Ding!
The short blade was blocked with perfect precision. The one holding the weapon was a female ANBU member wearing a mask, with long purple hair.
"So fast I got caught already?!" Milan's heart sank.
The purple haired ANBU did not pause for even a moment. Her first strike failed, and her short blade immediately turned into a storm, hammering toward Milan again and again.
Ding ding ding ding ding!!!!!
Under the moonlight, the long blade and short blade wove into a blur. Cold flashes overlapped, killing intent pressing down.
Sharp sword energy swept like a gale, carving deep marks into the ground and tree trunks around them. The force of their clash shook everything nearby.
"Hah!" Milan let out a sharp breath. She twisted her blade to evade the purple haired ANBU's attacks, then raised a hand to wipe a tiny cut on her cheek. A dangerous light flickered in her eyes, and she curled her lips into a charming smile.
"I thought you were all Devil Fruit users. So there's a real swordswoman too. A short blade? Fine. Let me see what you people are really capable of!"
"Mirror Flower!"
Milan shouted again. Her long blade danced like wind, and countless slashes flew out like a downpour toward the purple haired ANBU.
Boom boom boom boom!!!
The barrage swallowed the ANBU's position. Dirt and stone burst outward, and thick smoke surged up.
"That's it?" Milan's smile filled with mockery.
Then
"Crescent Moon Dance." A clear, chilly voice rose from within the smoke.
Whoosh whoosh whoosh!
As the words fell, three purple haired ANBU appeared like ghosts, shooting out of the smoke. Their movements were swift and clean, and in an instant they crossed past Milan from three angles.
Immediately after, two of them turned into white smoke and vanished without a trace. The one in the middle sheathed her short blade and walked away without even looking back.
Splurt!
"How how is this possible" Milan's eyes widened in disbelief. Blood burst from her body as she turned her head toward the departing back. Then her strength left her, and she collapsed to the ground, dead.
At that point, none of the Gambino family's top leadership survived. Every last one of them had fallen.
This night was destined to be a bloody night.
…
A voyage at sea was always filled with danger and uncertainty, and its length was hard to measure with words.
From the moment they departed the Zephyr Kingdom to the sea area where the Gambino family's headquarters was located, even at full speed, it would take nearly a full day.
Moonlight flowed like water across the surging sea.
Three warships advanced in a triangular formation, cutting through the waves.
In the howling wind, the sails snapped loudly. The Zephyr Kingdom's blue and white flag whipped and streamed, as if declaring its existence to the world.
Inside the central flagship's cabin, there was a room arranged to be both comfortable and luxurious.
Roy lounged on a soft sofa, holding a book titled History of the Sea Circle Calendar, flipping through it with interest.
Behind him, Cici gently kneaded his shoulders. Her beautiful eyes kept stealing glances at Roy's side profile, and a silly smile kept appearing on her face.
"Sea Circle Calendar Year 1510 so there are still ten years until the real story begins." Roy muttered as he reached the modern history section. "Interesting timing. I wonder if Hancock has already taken the throne as Empress by now."
Cici tilted her head, blank and confused, not understanding a word he was saying.
Knock knock!
A sudden knock broke the quiet.
Roy closed the book, rubbed his slightly sore eyes, and said softly, "Come in."
"Prince"
The former head guard, now promoted to corps commander, Stanley entered carefully and knelt on one knee before Roy.
Even though he could not see any black clad ANBU members in the room, he did not dare show Roy the slightest disrespect.
Because he knew those terrifyingly strong ANBU were hidden somewhere out of sight. If Roy faced any danger, they would appear like phantoms and cut the enemy down without hesitation.
More importantly, for some reason, standing before Roy now made him feel like he could not even look straight at him.
It was like facing a supreme ruler.
"What is it?" Roy asked calmly, still enjoying Cici's shoulder massage as he looked at Stanley.
"Well" Stanley glanced at Roy carefully. His throat bobbed as he swallowed. After hesitating, he finally forced himself to speak.
"Prince, even if you've given the order, please forgive me for speaking plainly. With only a little over two thousand royal soldiers, defeating the Gambino family is like smashing an egg against a stone. It's suicide. Right now morale is low, and the soldiers are uneasy. If we reach Moor Island like this, we may fall apart before the battle even begins."
"Mm. I know," Roy replied, expression unchanged, giving a small nod.
Hearing that, Stanley's tense nerves loosened at once. He was about to continue, but Roy's next words cut him off.
"That's why I never intended for you to fight them head on." Roy's tone remained calm. He waved a hand. "You can leave. Have the soldiers rest properly. When we reach Moor Island tomorrow morning, there will be work to do."
"Prince" Stanley gave a bitter smile, wanting to say more but stopping himself.
He looked at Roy's steady face, and in the end could only sigh, stand, and withdraw, gently closing the door behind him.
He was full of confusion. The "work" Roy mentioned sounded nothing like what he imagined.
"Even if the troops the system summons are absurdly strong, the numbers are still limited. They won't be enough for a large battlefield." Roy watched Stanley leave, rubbing his chin as he thought. "I need a way to raise the combat strength of these royal soldiers too."
Then Roy suddenly turned, looking at Cici, who had been smiling foolishly the whole time. A smile tugged at his lips.
"By the way. You've been grinning nonstop since earlier. Is massaging me really that fun?"
"Ah? Prince I" Cici's face instantly turned bright red. She panicked, trying to explain, but the words jammed in her throat. Her eyes even started to water.
"Heh. I'm not teasing you anymore." Roy stood, smiling as he patted the top of her head gently. "That's enough. It's late. Go rest too. Tomorrow, we'll have plenty to handle."
"Yes, Prince" Cici lowered her head, cheeks burning, and nodded lightly. Then she hurried to the door and slipped out like she was escaping.
Watching her rush away, Roy smiled faintly. He stretched lazily and strolled toward the resting room as well.
(End of Chapter)
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