Black Prince

Recapturing Whale Belly Island and Whale Head Island did not take much time.

The main fleet of the Amento Kingdom and the pirate forces dispatched by Umit had already fallen on the port lands of Whale Tail Island. With only the paltry remnants left behind before their southward march, they stood no chance against Aleus's military edge. Overwhelming power swept away all resistance like a storm, and the entire Toothed Whale Sea Area returned once more to the map of the Ekmondo Kingdom.

Then, Aleus's fleet continued northward, but did not step into the maritime borders of the Amento Kingdom.

When news of the Amento Kingdom's main fleet being annihilated at Whale Tail Island reached home, Nebri IV's brothers and sons immediately clashed over the throne. The Amento Kingdom had now devolved into a boiling pot of chaos. A nation already strong only in appearance had fully exposed its own weakness and incompetence.

Under these circumstances, Aleus abandoned the idea of selling Nebri IV for some cash. It wasn't that no one would buy—it was that no one could afford the price. Nebri IV's brothers and sons all mortgaged future national tax revenue, each making wild, insincere offers. If he actually sold, he might end up having to invest extra money just to make the deal work.

There was no profit in such a losing venture.

Thus, Nebri IV hanged himself in his cabin on a dark, windy night.

Aleus shifted his gaze from the lean Amento Kingdom, which offered little gain, to the real meaty bone. Compared to the Amento Kingdom, which was tearing itself apart and pinching every berry until it screamed, Umit—the King of Maritime Transport—was a true mountain of gold, a money tree that never stopped producing.

"Aliye Shipping Company."

"Gemstone Sea Shipping Company."

"Heaven Commercial Shipping Company."

"Dallama Kingdom Shipping Company."

One name after another was called out. Each name represented a shipping industry overlord in one or several sea areas of the New World. At the same time, these overlords were ostensibly independent companies, but in reality, their true controller was the President of the Black Water Association, Umit.

And this intelligence had cost Aleus a hefty sum.

Relying solely on the Ekmondo Kingdom's own power, there was no way to uncover this information about Umit. But the Ekmondo Kingdom had one strength: plenty of money.

With tens of billions of Berry thrown down, even intelligence that was never for sale eventually landed in Aleus's hands.

"Which one is closest to us?"

Aleus, seated behind the desk, asked.

"It's the Dallama Kingdom Shipping Company. It monopolizes all shipping business in the entire Green Pillar Sea Area and is the closest to our current position. At the fleet's current speed, it would take about three days to arrive." Dillon sat on the sofa, answering methodically.

"Green Pillar Sea Area... the source of emeralds?"

Aleus tapped his fingers on the table.

"That's the one!"

Aleus found the location of the Dallama Kingdom on the sea chart and immediately circled it with a red pen. At the same time, he asked, "Do we have detailed intelligence on this Dallama Kingdom Shipping Company?" His gaze swept across the faces of the four Aides sitting on the sofa.

In the end, it returned to the most reliable one, Dillon.

"The Dallama Kingdom Shipping Company is nominally a company run by the Dallama Kingdom's royal family. In reality, the true master of this company is Umit. The Dallama royal family only has dividend rights and no actual control over the company. The intelligence house provided only this much; there's nothing more."

"However, I do know a bit more about the Dallama Kingdom itself. Your Highness, would you like to...?"

"If you know, then share it. I won't bother reading the materials separately."

Aleus picked up his cup and took a sip of the steaming Coffee Milk. The rich, mellow flavor in his mouth lifted his mood even further.

"The Dallama Kingdom is considered a strong nation in the New World." Dillon set down the nearly worn-out documents in his hands and spoke seriously. "Thanks to its abundant emerald deposits, the country is quite wealthy. However, the Dallama Kingdom's emeralds require external sales channels to turn those stones into Berry and other supplies. Unlike our Ekmondo Kingdom, the Dallama Kingdom never established an independent transport system."

The complexity of the New World went far beyond its bizarre magnetic fields and unique sea areas. Even more complicated were the countless conflicts between the Navy and pirates, pirates and pirates, kingdoms and the Navy, kingdoms and pirates, and kingdoms among themselves—turning the entire New World into a colossal whirlpool.

Here, No one could stand apart. Everyone had to struggle within this massive vortex.

Even the Four Emperors, as powerful as they were, now checked each other. If not for the conflicts among the Four Emperors, they might have long since driven the Navy completely out of the New World, leaving not even a few branches to linger on. For forces like the Ekmondo Kingdom and the Dallama Kingdom, it took sufficient wisdom, military strength, and luck to survive better in this vortex.

The Ekmondo Kingdom was very lucky. The wisdom of its past kings was not lacking either. They successfully latched onto the World Government's tiger skin. Through generations of accumulation, they used the Navy's power to build their own kingdom's transport channels, free from the fear of being hindered. Even now, as the Navy was constantly pushed back by the Four Emperors, the fact that Paradise and the Four Seas remained under the World Government's jurisdiction meant the Ekmondo Kingdom's coffee business was not greatly affected.

However, Not every country in the New World was as fortunate as the Ekmondo Kingdom.

The Dallama Kingdom was one example. Because all shipping forces in its surrounding sea areas had been absorbed by Umit, it was ultimately forced to join Umit's shipping system, becoming a tiny cog in this vast machinery.

"...In summary, the Dallama Kingdom and Umit are likely united in name only. If not for Umit's overwhelming control over the New World's shipping business, the Dallama Kingdom would probably have broken with him long ago. Of course, this doesn't mean the Dallama Kingdom wants to see someone replace Umit. They would rather see Umit completely collapse and the integrated shipping system of the New World shatter back into a mess of scattered pieces. Only then would the Dallama Kingdom have a chance to break free from its predicament."

Dillon finished his explanation.

Beside him, Casper was already drooling in his sleep.

Across from him, Dick had nearly scratched his head bald from boredom.

Eschbach listened attentively, but it was clear he wasn't genuinely interested in this kind of matter—he was just listening earnestly.

As for Fran, Being a personal maid, she cared about nothing beyond Aleus's private life.

The four Aides had displayed their distinct personalities since childhood. The kingdom's elite teachers did not forcibly reshape their natures but instead chose to teach according to their aptitudes. Apart from the necessary martial training, they were educated in line with their respective interests.

For example, Dillon, who valued rules, could serve as the kingdom's Minister of Justice in the future. With his knack for financial management, he could also take charge of the kingdom's internal affairs. He was, without a doubt, the top talent among the Aides.

"The Dallama Kingdom... the Dallama Kingdom Shipping Company... It doesn't matter what they think. What we need to do is take down Umit and replace Umit. Whoever refuses to submit, we fight them until they do. Umit is getting old. It's time for someone else to take his seat."

Aleus stared at the sea chart on the desk.

"Ever since the Four Emperors, the Shichibukai, and the Navy's three great powers formed their mutual checks and balances, the New World hasn't seen... anything truly thrilling happen in a long time. The Four Emperors, the Shichibukai, the big shots of the Dark World—they've all squeezed the upper space dry. It's quite frustrating!"

"Kappas, you idiot, stop sleeping. If your drool stains my sofa, I'll throw you into the sea to bait sharks." Aleus slapped the table.

Kappas, still drooling, yawned. With visible effort, he straightened his back, wiped his mouth carelessly with his sleeve, and half-opened his drowsy eyes to look at Aleus behind the desk. "Your Highness, what are you up to now?"

That listless, weary voice made even Aleus feel a bit sleepy.

"Kappas, you... tch! You're just..." Aleus rubbed his brow. "The Dallama Kingdom Shipping Company—I'm putting you in charge of crushing it. Do whatever it takes, but I want the Green Pillar Sea Area out of Umit's control."

"Huh? That much trouble?"

Kappas's face twisted with bitterness.

But Aleus didn't bother looking at this bone-lazy fellow anymore. "Eschbach, the Gemstone Sea Shipping Company—go and break them apart." He gave the order to the largest-built Eschbach.

"Dick, the Heaven Commercial Shipping Company—this one's yours, no problem?"

"Your Highness, rest assured! I guarantee I'll get it done."

Unlike the sluggish, unwilling Kappas, Dick showed no resistance to the new task and accepted it with delight.

"Eschbach."

Aleus shifted his gaze to the largest of his aides.

"The Aliye Shipping Company... that's your task. Don't be too soft-hearted. This is the New World—a paradise for scoundrels. Don't waste your kindness."

These four companies were only a part of Umit's Black Water Association. Even if all were taken down, it wouldn't cripple him. The King of Maritime Transport of the New World wasn't so easily dealt with. But this was merely a signal.

A signal of attack.

Letting Venkura go had been an announcement; the following actions were the strike signal.

He would use the most open and dignified method to crush Umit on all fronts, then replace him.

"Black Prince? Huh, who came up with that nickname? Couldn't they have had a bit more taste?" After his aides withdrew to make preparations, Aleus picked up the day's new newspaper and started reading. He'd barely scanned two lines when he spotted information about himself.

The battle at Whale Tail Island had quickly been learned by the big players of the New World.

But strictly speaking, it wasn't a major event in the New World—just another routine war, only with a few more deaths this time. Even in the New World, battles with over ten thousand casualties in one go were rare. Pirate wars were usually fought in units of hundreds or thousands.

Take the Whitebeard Pirates, for example—excluding their allied forces, all sixteen divisions combined totaled only about sixteen hundred people.

The scale of such wars was inherently small.

But insufficient numbers didn't mean insufficient destructive power. In a world where personal strength could break the heavens, tricks like dismantling warships barehanded were nothing. So, large-scale casualties like this generally only signaled the emergence of a tyrant.

"Speaking of which, it took this long for a title to show up? Guess my presence was still too weak before?"

Aleus flipped through the article several times. The short text roughly described his brutal feat of annihilating over twenty thousand enemies in one battle, trumpeting the tyranny of the "Black Prince." It had no substance—just idle chatter for tavern loafers.

"But... let it be for now. Whatever it is, you have to take it step by step."

Aleus shook the newspaper and started reading from the first page.