Since coming to this world and encountering the dark and gray areas that the original work never revealed, Rowen has always believed that the Allied Kingdom Members in the New World are undoubtedly the most pitiful.
Many of their ancestors were Allied Kingdom Members, living peacefully for hundreds of years without bothering anyone.
However, with the advent of the Pirate Era initiated by Roger and the emergence of the Yonko system in the New World, they found themselves caught between the World Government and the Yonko, making their lives suddenly much harder.
The World Government can only offer them intimidation before an incident and revenge after, and for a mere Allied Kingdom Member to go to war with a Yonko, even the Gorōsei (Five Elder Stars) would have to weigh the consequences, making it almost impossible.
So, to live well, none of the Yonko can be provoked.
At the same time, as Allied Kingdom Members, they cannot simply turn their backs on the Yonko’s rule like other countries, disregarding their reputation. The Gorōsei (Five Elder Stars) would be the first to come after them if they did.
In terms of the power held by the World Government, dealing with entrenched Yonko in the New World may be difficult, but bringing down an Allied Kingdom Member is a piece of cake.
Poly Island is one such kingdom.
Since the establishment of the Yonko system, they have been paying increasing amounts of Heavenly Tribute to the government each year to maintain their status as Allied Kingdom Members and receive Marine protection.
At the same time, they provide the BIG MOM pirate crew with high-quality glutinous rice flour to ensure their own safety.
This year, Polly Island has been particularly unlucky. They faced an assassination attempt on their king, resulting in political turmoil, and a half-year-long drought led to a complete failure of their crops.
With the Sea Calendar year 1518 Levely approaching, the customary rent collection from Totto Land wasn’t received, and nearly half of their territory was directly taken by force.
It wasn’t that the BIG MOM pirate crew had changed their ways. One must remember that Charlotte Linlin is a ruthless figure known for destroying cities and annihilating nations with a single word. It’s just that Polly Island is relatively large, and it would take some time to wipe it out like a normal small country.
“No wonder Kizaru feels troubled about not being at the Fleet Admiral’s meeting. If he were to set off from Headquarters by Battleship and then sail to Polly Island, the food would probably be cold by the time he got there.”
Standing thousands of meters in the air, Rowen looked down at the island below, half of it lush green and the other half a withered, reddish-yellow, and the clear boundary of the River. A slight smile curled up on his lips.
“BIG MOM pirate crew… heh!”
Meanwhile, at the former palace of Polly Island.
Faint traces of cannon fire could be seen on the mottled, charred walls. The grand palace was in ruins, with debris scattered everywhere. The original national flag of Polly Island had been torn down and thrown into the sewage, while the flag of the BIG MOM pirate crew fluttered in the bloody, smoky air.
In the only remaining intact hall of the palace, there sat a King’s throne, with a base made of gold and precious fur lining.
However, with the passage of time, what used to be a grand hall filled with light and bustling activity, now had only dim torches and a hollow silence.
The old King was assassinated by the pirates and taken away to gain notoriety, while the young King, still at the age of nursing, had this throne, which hadn’t been sat upon for months, now occupied by a robust man standing over two meters tall.
“Hmph! You thought hiding in the mountains would save you?”
“Spread my command, set the mountains and forests ablaze!”
Looking at the Information handed to him by his subordinate, Charlotte Oven’s face was full of disdain, and he immediately issued the ruthless order to burn down the forests.
With his golden-orange hair styled in a flame-like triangular shape, and only a cloak draped over his upper body, revealing a sturdy physique, Charlotte Oven, as the fourth son of the Charlotte Family and the ‘Minister of Browned Food’ among the thirty-four ministers, was a Paramecia-type Devil Fruit user with the Netsu Netsu no Mi (Heat-Heat Fruit) ability.
His strength was fully formidable, ranking high even in the New World, where powerful individuals abound.
“But… Oven Sama…”
The pirate stood up trembling with fear, bowing his body and whispering, “We still haven’t found the location of the treasury. If the young King dies, we won’t be able to complete the mission Mama entrusted to us.”
As a relatively large Allied Kingdom Member, theoretically, facing just a year of drought shouldn’t be enough to break their bones, and they should still be able to afford their annual tribute.
But they couldn’t prevent the sudden death of the King, which led to the ministers vying for power and igniting a war.
They thought that no one would know, so they just went ahead with the war. The Defend the King Faction clashed with the Anti-King Faction, and the ministers fought amongst themselves, with the citizens getting involved as well.
And in this war, what was at stake was not just food, but also lives – with every artillery shot, blood and gold flowed like a river!
The civilian food supply was quickly depleted in the war, leaving only reserves in the treasury. Without finding the treasury, there would be no food, and without food, they couldn’t fulfill the mission entrusted to them by their mother.
The collection of the tribute was a task that the various ministers of Totto Land took turns performing each year. If one failed to complete the mission in their assigned year, not to mention the face they would lose as the older brother to hundreds of younger siblings, even passing Charlotte Linlin’s scrutiny would be impossible.
Oven certainly didn’t want to incur “BIG MOM’s” wrath; that could lead to real casualties!
“Ugh! What a bother!”
The hot-tempered Charlotte Oven’s face was filled with impatience. A wave of heat spread out, scorching the pirates’ skin and leaving them frozen in place.
However, thankfully, the name “Mama” made Oven somewhat apprehensive. He suppressed his frustration and gave orders.
“Let everyone in to search the mountains! If you can’t find them, I’ll have your heads!”
Originally, this was just the routine task of collecting this year’s tribute from those who offered it to the King of “Totto Land.” They never expected to run into such a troublesome situation. With only one month left until the deadline, they hadn’t managed to collect even a single hair.
From this perspective, both Polly Island and Charlotte Oven were innocent victims of an unforeseen disaster.
“Yes, sir!”
Upon receiving the command, the pirate immediately nodded and saluted, hastily rushing out of the palace.
Soon, a force consisting of thousands of pirates and Homies formed up, heading towards the mountains at the other end of the island.
Oven sat on the throne, shaking his leg impatiently. His fingers impatiently tapped the armrest, and suddenly, he struck with a fist.
Boom!
The golden armrest instantly turned into liquid in the face of that terrifying high temperature, splattering into pieces under the force of the punch. Charlotte Oven’s eyes carried a hint of fear and anger, grinding his teeth.
“Damn pirates!”
“Pū Chī…!”
At this moment, suppressed laughter echoed in the spacious palace hall. Oven’s gaze narrowed, and he looked up towards a certain pillar in the corner of the hall. The fist glowed with an orange-yellow sheen, and the air around it instantly distorted.
“Who’s there?!”
“Huh? Impressive Kenbunshoku Haki (Observation Haki)…”
Unexpectedly, the other party managed to accurately locate him. Rowen, slightly surprised, stepped out from behind the pillar, the sharp edge of his Thunder Dragon crescent-sided halberd leaving a pitch-black fissure on the ground, exuding a killing intent.
“Marine?!”
Seeing Rowen’s attire, Charlotte Oven’s expression turned solemn.
This was an Allied Kingdom Member of the World Government. It wouldn’t be surprising if they were here.
But the fact that the other party had silently infiltrated the palace, if it were for assassination, most of the members of the Charlotte Family wouldn’t be able to stop them.
And…
“You’re… Marine’s Soryu (Azure Dragon)!”
Oven’s pupils constricted as he recognized Rowen.
“You got it right, but unfortunately, there’s no reward…”
Shuā!
Suddenly, Rowen flashed forward, and a blue light streaked through the air, landing on Charlotte Oven’s chest.
Hiss…!
In this critical moment, his formidable Kenbunshoku Haki (Observation Haki) saved his life. Oven, who seemed bulky, instantly agilely leaned back, leaving only a bloodstain less than a centimeter deep on his chest from the Thunder Dragon crescent-sided halberd, which then brushed past his chin.
“Damn it! It’s him!!!”
A chilling sense of danger surged to his heart as Oven recalled Charlotte Linlin’s instructions: if they encounter Marine’s Kizaru or Soryu (Azure Dragon), they should abandon the mission and escape. Without hesitation, he turned and charged towards the wall behind the throne.
Bang!
The hard wall shattered into pieces as he collided with it, and the outside air rushed in, but the crisis was far from over.
“Naive…”
Behind him, Rowen raised his eyelids lightly and uttered a word with indifference.
“Fall!”
After being prepared for thousands of meters in the air, the accumulated thunderclouds instantly burst open. Silver lightning danced wildly in the high sky, converging into a silver-white thunderous beast that roared toward the sky.
Oven looked up in shock, horrified to find that no matter where he ran, he couldn’t escape the attack range.
“You devil!!!”
Thunder Cloud Qilin!
(End of this chapter)
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