Chapter 269: Recruitment Drive!
Chapter 269: Recruitment Drive!
To the allied forces, a mere dark silhouette descended amidst the storm, swiftly colliding with the majestic city gates and exploding into a brilliant flash of light.
The impact, laden with shrapnel, caused them to involuntarily retreat, their eyes widening in astonishment as they gazed upon the spot where black smoke billowed. Amidst the rising smoke, a gaping hole came into view.
The city gate had been blasted open!
Not a single scrap remained of the entire gate, along with a portion of the adjacent wall, completely reduced to rubble, leaving only a pile of debris on the ground.
Before those within the alliance could react, a large group of soldiers gathered beyond the gate, led by a noble clad in a blanket, his face grim as he hurled curses at those outside the gate.
"You damn plebeians, how dare you blow up the city gate! It's despicable, truly despicable! You all deserve to die!"
The blanket-clad noble trembled in rage.
What was wrong with these people?
Letting them scavenge for spoils at sea was already a merciful act, and he couldn't fathom how they dared to take such a bold action, blowing up the city gate!
Whether it was Tihana or William, neither dared to act in such a way. How could these plebeians, who were only fit for consumption and making money for their betters, dare to do such a thing?!
This was outrageous!
"Kill them all!"
Though the rainy weather prevented the use of guns, bows and blades were unaffected. The defenders of Augustusburg were all elites, and whether in terms of numbers or quality, dealing with a mere group of pirates was well within their capabilities.
Well-equipped guards nocked their arrows, while those in the front gripped their long spears, ready to charge forward.
After all, they were merely a group of injured pirates who had just emerged from battle—they wouldn't stand a chance.
The guards with bows were just about to release their arrows when their bodies suddenly jerked, their eyes rolling up as they white, and they collapsed, causing the arrows to fly astray due to the change in angle. Several arrows narrowly grazed past the blanket-clad noble, leaving thin streaks of blood on his cheeks.
The frontliners holding long spears also went limp and fell to the ground.
The noble swiped away the blood flowing from the wound on his cheek, his face reflecting his disbelief.
Not all nobles were useless, relying solely on their lineage to bully others. In their favorable environment, they had more opportunities and resources to grow stronger. For instance, this particular noble was skilled in using two types of Haki. If he were to join the Navy, he believed he would at least attain the rank of vice admiral.
However, precisely because of his strength, he could also perceive the black and red torrent that surged forth from the blasted-open city gate, resembling a tidal wave that washed over everyone within the gate.
If not for his firm will, he might have collapsed as well.
"What's going on? Where did this Conquerors' Haki come from?!"
How could someone with such potential lower themselves to work for money?
Huh!
As the noble's words fell, a figure flashed down from the sky. Instinctively raising his arms to manifest his Armament Haki, he found a foot pressing down on his arms, the immense force breaking through his defenses and stomping onto his face, forcing him down onto the ground.
"Hahahaha, whoohahaha!"
The piercing laughter rang in the noble's ears, and though he tried to turn his head to look, his head was pinned down, rendering him immobile. He could only vaguely make out the black-bottomed, red-tipped fur cloak beside this foot.
"I am Norton Sag!"
However, he need not look anymore.
Norton stomped on the noble, pinning him to the ground with his foot, and spread his arms wide, laughing triumphantly at the dazed crowd.
"They call me Disaster!" he boasted. "But what matters is that I, Norton Sag, have taken Augustusburg! From now on, whether you are invited pirates, bounty hunters, merchants, or the guards and soldiers of this city, join me, and I will share my wealth and glory with you!"
What better way to recruit than this?
With the Boss conducting interviews in person, who needs middlemen or even recruiters? Those who come are automatically his subordinates!
"I will rule over the entire Kingdom of Gales! The whole country will be mine!"
BOOM!
Norton stomped on the noble, crushing him underfoot like a bug, his fur cloak fluttering in the wind.
"D-Disaster?!'
The members of the allied forces outside the city gate, who had managed to avoid the Conquering King's Haki, stared in shock.
They were all familiar with Disaster, a notorious figure who had made a name for himself during the Summit War. In the eyes of the pirates, he should have been vying for the position of the Four Emperors by now, yet here he was, appearing before them in Augustusburg.
"Lord Sag!" A pirate shouted, his eyes gleaming with excitement. "Are you truly recruiting here and planning to rule over Augustusburg?"
"Hell yeah, I am! And not just Augustusburg, but the entire Kingdom of Gales!" Norton roared with laughter, extending his hand towards the crowd outside the gate. "So, what do you say? Are you with me?"
The crowd exchanged glances, their eyes falling on the noble who had been impaled by Norton's spear. With determination in their eyes, they made their choice.
"We are willing to join the Disaster Pirates!" they declared in unison.
"Over here! Take them out!"
However, aside from the allied forces, there were also troops belonging to the Grand Noble Tihana who had just docked due to the torrential rain. Seeing the city gate breached, they rushed over, shouting and brandishing their weapons. Their numbers were no fewer than two thousand.
"We've just joined the Disaster Pirates, so we can't show any weakness!"
The allied forces turned and drew their weapons, preparing to engage the incoming noble's troops. But as they turned, they beheld a colossal black ship docking at the port despite the raging storm.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The ship's cannons fired unabated by the stormy weather, raining explosive shells upon the soldiers and creating a hellish display of blooming explosions.
From the lowered gangplank stepped a group of individuals, led by Lily, who drew her slender sword, its gleam undiminished by the gloomy storm, and her radiant golden hair shining through the darkness.
Behind her stood Moriah, his massive frame towering as he grinned broadly, his hands clasped casually behind his head.
Following them were the other high-ranking executives, some strolling nonchalantly, others wearing wide smiles.
Bringing up the rear was Arkin, leading over a thousand men, each with a fierce and ruthless demeanor, their approach filling the air with an aura of intimidation as they closed in on the city, undeterred by the pelting rain.
"4 p.m.," Lily noted, her sword pointing forward. "Two to three hours. Before Sag's dinner, Augustusburg will be under our control!"
(End of Chapter)
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