The title of Fleet Admiral carried plenty of weight. On these seas, there were people who dared to defy Sengoku—quite a few of them, in fact.
There was a whole crowd of them in the Holy Land of Mary Geoise alone.
But the old town mayor before Loa was definitely not one of them.
The moment he heard they came from Marine Headquarters, the strongest of the Grand Line's three great powers, under Fleet Admiral Sengoku's orders—and that they had brought six warships—his knees nearly gave out.
Leaning on his cane, he hurriedly bowed and saluted Loa. "So you're Lord Loa from Marine Headquarters! Forgive these old eyes for failing to recognize you. Please, come in. I'll arrange a banquet to welcome you at once."
"No need for a banquet." Loa flatly declined, then turned to Arudo, who had come up beside him. "Take a few men to the Royal Palace on that mountain. Be careful. There's something wrong with this country's king."
"Something wrong?" Arudo scratched the back of his head, which was as thick as another man's waist. "Does that mean I can fight him? He is a king, though. Wouldn't it look bad for us Marines?"
"Then take Simon with you and listen to him. Don't hold back. If you kill the king, I'll take responsibility." Loa sneered.
"Thank you, Lord Marine!"
Hearing their exchange, the old mayor dropped to his knees before Loa. He knocked his head against the ground as he spoke. "Ever since Wapol became king, life has only gotten worse for the people of the Drum Kingdom. His Doctor Hunting decree has made us afraid even to fall ill. One of my grandsons came down with a fever, and with nowhere to seek treatment, he... he died."
As the old mayor told his