Ruler of the West Blue
"You've suffered a lot because of what happened between my son and me, haven't you?"
Rouge suddenly said softly.
"It's what I should do."
Xia Le turned around to face the woman in front of her.
The images of the Annihilation Baterilla Island, Sora, Sengoku, and others flashed through his mind. The series of events that had occurred had indeed caused him to lose a great deal.
But now that I've taken this knife, I must do what needs to be done.
"I only hope that Ace can grow up safely and smoothly."
Rouge said.
He will.
Xia Le smiled faintly.
He paused, seemingly realizing his attitude was a bit too indifferent, and then continued.
I will do my best to ensure the safety of you and your child.
If word got out that Roger had secretly taken in his wife and unborn child, the whole world would be in an uproar, and all his reputation and prestige in the Navy would vanish.
They couldn't even gain a foothold in the navy.
By then, all the original plans will probably be impossible to execute, and we'll have to start from scratch.
"Thanks."
Rouge whispered.
Afterwards, accompanied by Mina, she went to rest in the cabin.
Slowly sitting down, Rouge turned her head to look out the window. She didn't feel any wind, but a faint, unsettling, and frightening aura permeated the air.
But her expression remained completely unchanged.
"Ace."
"As long as you're okay, Mom is okay."
A gentle smile appeared on the woman's face as she stroked her swollen belly.
She suddenly remembered what Roger had once said to her, a comment he made about Xia Le.
"That kid is a dangerous fellow."
"But it is worth believing."
Rouge's mind flashed back to the day the first batch of marines arrived, to the sudden appearance of Bullet and Crocodile, and then to today's departure on the ship for the West Blue.
"Is he trustworthy?"
Muttering to herself, Rouge off her shoes and socks, slowly lay down on the bed, and closed her eyes.
She was a little tired.
Pregnant women are already unable to withstand too much stress, especially these past few days, hearing news from all over the world about the search for Roger's bloodline, which has put her under immense mental tension.
Before long, the woman began to snore softly.
At the bow of the ship, Xia Le smiled.
This woman probably hasn't been sleeping well lately.
However, Bullet and Crocodile are indeed reliable and intelligent in their work.
Bringing Rouge from the South Blue to the Sabaody Archipelago Island, which is relatively safer than other places, is a kind of "blind spot."
--
The Scepter, gleaming golden in the sunlight, cleaved through the surging waves and sped forward.
They arrived at the West Blue on the second day.
"G-18 Base!"
As she softly murmured to herself about to arrive at her new post, Xia Le's eyes flickered slightly.
He had already learned about the Fortress from the documents Crocodile handed him.
G-18 is a Military Base that is easy to defend and difficult to attack. It is larger in scale than the G-8 Fortress and is located in the entire West Blue region, making it a relatively important pass.
"The Flower Country lies directly to the north of the base!"
"This is the area we need to pay attention to, and it's a force that all generals who have served as commanders throughout history have taken seriously."
Crocodile said in a deep voice.
"The Flower Country, the Happo Navy?"
Xia Le murmured the name, her eyes narrowing slightly.
He slowly raised his head and looked ahead.
A stream of information flowed through my mind at that moment.
Ohara, the Flower Country, the Ilusia Kingdom, Troia, Rasgap, etc.
"Although not on the Grand Line."
"But this sea area is not to be underestimated in the slightest!"
Xia Le sighed.
Chapter 98 Overlord of the West Blue
West Blue.
It can be said to be a very powerful sea area.
The birthplace of the famous Mafia, home to the Five Great Mafia Families that rule the underworld, most notably the Capone Family.
The Happo Navy of the Flower Country is also a powerful force that gives the Navy a real headache.
The most famous among them is Chinjao, the 12th generation pillar of the Happo Navy.
Legend has it that his teacher, Garp, used eight mountains as training grounds to fight Chinjao, and only after leveling the eight mountains did he finally fight Chinjao.
Then, he punched him, denting the skull he was so proud of.
The Happo Navy's signature move, the Hasshoken, is also extremely famous. Its principles and effects are almost identical to the Ryuo Haki from Wano Country.
It can be said that the Happo Navy is an extremely powerful force.
Many of the world's most famous and powerful figures hail from this sea area.
Such as the future Four Emperors, Red-Haired Shanks, Gecko Moria, Brook, Lafitte, San Juan Wolf, etc.
In addition, there are world-renowned archaeological Holy Land.
Ohara.
Thinking of this, Xia Le's eyes narrowed slightly.
In his heart, he actually had a very deep memory of Ohara and had always been paying attention to her.
He clearly remembered that when he met Vegapunk, the other man had said that his Hometown originated from this Island.
Xia Le had no memory of her predecessor; it was almost a complete blank.
And.
What concerned him even more was the future fate of this Island.
Because of the deciphering of Poneglyph and the research into the Void Century Eight Hundred Years Ago, this Island was ultimately Annihilation by the World Government through the Buster Call.
It can be said that Ohara is now heading step by step toward Annihilation.
Two years.
With only two years left, Ohara will be Annihilation.
When that time comes, what choice will he make?
To lend a helping hand, or to stand by and watch indifferently.
"The Flower Country is not easy to deal with, but they dare not easily attack the Navy."
"Furthermore, the Security Force of some other kingdoms are also formidable."
Crocodile's words came from beside his ear.
"The Five Great Mafia Families control the entire underground power of the West Blue."
Upon hearing this, Xia Le narrowed his eyes slightly and suddenly spoke.
What is the Navy's attitude towards them?
Crocodile paused, then said, "They don't seem to care much about these guys."
"As long as the surface calm is maintained, the navy has never actively provoked these forces."
Xia Le nodded.
"Then we can finally have some peace and quiet."
Although he said that, he knew very well what was going on in his heart.
Two years from now, things will likely remain turbulent no matter what.
Around noon, the Warship arrived at Fortress G-18.
The massive iron gate slowly opened, and from the outside, its grandeur and magnificence somewhat resembled the Gate of Justice in Marineford.
The vast Inner Bay shimmered with light, and more than a dozen Warship were moored at the Harbor.
Countless enormous, towering steel structures and magnificent buildings stood in front, with naval personnel standing ramrod straight at intervals.
As the Xia Le warship entered the fortress, the entire base instantly erupted in excitement.
"The new commander has arrived!"
"Quick! Quick! What about the welcoming ceremony we prepared!"
"That's the legendary Vice Admiral Xia Le of the Marine Corps!"
Squads of naval forces poured out of the base in a short time, forming a neat array that was quite a sight to behold.
Everyone standing at the bow of the ship was looking ahead.
Crocodile looked somewhat surprised; the sight of countless Marines gathering and converging on the plaza in front was undoubtedly quite awe-inspiring.
Compared to the size of a Pirate crew, the number of marines in this base is staggering.
"Eight thousand!"
"Still ten thousand!?"
Crocodile murmured.
"Thirteen thousand people!"
Bullet clasped his fists together and grinned.
There was also some surprise in his eyes; he hadn't expected there to be so many naval forces in this Fortress base.
"They're ours!"
Xia Le said softly.
At this moment, his feelings were different from every previous promotion.
The 13,000 naval personnel before him had been under his sole command from the moment the Warship entered the Fortress. And this vast, magnificent, and formidable Fortress would also belong entirely to him.
Having no subordinates is a completely different feeling from having 13,000 people under your command.
Overlord!
In a sense, from this moment on, Xia Le is truly the overlord of the West Blue!
A powerful regional official, a warlord!