Next Bonus, 100!!
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Near the beach, a large ship was docked.
Karasu and the others watched the distant battle.
The sky was being torn apart by the raging wind.
The aftershocks of the fight shook the very earth, and the sea churned with massive waves.
The Revolutionary officers watched with bated breath.
"Have faith in Dragon!" Belo Betty shouted. "He's not going to die in a place like this! Our dream is not yet complete! Are you going to lose heart over a little setback like this, you scumbags??"
She waved her flag, and under the influence of her Pump-Pump Fruit, the downcast Revolutionary soldiers' eyes filled with a renewed determination.
Kuma was using his Paw-Paw Fruit to send the panicked civilians, one by one, to their headquarters in Baltigo.
"This is bad," Karasu said, his brow furrowed. "The Marines have blockaded the sea. They're surrounding us."
Crows flew back, landing on his arm, bringing with them the information they had "seen."
"So there are some strong fighters among the Marines as well," Betty said, looking out at the warships that were now appearing on the horizon.
This was a long-planned pincer movement, a joint operation between the CIU and the Marines, designed to deal a fatal blow to the Revolutionary Army.
Kuma took a deep breath. There were still thousands of civilians left.
He wouldn't have time to send them all.
"Karasu, Belo Betty," he said, his voice grave, "take the others and go. I'll cover your escape. You have to break through and get back to Baltigo."
"Kuma!" Betty began, about to argue.
"This is an emergency. Do as I say," Kuma said, taking another deep breath. "There are no revolutions without sacrifice. Let me open a path to hope for you all."
"KUMA!" the Revolutionaries and the people of the Sorbet Kingdom cried out, their hearts filled with a mixture of sorrow and gratitude.
Kuma had already leaped into the air, heading straight for the Marine fleet. He brought his palm down.
"FIRE!"
A barrage of cannonballs shot toward him.
"It's Kuma the Tyrant!"
Onboard the fleet's flagship, the commander, Sakazuki, saw Kuma's move. "Trying to break through?" he sneered. "You two, go intercept the enemy. He's mine."
"Sir!"
"Great Eruption!"
Sakazuki leaped into the air. His arm transformed into a massive fist of magma, which he launched forward with the force of a volcanic eruption.
Kuma roared in fury. His Haki burned like a flame, and he met Sakazuki's attack with a punch of his own.
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!
Half the sky was set ablaze.
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The next morning.
The dawn broke over the horizon, casting a golden light on the sea.
The wreckage of the Marine fleet, still burning, was slowly sinking beneath the waves.
The sea was stained red with blood, attracting the predators of the deep.
Sakazuki's face was dark.
Kuma had escaped again. His ability was just too broken. He could leave whenever he wanted.
Shamrock and his men arrived at the shore, his brow furrowed in frustration.
"Useless Marines," he muttered. He was also injured. He hadn't been able to stop Dragon either. As long as Dragon wanted to leave, with his wind abilities, there was nothing he could do.
"But..." Shamrock sneered. "They will lead us to the Revolutionary Army's headquarters. And when they do, we will wipe them out, once and for all."
It was all part of his meticulous plan. The Revolutionaries' escape had been anticipated.
The battle for the Sorbet Kingdom was over. The nation had been destroyed.
In the World Government's reports, it was a great victory.
The civilian casualties?
Civilians?
What civilians?
There were no civilians.
They were all Revolutionaries.
Hundreds of thousands of them.
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And so, in a blaze of war, the year 1520 came to a close.
The World Government's reports showcased its overwhelming, terrifying power, inspiring awe and fear in the member nations.
Not a single king dared to protest the 10% increase in the Heavenly Tribute.
And the incident had its intended effect.
Revolutionary activity across the world was suppressed. No one wanted to bring such a disaster upon their own country.
The world became "peaceful."
But was it truly peace?
Or was it just the temporary tranquility of a world under the boot of a bloody terror?
The deeper the oppression, the more violent the resistance.
It was only a matter of time before it reached a breaking point.
The Winter Blossom Kingdom's second annual New Year's Gala was broadcast throughout the world, a soothing balm for the hearts of the people. Although it lacked the novelty and surprise of the first, it still became the hot topic of January.
On Drum Island, the Snowland theme park had opened last year, attracting a large number of tourists and bringing a significant amount of income to the local residents. With the kingdom's capital located there, and its reputation as a great medical nation, its development was assured.
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After a week-long New Year's holiday, in the newly constructed, ice-themed royal palace, Jin convened the King's Council.
In attendance were:
Prime Minister: Enru. (His excellent work in the construction and administration of Hannabal had earned him the promotion.)
Minister of the Secretariat: Nico Robin.
Minister of the Council: Dalton. (Jin needed a loyal council, and Dalton was the most loyal man he knew.)
Minister of Security: Jeston. (As one of Jin's earliest followers, his loyalty was unquestionable.)
Minister of Education: Mihar. (A former member of the Spade Pirates. After Ace had disbanded the crew, he had chosen to settle in the Winter Blossom Kingdom. A former teacher, his dream was to provide an education for all children, a dream that the kingdom's "compulsory education" system could help him achieve.)
Minister of Finance: Genzo. (From Cocoyasi Village. Genzo didn't know anything about finance, but Jin didn't need him to. He was there to represent the Conomi Islands.)
Minister of Agriculture and Forestry: Izaya. (From Asuka Island, Maya's grandmother.)
Minister of Defense: Vacant.
Minister of Conscription: Rudona. (The former head of conscription on Drum Island, promoted.)
None of these ministers were particularly strong fighters, and not all of them were experts in their fields.
Because strength does not equal governance.
What Jin really needed were people who could keep the kingdom running, who could carry out his will.
"If I say you're qualified, you're qualified. Even if you're not."
Besides, this was just the beginning. The ministerial positions were not set in stone.
The first meeting of the year was to summarize the work of the previous year and to set the agenda for the new one. Jin had established a series of metrics to more clearly assess their progress.
After the King's Council, Prime Minister Enru would hold his own meetings to convey the king's will and delegate the tasks.
The makeshift administration was starting to look like a real government.
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Jin went to a small cabin in the woods.
Bonney, Chopper, and Anaguma were playing in the snow with Aisa, who had come down from Skypiea before the new year. She would be attending the elementary school in the town.
Inside the cabin, Jin found Kuma.
Dragon was there as well.
Dragon got straight to the point.
"You need to borrow a shipment of grain?"
"Of course," Jin nodded. "Last year's harvest on Mock Town was plentiful. I can lend you about 10,000 tons."
A smile spread across Dragon's face. "Thank you. I'm deeply grateful."
After the tragedy in the Sorbet Kingdom, the Revolutionary Army had taken in a large number of refugees. The sudden burden had led to a severe food shortage. Dragon had been greatly worried.
"How are things in the South Blue?" Jin asked.
Dragon sighed. "Not good. Shamrock's CIU has eliminated a number of our strongholds. Thousands of our comrades have been killed, and tens of thousands of innocent civilians have been caught in the crossfire. Our losses have been catastrophic. I tried to take out Shamrock myself, to stop his atrocities. But... he has two strange abilities."
"What are they?" Jin asked.
"The first is some kind of pentagram teleportation," Dragon explained. "He can summon a group called the God's Knights to fight alongside him. They're incredibly strong, each of them on the level of a Warlord. But the real problem is the second ability."
"They're immortal."
Dragon's brow furrowed. "I killed one of them. I cut him in half. And he just... regenerated. He didn't die. Shamrock, the God's Knights... they all have this power."
Kuma glanced at Jin. The demonic carrier possessed a similar ability, though it wasn't as broken as the God's Knights'. Jin had forbidden him from speaking of it, and Kuma had kept his word.
"You should be careful if you ever run into them," Dragon said. "Only a powerful Conqueror's Haki seems to be able to inflict any real damage on them."
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