Chapter 652: The Holy Maiden
Chapter 652: The Holy Maiden
As the conversation continued, the dust from the other two sides quickly approached. Nine figures leaped off their motorcycles, forming a triangular formation to advance on the battlefield, surrounding the soldiers of the three kingdoms.
Paru tapped the small shield on his arm, flashing a goofy yet somewhat fierce grin.
On the other side, Miote crouched low like a beast, his throat rumbling with a thunderous growl.
Ilizaro II scanned the area, his heart sinking.
Not only were these the Worldslider Pirates, who had bounties exceeding a hundred million, but also the core members who often acted alongside the Deathstar.
"What have you done! Where are King Ares and King Hephaestus!" Ilizaro II suppressed his growing unease.
If they could appear in the central battlefield, it wasn't just his city that had fallen; the same had likely happened in other places.
But the difference was that, as a king, he had personally taken to the battlefield, while the kings of the other two kingdoms were probably still in their capitals.
But now that these people were here...
"Right here."
Paru waved his hand, and one of his subordinates tossed a bundle forward with all their might. Seeing this, Miote also shouted, ordering another subordinate to throw another bundle.
The two bundles unfurled in mid-air, dropping two round heads that rolled to the center of the battlefield, seen by the soldiers of the three kingdoms.
They were the heads of the two kings!
"Your nations have already fallen!"
Paru spread his arms wide and shouted, "The kings are dead, the nobles are dead, everything you were loyal to is dead! You don't need to serve those who exploit your value anymore. Join us, and serve Governor Sage! You can have everything that should have been yours!"
"Money, food, housing... isn't joining the battlefield all about protecting your homes? You know our reputation; just surrender!"
He placed his hands on his hips, puffed out his chest, and bared his teeth, which gleamed in the light. "How's that for a seasoned performance? That's right, I'm Shield Man, the Defense Man, the great and invincible Paru!"
The surrounding area fell silent.
Everyone stared at the confident Paru, stunned for a moment. The battlefield's atmosphere, which had been bloody, now seemed to shift to a subtle peace.
But soon, people began to react, looking at each other, unsure of what to do.
Sage's reputation was formidable, especially in the Grand Line, where he was almost synonymous with terror and destruction. But because his reputation was so strong, even the kings and nobles couldn't control the public opinion, leading the lower-class citizens to know both the terror and the style of Sage.
The Worldsliders didn't rob the weak.
Who were the weak?
The poor, the ordinary, those who lacked any significant presence.
In short, those who lived in the most common houses, did the most common jobs, and struggled for their daily bread were considered weak by the Worldsliders.
On the other hand, those who were wealthier, had higher status, and greater power were considered strong, and were often the targets of Sage's attention.
So when the Worldsliders raided, the common people, far from being terrified, were often the most at ease. They couldn't say they welcomed the conquerors with open arms, but at least they felt a sense of calm.
After all, it didn't concern them.
Especially with recent events, some people were holding in their anger. In the three kingdoms, except for Prodius, the remaining two countries' military expenses were borne by the soldiers themselves, including weapons and uniforms, which were deducted from their meager salaries.
With barely any money to begin with, they were now fighting and dying while having their salaries cut. If it weren't for the fear of enemy attacks and the need to protect their families, they would have quit long ago.
Now, this was their chance.
The land under the Worldsliders' rule was a paradise!
Many relaxed their grip on their weapons.
"Revenge for the king!"
But while some were wavering, there were others who sought to restore order.
A few minor nobles and those who had been favored by the kings were not insignificant in number on the battlefield. Their shouts made those who were wavering unconsciously tighten their grips on their weapons.
"Ha!!"
At that moment, Miote suddenly opened his mouth, releasing a series of circular waves that rapidly expanded and struck the heads of those who had been shouting.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Their heads burst like flowers, and they fell to the ground.
Ilizaro II was startled, raising his gauntlet and shouting, "Soldiers of the three kingdoms, we no longer need to be enemies. Join me in driving away these pirates who dared to assassinate our kings and protect our homes!"
Thud!
The ground shook with a dull sound. Belly's body quickly vanished from the surface, causing cracks to spread outward like a hunting jackal. He sped toward his target, his powerful fists hammering into Ilizaro II's chest with a roar.
"Jackal Bite!!"
The attack hit, driving him into the ground and creating a deep indentation.
Belly stomped on his opponent's abdomen, pulling his fist out from the deep wound in the man's chest, splattering blood as he sneered, "I won't give you that chance!"
That so-called 'King's Punch' might be slow, but that didn't mean Belly would let this guy have any opportunities!
"There are no more kings! Surrender!"
Belly raised his bloodied fist and shouted to the crowd, "Tear apart those who stand in the way of your better lives! Join us now, and you'll earn a new salary! You'll get first pick of the land! But those who still resist us are our enemies! If you treat them as enemies, you get nothing!"
With the carrot and the stick, and the pirates' already formidable reputation, making a choice wasn't so difficult.
Already surrounded by pirates, and with the last king dead, the soldiers who had been hesitant began to shift their gun barrels, pointing them at the commanders they didn't consider part of their own ranks.
"What does this have to do with me?"
A squad leader, seeing his men point their guns at him, immediately turned his weapon on his superior, a true noble.
"I'm just a commoner! No noble blood here. Join me, and let's take down these guys!"
Encouraged by the majority, the soldiers from the three kingdoms began to defect, aiming their guns at the 'strong' individuals they recognized.
Belly couldn't help but grin at the sight.
It would be too troublesome to sort them out himself, but as people who lived here, identifying the nobles was no problem.
Eliminate all these blooded individuals, and the island would be completely under their control, becoming one of their territories.
The first half of the Red Line wasn't so difficult to conquer. Following the magnetic routes, with Ohara as a horizontal line, there were only about four or five large magnetic islands per route, plus the surrounding smaller islands. With the Mink and Fishman tribes as the vanguard, and Belly and his crew following behind, targeting only the nobles and kings, they rapidly expanded their territory.
No one could stand against the Disaster Pirates, whether in terms of weapons or manpower. Their conquests in the front regions were always successful, whether against the rare allied nations or the numerous unallied ones in the New World.
Even if there were strong opponents, they either fled or were defeated in the large-scale pirate attacks. If things got really tough, they still had the Seven Warlords of the Sea.
However, compared to the smooth progress in the front regions, the strategic advances beyond Ohara were not as easy.
Sage's original plan was to conquer the entire front half and expand the battle lines to the starting points of the three routes in the back half. Initially, things went smoothly, with Jin and Katakuri clearing the left and right routes and starting to move toward the back half.
But there was an unexpected issue on the central route.
The Helar Kingdom, located at the center of the five routes in the front half, was the key magnetic island connecting the central route to the back half. Its unique feature was that the pointers for the other two routes also converged here, making it a hub for three routes, connecting directly to the single route in the back half.
Its geographical position, while lacking the special channels and weather of Ohara, was similar in some ways. As a transit point, the island was large, and although it wasn't part of the World Government, it was far from a weak nation. It had both military strength and powerful individuals, and had long been the dominant force in the region.
While Sage had risen to nominal rule over the front half in the pirate world, in the kingdom world, including the four large magnetic islands, the Helar Kingdom's influence remained dominant.
In a system where knights and kings valued honor above all else.
"Scattered Bats!"
In an open plain, Moria's shadow split into countless bats, flying toward an eagle-man in the sky.
The man had eagle wings on his back, and half his face resembled a beak mask. He held a long spear, and as the bats approached, he jabbed the spear tip like rain, the black aura covering the points piercing through the bats, turning them into a black rain that fell.
"Shadow Warrior!"
Under the sun, a bat that hadn't been pierced suddenly transformed into Moria's body. He pulled out two single-blade scissors and slashed viciously.
The scissors didn't clash with the spear but were repelled by an outward aura. The auras of both sides entangled and pushed against each other, exploding in a burst.
Bang!!
The impact turned Moria's form back into a shadow, swapping places with the shadow on the ground. The eagle-man, meanwhile, was thrown backward, flapping his wings and summoning a flock of white-headed eagles, which shot like arrows toward Moria's position.
"This kind of thing."
Moria’s shadow beneath his feet reformed, not needing any further action. The shadow split into countless thin needles, rising from the ground to pierce through all the incoming white-headed eagles.
But at that moment, his pupils constricted, and he quickly crossed the two single-edged blades in his hands.
Clang!!
The gleaming spear tip locked precisely at the intersection of his crossed blades. The Haki emanating from the spear tip wrapped around it, bursting with power that made Moria’s arms tingle, forcing him to step back.
Missing the strike, the eagle-man didn’t linger. He spread his wings and flew high into the sky, flapping them as he looked down at Moria.
"Hehehehe, a smart one."
Moria looked up at him and suddenly smiled. "Choosing the battlefield as a plain, making it impossible for shadows to hide, and gauging my character to use eagles to draw my attention before attacking. The ability to fly is quite troublesome, as it allows for a lot of agility and dodging. A rare strong opponent, but you’re not with the kingdom’s army, right? What’s your name? Interested in joining our Disaster Pirates?"
The ability to fly was indeed troublesome, as the sky offered free rein. Especially when the opponent seemed to care about nothing, it made them even more difficult to deal with.
This Zoan-type Power Holder appeared suddenly after Moria delved deeper into the Helar Kingdom.
In terms of strength, he was definitely no match for Moria, but his flying ability was exceptional, allowing for highly flexible combat.
Most importantly, he wasn’t part of the kingdom’s army, so threats involving the king were useless.
The Helar Kingdom itself couldn’t stop Moria’s advance. The capital was easily breached, and a large number of nobles, including the king, were killed. At this point, someone should have surrendered, but an unknown group set up a prince who had fled, gathering all the defeated forces from the five route endpoints to this magnetic island, forcing Moria into a prolonged conflict.
Normally, such a force could be ended by eliminating the leader, but just as Moria was about to find and deal with the prince, this eagle-man descended from the sky.
A rare strong opponent, even among the Seven Warlords.
"Heinrich, Bird-Bird Fruit: Ancient Species, Giant Eagle Form."
The eagle-man spoke in a deep voice, pointing his spear. "I do not follow the king; I only follow Lady Sylvia. She is the holy maiden who will save the country. By her will, I am here to stop you!"
"Oh, that village girl is Sylvia? I’ve heard of her; she’s quite persuasive. The current resistance is led by her, right? She’s just a regular person, and our Disaster Pirates don’t target regular people. Why are you so opposed to us?"
Moria smiled. "On the contrary, we like people like you. Sylvia is quite talented and would make a good subordinate. Your ability to control eagles is exactly what we need. What do you say? We’ll treat you well, hehehehe."
The Helar Kingdom is different now. It has gathered forces from multiple sides, all integrated into one, fiercely resisting them, making it difficult to fully conquer.
The culprit is a woman named Sylvia.
A regular person, rumored to be a village girl, but she mysteriously became the leader. In just a few days, she has shown exceptional leadership, now revered by the locals as a hero and a holy maiden.
Her level of respect is comparable to Sage in Ohara.
A troublesome opponent, but also one with outstanding talent. Although Moria hasn’t met her, he has developed a fondness for her abilities.
Rapid expansion inevitably leads to a talent shortage, and while four million people might be enough, having a few more capable individuals would certainly be beneficial.
"Don’t dream, Pirate."
Heinrich tightened his grip on his spear. "We will not submit to any Pirate. Lady Sylvia is the one who will save this country. Our future is in our own hands, not in the hands of some evil person!"
Whoosh!
As he finished speaking, a burst of fireworks exploded in the sky behind him. Heinrich glanced back, then without hesitation, flapped his wings and flew away.
Moria narrowed his eyes and watched the burst of fireworks. "Did they complete a plan? Then..."
"Buru buru buru!"
Soon, the Den Den Mushi in his pocket rang.
Moria picked it up and answered, and Hawkins’ voice came through.
"Failed. They retreated, and we lost some men."
Hawkins’ cold voice carried a hint of anger. "That village girl is formidable. Her command skills are rare, comparable to Lily’s. This place won’t be easy to settle."
(End of Chapter)
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