The Wise General Tsuru

Chapter 012: The Strategist Tsuru

The entire Nine Snake Island was in chaos; all the Amazon warrior women were on alert. Every woman, whether they could use Haki or not, had taken up weapons. Snake bows were drawn taut, short swords or long blades hung at their waists, and arrows were prepared as they surged toward the city walls.

Though they were in a flurry, the upper echelons of the Kuja Pirates showed no real panic. After all, Leo had already delivered the intelligence and had repeatedly emphasized this point over the past ten-plus days. Even a fool should have been mentally prepared by now.

Then, Hancock, a woman possessing Conqueror's Haki, unhesitatingly opened the gates of Nine Snake Island. Two Sea King-class venomous sea snakes slowly dragged the Kuja Pirates' warship—a vessel resembling a floating palace—out from the harbor.

"To appear so suddenly at the doorstep of their lair, yet they show no panic... What formidable spirit." A frail, elderly woman in a Marine coat stood on the deck of a Marine battleship, arms crossed, watching the Kuja Pirates slowly emerge. She let out a chuckle as she spoke.

"That person... is Tsuru, isn't she?" Standing behind the Empress, clad in a cloak, Leo adjusted his telescope to its maximum range and observed the old woman standing on the enemy ship's deck. Though he didn't recognize her face, he could almost instantly deduce that among the high-ranking elderly female Marine officers, only Tsuru fit the description.

This strategist was someone he had to win over, but not now.

"Tsuru, Garp the Fist, Sengoku the Buddha—these three are the pillars that uphold the Marines. The iron triangle they form is the reason the World Government could remain undefeated when facing the Rocks Pirates, Pirate King Roger, and the Whitebeard Pirates."

"All three are formidable in strength and sharp in intellect. Though Garp is usually unreliable, he is actually the most clear-headed of the three when it comes to grand strategy. Of course, while Sengoku the Buddha is called the 'Strategist,' all three have excellent minds. Many of their schemes come from their collective planning."

"Of course, they might not have much say in the upper echelons of the World Government, but their role within the military is undeniable. Compared to the current Three Admirals, they are the true three pillars of the armed forces."

Wrapped in his cloak, standing among the Kuja Pirates' crew, Leo used his telescope to study the enemy ship, scanning the sailors on its deck.

"Almost all of them are female soldiers. It seems they're prepared to resist your Love-Love Fruit's power." He spotted two very familiar figures. One was a long-legged woman with black hair, a waist-length sword at her side—the future Admiral candidate, Momousagi.

The other was a woman in a wine-red suit with pink hair and sunglasses—Hina, the Cage-Cage Fruit user and a peer of Smoker.

This was still before the main storyline, meaning Momousagi, now a future Admiral candidate at the rank of Vice Admiral, was probably around Captain to Rear Admiral. As for Hina, though her Cage-Cage Fruit was powerful, she was likely only a Commander—she was Smoker's contemporary, so she wouldn't be ranked too high yet.

Still, Tsuru bringing them along showed she trusted their abilities. If the Empress was foolish enough to refuse the World Government's summons, a battle might break out.

Any ordinary male soldier sent against the Empress would be a waste of lives against her Love-Love Fruit. Female soldiers, on the other hand, had a chance of survival.

Momousagi and Hina were key assets to ensure the other soldiers could survive an assault from the Kuja Pirates.

Vice Admiral Tsuru was indeed clever, having considered everything. But why was there only one battleship...

"It seems the government just got their hands on a Seastone-lined ship and couldn't wait to come show off, intimidate, and recruit you." Though his analysis was spoken in a low voice, the female officers of the Kuja Pirates nearby heard every word clearly.

The Empress's heart stirred. If she could seize this ship here, could she delay the government's entry into the Calm Belt? Or even obtain the Marines' technology for crossing it? As for these Marines, she could just kill them all. The Empress had no regard for their lives.

But Gloriosa, being the seasoned veteran she was, saw through Hancock's intentions at a glance.

"Empress, don't think too much. Stick to the plan." She reminded her firmly, her voice low but forceful.

Yet Hancock still turned her head to glance at Leo. This gesture sent a chill through Gloriosa's heart. Truly, a grown daughter is beyond her mother's control; a grown woman doesn't stay. In just a few days, she was already ignoring her advice and turning to Leo for his opinion instead.

Leo's opinion, however, was no different from hers. He said in a low voice, "Just accept it outright. You can make demands the Marines can't agree to. Be overbearing, push them around. It's best to petrify them all before negotiating with Granny Tsuru."

Hancock understood. This was clearly about showing off their strength before talking. That way, even the most outrageous conditions would have to be accepted.

She wasn't boasting—when it came to being overbearing, she had never feared anyone.

"Sandersonia, Marigold! You two, come with me!" The Empress commanded her two sisters with an imperious tone.

"Yes, sister." Sandersonia and Marigold were utterly devoted to the Empress. She had always protected them, whether during their time as slaves of the Celestial Dragons or after they escaped. She had never stopped.

Now, with her temper being what it was, how could they possibly mind?

Marigold let out a hiss. One of the two sea snakes turned its head, lowered itself onto the deck, and carried the three of them up. Standing atop the massive sea snake's head, Leo realized just how enormous it truly was. Its body likely exceeded forty meters, spanning the entire keel of the ship. Even the part above the water was over ten meters high. Its head was so large that it could accommodate the 1.9-meter Empress, the 4.5-meter Sandersonia, and the 4.3-meter Marigold with room to spare. Combined with their venom, these two sea snakes could indeed dominate even the Calm Belt, home to many giant Sea Kings.

This could even be considered Amazon Lily's strategic weapon.

No wonder every Shichibukai was someone not to be trifled with.

Leo thought to himself, keeping his telescope fixed on the scene. His entire body was hidden beneath his cloak as he observed the negotiations.

The Empress's entrance was utterly stunning. Most of the opposing side was instantly captivated by her. And for the Love-Love Fruit, being captivated meant only one thing...

Complete petrification!

PS: Still not signed. Depressing. The review editors at Qidian are too few, so even if the contract arrives, it has to be reviewed slowly. Headache...