Chapter 324: Eight Thousand Against Twenty Thousand!
Chapter 324: Eight Thousand Against Twenty Thousand!
The booming laughter of Sag resounded through the royal palace, accompanied by the thunderous roar that echoed within its walls. Lily gazed deeply at Sag, his face contorted with rage as he faced the heavens, while the fierce storm and large raindrops pounded relentlessly upon them, strong enough to crush a person.
Yet, amidst his laughter and wild demeanor, there was a softness and powerlessness.
Let not the wind and rain dampen our spirits!
"I'll go notify them right now."
With that, Lily turned and strode back into the depths of the palace.
She's going to call and have those guys come back.
"Lady Lily," said the female pirate who accompanied Lily, her voice filled with concern. "Are we going to engage in battle with Big Mom right now? She's one of the Four Emperors."
"Hmm?" Lily paused and glanced at the woman before her, her head wrapped in a scarf but her body clad in a proper dress. "What is it, Sena?"
Unlike Sag, who didn't recognize his own subordinates, Lily remembered those who held positions under her.
The current Ohara, after more than half a year of development, had entered a stable phase, unlike the earlier days when Lily had to expend a lot of energy to control it.
With continuous expansion and conquest, there were bound to be casualties. Some subordinates had died, some had been seriously injured and lost their will to fight, and others had simply grown tired of the pirate life.
Some had left secretly, some had retired, and some had accepted Sag's arrangement to station elsewhere, finding honest work.
Those who possessed good qualifications and managerial skills were appointed as officials to assist Sag in governing.
For the affiliated islands, pirates with some reputation were usually stationed there and served as officials, working together with locals chosen by the civilians to govern the islands.
As for the high-ranking members of the crew, they were assigned their own domains to oversee and were given the title of "minister."
Marika and Reneetia were two such ministers: one in charge of food logistics (the Logistics Minister) and the other overseeing the weapons factory (the Military Minister).
And assisting them in their work were the "officers," the peak of the official hierarchy.
The ministers managed people, while the officers handled the tasks.
Lily, as the Chief Minister, had three officers under her, unlike the other ministers.
Sena was one of them.
She wasn't a pirate herself but a native of the New Ohara, blessed with a sharp mind from a young age.
After Lily had slaughtered the nobles, Sena had risen through the ranks, and her talent soon caught Lily's eye, earning her a promotion to officer.
However, as an officer under a pirate crew, Sena naturally came into contact with some of the crew's affairs.
While the Natural Disaster Pirate Group was indeed powerful, they paled in comparison to the might of the Four Emperors.
Sena's words weren't born out of fear, but rather, concern.
"Lady Lily," Sena hesitated, "including the people stationed on the affiliated islands, we only have a total of eight thousand people. Big Mom is the Pirate Empress, one of the Four Emperors for a long time now. Shouldn't we take more time to prepare?"
She didn't believe that Sag would lose, nor was she pessimistic about their chances.
Before Sag's arrival, her family had been in a dire situation, unable to afford medical treatment and resigned to their fate.
But then Lord Sag came, and her family was saved!
This signified something—it signified that Lord Sag was a benevolent ruler!
And so, Sena was more than willing to work for Sag. When she learned that he needed people, she was the first to offer her services.
Initially, she had applied to be a maid, but Lily soon recognized her administrative talents, realizing that her skills were too great to be wasted as a mere maid. And so, she was appointed as an official and quickly rose through the ranks to become an officer.
She wanted Sag to win, and she sincerely wished for him to become the Pirate King.
But the more she desired this, the more cautious she became.
Their numbers were sorely lacking. While they could maintain their territory with their current strength, engaging in a war against a Yonko with only eight thousand people, even if they emptied their territories, was simply not enough.
Not to mention fighting at full strength, even losing half their numbers would make it difficult to hold onto their base.
It was clear that taking all their forces into battle at this moment was unwise. It would be better to wait, build up their forces, and only then would they have nothing to fear.
However, Sena dared not voice this suggestion directly to Sag, and so she could only try to subtly remind him through Lily.
Only the high-ranking members of the crew, especially the initial three female officers, had the qualifications to persuade Lord Sag.
"Prepare?" Lily asked. "How much preparation is enough? Should we wait until we have thirty thousand people? But by then, we'll have even more territory, and no amount of preparation will ever feel sufficient."
"Since the founding of our pirate group, we've been preparing non-stop. We've been plundering in the East Blue, plundering in Paradise, all so that we could make a name for ourselves in the New World. But no amount of preparation can prevent what's destined to come our way."
"The sea will never give us enough time to prepare. Whoever stands in our path, whoever blocks Sag's plans, we must fight them!"
Lily's eyes swept across Sena as she continued, "You're not a pirate, so there are some things you don't understand. Preparation is necessary, but we cannot rely solely on it.
"Sag's orders are final, now go and do your job!"
"Yes, I understand, Lady Lily," Sena bowed and withdrew.
Watching her leave, Lily's eyes flickered.
To lose?
It wasn't impossible, after all, their opponent was one of the 'Four Emperors'. If Sag kept his word and engaged in battle, their opponent would surely bring their strongest force, especially since they had a prior arrangement.
However, knowing the possibility of defeat and still choosing to fight was simply in Lily's nature, and she knew Sag felt the same way.
She was a Sword Master!
In the worst-case scenario, even if they suffered a crushing defeat and lost all their men, it would only affect the affiliated islands.
Ohara would remain unchanged, as it was guarded by the security forces, Misty, and West, who operated independently of the pirates and only answered to Sag.
At most, they would have to start over from Ohara again.
This would not affect Sag's master plan.
But if they won...
The rewards would be immense!
Currently, their primary objective was to seize half of Whitebeard's territory, but the crucial challenge was their lack of reputation, hindering their ability to recruit more followers.
If they were to join another pirate crew based on reputation alone, they could just as well join the Four Emperors or Blackbeard.
Blackbeard, in particular, was known for his lax standards and willingness to accept anyone.
As for their battle with Kaido, no one outside their crew knew about it, and it would be absurd for Sag to go around boasting about how he fought Kaido and lost.
That was not something worth bragging about, especially since they hadn't emerged victorious.
But this time was different.
This battle would be a turning point!
Sag was right; they had to clash with the Four Emperors, and it had to be an all-out confrontation, not just him but the entire Natural Disaster Pirate Group.
"We just need to hold our ground in Skopp and drive back Big Mom!
Lily clenched her fists, "We will proudly proclaim to the world that we are qualified!"
......
In the realm of the Four Emperors, Big Mom's territory could be likened to a powerful nation.
There was a distinct difference between most pirates and Big Mom.
Many pirates only possessed a single island, and some didn't even have that, merely claiming a territory and hoisting their flag.
Even the renowned 'Red Hair', who had become a Four Emperor a few years ago, operated in a similar manner. He had an extensive sphere of influence but no permanent base.
Despite being hailed as unmatched in single combat, even the enigmatic Kaido's main base was not in the Land of Wano but on a ghost island within its inland sea.
Only Big Mom stood apart, a true anomaly among pirates.
Charlotte Linlin was not merely a queen among pirates; she was the most successful pirate in history.
Unlike the Nine Snake Tribe, which had a hereditary monarchy, she was essentially a local queen despite her pirate status.
Starting as an ordinary pirate at the age of six, with an initial bounty of 50 million berries, she had, through her own efforts, forged an empire in the New World.
At its core was Cake Island, surrounded by thirty-three other islands under her direct rule, all constituting her nation.
Beyond that was her sphere of influence, where her flag flew over other islands, offering them her protection.
Eventually, those islands would also be absorbed into her growing nation.
This was made possible by her fertility.
From the age of eighteen onwards, throughout her life, Charlotte Linlin gave birth to eighty-five children!
Thirty-nine sons and forty-six daughters, encompassing various rare races, from mermaids to long-limbed, long-necked serpentines. Her territory included members of these races, and her own children reflected this diversity.
Even among Sag's Demon Race, she had offspring.
Among these children, those who proved their worth were dispatched to govern her territories as ministers, and as her children continued to mature, she would gain new territories to rule.
Uniting the myriad races under the bond of family, with a foundation of overwhelming strength, Charlotte Linlin had, from the outset, been destined to become the undisputed Queen of Nations.
"Mama!"
A figure with hair resembling the Mercedes-Benz logo, known as Cracker, stood in the dimly lit grand hall, gazing up at the massive figure seated upon the throne. "You don't have to take the field personally! I will deal with these 'Natural Disasters' myself!"
Snack, the younger brother, had suffered a crushing defeat at Skopp, and this news had, of course, reached them. He had been preparing to exact revenge when he was stopped by his mother.
Was she planning to confront these 'Natural Disasters' herself?
What were these 'Natural Disasters'?
The massive figure on the throne leaned forward slightly, bloodshot eyes widening as her head emerged from the shadows, a face that seemed poised to devour anyone who crossed her path.
"Like a giant ready to devour someone..."
Kureha couldn't help but swallow, and sweat broke out on his forehead.
Although he was Mom's child and her tenth child, a member of the 'Sweet Four Generals', he still felt terrified seeing this scene.
"Kureha."
Charlotte Lingling slowly spoke, "My dear child, this is the agreement between me and that Sag brat. Are you going to make me break my word?"
"No, absolutely not!"
Kureha lowered his head and said, "I just feel that it's not worth Mom taking action personally. I can handle it alone!"
"Very good, Kureha. I like your will."
Charlotte Lingling's mouth widened into a grin. "Mama mama mama, of course, Mama will consider her children. I can bear the consequences of breaking my word for you, but you have to show me actual results."
"If you lose, as punishment, I will take your life. After all, making Mama break her word voluntarily also comes at a cost."
"Yes, Mama," Kureha replied.
"Kuku kuku kuku, Kureha, don't underestimate others."
A long-tongued fellow standing next to the throne interrupted Kureha as he was about to agree.
He was a tall man with a pointed face, heavy makeup, a long nose, and an extraordinarily long tongue that reached down to his chest.
He wore a candy-colored top hat and a yellow long coat, and as he stepped forward, he said, "The Natural Disaster, Norton Sag, is indeed someone to be wary of, according to our intelligence. Moreover, Mom is one of the Four Emperors, so how can we break our word? Kureha, don't say anymore."
Charlotte Lingling's eighteenth birthday present, her firstborn son, the third most popular brother in the Charlotte family, the Candy Minister, with a bounty of 700 million berries.
Also, the brain of the Totto Land Kingdom, Big Mom's Pirate Crew.
Perospero.
Kureha wanted to go alone, and Perospero had originally intended to dissuade him. Now that Mom was even planning to take Kureha's life if he failed, he had to intervene.
Although he was also proud of being part of Big Mom's crew, he remained clear-headed.
Norton Sag had fought with Kaido recently, and although he hadn't died, Kaido was reportedly injured as well.
Such an opponent was not one that Kureha could necessarily handle, and if he lost, Mom would undoubtedly take his life.
This was his little brother they were talking about.
"Mama, are we mobilizing our entire crew to face off against that Sag brat?"
Perospero didn't give Kureha a chance to explain, turning directly to Charlotte Lingling. "Mama, we still need people to guard Totto Land. Why don't we send half our forces? Katakuri, what do you think?"
On the other side of the grand hall, a figure leaning against the wall emerged. He was a tall man with red hair; his long legs were clad in a pair of spur-heeled shoes, and the lower half of his face was obscured by a scarf, giving him a cold and stern appearance.
"I'll do as Mama says."
His voice was equally cold and indifferent.
"Mama mama mama, that brat certainly has guts."
Charlotte Lingling chuckled, "Among these newcomers to the New World, only he's worth watching. Although we made an agreement, there's no need to mobilize everyone. Peros, Katakuri, Kureha, and... bring her here, Smudge. Let those who can fight go, and let that brat see..."
Saliva, like some corrosive liquid, dripped to the floor, emitting smoke.
The Queen of the Four Emperors widened her mouth and cackled, "Being a pirate isn't some childish game!"
Crushing those up-and-coming pirate crews was what the Pirate Emperors loved to do the most!
...
In the new Marine Headquarters, formerly the G1 Branch.
In the newly renovated Marshal's office, the sign above now read 'Absolute Justice', and beneath it sat Sakarski, his face unreadable beneath his Marine cap.
Before him stood a Marine, reporting the latest intelligence.
"So, the two forces have begun their mobilization?" Sakarski asked in a low voice.
"Yes, Marshal!"
The reporting Marine stood tall, his expression stern. "According to the monitoring through the Den Den Mushi and the surveillance ships, Big Mom has launched a large number of ships that are now gathering at Cake Island. Additionally, Big Mom's own ship, the Holy Song Queen, has also set sail."
"At the same time, on the Natural Disaster's side, many ships have left the islands and are heading towards Augustini, no, Storm City."
"Based on our assessment, the Natural Disaster Pirate Group has committed about eight thousand troops for this battle. As for Big Mom's side, although they haven't mobilized their entire force, they've still brought out a substantial portion of their main combat strength, and their total numbers should reach around twenty thousand!"
(End of Chapter)
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