"Blackwater Valley might be a perilous natural barrier for the Pudora Kingdom."
"The Chris Pirates will have to pay a heavy price to get through it."
"But the Pudora Kingdom is taking an enormous risk too."
Kizaru Borsalino studied a map of the Pudora Kingdom.
He continued, "If the Chris Pirates make it through Blackwater Valley, nothing will stand between them and their destination."
"Stopping them after that will be impossible."
"So if Blackwater Valley falls, the Pudora Kingdom won't be far from destruction!"
One glance at the map was enough for Kizaru Borsalino to spot the problem.
The risk the Pudora Kingdom was taking this time was immense.
Blackwater Valley was a rare natural fortress, but it was also the Pudora Kingdom's last line of defense.
Beyond it, there was no terrain nearly as well suited to defense.
And Blackwater Valley was very close to the Royal City.
If anything went wrong for the Pudora Kingdom in this battle, it would be all but impossible to rally more troops and stop the Chris Pirates afterward.
Vice Admiral Momonga frowned slightly. "Then... shouldn't we move faster?"
"If something goes wrong in the Blackwater Valley Battle, won't the Pudora Kingdom fall straight into the Chris Pirates' hands?"
"The strength the Chris Pirates just showed means they could end this quickly!"
Momonga couldn't help worrying.
He suddenly felt the Marines had already wasted too much time.
But Kizaru Borsalino seemed unconcerned. "Relax. The Pudora Kingdom won't go down that easily."
"The garrison at Pudora Kingdom Port collapsed so quickly only because it wasn't strong enough."
"Its two commanders were lacking, and its ordinary soldiers weren't numerous enough to threaten the Chris Pirates' Division Commanders."
"That's why it ended the way it did."
As he spoke, Kizaru Borsalino turned his head and surveyed