Lantern Pants Are So Cute!

Cannonballs streaked across the sky, falling like meteors toward the granite tower standing at the harbor's edge.

And, it wasn't a single shell, but over a hundred.

This was a "meteor shower" thick with the smell of gunpowder.

"Not bad! Those shots are pretty accurate! Umit really went all out—not only did he dig up five Great Pirates with bounties over a hundred million, but all these elite gunners too... Fran, leave these to you. Remember, don't play too rough. If you scare off my prey, the consequences... we can try something new!"

Aleus stood on the tower's terrace, a steaming cup of Coffee Milk in hand, watching the falling meteor shower of shells, his smile growing brighter.

"...No way!"

The blushing maid stammered a retort.

Refusing to look at His Highness Aleus's handsome face, Fran lifted the hem of her skirt, eyed the rapidly approaching shells, and stomped one foot on the ground. Her entire body shot into the sky like an arrow, meeting the incoming shells head-on. Her small black round-toed shoes touched the equally black round cannonballs.

Then, the shells flew back.

Faster than they had come, they raced toward the fleet at sea.

The young maid cleverly borrowed the momentum of each shell, hovering in midair as she danced gracefully. With a palm, a finger, a flick of her skirt, or a kick in the air, the incoming shells turned into toys she could shape at will, all sent flying back with different techniques.

Only after the last shell had been sent back did the maid gracefully descend back to the tower.

"Beautiful! The bloomers are cute too. I really like them."

Aleus said with a smile.

Then, the maid's face, which had just cooled, flushed red again, rivaling her fiery red hair.

"Your Highness, would you please go die?"

The gritted-teeth maid pressed down hard on her skirt, uttering such treasonous words.

"Haha! Fran, I'm not lying—they really are cute!"

Aleus laughed out loud. Before the furious maid could actually do something, he shoved the empty cup into Fran's hand. "Another Coffee Milk, same temperature." He gave the maid the perfect excuse to escape for now.

Sure enough, she didn't flare up again. The girl took the cup and fled, disappearing in a hurry.

"See... really cute, isn't she?"

Aleus watched the slender figure vanish at the stairway, slowly withdrawing his gaze. He refocused on the fleet at sea, his smile gradually fading. Staring at the massive armada, a glint of anticipation sparked in his emerald eyes. "Mr. Trick Sword, you should be about ready to come ashore."

His right hand, without realizing it, pressed against his chest again.

The Hogyoku, too, was thirsting for fresh, captivating souls.

At sea.

The flagship's deck was eerily quiet.

Everyone had seen what just happened. Such dense cannon fire had not only failed to do anything but had been thrown back by a single maid. If not for the presence of several pirates with bounties in the tens of millions aboard the fleet, they might have lost a few ships to their own shells.

All eyes turned to the man standing only one hundred seventy-nine centimeters tall.

Yes, five years ago, Trick Sword Venkura, with a bounty of one hundred five million Berries, stood under one hundred eighty centimeters—a veritable shrimp in this world. On this very deck were several voluptuous female pirates, each over one hundred ninety centimeters tall, the tallest reaching two hundred seventy centimeters.

Of course, no one dared show any improper emotion about Trick Sword's height.

Five years ago, Trick Sword already had a bounty of one hundred five million Berries. If not for Umit's order to keep a low profile these past five years, his bounty could easily have doubled. It was through absolute strength that he commanded this motley crew of ferocious underlings.

"Prepare to land."

Venkura issued the order coldly.

"If cannon fire is useless, then cut off the heads of all who resist."

"Clang!"

A long sword, bright as autumn water, appeared in Venkura's hand. No one on the deck saw where that slender Flower Sword came from—there was no scabbard visible on Venkura's body.

Even the man who had been idly playing with a Colored Ball earlier now looked seriously at the slender Flower Sword in Venkura's hand.

With that single, unseen draw technique, they had to admit the name Trick Sword was no empty boast.

Venkura's display calmed the restless crowd, which had been stirred by the unexpected strongman on the island. Warships began docking, fully armed soldiers set foot on the island's soil, and a dark tide of troops surged like a wave toward the lone tower standing amidst the ruins.

On the rooftop of a building behind the harbor, Colonel Susa leaned against the railing, binoculars fixed on the harbor.

When the fleet had fired a volley at the tower where His Highness Aleus was staying, his hair stood on end. He feared seeing the tower collapse. If anything happened to His Highness Aleus on Whale Tail Island, his own misfortune would be one thing, but wouldn't his family back in the capital, Arabica, suffer too?

He immediately regretted agreeing to His Highness Aleus's reckless plan. What kind of logic was it to avoid fighting the enemy fleet and instead hide their own ships far away? War wasn't a game.

But before he could dwell on his regret for long, he saw the maid accompanying His Highness Aleus display her might, single-handedly blocking all the attacks, and his heart, which had been lodged in his throat and nearly leaping out, slowly settled back down.

That's right!

How could the Crown Prince possibly be without a powerful guard by his side.

He just hadn't expected that seemingly frail little maid to be so formidable—he had truly misjudged her!

Still, he didn't dislike this feeling of being wrong.

Or rather, he hoped such surprises would come more often; the more strong fighters His Highness Aleus brought, the greater their chances of victory. However, there was one thing Colonel Susa never could have imagined: that His Highness Aleus, who looked like he could coast through life on his looks alone, was actually the strongest among the reinforcements.

He would soon realize his mistaken assumption.