Northbound, Southbound

Bikahi Island.

Before the official residence of the Port Tax Bureau, the Golden Coffee Tree Flag of the Ekmondo Kingdom flew high in the wind alongside the pirate flag of the Whitebeard Pirates.

Aleus stood beneath the flagpole.

He looked up at the skull-and-crossbones banner above, marked by its iconic curved mustache.

"Even though we're a member state of the World Government, we still have to fly a pirate flag. Fran, don't you find that strange?"

Suddenly, Aleus broke the silence around him.

"Your Highness, if you haven't slept enough, you can catch up on your nap once we're aboard the ship." The girl with blazing red hair like flames stood beside Aleus, her crimson eyes revealing a cold, indifferent light. Her black-and-white traditional maid outfit concealed her graceful figure, leaving only the black round-toe leather shoes visible beneath the hem of her skirt.

"Here... one flag would have been enough," Aleus murmured.

"It's still daytime! Please don't talk in your sleep—it's embarrassing."

"... Fran, are you picking a fight?"

Aleus glanced sideways at his personal maid.

The red-haired girl was named Fran, with no surname. An orphan by birth, seventeen years old, she had been trained by Aleus's mother as his personal maid. She wasn't just there to warm his bed; in critical moments, she was the last shield standing between him and danger.

After rounds of harsh and brutal elimination, only Fran had emerged from nearly a hundred candidates.

So, as long as she didn't make major mistakes, even a little hobby of teasing others could be tolerated with a broad chest.

And honestly, Aleus didn't dislike this little hobby of Fran's. Compared to the other timid maids in the Royal Palace who wouldn't even resist when cornered, Fran's personality was far more interesting and much more fun to provoke.

"How could that be? I'm just a maid. What kind of maid picks a fight with her master?" Fran said with a straight face.

"No?"

Aleus shot her a glare, then calmed down. "Then let's pretend there isn't. I'll get you back sooner or later anyway." He put extra emphasis on the word "later," and the girl, who had been so serious a moment ago, suddenly gritted her teeth. Her face reddened as she shot Aleus a sharp glare, but she didn't pick any more faults.

Someone was coming.

Two people approached, both male, one tall and one short, wearing the same style of black suits. They were walking quickly toward the flag platform.

"Dick, Eschbach, is everything ready?"

When the two reached him, Aleus asked.

"Eight warships have been assembled. Supplies and ammunition have been checked—no shortages. All sailors are in place. We can set sail at any time." The speaker was the shorter man on the left. Calling him short, he was still 222 centimeters tall, quite a bit taller than Aleus himself.

But compared to the giant on the right, who stood a full 350 centimeters tall, he really was the short one.

"Good work, Dick, Eschbach."

Aleus praised them.

The shorter one was Dick; the giant was Eschbach. Both were Aleus's Aides, much like his personal maid Fran. They had grown up by Aleus's side, receiving top-tier elite education. As long as they survived, once Aleus ascended the throne in the future, they would become candidates for the kingdom's new ministers.

The current Minister of the Navy of the Ekmondo Kingdom, Bamund Foy, had once been Burwell's Aide.

"Your Highness, shall we depart now?"

Eschbach lowered his head and asked in a deep voice.

This giant, 350 centimeters tall, looked overwhelmingly imposing, but when he spoke, there was a calm, unhurried air about him. His gray-brown eyes showed no trace of impatience or impulsiveness—the complete opposite of the eager Dick.

"What about Dillon and Casper?"

Aleus asked about his other two Aides.

"They are overseeing the ships."

Eschbach replied.

"Since everyone's here, let's go."

Aleus looked up at the two flags above.

Then he turned and walked out of the Tax Bureau's official residence.

Fran followed closely behind, never leaving his side. Dick and Eschbach also fell into step.

Soon, the eight warships docked at the port set sail. Under the Navigator's directions, they sped north at full speed.

North.

The Toothed Whale Sea Area.

This sea area was the northern gateway of the Ekmondo Kingdom. Unless the enemy could fly, any invader trying to enter the Ekmondo Kingdom from the north had to pass through these waters. The three islands—Whale Head, Whale Belly, and Whale Tail—served as three great gates.

Now, Whale Head Island and Whale Belly Island had already fallen to the invaders from the Amento Kingdom.

Only the last island, Whale Tail, remained in the hands of the Ekmondo Kingdom.

On the vast, rolling waves, a fleet of fifty large warships was cutting through the sea, racing south toward Whale Tail Island.

"Whoosh—whoosh—!"

The flag of the Amento Kingdom fluttered boldly in the wind.

Yet, Nebri IV, the king of the Amento Kingdom, stood on the deck, gazing up at that familiar banner, his eyes filled with nothing but ash-gray despair.

It was over.

Everything was over.

The Amento Kingdom, with its hundred and twenty years of history, was doomed to escape this calamity. No matter who won between the King of Maritime Transport, Umit, and the Ekmondo Kingdom, the Amento Kingdom would come to no good end. If not for the thought of preserving a single bloodline for the Nebri Family, he would have long since lost the will to live.

For the sake of his youngest son, captured by Umit, he could only grit his teeth and persevere, cooperating with Umit's plans at any cost.

Of course, he couldn't help but harbor a dark desire to drag others down with him.

Since their Nebri Family's kingdom was finished, why should your Sokachio Clan continue to throw their weight around in the Ekmondo Kingdom? Especially since the two nations had long been at odds, with the Nebri Family and the Sokachio Clan clashing repeatedly over the years—and almost every time, the Nebri Family ended up getting ground into the dirt.

To get a measure of revenge against an old rival before dying was worth it.

And if those bastards of the Sokachio Clan could make that bastard Umit suffer a bit, even better—mutual destruction was the outcome he most anticipated.

"Brr-brr."

The Den Den Mushi rang.

Nebri IV rolled his eyes toward the black-haired man lounging on a deck chair nearby, surrounded by women—Venkura, the "Ghost Sword," a pirate with a bounty of one hundred and five million—and couldn't help but let a trace of hatred seep into his gaze.

It was this man who had pretended to tire of a pirate's wandering life, seeking to pledge allegiance to the Amento Kingdom, tricking his way past its defenses and quietly seizing control of the entire nation's power.

In reality, this Great Pirate, who had gained some notoriety in recent years, was a hidden subordinate of the King of Maritime Transport, Umit.

"Lord Umit."

Venkura pushed away the women beside him, holding the Den Den Mushi with utmost respect as he reported the situation. "We're almost at Whale Tail Island. Barring any surprises, we'll arrive before evening. Rest assured, I'll send you good news before you lay your head down."

"Venkura~, I await your good news. Don't disappoint me~~~!!"

The words carried a profound weight.

The Den Den Mushi even perfectly mimicked the King of Maritime Transport's piercing, bone-deep gaze.

Venkura bowed his head deeply.

"Lord Umit, I will not disappoint you."