Chapter 773: I'll Just Take a Stroll Around
Chapter 773: I'll Just Take a Stroll Around
Kolf Kingdom's capital, Stone King City, stood in a state of decay. High above in a castle's balcony, a young man stood with furrowed brows, gazing out at the desolation.
"Your Majesty", an attendant bowed behind him. "We've received intelligence. Our army was ambushed while advancing on Bom Village. It seems they've been utterly destroyed."
Crash! The young man slammed his fist against the stone railing, his knuckles tightening until his skin stretched white. "That area contains a Bomb Rock vein! How dare those pirates attack there? Our citizens were still in the village!"
The attendant kept his head lowered, silent.
Taking several deep breaths, the young man turned. "Where's my father? How is he?"
The attendant hesitated. "King Noardi's condition is critical. His arm has-"
His fists clenched so hard blood began seeping through his skin. "That damn Luffy!!"
"But Father brought this on himself", he muttered bitterly. "If he hadn't ruled with such cruelty, none of this would've happened. Still, I'll make Luffy pay for his crimes! What about the World Government? Haven't their agents arrived yet?"
"Not yet, Your Majesty", the attendant replied. "And if they're conducting an investigation, they might not even inform us."
The young king's eyes darkened. "Would the World Government even bother intervening in our affairs anymore?"
...
Meanwhile in Stone Village, Kuro led his men into a stone house resembling a clay furnace. The stone door hung half-open. Without hesitation, he pushed it wide.
Inside was stark - stone tables, stone beds, and stone furniture. But against the wall, a soldier-like figure was impaled, arms spread wide with massive nails piercing his palms, feet pinned similarly to the wall. Bloodstained instruments lay nearby - whips, clamps, all dripping crimson.
"I won't... yield..."
Hearing the intrusion, the soldier muttered weakly without lifting his head.
"Endured torture already?"
Kuro frowned, flicked his finger. The nails tore free of their own accord.
The soldier cried out in pain as he collapsed. Lida stepped forward, placed his palm on the man's back. "Essence Feedback!"
Sickly vitality surged into the wounded soldier. The holes in his palms and heels began knitting flesh anew.
"What... what is this?"
The healing caused the soldier to lift his bloodied face in shock, staring at Kuro's group.
"Navy?"
After a long moment, the soldier recognized their uniforms. "Navy! You're from the World Government?!"
"Sharp observation", Kuro lit a cigar, smoke curling. "You're a soldier here? Tell me about this country. This is supposed to be a pirate nation - why are you still here?"
A pirate nation should teem with pirates. But when soldiers try suppressing pirates, things get complicated.
"They've finally come?! Please, save us!" The soldier's voice shook. "The pirates have completely revolted! Ever since Luffy defeated our former king, everything's fallen apart!"
"Start from the beginning. Why are you here? What's your country's situation?" Kuro asked, teeth clenched around his cigar.
The Kolf Kingdom was once a pirate haven. But King Kolf Noardi captured pirates, forcing them into slavery mining Bomb Rocks. For twenty years, no one dared piracy here - pirates would inevitably become slaves.
But Luffy's arrival changed everything. He defeated the king, freed the slaves. Some pirates left, but most stayed to wreak vengeance.
Bom Village became their target. Once populated by civilians, it was now nearly deserted. The current king later dispatched limited forces to eliminate the pirates, but they were ambushed before reaching the village, only scattered survivors escaping.
The village also held a Bomb Rock vein. If captured, the consequences would be dire. The pirates didn't know its exact location yet, hence why this soldier remained alive - they were torturing him for information.
Bomb Rock mining was hidden within stone mines. While the island had varying concentrations, only specific areas formed veins. Few knew these locations, and the slave miners here had already fled.
Gavas' pirates came from elsewhere. Without knowledge of the vein's location, they couldn't properly mine Bomb Rocks.
"Seems inevitable", Kuro remarked. "Treating people as slaves always has consequences. Though I never expected anyone to openly enslave people after the Fisher Tiger incident."
Even World Nobles required World Government cover-ups. Though everyone knew about Mariejois' slave trade, the difference between active cover-ups and open slavery was stark.
The uprising was only natural.
"Though your new king isn't completely heartless. At least he sent you to protect civilians."
Kuro exhaled smoke. "So where exactly is the vein?"
"I know, but I won't tell. It's on the northern slope plateau, rich with Bomb Rocks. But you need specialized tools to mine it. Ordinary picks would trigger explosions." The soldier explained.
Bomb Rock required unique mining tools - picks wrapped in bubble-like membranes. Only such elastic, low-impact tools could extract the volatile mineral safely.
"Understood." Kuro nodded. "Take him to recover, then we head to the capital. I'll go see this new king."
"And me?" Lida asked.
"Come with me", Kuro gestured at the landscape. "I'll just take a stroll around. This place has decent scenery. Let me study the terrain."
"Please hurry", the soldier pressed his lips together. "The pirates are gathering for revenge. Whatever King Noardi did, the new King Arcitan is innocent. He loves his people. The civilians are innocent too. Pirates shouldn't target them."
(End of Chapter)
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