The heavy atmosphere in Duke Kingdom's royal council hall enveloped the entire chamber. Sunlight streamed through the stained glass windows, casting mottled patterns on the floor, yet it couldn't dispel the oppressive mood within the hall.
"Your Majesty, urgent military intelligence from the port - the Beasts Pirates' fleet is approaching our territorial waters," reported the kingdom's military commander Godfrey Evans, kneeling on one knee with a resonant voice. He wore silver armor, his sword clinking softly at his waist with each movement.
Duke III sat upright on his gem-encrusted throne, rhythmically tapping the armrest with his fingers. "They've finally come?" he murmured to himself, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes.
The elderly Duke Lake stepped forward leaning on his cane, his graying beard trembling slightly with his rapid breathing. "Your Majesty, please reconsider! The Beasts Pirates have only established a base on Kaz Island and haven't shown any intention of invading our country..."
"Enough!" Duke III suddenly slammed the table and stood up, interrupting Duke Lake. "You've repeated this too many times, Duke Lake."
Duke Lake remained persistent, his wrinkled face filled with concern: "Your Majesty, we haven't formally engaged in battle yet. If we take the initiative to show goodwill and offer some treasures..."
"Cowardice!" Godfrey Evans sharply interrupted. "It's precisely this kind of weak thinking that has forced us to repeatedly cede territory and pay reparations, leading to empty national coffers and our people going hungry!"
"General Evans!" Duke Lake retorted excitedly. "You must understand that while hunger is painful, it's still better than death! Kaidou of the Beasts was already a brutal pirate with a bounty over a hundred million Belly ten years ago!"
Duke III suddenly burst into laughter, the sound echoing through the council hall. He slowly raised his right hand, a ball of blazing flame suddenly igniting in his palm, illuminating his resolute face. "Duke Lake, you're too conservative."
"If it were Golden Lion Shiki or Whitebeard Newgate coming personally, I might consider temporarily avoiding confrontation. But a mere pirate with an 850 million Belly bounty..."
He clenched his fist, and the flame instantly extinguished. "Before I obtained this new power, I could easily defeat pirates with 350 million Belly bounties. Now..." A red light flashed in Duke III's eyes, "...this is nothing to worry about."
Godfrey Evans immediately agreed: "His Majesty is right! Since your coronation, our military strength has advanced by leaps and bounds. The Beasts Pirates aren't satisfied with occupying a golden country like Wano Country, and now they dare covet our Duke Kingdom! If we don't strike them hard, how will other nations in the New World view us?"
Duke Lake let out a long sigh, his hunched figure appearing even more aged. He knew any further advice would be useless.
"Evans!" Duke III commanded loudly. "Immediately mobilize all forces to deploy defenses at the port, and bring out all our ammunition reserves! This time, I'll make the pirates of the New World understand that Duke Kingdom is not a lamb to be slaughtered!"
"As you command!" Evans straightened his back. "I have already made the necessary arrangements."
Duke III strode down from his throne, his crimson cloak flapping loudly behind him. "Let's go! We shall meet this so-called 'Beast'!"
With the king and his general's departure, only Duke Lake remained in the council hall. The old man's trembling hand caressed the armrest of the throne, his clouded eyes filled with regret. "Perhaps... supporting the reforms was a mistake..." he murmured, his voice fading into the empty hall.
Outside the hall, war drums had begun to beat, and the synchronized footsteps of soldiers grew louder as they approached. The fate of Duke Kingdom was about to face a major turning point.
The five warships of the Beasts Pirates quickly closed in on Duke Kingdom's harbor. On the azure sea, five massive battleships formed a battle formation, their beast-head figureheads gleaming coldly under the sunlight.
"It seems they aren't completely unprepared," Bullet remarked, standing on the main ship's deck as he narrowed his eyes to observe the soldiers busily setting up defenses at the distant harbor. Rows of cannons were being pushed into position, with soldiers running back and forth to transport ammunition.
"Kishishishi, a futile effort. Mere cannonballs are nothing but toys to the strong," Moria said, standing nearby. His tall figure cast a large shadow as he toyed with a zombie doll, a mocking smile on his face.
...
"However, we are not the type to take a hit without retaliation," Urouge said gravely. "Prepare immediately. Fire the cannons as soon as we're within range."
"Yes, sir!" the pirates chorused, swiftly moving to their battle stations. The gunners expertly loaded ammunition and adjusted the angles of the cannons.
As the fleet continued its advance, the harbor soon entered the firing range of the Beasts Pirates.
"Fire the cannons!" Bullet commanded.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Dozens of heavy cannons on the three main ships fired simultaneously, their deafening roars echoing across the sea. The cannonballs tore through the sky with sharp whistles, heading straight for the harbor.
Kaboom! Kaboom—! Kaboom—!
The harbor was instantly engulfed in a sea of flames. Wooden defensive structures were blasted to splinters, with debris and wood chips flying everywhere. Several watchtowers collapsed in the explosions, sending clouds of dust into the air.
But Duke Kingdom's counterattack came swiftly. The harbor's artillery batteries immediately returned fire, sending dozens of cannonballs screaming toward the pirate fleet.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Kaboom—! Kaboom—! Kaboom——!
Most of the cannonballs fell into the sea, sending water columns over ten meters high into the air. A few struck the ships' hulls, but only left shallow white marks on the Adam Treasure Tree-crafted structures.
The Beasts Pirates' fleet continued its steady advance. As one of the most powerful pirate crews in the New World, their equipment was top-tier:
The fleet dispatched by the All-Stars consisted of one main ship and four secondary ships. The main ship measured 188 meters in length, 58 meters in width, and 38 meters in height; the secondary ships were 157 meters long, 39 meters wide, and 28 meters high. All vessels were constructed entirely from the legendary Adam Treasure Tree, making them incredibly durable.
The fleet deployed by the Flying Six comprised one main ship accompanied by two secondary ships. The main ship shared the same specifications as the All-Stars' secondary ships, while the secondary ships measured 118 meters in length, 28 meters in width, and 21 meters in height. The main ship was also built from Adam Treasure Tree, whereas the secondary ships only used Adam Treasure Tree for their keels, with the rest of their structures made from ironwood cultivated by the Tontatta Tribe.
Headliner-level executives could only command one main vessel, with specifications identical to those of the Flying Six's flagship, though only the keel was constructed from Adam Treasure Tree material.
This strict hierarchy fostered intense internal competition within the Beasts Pirates, with every ambitious officer striving for advancement.
At this moment, Bullet and the others were aboard a top-tier warship of All-Stars caliber. The Duke Kingdom's cannonballs couldn't inflict substantial damage to it. Leveraging their absolute equipment advantage, the Beasts Pirates' fleet continued advancing toward the harbor.
However, as the distance closed, the intensity of incoming fire grew increasingly concentrated. Bullet and his companions had no choice but to personally intercept the projectiles.
"Hmph!" With a cold snort, Bullet threw a punch enveloped in Armament Haki, shattering several incoming cannonballs mid-air.
Meanwhile, Moria directed swarms of Shadow Bats to intercept the flying artillery shells one by one. Urouge effortlessly deflected the incoming barrage by swinging his massive pencil-like weapon.
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