In the early winter of Sea Circle Calendar 1515, cold winds began sweeping across the West Blue. Hua Country, which had established its capital at Chang'an and promulgated new policies, was like a giant ship that had just dropped anchor amid towering waves. Though its hull had steadied for the moment, surging undercurrents pressed in from every direction. The stability of the Capital Region was the foundation of the newborn Hua Country's survival. Any enemies entrenched beside its bed had to be utterly eradicated with thunderous force.
A murderous atmosphere filled Dragon Might Hall. On the enormous sand table, blue flags representing Hua Country's territory covered only Chang'an and a small surrounding area, while red flags marking hostile forces stood like poisonous barbs at several key points around the Capital Region: the northwestern mining stronghold of Iron Mountain Fort, the southwestern granary hub of Yuan River City, and Lin Gorge Pass, the northeastern choke point leading to the coast.
These three places had been occupied by generals devoted to the former Flower Country. They maintained private armies, severed some of Chang'an's connections with the outside, and served as bases for spreading rumors and harassing traveling merchants-a bone lodged in the throat.
Holding a slender pointer, Guo Jia indicated the three locations, his voice as cold and calm as ice. "Iron Mountain Fort's commander, 'Mountain-Crusher' Wang Pan, possesses boundless strength and a brutal temperament. He holds defensible terrain with five thousand troops. Yuan River City's commander, 'Water Snake' Han Dang, is cunning, suspicious, and skilled in naval warfare, with three thousand sailors under his command. Lin Gorge Pass's commander, 'Swift Sword' Sun Xiu, wields a swift sword, comes from the nobility, and thinks highly of himself. He has three thousand garrison troops. All three have raised the banner of 'defending the king.' They must be rooted out as quickly as possible."
Chen Yu's gaze swept over Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Zhao Yun, Huang Zhong, and Gan Ning as an invisible pressure spread through the hall. "If the Capital Region is unstable, how can we pursue anything beyond it? These three minor afflictions shall be struck down with thunderous force! We must not merely win, but win swiftly and decisively, to cow the petty villains! Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Zhao Yun, Huang Zhong, Gan Ning!"
"Present!" The five generals stepped forward, their murderous aura soaring skyward. Even the temperature of the entire hall seemed to plunge.
"My orders: Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, lead your own troops and take Iron Mountain Fort within three days!"
"Zhao Yun and Huang Zhong, lead your own troops and break Yuan River City within three days!"
"Gan Ning, lead the Brocade Sail Battalion to support both forces, blockade the waterways, and prevent enemy reinforcements!"
"In this battle, you must not only capture the cities, but slay the enemy leaders on the battlefield and proclaim our army's might!"
"We obey!" the five generals answered thunderously, fighting spirit blazing in their eyes.
Dust billowed along the northwestern highway. Guan Yu rode at the head, dragging the Green Dragon Crescent Blade along the ground in a trail of sparks. Zhang Fei followed closely with the troops, like a moving mountain.
Iron Mountain Fort stood against a mountainside, its walls tall and thick, accessible only by a narrow mountain road in front. Nearly three meters tall and holding two enormous hammers, its commander Wang Pan stood atop the wall and laughed wildly. "Guan Yu? Zhang Fei? I've heard you two have some ability! But my Iron Mountain Fort is impregnable! Come up here if you have what it takes!"
Guan Yu narrowed his Phoenix Eyes, completely ignoring the taunts, and said to Zhang Fei, "Fourth Brother, lead the troops in a feint against the front. Draw their attention."
"You got it, Third Brother!" Zhang Fei grinned, revealing stark white teeth.
Guan Yu turned his horse toward a sheer cliff to one side. He took a deep breath, and the air around him suddenly surged wildly! Rayquaza's power to control the atmosphere burst into full effect! Alone on horseback, he charged up the nearly vertical cliff as though riding across level ground! Air currents formed invisible steps beneath him, and he moved as fast as a streak of azure lightning!
The defenders on the wall stared in disbelief. Before they could loose their arrows, Guan Yu had already leaped onto the battlements!
"Azure Dragon Crescent: Mountain-Splitting!"
Guan Yu moved with his blade. An intensely condensed azure Flying Slash swept across the ranks rather than striking Wang Pan, shearing battlements and dozens of defenders straight off the wall!
"Die!" Shocked and furious, Wang Pan brought both hammers crashing toward Guan Yu with a vicious rush of wind.
"A mere grain dares to shine?" Guan Yu snorted. Without dodging, he swept the Green Dragon Crescent Blade upward, its edge wrapped in dense Armament Haki!
CLANG!!!
A deafening crash rang out! Wang Pan's pair of enormous steel hammers were cleaved in two down the middle, along with the man himself! Blood and entrails sprayed across the ground! Guan Yu had killed Wang Pan with a single stroke!
With their commander dead, the defenders were terrified out of their wits. At that moment, Zhang Fei roared and smashed through the gates, and the army flooded inside. Iron Mountain Fort fell in half a day!
To the southwest, a dense network of waterways crisscrossed the Yuan River. Zhao Yun and Huang Zhong stood at the bow of a ship. Relying on their familiarity with the waters, Han Dang's naval flotilla appeared and vanished among the reed beds, firing ambush arrows and proving exceedingly troublesome.
"Zhao Yun, to catch the bandits, first catch their leader." Huang Zhong's gaze was like an eagle's. His Observation Haki had already locked onto the figure issuing constant orders aboard the enemy flagship-Han Dang.
"Brother Huang Zhong, sorry for the trouble." Zhao Yun nodded.
Huang Zhong took a deep breath and drew his great bow into a full moon. Armament Haki condensed into a point of dim light at the arrowhead, while Dialga's power allowed him to predict precisely the ship's rocking and every tiny change in wind speed.
"Setting Sun: Star-Piercing!"
The bowstring cracked, and the arrow vanished! In the next instant, it had crossed several kilometers and pierced Han Dang's throat with pinpoint accuracy, pinning him firmly to the mast! The smug smile on Han Dang's face froze instantly.
Chaos erupted aboard the enemy flagship!
"Now!" Zhao Yun's white robe stirred as Reshiram's turbine propulsion erupted. Like a streak of white lightning, he skimmed across the waves and leaped aboard the enemy flagship in just a few bounds. His spear moved like a dragon, instantly clearing out the command staff. Commander and deputy alike died in moments. The naval troops descended into chaos and were easily annihilated by Hua Country's navy when it arrived shortly afterward. Yuan River City lay wide open, and its defenders surrendered.
To the northeast, Lin Gorge Pass stood between two mountains, easy to defend and difficult to attack. Gan Ning's Brocade Sail Battalion had already silently severed the water route connecting the pass to its rear.
Confident in his swift sword and the pass's formidable terrain, Sun Xiu felt little fear, until he saw only a handful of men before the pass-Zhang Fei had arrived with a vanguard after dealing with Iron Mountain Fort.
"Does Hua Country have no men left? They sent only a dark brute like you to die?" Sun Xiu sneered from atop the pass.
Zhang Fei's fierce eyes widened. Without issuing a challenge, he unleashed Groudon's power, every muscle swelling. Armament Haki coated his right fist as he roared, "Raging Thunder: Mountain-Crushing!"
He slammed his fist into the pass's heavy, iron-clad wooden gate!
BOOOOM!!!
It was like a meteor's impact! The entire pass shook violently. The gate, weighing five thousand kilograms, along with the bolts and supporting posts behind it, was blasted to pieces by Zhang Fei's punch bearing the earth's fury. Fragments flew everywhere!
Sun Xiu and the defenders atop the pass staggered from the shock, utterly dumbfounded!
Zhang Fei strode through the dust into the pass like a demonic god and leveled his Eight-Foot Serpent Spear. "Sun Xiu, you whelp! Come meet your death!"
Horrified, Sun Xiu thrust his sword swiftly forward. The sword flashed like a venomous snake darting from its hole, its technique indeed possessing its own merits.
"Too slow!" Zhang Fei did not even block. He let the sword tip strike his Haki-covered chest with a metallic clang as his serpent spear shot out like lightning!
Shhk!
The spear pierced Sun Xiu's heart, his eyes filled with disbelief. The defenders collapsed instantly. Lin Gorge Pass fell in a single assault.
All three armies struck with lightning speed, slaying the enemy leaders on the battlefield and taking their fortified cities. When the news reached Chang'an, the people rejoiced, while the remnants of the old powers harboring disloyal intentions trembled in fear. The absolute superiority of Hua Country's generals in personal combat made every enemy realize that before truly powerful warriors, so-called fortifications and troop numbers could sometimes be utterly vulnerable.
With this battle, Hua Country's Capital Region was thoroughly secured.
The fame of Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Zhao Yun, Huang Zhong, and Gan Ning-the "Five Tigers of Hua Country"-swiftly swept across the entire West Blue like winter's bitter winds, carried by their legendary feats of slaying enemy generals and storming fortified cities.
Victory reports poured into Dragon Might Hall. Chen Yu stood before the window with his hands behind his back, his gaze deep as he watched the slowly sinking sun. Guo Jia stood quietly beside him.
"Fengxiao, though the Capital Region is secure, Flower Country is vast, and powerful enemies surround us. The World Government must have turned its attention our way as well, wouldn't you say?"
"You see clearly, my lord. These thunderous assaults were meant to establish our might. The real storms still lie ahead. Next, it is time to 'strengthen our foundations and gradually reclaim our former lands.'"
Indeed, victory in the Capital Region was merely one firm step Hua Country had taken upon this sea. A broader world, more powerful warriors, and harsher challenges already awaited this newborn great ship ahead.
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