One Piece: A Warlord's Path-Chapter 699: Prelude to the War of National Extinction
Chaos!
There was only one word to describe the current state of the Bivins Kingdom: absolute chaos.
Once news spread that the primary fortress, Crofort, had fallen to the Church of the Night and that the entire royal family and the high nobility had been executed, the nation descended into madness.
Some castles proactively surrendered to the Church of the Night, others turned to the Revolutionary Army, and many local lords simply declared themselves independent kings.
Even more bizarrely, the nobles in Ronalfort reached out to Sriya, claiming they wished to defect to the Chris Pirates and fold the Bivins Kingdom into the Kingdom of Clifford.
The situation was a total mess. To bolster their strength, the self-proclaimed "kings" began attacking and annexing one another. Some bold opportunists even launched preemptive strikes on neighboring castles before the Revolutionary Army or the Church could arrive to secure them, hoping to expand their power in the vacuum.
Events were unfolding too fast. Neither the Revolutionary Army nor even the Church of the Night, the very architects of this disaster, had anticipated the kingdom collapsing into such a fragmented state. They couldn’t send representatives fast enough to secure the territories pledging allegiance.
In just a few days, the Bivins Kingdom had become a boiling pot of violence, giving rise to countless ambitious warlords.
Underworld arms dealers and mercenaries flocked to Dorona Island like hyenas scenting blood. Some mercenary pirates even mocked the Chris Pirates, claiming they had bungled a lucrative mission and that their reputation was vastly overrated.
Both Germa 66 and the pirate dispatch organization "Buggy’s Delivery" received employment offers from various Bivins warlords.
...
Somewhere in the New World — Kingdom of Germa!
"Father, we’ve received an employment order."
The blue-haired Niji entered the great hall and handed a document to Judge, who sat upon his throne.
"Hmm?!" Judge scanned the file, his eyebrows twitching. "Reject it."
"Why? It’s just taking down a few castles within the Bivins Kingdom. The commission is a billion Berries, it’s a solid job," Niji asked, frowning.
"There was a mission recently posted by the Bivins Royals to suppress internal rebellion. They eventually approached the Chris Pirates, and the Chris Pirates accepted," Judge said flatly.
"But the news says the royals are all dead. Surely the Chris Pirates won’t interfere anymore?" Niji mused.
"Commission fees are usually paid in installments, with the final balance settled only upon completion. The Chris Pirates are no exception," Judge said grimly. "Now the paymaster is dead. Just because their mission isn’t ’complete’ doesn’t mean they’ll just walk away."
"You mean..." Niji’s eyes widened.
"Perhaps nothing bad will happen, but perhaps... it will be much worse," Judge said expressionlessly. He had seen it too many times—mercenary pirates losing their minds when they lost their payday, turning to scorched-earth pillaging.
And who knew if the Chris Pirates would snap? After all, their captain was a world-renowned ’Madman.’
...
New World — Karai Bari Island! Headquarters of Buggy’s Delivery!
Pere pere pere... pere pere pere...
Inside a massive circus-tent building, the sound of Den Den Mushi ringing echoed everywhere as fierce-looking pirates rushed about.
"Gyahahaha!"
The red-robed Buggy the Clown stood on a high platform, laughing triumphantly at the busy scene below.
"Captain Buggy! We’ve got a huge job!" an excited pirate shouted toward the platform.
"Oh? What is it?" Buggy leaned over, curious.
"A billion-Berry contract! In the Bivins Kingdom!" the pirate cheered, gesturing wildly.
"A BILLION BERRIES!!!" Buggy’s eyes nearly popped out of his head.
Behind him, Mohji, Richie, Cabaji, and Alvida all crowded forward, shocked. A billion Berries! They had never seen that much money at once!
"Take it! Accept it!" Buggy grinned, his face splitting with excitement. "I heard that kingdom is in total shambles. The boys can go raise some hell on the battlefield and do a little ’freelance looting’ while they’re at it! Hah!"
"YEAH! YEAH! YEAH!"
"Long live Captain Buggy!"
"Time to pillage!"
Below, hundreds of pirates waved their arms, hooting and hollering.
"Listen up, boys! Under the name of a Warlord of the Sea, the Great Buggy-sama, your pirate antics are perfectly legal! Gyahahaha!" Buggy cackled.
Since becoming a Warlord, Buggy’s influence had skyrocketed. Beyond his original crew and the Impel Down escapees, many more pirates had flocked to his banner.
...
Bivins Kingdom — Valanfort Harbor!
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Countless red-hot cannonballs streaked across the sea, crashing into the harbor. Flames surged, black smoke billowed, and buildings collapsed in a roar of rising dust. When the shells hit the water, they sent massive plumes of spray ten meters into the air.
"More-More... 10x Cannon!!!" a cold voice rang out.
Whir—!
A cannonball exiting a muzzle suddenly expanded tenfold, transforming into a gargantuan iron sphere that slammed into a coastal battery.
BOOM—!
The explosion was deafening. A blinding flash of fire obliterated the tower instantly. Within a hundred-meter radius, every structure and living soul was vaporized by the high-temperature shockwave.
"Bastards! What is wrong with those Chris Pirates?!" Mondos Bank slashed through an incoming shell in mid-air, his face smudged with soot and fury. "Do they think they can break a fortress defended by tens of thousands with just a thousand men? Are they insane?"
Razalo’s face was pale. He couldn’t comprehend their tactics.
The Church of the Night had recently integrated the local forces, including garrison troops, city guards, fanatical believers, and clergy. They had tens of thousands of men under their command. While the More-More Fruit gave the enemy an edge in long-range firepower, they weren’t exactly helpless!
"Burn in hell!!!"
Suddenly, a mass of fire streaked across the sky, radiating heat that could be felt from miles away.
"Explosive Flame Rain!!!"
In the next moment, fireballs the size of washbasins rained down, densely covering the entire area.
