At noon that day, in the waters around the Conomi Islands.
The sky was clear, the breeze gentle, and the sun warm.
It was the perfect weather for a walk after lunch.
Yet at the edge of the horizon, a full thirty pirate ships flying black sails had appeared at some point, closing in on Cocoyasi Village.
From afar, they looked like a vast mass of darkness, like storm clouds bearing down on the land.
Near the docks, beside a small coastal grove.
Several villagers fishing and chatting noticed the terrifying sight.
"Hey, those are pirates."
"Yeah..."
A villager napping nearby was startled awake. He squinted sleepily toward the sea, then lazily yawned.
"It's been a long time since any pirates dared come here. And this time, so many came all at once?"
"It must be that guy, right? The one who's been making waves lately and calls himself the East Blue overlord. What was his name again?"
"Clark? Or Clara?"
"Something like that. Ah, who cares..."
The villagers shook their heads, changed the subject, and continued fishing.
They seemed to have long since grown accustomed to scenes like this.
The warm sun hung overhead as the salty sea breeze swept across the flagship's deck.
A towering figure standing two meters and forty-three centimeters tall, clad in heavy golden armor, stood coldly at the bow. He stared at the ever-nearing island in the distance, his cape snapping behind him.
"Governor Krieg! Everything is going smoothly. At our current speed, we'll reach the Cocoyasi Village docks in about twenty minutes!"
The report came from a subordinate atop the lookout tower overhead.
"Is that so?"
Krieg narrowed his eyes. "Keep moving at full speed. Once we reach shore, all combat personnel from Ships One through Fifteen will follow me ashore.