The cold winter wind dispersed the warmth of the sun, and Capone Island had not seen clear weather for several days.
Sitting in a room at the top of the family’s base, Capone Bege put down some documents and leaned back in his chair, lighting a cigar.
Hoo…
A few wisps of smoke dispersed with his breath, filling the room with the scent of cigars.
“How’s the business in West Blue lately?”
Hearing this question, Vito, who was wiping his guns, thought for a moment and replied, “Everything is normal! Since Chinjao of the Happo Navy in Kano Country placed an order ten days ago, the only area we can’t control is the islands near Calm Belt.”
“Is that so? That’s good…”
Capone Bege nodded. Vito had been in charge of the family’s business for years, and if he said there were no problems, then there were no problems. They had developed a tacit understanding and trust over the years.
“But… why does my eyelid keep twitching recently?” Bege wondered, “I feel like something bad is about to happen.”
Bang!
As soon as he finished speaking, an explosion shattered the tranquility of Capone Island. Vito and Bege’s expressions simultaneously froze, and then Vito looked at Bege with a peculiar gaze.
“Looks like you hit the nail on the head, Father!”
“Y-Yes…” Bege rubbed his stubble and seethed with anger.
Bastards!
Aren’t the bodies drowned in Capone Island’s trench enough?
They dared to come and attack me!
…
Capone Island, outside the City Fortress.
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
Three steel artillery cannons shot outbursts of flames as solid iron shells smashed into the hard rocks, leaving craters wherever they hit!
The Capone Mafia soldiers hiding behind the walls had dirt-covered faces, waiting for the intervals between cannon fire to command a counterattack.
“Fire! Blast them to death!!”
“Capone Gang has always bullied others; no one can bully Capone Gang!”
“Attack! Kill them all!”
Whoosh… Whoosh…!
Bang… Boom!
Ships and islands remained motionless, while the only moving things were the black cannonballs flying between the City Fortress and Pirate Ships.
Explosions, smoke, and the frenzy of battle painted a vivid picture of a lower-level naval battle, something Rowen had only seen in movies and shows in his previous life.
The Happo Navy and the Capone Mafia exchanged a ‘friendly’ barrage of cannonballs, and then Happo Navy pirates landed from the blasted walls and flooded into Capone Island, engaging in combat with the enemy soldiers/pirates.
In the One Piece World, where a person’s personal strength can reach an extraordinary height, even with the existence of “Science” for hundreds of years, technological advancements remained frighteningly behind. As a result, warfare had turned into a template of kings’ generals fighting generals, relying on brute force and showcasing overwhelming might to secure victory.
“What a boring and cliché way of war…” On the distant sea beyond Capone Island’s fortress, Rowen observed the battle through his Kenbunshoku Haki (Observation Haki) and couldn’t help but feel a mix of emotions in his heart.
Having been accustomed to Marine’s “Bullying, of other pirates and nations” looking at the rudimentary cannons used by the Happo Navy, the disparity between their strengths became even more evident.
The cannons used by the Capone Mafia had slightly longer range and better accuracy, but they were still bound by the limitations of the era.
If one disregarded high-end combat capabilities, Rowen felt that his ship Qilin could take on ten of these opponents!
Fortunately, Kano Country, supported by the Happo Navy, was like a local tycoon in West Blue, boasting personal strength that overshadowed the entire region!
Even though their equipment might not match the Capone Mafia’s, with high-end combatants like Don Sai and the Pillars of State joining the fray, they were still overwhelming and unstoppable!
The Second Commander of the Happo Navy, Kai’s fists were powerful and invincible, and no enemy could withstand a second round against him!
Henry accompanied Rowen, and he asked with a delighted expression on his face, “Vice Admiral! They’ve charged into the City Fortress. Should we…”
“If you want to face a military demerit then go right ahead, but don’t expect me to come to your rescue!” Rowen calmly sipped his tea as he spoke, completly ignoring Henry’s suggestion.
The look on Henry’s face turned sour, and he awkwardly stopped talking.
If Sengoku hadn’t known about their actions then they could have taken the opportunity to raid the Capone Mafia and make off with their riches… After all, they were criminals; who could vouch for their money?
Unfortunately, Sengoku was already aware of this matter, and inspectors from the Marine Headquarters were said to be on their way.
If Rowen dared to embezzle anything then…
“Alas, even a mosquito is meat!”
Abandoning the idea of taking advantage of the situation to plunder the Capone Mafia Family, Rowen gave the order, “Notify everyone to bypass from the back and encircle the Happo Navy from both sides!”
“Yes!”
Henry stood at attention and prepared to convey the order.
However, just before turning around, he suddenly remembered something and hesitantly asked, “By the way, Vice Admiral, how were you so sure that Chinjao would send people to cause trouble for us?”
Moreover, it was at a place as heavily guarded as the armory!
Even if the Vice Pillar named Abu had not come up with twisted ideas and only gave the Marines laxatives, which was just a harmless joke, there was no reason for them to provoke the forces of the Shichibukai, not to mention calling for support from the Aircraft Force.
Could it be that Abu was Rowen’s spy?
And they were deliberately cooperating to put on a show?
This idea even made Henry himself find it ridiculous, but it was the only answer he could think of. Unable to figure out his superior’s thoughts, he had been unable to sleep for several days, and he finally decided to ask today.
In response, Rowen glanced at him and slowly spoke before Henry could be completely drenched in a cold sweat.
“Do you know, Henry… when Marines are stationed near islands or during their journeys, the patrol deployments on Battleships are different.”
“This isn’t just a personal habit; it’s a requirement stated in the officer’s manual!”
Upon hearing Rowen’s explanation, Henry suddenly had a realization! When they docked, the patrol deployment was still the same as usual! But being the same was the biggest anomaly!
Especially around the armory!
The level of defense between the two areas was vastly different! As a pirate, Chinjao probably had no knowledge of the intricacies of Marine regulations, as seen by the fact that even Henry needed Rowen’s reminder to figure it out. So Chinjao only saw an opportunity to exploit their lax patrol, without delving any deeper into the matter.
And thus, Rowen baited Abu with a clever tactic. As someone trusted by Chinjao and capable of executing this plan, Abu had quickly memorized the list of soldiers and their routing after just a few days of interaction and Rowen was able to take advantage of this.
Moreover, once they caught Abu, given their relationship, Chinjao couldn’t turn a blind eye to him.
Hiss…!
‘Rowen was truly a Vice Admiral!’ Henry couldn’t help but shiver as he thought of this, but soon, he saluted him and hurriedly left.
…
(End of this chapter)
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