The Mysterious Invaders

"Boss! These guys came prepared!" Lucky Roux said, gripping his giant chicken leg as he looked gravely at Red-Haired Shanks's dark expression.

"Shanks, something's wrong here!" Benn Beckman looked at the wailing residents of the Gem Kingdom and felt a flicker of anger rise within him.

The Gem Kingdom was one of the stronger kingdoms in the New World. True to its name, it produced so many gems that the proceeds from selling them each year were enough to support the entire country. Its agriculture was good and its commerce thriving, too. The kingdom had only one real weakness—its military.

For years, the Gem Kingdom had offered the World Government a fifth of its annual income in exchange for protection. But after the World Government lost to the Pirate Alliance led by the Whitebeard Pirates, the king stopped paying Heavenly Tribute and sought a Sea Emperor's protection instead.

They chose the Red Hair Pirates, whose reputation was fairly good among the Sea Emperors. For just a tenth of the kingdom's annual income, they gained a Red Hair Pirates flag that served them better than a Marine garrison. Compared with the old arrangement, it was a bargain.

And after taking the Gem Kingdom's protection money, the Red Hair Pirates had done their part. They had driven off six rookie pirate crews with ill intentions. After the ensuing bloodshed, no one dared challenge a Sea Emperor's authority.

Even so, a few pirate crews still tried their luck each year, hoping to topple the Red Hair Pirates and take their place.

They were all young rookies who had never learned how brutal the sea could be. The Sea Emperors welcomed challengers like them. Any crew bold enough to issue a challenge had to have some strength; subdue them, and they became a valuable