Three days later at dawn, four fleets, like arrows released from a bow, silently sailed out from different ports on Hachinosu.
They sank into the still dim sea, heading towards their respective destinations.
The war, or rather the cleanup operation, broke out almost simultaneously in the waters surrounding Hachinosu.
The Northeast Road team, led by Bullet, has the wildest and most direct style.
Faced with the island occupied by the " Bone Crusher Pirates," he didn't even order his fleet to prepare much artillery fire.
He transformed directly into White Tiger: Human-Beast Form, leaping from the bow of the ship and crashing down on the enemy's main dock like a meteorite.
What followed was a performance of pure, brutal crushing victory.
Savi, transformed into Giant Ape, followed closely behind, much like Bullet 2.
Enel then transformed into Thundercloud, instantly engulfing the pirate crew's fleet and coastal defenses.
Five hundred elite soldiers, trained in Bullet's hellish regimen, pounced like wolves.
The battle was almost one-sided from the very beginning.
Captain " Bone Crusher " attempted to resist but was punched three times by Bullet, breaking all the bones in his body, thus voiding the bounty.
The allied forces of " Iron Hook Island " were terrified, and their leader surrendered after a token resistance.
On the Northeast Road, within five days, two targets were eliminated, more than two hundred usable personnel were recruited, and several supply ships were seized.
Tesoro's Northwest Road, on the other hand, has a more "commercial" feel.
Faced with the port city controlled by the " Tidal Chamber of Commerce," he first used money to pave the way and intelligence infiltration.
This internal conflict created tensions between the chamber's armed leaders and civilian officials, leading to internal strife.
Kyros elite troops in a surprise attack on the port command post, killing the Chamber of Commerce's chief guard with a single sword strike.
Pea, using its Mythical Zoan ability, quickly took control of several key defensive points in the port and the ships attempting to escape.
When Tesoro, with a friendly smile, presented the remaining chamber of commerce administrators with a "cooperation" and "protection" agreement,
After promising to protect some of their legitimate interests, the resistance quickly crumbled.
The remnants of the " Black Sail Alliance " attempted to take advantage of the chaos, but Tesoro personally intervened, binding them like dumplings with chains and interrogating them one by one until they discovered the location of the treasure.
In just seven days, the Northwest Route Army seized control of a prime port and two important trade routes, acquiring a wealth of ready-made commercial assets, achieving both fame and fortune.
The Southwest Route, led by Hawk Eyes, is the most efficient and concise.
The rock manipulation ability that the captain of the " Rock-Splitting Pirates " was so proud of was as fragile as paper in the face of Hawk Eyes's slashes that seemed capable of cutting through anything.
The " Poison Swamp Island " is a treacherous environment, with venomous insects, wild beasts, and natural poisonous miasma posing a great threat to ordinary soldiers.
Hawk Eyes ordered Yamato and Charon to lead the main force to blockade the island from the outside, while he himself landed on the island alone with a sword.
His Observation Haki easily pinpointed the hiding places of several bandit leaders on the island.
Subsequently, several massive slashing beams that traversed the island swept across the poisonous swamp, precisely striking the target buildings.
The bandit leader was beheaded, and the remaining rabble was either wiped out by Charon's Fish-Man warriors in an underwater raid.
Or they were captured after being restricted by Yamato's frost ability. In the southwest, within four days, two dangerous places were declared pacified.
Crocodile and Moria's southeastern route and reconnaissance team moved like ghosts.
Instead of launching a direct assault on any strongholds, they utilized the Sand-Sand Fruit for infiltration and the Shadow-Shadow Fruit for manipulation and reconnaissance.
Along with agents like Jabra, who were proficient in the Six Powers, they carried out precise beheadings or kidnappings of the leaders of several hostile forces in the southeast, and spread rumors to create panic.
Meanwhile, their reconnaissance reach extended further, roughly pinpointing the area within 500 nautical miles southeast of Hachinosu.
They belong to the Whitebeard Pirates, Big Mom's Totto Land, and the Golden Lion Flying Pirates, respectively.
They secretly established several hidden observation posts in these peripheral areas before quietly withdrawing.
The four-pronged attack, like four sharp scalpels, resulted in [a significant breakthrough] in less than ten days.
Remove all threatening malignant tumors within a 200-nautical-mile radius of Hachinosu.
The operation was swift and the results were brilliant, with minimal losses on our own.
The news swept through the New World like a storm.
This time, it's no longer about defense and counter-attack, but about taking the initiative and expanding territory!
The Roy Pirates demonstrated formidable offensive power, highly efficient organization and execution, and a clear strategic intent.
Make all observers clearly aware:
In the northern part of the New World, a new hegemon that cannot be ignored has risen!
When the four armies returned in triumph, carrying spoils, prisoners, and new map information,
Hachinosu's sphere of influence has clearly expanded by nearly double, controlling a series of strategically valuable islands, ports, and shipping routes.
Roy immediately ordered the construction of makeshift outposts and the deployment of personnel at these key points of new control, and also ordered the dispersal of some prisoners to serve as construction labor.
We have begun constructing a second layer of perimeter defense and early warning system.
At this point,
In the northern waters of the New World, there is a region centered around Hachinosu.
A new sphere of influence, radiating across hundreds of nautical miles, has been initially established, characterized by internal stability and well-defined defensive layers.
This series of rapid and successful expansions made it impossible for the major powers in the New World to ignore the existence of the Roy Pirates.
The Whitebeard Pirates have increased patrols in the area bordering the territory of Hachinosu.
Marco personally inspected the border islands once, but did not cross any lines, seemingly still observing.
Big Mom Charlotte Linlin, on the other hand, was much more "enthusiastic," even sending her eldest son, Perospero, as an envoy aboard a candy boat.
The formal visit to Hachinosu, besides expressing "neighborly friendship," also subtly hinted at the possibility of a "marriage alliance."
He also hinted that if the Roy Pirates were willing to strengthen their "cooperation" with Totto Land, they would gain more support.
Roy received Perospero with courtesy, but remained noncommittal about the proposals for marriage and cooperation, and politely saw the envoy off.
Golden Lion Shiki's reaction was more direct; one of the floating outposts he controlled fired warning shells at the approaching Hachinosu reconnaissance ship.
He also warned Roy, the kid, not to "get too involved."
Roy ordered border personnel to exercise restraint and increase surveillance, but did not respond for the time being.
Upon learning of Roy's expansion plans, Kaido laughed and drank heartily on Onigashima, praising his ally for doing a great job.
This diverted attention from other directions, allowing him to focus more on his expansion, and he even sent someone to deliver congratulatory gifts.
At Marine Headquarters, Sengoku stared at the rapidly expanding red area on the map marked " Roy's Forces," his face so grim it could drip water.
Akainu advocated immediately dispatching elite troops for an attack, but Sengoku once again suppressed his proposal, citing the opportune moment and the complex situation in the New World.
The only option is to accelerate the recruitment of soldiers and the hiring of the Shichibukai.
Hachinosu, Palace Conference Room.
Roy and his core team gathered again to summarize the expansion operation and analyze the reactions from all sides.
"Our initial objectives have been achieved; the surrounding threats have been largely eliminated, and our sphere of influence has been initially consolidated."
Roy pointed to the updated sea chart,
"However, we have also officially come into the sights of those great pirates."
It became a piece on their chessboard that they needed to take seriously.
Next, our strategy needs to be adjusted.
" Whitebeard's side seems to be prioritizing stability and will not provoke any action for the time being."
Big Mom's marriage proposal is a sugar-coated bullet; we need to be wary.
The Golden Lion's warning shows he's taken notice of us, but given his current situation of making enemies everywhere and internal instability,
As long as we do not actively infringe upon its core interests, it may not immediately launch a major offensive.
Crocodile analyzed the intelligence.
"The Navy is holding back their energy, but they're currently being held back by Golden Lion and our alliance with Kaido."
A large-scale expedition is unlikely, but small-scale infiltration and attempts to sow discord need to be guarded against.
Hawk Eyes adds.
Roy nodded. "So, the focus going forward is on 'deepening' and 'consolidating' our efforts."
We must cease proactive expansion, focus all our efforts on consolidating newly acquired territories, strengthen our defenses, develop our domestic affairs and economy, and further enhance our own strength.
At the same time, maintain respect and distance from Whitebeard;
Ignore Big Mom;
Maintain vigilance towards Golden Lion, but avoid provoking him; continue to maintain the alliance with Kaido.
Roy looked at everyone:
The wave of expansion has temporarily subsided, but the undercurrents will only become more turbulent.
We must use this relatively calm period to make ourselves stronger and to deepen the foundation of Hachinosu.
So that we can stand firm when the next storm comes.
Even... riding the waves.
The meeting ended, and everyone dispersed to their new tasks.
Hachinosu has entered a new phase of intensive development; outwardly, it appears calm.
Internally, however, more solid and in-depth accumulation and development are underway.
But in the shadows of the wider New World, waves are being stirred up by the rise of the Roy Pirates.
They are quietly gathering, preparing for the next clash.
The wheels of time, propelled by countless ambitions and forces, thunder forward.