The Lonely Tower

A pit.

A very large one.

It was already far from the sea cliffs, nestled in a patch of grass as soft as velvet.

But in this large pit, Dick didn't see the Black Beast Tadra. Only a layer of meat paste smeared unevenly across the bottom, giving off a thick, bloody stench. In the afterglow of the setting sun, insects and ants lured by the smell of blood surged toward the bottom of the pit like a black tide.

Probably by the next day, the flesh and blood here would be gnawed clean by these bugs and ants.

Back on the sea cliff, the emergency treatment for Farug was already finished. Eschbach was wiping his hands.

"Hey, I said, can't you ever take a live prisoner once?"

Dick, who had returned from touring Eschbach's handiwork, complained.

"What's the problem? Trash should be used to fertilize the fields."

"That's not the issue. If you beat someone into that kind of state, how are we supposed to claim the bounty from the Navy?" Dick's eyes went wide. "Over a hundred million Berry! Over a hundred million! Not a million, not ten million, a hundred million!!!" He repeatedly emphasized this not-insignificant number. Over a hundred million Berry wasn't much for a country, but for an individual, it was a hefty sum of money.

Dick wasn't a money-grubber.

As His Highness Aleus's Aide, he had never faced a shortage of funds. Well, he rarely had places to spend money either—food, clothing, housing, travel, everything was prepared for him. His salary and bonuses sat in the bank, and he didn't know when he'd ever get a chance to use them.

But that didn't stop Dick from understanding the importance of Berry.

Besides, His Highness Aleus was still only the Crown Prince. He couldn't just freely use the kingdom's wealth. At times like this, having a bit more cash on hand would make things smoother and more convenient, without worrying about being constrained.

It had to be said, Dick was a pretty qualified Aide.

"...I'll be more careful next time."

Eschbach didn't argue.

Over a hundred million Berry. Honestly, that number tempted him. Eschbach didn't think that far ahead; he just figured that if that much Berry went to the Orphanage, who knew how many children it could save... But oh well, it was missed. He'd pay more attention next time.

No need to dwell on regret.

He wiped the bloodstains clean from his hands, looked down at Farug lying on the ground, and asked, "This guy—did you save him on purpose to trade him to the Navy for money too?"

"Depends."

"What trick are you planning now?"

"Strangling Ghost Farug. Unlike that Black Beast you turned into meat paste, this guy isn't the kind of beast that goes on massacres. I think His Highness might take him under his wing! I admire his backbone." Dick crouched down, reached out, and poked the sleeping Farug.

"Of course, that's just my personal opinion. If His Highness doesn't want him, we can trade him to the Navy for cash. Either way, no loss."

"You're full of schemes."

Eschbach shook his head. He knew Dick's flightiness wasn't something a few scoldings could fix. Besides, His Highness didn't dislike Dick's liveliness. "Your prey, you deal with it... Also, we need to head back to the Port."

He gazed toward the south of the island.

The battle at the Port might have already begun.

But, it hadn't.

A grand fleet of over fifty warships was unstoppable.

Aleus had no intention of stopping them. He never planned to fight a naval battle with Amento Kingdom's grand fleet. He had only brought eight warships. Even adding Whale Tail Island's three ships, that was just eleven—barely a fifth of the enemy's strength.

Besides, if the two fleets were just shelling each other from a distance, it wouldn't be very convenient for him to collect souls.

How this battle ultimately ended didn't matter. For Aleus, the most important thing was having enough souls to fill the Hogyoku's void. He had planned from the start to turn this war into his own hunting ground.

Every living soul was his prey.

So he had his fleet sail out of the Port, keeping enough distance from Whale Tail Island—far enough that Amento Kingdom's fleet would abandon the idea of wiping out his ships first, and instead seize Whale Tail Island before nightfall.

He himself landed on the island with Fran, settling into a Tower at the Port, patiently waiting for the prey to walk right into the trap.

"Still no word from Farug and Tadra?"

This was Amento Kingdom's flagship.

Trick Sword Venkura stood on the bow deck, binoculars pressed to his eyes, scanning the town on Whale Tail Island bathed in the orange-red glow of the setting sun. No great fires, no thick smoke, no panicked crowds running through the streets—instead, fully armed soldiers patrolled back and forth.

He asked the same question for the third time.

"No, no. Those two didn't take a Den Den Mushi when they went ashore. We'll have to wait until they grab or steal one to contact us. Otherwise, we can't reach them." The man fiddling with a Colored Ball answered the same question for the third time without any impatience.

"...Looks like Farug and Tadra failed."

Based on the experience of taking Whale Head Island and Whale Belly Island, this much time should have been enough for the "Strangling Ghost" and "Black Beast" to stir up bloodshed on the island. But Whale Tail Island showed no signs of chaos, and those two hadn't responded at all.

"Did we arrive too late? Ekmondo Kingdom's reinforcements are already here!"

Venkura frowned.

As the leader of this mission, he was well aware of Farug and Tadra's strength. One-on-one, he could defeat either of them, but if the two joined forces, he could only avoid the edge. According to the intelligence gathered before their operation, Whale Tail Island clearly lacked the power to take down Farug and Tadra.

Thus, aside from reinforcements having arrived, there was no other reason to explain the current situation.

"Hah!"

Venkura took a deep breath.

He glanced at the sun, nearly sinking into the sea. He could wait no longer—if he delayed further, the sky would be pitch black. Once darkness fully fell, even an expert like him couldn't claim to be completely unaffected.

"Same as always, open fire and scorch the ground."

The order was passed down.

The fleet clearly had a capable field commander; all the warships opened fire on the shore almost simultaneously, bombarding every building that could possibly conceal a person. After three neat, orderly volleys, the structures along the port's coast were leveled to the ground. No—not all of them.

One Tower stubbornly held its ground, unconquered by the fierce bombardment.

It stood alone amidst the ruins.