A War Full of Doubts

The original name of Jacob Island is no longer known. In present memory, it is a medium-sized island occupied by a member kingdom of the World Government.

Its terrain is unique in the East Sea: most of the land is a vast plain rising only a few meters above sea level, rich in vegetation and freshwater, making it highly livable.

The other portion of land is a barren plateau over a thousand meters high. The side connecting the plateau to the plain is a forty-degree steep slope, while the other side is a sheer cliff dropping straight down to the sea.

The entire island features two starkly contrasting styles of architecture. One belongs to the current Kingdom of Jacob. The other consists of ruins scattered across the plain, destroyed by war a century ago, now relics of history.

The two are separated by a wall over eight meters high and stretching more than ten kilometers, as if cleaving civilization from ruins and wilderness into two worlds.

At this moment, atop the wall, kingdom soldiers armed with standard Navy weapons nervously entered battle formation, raising their guns to aim at the refugees emerging from the ruins, firing without mercy.

At one corner of the wall, dozens of soldiers—though wearing the uniforms of the Kingdom of Jacob's army, instinctively using standard Navy defensive tactics—looked down at the nearly naked refugees below, their faces showing hesitation.

After exchanging glances, they darkened their expressions and pulled the triggers.

Each time the soldiers fired, golden muzzle flashes bloomed from their gun barrels. Lead bullets traced brilliant streaks through the air, striking frail bodies with lightning speed.

Cannons fired from within the wall, black cannonballs screaming through the sky as they fell among the crowds in the ruins.

"Boom..." A violent explosion erupted, fire swelling, heat surging. The massive blast, carrying shrapnel, instantly flung a group of ragged, filthy refugees to the ground.

The soldiers atop the wall, seeing the refugees thrown into chaos, grinned and let out wild laughter.

"Haha, these damned lowlifes are worse than the little bastards who stole water last night—at least they dragged their buckets a few meters before dying."

"Last night we only used sniper rifles. This time we're using the cannons the Navy sold us!"

"..."

"Tch, didn't you snipe a few little lowlifes last night? You stole all the targets, and my daughter mocked me for not killing a single one!" The soldier's face twisted into a troubled expression.

Beside him, a bearded man smiled happily: "Haha, my five-year-old son was thrilled when he heard about my kills!"

"He said that when he grows up, he wants to join the army like me and kill all these damned lowlifes."

Their conversation during the shooting was unguarded, carrying even over the roar of cannons to soldiers a dozen meters away.

This made some soldiers, who had instinctively maintained Navy tactical stances, fall silent. They subtly raised their gun barrels, letting bullets strike empty ground.

Then, they all turned expectant eyes toward their commander, who stood grim-faced, gripping a katana tightly.

Finally, the resolute-faced man stared blankly at the brutal battlefield below and slowly spoke the words his men had been waiting for: "Follow your own justice. I'll bear all the consequences."

With that, he slowly sat down against the wall, his face haggard, his eyes dull and lifeless, as if his heart had been violently shaken.

The soldiers beside him, hearing this, relaxed slightly. After taking a deep breath, they aimed near the refugees and pulled the triggers again.

Suddenly, soldiers farther away grew panicked, their voices filled with terror: "Concentrate fire! Take down that monster!"

In an instant, gunfire and cannon blasts were deafening. Muzzle flashes flickered, painting the entire wall section in a different color.

Bullets and portable cannon shells streaked through the air, straight toward a crumbling ruin.

"Boom..." The already broken structure shattered under the explosion.

Massive chunks of stone scattered. Dust accumulated over the ages mixed with the smoke from the cannon blasts, shrouding the entire area.

Within the thick smoke, only the firelight from explosions and the sparks from bullets hitting steel could be seen.

The sudden change even caught the attention of the true big shots atop the wall.

A tall, thin man in a white suit, his face hidden behind a white mask, raised his binoculars and looked toward the smoke-covered battlefield, peering at the massive, indistinct figure.

As he watched, the corner of his mouth beneath the mask curled up slightly. He chuckled softly: "Just killing a few children stealing water was enough to lure him out?"

"That's a bit different from the brutal Oni in the New World."

After a moment, he lowered the binoculars and turned to face a middle-aged man beside him, clad in ornate armor with a rapier at his waist.

"Vice Admiral Natan, the target has appeared. As agreed, please cooperate with us in the capture."

A shadow passed through the middle-aged man's eyes. Without turning his head, he said casually: "I retired from the Navy long ago. Please address me as Your Majesty."

"Also, according to estimates, this Oni that appeared in my kingdom is at least over fifteen years old. Are you CP0 really capable of brainwashing and controlling him?"

Meanwhile, in the clouds over five thousand meters high, Louis caught the key words and narrowed his eyes. He stopped mid-air, flapping his wings to hover.

His hand instinctively reached for the spear on his back. Expressionless, he repeated the words his superhuman senses had picked up: "CP0, a retired Vice Admiral..."

Then, a contemplative look crossed his face, but his hand had already drawn the spear from his back.

Soon, Louis came to a decision. His gaze sharpened. "Since I'm already here..."

The next second, his wings beat, churning the surrounding clouds into chaotic currents, and he vanished from his spot.

On the wall, Natan watched the white figure depart with a group of black-clad agents, his eyes growing cold.

"He must die here. No one can take him out of this kingdom."

Years ago, the previous king had killed a group of children in front of Roger and insulted Roger's companions.

This enraged Roger, who directly destroyed all of the Kingdom of Jacob's military forces, forcing Natan—who had arduously risen to Vice Admiral—to retire and return to shoulder the burden.

Now, a gifted Oni had emerged from among the kingdom's enemies. As king, Natan had to ensure no one took him away.

"Not even CP0!" King Natan's gaze was deep, his tone icy. "Dolo, you will cooperate with me from now on. Kill the one with the demon horns before CP0 can react."

"Yes, sir!" A figure in a white suit, draped in a cloak of justice, appeared silently, saluting the king of this kingdom with a Navy salute as if addressing a superior.

Natan stood at the city gate, coldly watching the heavily armored figure stepping out of the smoke.