Go... to the Grand Line

PS: Thanks to 'Qingchen?' for the tip.

PS2: Only one chapter today. I went to burn paper offerings during the day and returned quite late at night. My stomach caught a chill and has been aching, so I couldn't write... I'll make up for it tomorrow!

PS3: The plot in the Grand Line is about to unfold, and the second heroine is about to make her appearance. I think after reading this chapter, everyone will basically be able to guess who it is. It will be a new week after 12 o'clock, so Xiao Jiao is asking for recommendation votes again, allowing Xiao Jiao to continue staying on the new book list for the ACG category!

One year later, Goa Kingdom.

Ever since the victory in that battle a year ago, the Revolutionary Army forces within the Goa Kingdom entered a period of rapid development. Almost all the surviving residents of the border towns chose to join the ranks of the Revolutionary Army.

This caused the number of people in the Revolutionary Army to swell from the initial one thousand to nearly one hundred thousand within a few days, officially possessing the strength to confront the Goa Kingdom head-on.

Unknowingly, a massive city wall had come to separate the Central Street of the Goa Kingdom from the border towns, dividing the vast territory of the Goa Kingdom into two.

Everything north of the wall, including all the border towns, Terminal Gray, and Mt. Colubo, had become the territory of the Revolutionary Army.

Over the course of the year, battles large and small were constant. Although the Kingdom Army held a certain advantage in the early stages of the war by relying on elite soldiers far outnumbering the Revolutionary Army and sufficient logistical weapon supplies, the endless stream of bizarre combat methods employed by the Revolutionary Army kept the war between the two sides in a constant stalemate.

As the number of engagements increased, the townspeople who had joined the Revolutionary Army later gradually became an elite force, which caused the Goa Kingdom to fall completely into a disadvantageous position.

However, the Goa Kingdom was, after all, a long-established kingdom with many allied nations. Other kingdoms in the East Blue intervened in the battles a few months ago; after all, the Revolutionary Army could be said to be the common enemy of all kingdoms.

If the Goa Kingdom were truly overthrown by this group of revolutionaries, then the next country to suffer would likely be their own.

Therefore, almost all the countries in the East Blue dispatched a certain amount of troops to the Goa Kingdom. Although not many, the combined forces sent by the numerous countries totaled nearly one hundred thousand. This army of nearly two hundred thousand gave the Goa Kingdom, which had already entered a weakened state, the qualification to stand toe-to-toe with the Revolutionary Army once again, and they were even slightly stronger than the Revolutionary Army camp.

This caused the battle between the two sides to enter a stalemate once more.

Heroes emerge in troubled times. Unknowingly, the battles within the Goa Kingdom became known throughout the entire East Blue. Many newspapers in the East Blue followed the results of the battles, allowing many people in this conflict to become famous across the East Blue.

The Cold-Blooded Noble—Hijikata Yoshitoyo. Commander of the Guard Unit. It is said that the entire legal code of the Revolutionary Army was established by him alone, so not only the Guard Unit but even the Ghost Squad had to answer to him if they violated the law. He is the person the Revolutionary Army fears most, because he is extremely strict regarding those who break the law or desert without cause; often, ritual suicide is the only punishment.

The Ghost Commander—Zongcilang. Commander of the Ghost Squad. He is famous throughout the battlefield for his cruelty and bloodlust, and the Ghost Squad under his command is mostly composed of crazed, bloodthirsty individuals. It can be said that they are the enemies the Kingdom Army least wants to face.

The Intelligence Bureau Chief who peels back the layers—Mo Mo. Although he is also very strong in terms of combat, Mo Mo is most famous for his bizarre intelligence-gathering abilities. A saying circulates in the Goa Kingdom: "Even if His Majesty the King passes gas, the Revolutionary Army Intelligence Chief could smell it and deduce what the King ate for breakfast." He is often able to analyze very useful, major intelligence from the smallest of details.

There are countless other commanders, large and small, but the most famous is the White Asura, who is renowned throughout the East Blue.

He is the true mastermind behind the Revolutionary Army, a genius at military strategy, and a cruel and heartless person. It can be said that the reason the Goa Kingdom is where it is today is entirely because he is the one leading the entire Revolutionary Army.

However, his appearance is a mystery... because the White Asura wears a Demon Mask that covers his entire face in every battle.

Although there were rumors at the beginning of the war that the White Asura was just a ten-year-old brat, because it was too absurd, the entire East Blue did not believe this possibility. Even the Goa Kingdom and the border town residents who joined the Revolutionary Army later did not believe this rumor.

The only widely known facts are that the White Asura's build is extremely short, only about 1.4 meters tall, and he has a head of extremely rare white hair. Precisely because of this, the entire East Blue believes the White Asura is an old man nearing his twilight years...

Formerly Huage Town of the Goa Kingdom, now the headquarters of the Revolutionary Army.

A huge courtyard is located at the very back of this small town. It is a forbidden area within the entire Revolutionary Army; except for a few commanders, everyone else is prohibited from entering.

The reason is that this is the residence of the East Blue Revolutionary Army's strategic leader—the White Asura.

"What exactly is still missing?"

In that courtyard, Bai Ina looked at the Black Blade Dawn in his hand and murmured: "I have clearly touched the realm of sensing the breath of all things, so why can I not enter that realm? What exactly is still missing?"

Accompanying his self-talk, Bai Ina's expression became increasingly impatient, and a flash of red light flickered in his eyes. The Black Blade in his hand slashed down abruptly, and a massive, ink-black slash shot out instantly, piercing through the giant boulder in front of him almost immediately.

However, merely piercing the boulder did not cause this slash to dissipate, nor did it shrink; it headed straight toward the distant houses.

'Rumble—'

The moment the slash touched the house, it tore right through it. The entire building collapsed in response, turning into a pile of ruins in the blink of an eye.

"Damn it, what exactly is missing? Damn it... damn it..."

Bai Ina acted as if he didn't see it, roaring with a ferocious expression, waving the Black Blade in his hand like a madman. Countless slashes were unleashed incessantly, turning all the buildings in the courtyard into broken walls and ruins.

Yet Bai Ina continued to wave the Black Blade Dawn without pause, his eyes blood-red, acting like a man possessed.

"Bai Ina—"

Suddenly, an anxious shout came from outside the courtyard, causing the movement of Bai Ina's hand to pause, and the blood-red color in his pupils gradually faded.

The slashes ceased, and silence returned to the courtyard, leaving only ruins and dust drifting across the sky!

"Are you alright!"

Three figures walked in from outside the gate. The leader, radiating a cold aura, was none other than Hijikata Yoshitoyo.

The remaining two were Loxi and Mo Mo.

"I'm fine!"

Bai Ina replied in a cold tone, walked straight to the side, fished a Demon Mask out from the rubble, and snapped it onto his face. The moment the mask touched his face, the chill on his body surged instantly, and endless Sha Qi and killing intent permeated the air.

Seeing this scene, a flash of strange emotion and a hint of... fear flickered in the eyes of the three!

After Bai Ina saw the fleeting fear in the eyes of the three, the cold aura on his body paused involuntarily, but it returned to normal in an instant. He asked in a flat tone: "What business do you have coming here?"

The three looked at each other upon hearing this, and finally, Loxi stepped forward, his face hesitant as he said: "Yi...na, you should go to the Grand Line!"

"Hm?"

Bai Ina's cold, heartless gaze fell upon Loxi: "Why?"

"Th-that..."

Loxi shuddered under Bai Ina's gaze, his lips trembling for a long while without being able to state his purpose.

"Let me say it!"

At this moment, Tufang stepped forward and yanked Loxi away from Bai Ina's line of sight, staring coldly at the Demon Mask on Bai Ina's face. "Our current supplies are severely insufficient; they can last for six months at most."

"And what does that have to do with me going to the Grand Line?"

"Ever since the Sikear Kingdom on Gray Terminal Island in the Grand Line was destroyed not long ago, our Revolutionary Army has completely entered the sights of the World Government. During last month's Reverie, King Shuenda Lucas of the Ilusia Kingdom declared the danger posed by our leader, Monkey D. Dragon. It drew the high attention of the World Government."

"It is precisely because of this meeting that Revolutionary Army forces everywhere have faced severe blockades. The distribution of supplies was originally handled by headquarters, but yesterday, headquarters sent a telegram. They said they were intercepted by the Navy in the Grand Line, so they hid the supplies on an uninhabited island in the Calm Belt of the Grand Line to lure the Navy away. They need us to send our own people to retrieve them."