Chapter 270: Slaughter the Nobles Here
Chapter 270: Slaughter the Nobles Here
The soldiers who were blown up outside the city gate were not Lily's opponents, let alone the allied forces in a pincer movement in front of her. In a pincer attack, it took Lily just half an hour to defeat the soldiers without even unleashing her Conqueror's Haki.
As soon as she entered the city gate, Lily glanced sideways, "Sag."
Outside the city gate was a ruined port town, and aside from the fallen soldiers, there were even more Allied Forces present.
These were the people who had ceased naval combat due to the torrential downpour and were preparing to disembark for a respite. However, at this moment, their eyes lit up with desire as they stared at the breached gap in the city wall.
"Didn't I already tell you?"
Sag grinned, revealing his sharp teeth. "I'm here to recruit followers. Whoever wishes to follow me, step through this breach and help me conquer Augustine and rule over Garles!"
There were quite a number of onlookers outside, and many of them had not participated in the naval battle but were instead resting alongside the city walls, encamped outside Augustine.
Unable to enter Augustine, they had to circle around the city and engage in battles with the opposing forces. Naturally, the best place to rest would be right here. Upon hearing the commotion at the city gate, quite a number of them rushed over as well.
Similarly, quite a few of them also recognized the name 'Disaster'. Upon hearing his declaration, they became invigorated.
"Disaster! Are you speaking the truth? Can we really enter the city? Are you going to lead us into Augustine?!"
Hearing this, Sag revealed a disdainful expression towards those outside the city gate, clearly not wanting to answer such foolish questions. However, the more he acted like this, the more convincing it became.
After all, those entering the city now were their peers. Words were less convincing than actions.
It was only when the first person took a step through the city gate and stood among the crowd that the others snapped out of their daze and rushed in as well.
"Augustine! Holy City of Augustine! We've finally entered! Everything here is mine, all mine!"
A pirate licked the edge of his blade and burst into manic laughter as he headed towards the nearby residences.
"My rule is to not plunder from the poor." Sag declared to him.
"Captain, wait till I've finished plundering, and I'll offer all the spoils to you!" The pirate responded excitedly as if he hadn't heard Sag at all.
Bang!
Just as he finished speaking, a gunshot rang out in the midst of the pouring rain.
Sag held the flintlock pistol, aiming it forward. The gun muzzle emitted a wisp of smoke in the wind and rain, and the pirate who had spoken of plundering fell to the ground, a gaping hole in his chest.
"Disaster! What are you doing?! Aren't you supposed to be recruiting us as your followers?!" Someone in the crowd shouted.
"Since you've stepped through this city gate, it represents that you have accepted my invitation and become my follower. As for the rules, I've already reminded you once."
"Since you didn't know about it earlier, I let it slide. Now that I've reminded you, if you still don't obey my orders, that's a different matter."
Sag returned the flintlock pistol to his waist and said to the others who had just joined, "A Captain's orders are absolute. I'll give you one chance now to leave. If you do so now, I won't do anything to you."
The crowd looked at each other, and some of the pirates clearly showed dissatisfaction, but they did not leave. Instead, they shouted, "Augustine isn't yours yet. We've just entered through the city gate, and since you don't want us, there's no reason for you to stop us from plundering!"
They had been holding back for too long. If they plundered in Timarton, they would be pursued and killed by the army. If they did so in Garles, they would be chased down by the private soldiers of the nobles. If they wanted to leave, they lacked the necessary supplies to do so, so they could only wait nearby, hoping that the war would end and they would receive rewards.
The pirates may have held back due to the army and the private soldiers of the nobles, but now, with the opportunity presented before them, they were ready to unleash chaos in the prosperous city of Augustine.
After all, how could they resist the temptation when there was no gate or wall to obstruct them anymore? Augustine lay vulnerable, a ripe fruit ready to be plucked.
"Since you've entered this city, it belongs to me. In my territory, you follow my rules!" Sag declared, his fingers tapping out a rhythm without the need for Haoshoku Haki. With pinpoint accuracy, his gunshots rang out, piercing the skulls of those pirates who dared to defy him, their bodies falling to the ground in a spray of blood.
"Three... Two... One..." Sag counted down with his fingers, "Anyone still standing after this final second is considered my subordinate and must henceforth obey the orders of the Disaster Pirates and me!"
As he counted, a group of merchants and pirates began to retreat, turning their backs and running towards the city gate without a second thought.
However, those who remained stood their ground, unafraid, waiting for Sag to count down to the very last finger.
"Stansen, guard the gate. Don't let a single person through," Sag commanded.
The giant, Stansen, stood firm at the breach, his massive hammer in hand, resembling a gatekeeper deity, obstructing the onlookers outside.
"Welcome to the Disaster Pirates! We'll celebrate with a feast once we've truly taken control of the city, but for now, you have a mission," Sag said, his teeth bared in a grin that sent a chill down their spines. "Find every single noble in this city and bring them before me. Those who defy will be put to death! Of course, I permit you to plunder from the rich and the nobles!"
Sag had no time nor inclination to engage in petty power struggles with the nobles.
What was a landlord? A landlord was the master of the land, the apex predator, the ultimate authority to whom everyone else was but a servant.
The nobles, too, held a degree of ruling power, deeply ingrained in the hearts of the people. Instead of engaging in a tedious game of concessions with them—their demands and his compromises—Sag opted for a more direct approach.
Landlords and nobles were, by nature, in conflict. Their ruling powers clashed, and only one could prevail. So long as the nobles remained, they would always be a thorn in his side, a stone that blocked his path to ultimate rulership.
The best solution was to remove that stone altogether. If they perished, there would be no one left to contest his dominion.
"Ohh!"
The pirates raised their weapons, their voices united in a battle cry that echoed through the streets.
It seemed they had misunderstood him earlier, mistaking him for an ascetic unwilling to prey on the poor and weak.
But now, they realized the truth—he was merely uninterested in trifling with the nobles.
Truly, he was a disaster!
The pirates, energized by this realization, were eager to exact their revenge upon the nobles who had caused them so much grief during this period.
(End of Chapter)
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