The Marine 143rd Branch Base was located on a small island less than ten nautical miles from the Kingdom of Luss.
What had once been an ordinary island had now been completely transformed into an impregnable Marine fortress.
Cold steel cannons lined the walls of the base, their muzzles gleaming ominously.
The towering headquarters building stood proudly at the center, radiating authority and power.
Around the island, ten warships floated on constant alert, displaying the formidable military strength stationed here.
At this moment, inside the fortress harbor, six warships had already finished preparations and were ready to set sail.
Marine warships were vastly different from the vessels of ordinary kingdoms.
They were enormous.
Each ship carried one hundred cannons, giving them terrifying firepower.
In addition, every vessel could transport over a thousand Marines, along with large quantities of portable heavy weaponry.
In other words, a single Marine warship possessed combat power comparable to three warships from an ordinary kingdom.
A fleet composed of six such vessels could easily sweep through most nations in the West Blue—including the Kingdom of Luss and the former Zephir Kingdom.
This deployment had been triggered by an emergency distress signal received just over an hour ago.
The Kingdom of Luss had urgently contacted the Marines, claiming that it was under fierce attack from the Kingdom of Zephir.
As a member nation of the World Government, Luss was entitled to Marine protection.
Thus, immediately after receiving the call for help, the Marines began assembling a fleet to respond.
"Zephir Kingdom… founded one hundred and thirty years ago. The ruling family is the Zephir family. It has had four kings. Twelve years ago, it refused to join the World Government."
"Current military strength: fewer than five thousand soldiers."
"Fleet: three medium-sized warships."
"Overall military capability: extremely weak."
"The current king is Zephir Arthur…"
Standing at the bow of the flagship, Hayden, the Vice Base Commander of Marine Branch 143 and a Marine Colonel, held a report about Zephir.
A mocking smile curled at his lips.
"A completely insignificant little kingdom daring to attack Luss?"
"How ridiculous."
"And Luss is even more embarrassing—being forced to call the Marines for help against such a small nation."
Hayden chuckled to himself, clearly treating the mission lightly.
With a casual wave of his hand, he issued the order:
"Set sail."
"Yes, Vice Commander!"
The adjutant saluted immediately and hurried off to relay the order.
Soon afterward, the fleet of six warships, carrying more than six thousand Marines, cut through the sea and sped toward the Kingdom of Luss.
About an hour later, the island of Villardena, where Luss was located, gradually appeared on the horizon.
"So we've arrived…"
Hayden lay comfortably in a deck chair on the flagship, basking lazily in the sunlight.
After hearing his adjutant's report, he slowly opened his eyes.
"Continue forward."
"Land directly."
He glanced at the island and yawned.
"Yes, sir!"
The fleet received the order and continued advancing toward Luss without slowing down.
None of them noticed that a seagull, perched nearby, was staring at them with strangely intelligent eyes.
Inside the Royal Palace of Luss
"Mmm… this tastes pretty good."
Arthur sat at a large dining table piled high with delicacies.
He picked up a piece of roasted meat from some unknown creature and placed it in his mouth, chewing thoughtfully before nodding with satisfaction.
Beside him, former palace maids of the Kingdom of Luss continuously carried in new dishes.
They secretly glanced at Arthur with a mixture of fear and reverence.
This man before them—
Was the one who now held their fate in his hands.
Suddenly—
A figure appeared beside Arthur like a ghost.
The sudden presence frightened the maids so badly that they almost screamed.
"Your Majesty."
An ANBU operative knelt on one knee.
"A Marine fleet has been spotted about eight hundred meters offshore."
"How large is the fleet?" Arthur asked calmly while continuing to eat.
"Six large warships."
"Equipped with heavy artillery and carrying more than six thousand Marines."
After a brief pause, the operative asked respectfully:
"Your Majesty, shall we deploy the ANBU and eliminate them immediately?"
"No need."
Arthur gently set down his chopsticks and stood up.
He wiped his mouth with a napkin, a cold smile forming on his lips.
When he opened his eyes again—
His Rinnegan, glowing faint purple, appeared instantly.
He walked toward the palace exit.
"This time…"
"I'll deal with them personally."
Luss Harbor
"Vice Commander, the fleet has reached the shore. Should we begin the landing operation immediately?"
A subordinate stepped forward to report.
"Good."
"Relay my order."
"Except for the necessary ship operators and guards, everyone else disembarks."
"Yes, sir!"
At the harbor in front of Luss, the six massive warships slowly approached the docks.
The sails were lowered.
Anchors dropped.
Boarding ramps extended.
Hayden stepped onto land first, wearing the Marine officer's Justice coat, looking imposing.
Behind him, aside from the crew remaining on the ships, nearly five thousand fully armed Marines poured onto the harbor like a black tide.
They quickly formed orderly ranks.
An oppressive aura of military force filled the entire port.
Hayden scanned the surroundings with satisfaction.
But soon—
His expression changed.
The massive harbor was completely empty.
Not a single person was in sight.
Only the sea breeze drifted through the air, carrying a few scraps of paper that fluttered across the ground.
The silence felt eerie.
"Vice Commander… something feels wrong here," the adjutant said quietly.
"…Indeed."
Hayden's previously relaxed expression turned serious.
He looked toward the distant town.
It was just as silent.
No noise.
No movement.
A harbor belonging to an entire kingdom should never be this deserted.
At that moment, a sense of unease crept into his heart.
He had assumed this mission would simply be a matter of suppressing a minor kingdom like Zephir.
But now—
Something was clearly very wrong.
Something must have happened in the Kingdom of Luss.
"Pass down the order!"
"Everyone stay on high alert."
"There's something wrong here."
"Yes, sir!"
The adjutant saluted and quickly relayed the command.
Soon, every Marine gripped their weapons tightly, scanning their surroundings with vigilance.
Only then did Hayden relax slightly.
But just as he was about to issue further orders—
Something unexpected happened.
From inside Hayden's coat—
The Den Den Mushi suddenly began to ring.
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