The Lonely Tower

A pit,

a huge one.

It lay far from the sea cliffs, in a stretch of grass as soft as a carpet.

But Dick couldn't see the Black Beast Tadra anywhere in the pit. Only a layer of flesh and blood, smeared unevenly across the bottom, remained, filling the air with a strong stench of blood. In the sunset's fading light, insects and ants drawn by the smell surged toward the bottom like a black tide.

By the next day,

they would likely have eaten every last bit of flesh and blood.

Back on the sea cliffs,

Farug's emergency treatment was over, and Eschbach was wiping his hands.

"Hey, can't you capture someone alive for once?"

Dick complained as he returned from looking over Eschbach's handiwork.

"What's the problem? Garbage belongs in the soil."

"That's not the problem. You beat him into that state, so how are we supposed to collect the bounty from the Navy?" Dick's eyes widened. "Over a hundred million Berries! Over a hundred million! Not one million, not ten million—one hundred million!" He repeatedly stressed the not-insignificant sum. Over a hundred million Berries wasn't much for a country, but in the hands of an individual, it was a considerable fortune.

Dick wasn't a miser.

As Aleus's attendant, he'd never had to worry about money. Well, he rarely had anywhere to spend it, either. His food, clothing, lodging, and travel were all taken care of, while his wages and bonuses sat in the bank. He didn't know when he'd get the chance to spend them.

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

Besides, His Highness Aleus was still only the Crown Prince. He couldn't exactly dip into the kingdom's wealth as he pleased. At a time like this, having more funds on hand would make it easier to do whatever they needed without worrying about being constrained.

There was no denying that Dick was a very capable attendant.

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

Eschbach didn't argue.

Over a hundred million Berries—honestly, that figure had tempted him. Eschbach hadn't thought that far ahead; he'd simply figured that if they sent that much money to the Orphanage, they could save who knew how many children... But what was missed was missed. He'd just have to be more careful next time.

There was no need to dwell on it.

He wiped the blood from his hands and looked at Farug, who lay on the ground. "You went out of your way to save this guy. Are you planning to trade him to the Navy for money, too?"

"We'll see."

"What are you plotting now?"

"Farug the Strangling Ghost is different from the Black Beast you turned into mincemeat. He isn't the kind of animal who goes around massacring people. I think His Highness might even take him into his service! I admire his backbone." Dick crouched down and poked the unconscious Farug.

"Of course, that's just my personal opinion. If His Highness doesn't want him, we can trade him to the Navy for money instead. Either way, we don't lose."

"You're always coming up with something."

Eschbach shook his head. He knew that a couple of scoldings wouldn't change Dick's mercurial ways. Besides, His Highness didn't dislike Dick's enthusiasm. "He's your catch, so you decide what to do with him... Also, we should get back to the port."

He gazed toward the island's southern end.

The battle at the port might already have begun.

But it hadn't.

The mighty fleet, made up of more than fifty warships, was unstoppable.

Aleus had no intention of stopping it. He hadn't planned to fight a naval battle against the Amento Kingdom's fleet at all. He'd brought only eight warships, and even with the three from Whale Tail Island, that made just eleven—one-fifth the enemy's strength.

Besides,

if the two fleets exchanged cannon fire from a great distance,

it would be rather inconvenient for him to gather souls.

It didn't matter how this battle ended. What mattered most to Aleus was getting enough souls to fill the Hogyoku's hollow. From the very beginning, he'd intended to turn this war into his hunting ground.

Each person's living soul was his prey.

That was why he'd ordered his fleet out of the harbor and far enough from Whale Tail Island that the Amento Kingdom's fleet would abandon the idea of destroying the ships first and instead attack Whale Tail Island before nightfall.

Meanwhile, he'd gone ashore with Fran and settled into a tower in the port, patiently waiting for his prey to come to him.

"Any word from Farug and Tadra?"

They were aboard the flagship of the Amento Kingdom.

Trick Sword Venkura stood on the bow deck with binoculars to his eyes, gazing at the town on Whale Tail Island beneath the orange-red glow of the setting sun. He saw no fires, no smoke, and no panicked crowds running through the streets. Instead, fully armed soldiers patrolled back and forth.

For the third time, he asked the same question.

"No, no. Those two didn't bring Den Den Mushi ashore with them. We'll have to wait until they seize or steal one and contact us. Otherwise, there's no way for us to reach them." The man playing with a juggling ball in his hand patiently gave the same answer for the third time.

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

Judging from their experience conquering Whale Head Island and Whale Belly Island, there'd been more than enough time for the Strangling Ghost and the Black Beast to wreak havoc on the island. Yet there was no sign of disorder on Whale Tail Island, and neither man had reported back.

"Are we too late? The Ekmondo Kingdom's reinforcements have already arrived!"

Venkura furrowed his brow.

As the leader of this mission, he knew how strong Farug and Tadra were. He could beat either of them one-on-one, but if they teamed up, he'd have no choice but to avoid their edge. Based on the intelligence they'd gathered before setting out, Whale Tail Island clearly didn't have the strength to take down both Farug and Tadra.

That left the arrival of reinforcements as the only explanation

for the situation.

"Phew!"

Venkura took a deep breath.

He glanced at the sun about to sink beneath the sea. They couldn't wait any longer. If they delayed, night would fall completely, and once it did, even a master like him would be affected.

"Same as always. Open fire and flatten everything."

The order was passed down.

The fleet clearly had competent commanders. Almost all the warships fired toward shore at the same time, using cannonballs to destroy every building along the waterfront that might be hiding someone. After three perfectly coordinated volleys, the buildings by the port were razed to the ground. No—not all of them.

One tower stubbornly held its ground, untouched by the fierce bombardment.

It stood alone amid the ruins.