They didn't know,
Under Hawk Eyes's watchful eye, Hachinosu's nighttime defenses remained tight.
On the contrary, due to the addition of watchtowers and the strict enforcement of patrol procedures, security is even tighter than during the day.
They were even less aware that
Several core monsters of the Roy Pirates
Especially Hawk Eyes, who was in charge of defense, and Crocodile, who was in charge of intelligence.
They were not completely unaware of any unusual activity in the surrounding area.
Hachinosu, Trial Island Training Grounds.
Roy had just finished a round of meditation and slowly opened his eyes.
His Observation Haki has improved further through training, with both his sensory range and mental acuity increasing.
suddenly,
A thought flickered in his mind, and he vaguely sensed an unusual "aura" emanating from the sea to the southeast.
It was a faint fluctuation caused by a large number of life forms gathering, carrying obvious malice and restlessness.
The distance is still very far, and the fluctuations are very blurry.
If it weren't for his special Observation Haki, he would have been almost completely undetectable.
"Southeast... is that the direction of that Pirate Alliance?"
Roy stood up, a cold glint in his eyes.
"It seems the first batch of 'guests' attracted by the bounty are already eager to arrive."
Roy wasn't worried about this; on the contrary, he was somewhat looking forward to it.
Perfect, these reckless fools are just what I need.
Let's test the newly built defense system on Hachinosu and the results our partners have achieved over this period of time.
"I hope you can bring some surprises, and not be too boring."
Roy muttered to himself as his figure disappeared from the training ground.
He needs to talk to Hawk Eyes and Crocodile and get ready.
Hachinosu is about to face its first large-scale offensive and defensive battle since its establishment.
The Roy Pirates ' true strength will be revealed to the New World in this battle.
Night fell, enveloping Hachinosu and its eleven surrounding satellite islands.
On the main island, in the fortress, and outposts, lights were lit according to a strict system.
It ensured necessary lighting and vigilance while avoiding excessive exposure.
On the watchtower, observers personally trained and selected by Hawk Eyes were intently monitoring the dark sea.
They were equipped with the latest monocular telescopes and simple Den Den Mushi) communication devices.
Hawk Eyes himself stood atop the clock tower, the highest point on the main island, like a night owl, holding the Black Blade Yoru, and closing his eyes to rest.
His Observation Haki acted like an invisible radar, slowly scanning the surrounding sea area with him as the center.
Any large-scale energy accumulation or malicious approach cannot escape his perception.
Although Crocodile's intelligence network was still in its early stages, it had already sent back some scattered information.
Several pirate crews in the southeast direction are acting strangely and show signs of gathering.
Taking advantage of Roy's daytime warnings, he intensified nighttime surveillance of the South Blue.
At midnight, all was quiet except for the sound of waves gently lapping against the rocks.
Suddenly, countless ships appeared on the southeastern horizon!
More than a hundred pirate ships of varying sizes, like a school of sharks that have smelled blood.
They split into two groups, heading towards the outer perimeter of Hachinosu, specifically the " Earth Star " and " Fire Star " fortresses.
They charged forward menacingly! The ship was brightly lit, and shouts of battle could be faintly heard, making no attempt to conceal their intention to attack.
"Enemy attack! Southeast direction! A large number of enemy ships are approaching Earth Star and Fire Star!"
The observer in the watchtower immediately sent out an alarm via Den Den Mushi.
"It's finally here."
Hawk Eyes opened his eyes, his gaze calm and unwavering.
The news of the enemy attack was relayed through the internal communication network, instructing the Earth Star and Fire Star garrison to take their battle positions according to the pre-arranged defense plan.
Other fortresses and outposts should be reinforced to prevent the enemy from outflanking or launching a surprise attack on the main island.
Main island defense forces, Level 1 combat readiness.
The order was quickly relayed to every island.
The well-trained defenders did not panic and quickly took their positions.
Gunners in position, ammunition loaded;
Close-combat units assembled and awaited orders.
Almost simultaneously with Hawk Eyes's order, core members such as Roy, Bullet, Tesoro, and Crocodile...
They also received the alert and rushed to the main island command center.
"How many people came?" Roy asked.
"Initial observations indicate that the enemy fleet attacking the two fortresses exceeds one hundred ships, with an estimated force of over four thousand."
Stella quickly reported the data transmitted from the front lines.
"Hmph, quite a show of force."
Bullet grinned maliciously.
"Perfect, let my new recruits see some blood!"
Something's not right.
Crocodile, a cigar dangling from his lips, squinted at the sea chart.
"If I were the attacker, I wouldn't deploy all my forces to openly assault a well-fortified fortress."
There should be a backup plan.
"Feint to the east while attacking in the west?"
Roy immediately understood what Crocodile meant, Observation Haki to sense things more carefully once more.
Pay close attention to other areas of the main island, especially the relatively weakly defended southern cliff area.
Sure enough, beneath the chaotic fluctuations of the main battlefield, he detected another, more concealed but extremely fast-moving aura of malice.
They are quietly approaching the main island from the south!
There weren't many of them, maybe a dozen or so fast ships, but their presence was clearly far stronger than the ragtag soldiers in front of them.
"An elite squad is attempting to sneak across and land on the southern cliff."
Roy said in a deep voice,
"The target should be our command center or important figures."
"Clever."
Crocodile sneered.
"Too bad, they underestimated us."
" Bullet, Tesoro."
Roy quickly made arrangements.
"Go to Earth Star and Fire Star to provide support, and quickly defeat the enemy on the front lines. If you see Devil Fruit User, try to capture them alive."
"Haha! Leave it to me!"
Bullet rushed out of the command post without hesitation.
"Understood, boss." Tesoro vanished in a flash of lightning.
" Crocodile, Hawk Eyes, and the Nezumi on the south side of the main island are yours. Get it over with."
"Hmph, just what I wanted." Crocodile's body turned to sand and merged into the night.
Hawk Eyes simply nodded slightly, took a step out of the clock tower, and his figure, like a wild goose merging into the night wind, silently swept towards the southern cliff.
Roy himself was stationed at the command center, overseeing the overall situation, while simultaneously deploying his Observation Haki to the fullest extent.
They monitored subtle changes across the entire battlefield. Kyros, Savi, Enel, Pea, Charon, Yamato, and others also received orders to go to support points or protect important areas (such as the scholar's area or research base) where needed.
The battle first broke out on the outskirts of Hachinosu!
Off the coast of Earth Star Fortress, dozens of pirate ships formed a semi-encirclement and opened fire fiercely on the fortress!
Shells rained down on the fortress walls and gun emplacements.
Under the command of their commander (a former pirate officer trained by Bullet ), the fortress garrison calmly engaged in battle.
The gun emplacements launched precise counterattacks based on pre-calculated firing data.
At the same time, the heavy ballistae mounted on the city walls (experiments designed by Master Tom ) also fired huge bolts that pierced through the hull.
Flames soared into the sky above the sea, accompanied by explosions, the cracking of wood, and screams.