After more than half a month of slaughter, over fifty thousand nobles had been killed or hanged, surpassing the number of soldiers who died on the battlefield.
They continued killing until no one dared to resist.
[The Fall of Ten Kingdoms!]
[The Tragedy of the Rune Kingdom!]
Captured by a mysterious reporter, the Beasts' campaign and the tragedy of the Rune Kingdom made headlines, sending shockwaves through the noble families of the North Sea, even sparking a wave of refugees.
A large number of nobles fled with their fortunes, hoping to escape to other seas, but the pirates, who had long been eyeing this opportunity, would not let them go easily.
The unaligned nations were anxious, fearing they would become the next target of the Beasts, while the allied nations were also caught in the whirlpool of war.
Those weaker allied nations somehow acquired a large number of weapons and launched fierce attacks against their former oppressors.
As for the wars between the allied nations, the Navy had no authority to intervene and could only watch as the conflicts escalated.
The situation in the North Sea was completely out of control.
At the port of the Rune Kingdom, in the Mushroom Tavern.
The head chef served up a Mushroom Feast, once again demonstrating his salt-sprinkling skills, but this time his demeanor was noticeably more restrained.
"Sir, please enjoy your meal."
"Mm."
Gurd nodded with a smile.
Compared to other towns, this small port town they had long occupied had hardly been affected.
The nobles here had already been killed by Ulti.
Ulti slammed the newspaper on the table, fuming: "Gu Jiang, look at this! The World Government is so despicable!"
"I've already seen it."
Gurd remained unfazed, focusing on savoring the delicious mushrooms.
It was the same old story, portraying them as bloodthirsty monsters, but this time they had indeed killed quite a few.
However, to serve as a warning to others, some sacrifices were necessary; death was far more intimidating than capturing someone as a prisoner.
This time, the newspaper's release instantly quelled the waves of resistance from the other nine nations, each one behaving more obediently than ever.
The effect was remarkable!
As for the public's sentiment, when the people felt benefits, they would naturally support them; time would prove everything.
In addition to the newspaper, there was also a stack of new bounty notices, one of which featured a grinning young boy.
"Straw Hat" Monkey D. Luffy, bounty of 30 million Berries .
Gurd glanced at it and then withdrew his gaze.
"Ulti, I'm planning to head back."
"Eh? So sudden?"
Ulti cautiously probed, "Can I go back with you?!"
"You should stay here for a while, wait until things stabilize before returning."
Gurd shook his head.
Ulti (▼皿▼#).
Gurd chuckled softly.
He had already negotiated with Celt, allowing him to continue as king, with some minor matters left to his discretion, while the major direction would follow Gurd's orders.
In short, it was a puppet regime.
Considering that after he left, the remaining noble forces might secretly stir up trouble, it was better to have Ulti stay a bit longer.
This girl knew his style very well.
Next, the Rune Kingdom would enter a period of comprehensive construction, including land leasing and a multitude of projects like road building.
And there was also the Hoenn Fortress!
Troublemakers, officials who deliberately delayed progress, and useless bureaucrats would all be dealt with, no reasons needed.
With the blade sharp enough, those below would naturally know how to get things done.
"I'll leave this to you."
Gurd ruffled Ulti's hair and stood up to leave.
On the coast, soldiers were lined up in formation.
A total of 1,000 men.
This thousand-strong force was selected from the remaining soldiers and would serve as the permanent garrison for the Hoenn Fortress.
Other kingdoms would also select some soldiers to send to the Hoenn Fortress, and once the fortresses across the North Sea were established, they would return to garrison.
Leading them was the Radiant Knights, now reduced to just over fifty members, indicating their strength as they survived the fall into the Great Rift.
"Lord Gurd!"
The leading female knight knelt on one knee.
"I am Talia, the vice-captain of the Radiant Knights, sent by His Majesty Celt to lead 1,000 soldiers to follow you."
"Mm."
Gurd assessed the female knight.
Clad in silver armor, she looked quite formidable.
And she was quite strong!
Though she hadn't removed her armor, it was hard to tell her exact figure, but her armored stance was no less impressive than that of a man.
Gurd sensed the negative emotions radiating from the female knight; it wasn't just her, the other soldiers felt the same.
"Do you hate me?"
"…"
Talia instinctively clenched her fists, a hint of white mane appearing on her face, her teeth sharpening slightly.
Gurd spoke coldly.
"Then remember this feeling: the weak have no right to choose!"
"Set off!"
The 1,000 soldiers boarded the Rune Kingdom's warship, following behind the Groudon Ship, their spirits low as they gazed at it.
"Vice-captain, this is so frustrating!"
"Mm."
Talia nodded silently.
Having lost so many comrades and still having to obey the orders of the enemy was indeed hard to accept, but just as they said.
The weak have no right to choose!
"We must grow stronger!"
Days later.
In the Calm Belt, at the Hoenn Fortress.
"It's the Groudon Ship!"
"Commander has returned!"
"Quick, open the gates!"
Upon seeing the Groudon Ship, the two giant guards immediately pulled the levers, and the gates of the inner port of the fortress began to open.
The warriors lined up to welcome.
The fierce military presence made the soldiers who followed Gurd dare not even breathe, especially as they passed by the giant race.
They were not even as big as the giants' feet.
A month had passed, and the fortress had undergone many new changes, especially in terms of greening; the laborers had planted quite a few trees.
There was also the weather device.
It seemed to welcome Gurd, as an announcement echoed through the fortress: "Attention all units, heavy rain is expected in the next three hours, with a south wind at level four!"
"…"
Gurd looked up at the sky.
Rain clouds quickly gathered, and the wind began to blow.
"Pitter-patter!"
Rain poured down.
"Oh, it's really raining!"
The soldiers in the fortress rushed to the central square, excited like children; this was the first rain since the fortress was built.
"The effect is quite good."
Gurd looked toward the top of the fortress, where a special weather device resembling a large chimney continuously spewed clouds and mist.
The weather controller developed by Vegapunk.
This thing worked quite well in the Calm Belt.
Had he known it would be this effective, he should have had Stussy acquire some cutting-edge technology, ideally replicating an Egghead.
Oh, that's a good idea!
The research institute currently under construction was built according to the blueprints from Punk Hazard, which was somewhat outdated.
Gurd smiled as he returned to his office.
The Straw Hat kid had a bounty, indicating he had entered the Grand Line, which meant Fire Fist Ace and Blackbeard would soon cross paths.
It was time to shift his focus.
Let him take over the legacy of the Whitebeard Pirates!
He was too busy; tomorrow he had to attend a friend's wedding, and updates might be affected. Once the holiday was over, he would definitely catch up.
(End of Chapter)