Charge!
It took only two hours for the Den Den Mushi to ring.
"I've found out," Gabura's voice sounded through the shell, and his face, complete with its distinctive goatee, appeared.
"The Kingdom of Sosomia, one of the World Government's affiliate countries, with a standing army of 200,000. It's a powerful military and trading kingdom."
"The city is called 'Novabrie,' indeed a bustling port city. It primarily trades along the route to Shambody. The southern city is called 'Selbbrie,' and it trades along the route to the entrance of the Grand Line."
"Aside from that, all that's left is their central royal capital. But if you're not going after the capital, the main thing to note about Novabrie is that it has a garrison of 5,000 soldiers, and there's also an East Blue Navy base in the kingdom. In the event of an attack, the Navy can arrive within an hour."
"As for where the wealthy people are, you'll figure that out when you get here."
In an alleyway, Gabura leaned against the wall, gazing at the group of people before him, their expressions numb. He repeated, "You'll definitely figure it out, right?"
...
"Okay, I understand," Lily said as she hung up the Den Den Mushi and looked toward the city's silhouette. She murmured, "Five thousand, huh?"
Five thousand garrisoned soldiers, plus the expected resistance from the city's inhabitants, and the Navy, which could arrive within an hour—it would be challenging to conquer with their force of a thousand, especially within that time frame.
In the past, when they encountered this level of defensive power, Sarge would first eliminate a portion of those who resisted fiercely, leaving the rest to fight. Even without Sarge's Conquering King's Haki, they were confident they could end the battle within an hour.
The main reason was Sarge's presence.
They had fought against forces of five thousand before, but now that Sarge was gone, Lily suddenly felt less confident.
She could perfect plans for Sarge and command comfortably under his protection, but this time was different. It wasn't just about her leading a separate squad; Sarge's absence meant she had to shoulder the main responsibility, and the more she thought about it, the less assured she felt.
"It's something that must be done eventually."
Marika saw through Lily's calm expression to the anxiety beneath and offered words of comfort. "If we can't even do this, then we definitely won't be able to do what comes after, Lily."
"You—"
Lily looked up, "You know what I'm thinking of doing?"
"I can guess."
Marika smiled and turned toward the sea. "If we're caught, there's only one place we can go, right? If we don't receive any news from Sarge or see it in the newspapers, the only place we can go is there. I was happy on the ship, and for Sarge, I'm willing to do it."
Lily shook her head with a bitter smile, gazing at the pirates bustling on the deck. "You're right. If we don't do it now, we'll never be able to do it later. We set out to make a ruckus anyway!"
In the beginning, they had set sail to ensure Sarge wouldn't bear the bounty alone and to navigate any ocean as skilled navigators. That was why they had formed a pirate crew with Sarge.
Their voyage hadn't been long, but Sarge, as the linchpin, had long accustomed them to his erratic planning that somehow always led to success.
Now that she was left to command alone, she had to see it through, no matter how uncertain she felt!
She couldn't let Sarge down, and she refused to be so worried after losing him.
If Sarge really had been captured, they absolutely had to rescue him!
No matter what happened, as long as they went to save him, there was hope. If they didn't, Sarge truly wouldn't make it out!
Before that, they had to weed out another batch of people from the pirate crew!
Just because these people were docile under Sarge's command didn't mean they would remain so in his absence.
Within just a few days, Lily had already sensed some restlessness among the former pirate captains who had joined them in Magictopia. They were growing agitated.
An uprising was unlikely, but they were probably considering taking this opportunity to leave. However, due to their loyalty, they were still hesitating and observing.
Before going to rescue Sarge, these individuals had to be dealt with.
Plundering this place would not only boost the morale of her crew but also serve as a trial for the pirates.
Lily wanted to test whether these individuals would still abide by the pirate crew's rules. If not, she could eliminate them on the spot.
If they took this chance to leave, she would let them go, thus preventing any unexpected troubles.
Otherwise, if these individuals caused problems along the way to Impel Down, it would truly spell disaster.
"Everyone!"
Lily drew out White Lightning and pointed towards the city, "We have one hour to raid Novabrie!"
"Ohh!!"
The pirates brandished their weapons and pulled the sails, powering the Grim Reaper forward towards the city's port.
Lily pulled Las aside and spoke solemnly, "Las, your task is here."
"Lady Lily!"
Eight-year-old Las' eyes lit up with excitement. "Can I join the raid too? Although I'm still weak, I'll definitely do my best!"
Gabura was in charge of training him, and Las, in turn, imparted his training experiences to the other Demon Clan members. As Sarge favored him, Las held a high status among the Demon Clan despite his young age, and they viewed him as the future representative servant of Lord Sarge.
"No, you have a more important task. I'm giving you fifty Demon Clan members. Your mission is to secretly keep watch over this ship. Hide on board, and if any of our companions try to board before the designated retreat time, remember to kill them!"
Lily's face was cold as ice, "I can tolerate them leaving, just like Sarge. But if anyone dares to harbor disloyal thoughts towards the Grim Reaper or act in rebellion, kill them!"
Las was taken aback and instinctively glanced towards the deck, where the pirates stood, weapons in hand, their faces fierce and eager to plunder the city.
These were once their good companions.
"I understand!"
Las clenched his fists, determination shining in his eyes, "Lady Lily, leave it to me. I won't let anything happen to Sarge's ship!"
"Good, Las. This task is yours!"
Lily patted Las' head and tightened her grip on White Lightning, her voice resolute and cold, "As for me, I will lead the charge!"
The Grim Reaper soon arrived at the city's port, and with a blast from its cannons, the defensive forts surrounding the port were destroyed, eliciting startled cries from those nearby.
The massive black ship docked at the port, and the pirates leaped off, laughing and brandishing their weapons as they charged towards the seemingly prosperous city.
Why did it only seem prosperous?
Novabrie was indeed a bustling port city, with buildings resembling those of a carnival. However, these tall structures only occupied a small portion of the city.
The Grim Reaper was massive and tall, and from her position on the side deck, Lily could see beyond these tall buildings to something else.
There was a group of dilapidated houses, distinct from the grandeur of the tall buildings, as if the prosperity had completely bypassed them, creating two separate worlds.
Just like the pedestrians on the streets leading from the port, most of them were ragged and impoverished. Out of ten people, one might be decently dressed, and among those ten decently dressed individuals, only one would appear wealthy.
(End of Chapter)
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