Chapter 163

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A few days have passed since the incident at Ohara. For the rest of the world, it was just breaking news that kept them engaged for a while. Once the interest waned, people carried on with their lives. Despite calling themselves intellectually superior, humans often followed the herd mentality, and soon enough, the twisted narrative spun by the World Government became the accepted truth. The bounty on Nico Olivia and Nico Lily attracted the attention of countless parties, especially bounty hunters who saw the pair as easy targets.

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Somewhere along the Calm Belt, more than a dozen marine ships sailed, accompanied by a larger fleet of mismatched vessels—medium-sized barques and large galleons. On closer inspection, these mismatched ships shared one thing in common: they were slaver ships.

"Vice Admiral, we're Marines. Is what we're doing right?" A young officer looked nervously at the more than three dozen slaver ships trailing behind the Marine fleet. Their destination was Amazon Lily, a unique island in the Calm Belt inhabited solely by women. For centuries, slavers had coveted this paradise, but none dared act because the Kuja tribe, fierce female warriors, protected it, and even those who tried met with a gruesome fate.

Recently, the Underworld circulated a rumor that the Marines would soon attack Amazon Lily, giving slavers a chance to plunder its inhabitants. Though the message came from the Underworld, it was clear the World Government was giving tacit approval, despite slavery being illegal on paper.

The Vice Admiral, a towering figure over six meters tall with a rugged face and a scar running across one of his blind eyes, took a deep drag from his cigar and exhaled slowly. Even he, despite belonging to the Hawk faction, was uncomfortable with their mission. They were paving the way for slavers, the very scum they were supposed to hunt.

"Soldier, do you have your orders?" He bellowed at his subordinate, who stiffened at the Vice Admiral's tone.

"Yes, Sir!" the captain replied, standing at attention.

"Then follow those orders. Do not stick your nose into matters where it doesn't belong. We destroy Amazon Lily. What happens after that is none of our concern." The Vice Admiral's tone was final, ending the conversation.

The journey was perilous, with frequent attacks by Sea Kings, especially targeting the slaver ships not lined with seastone, making them visible to the massive sea creatures. Yet, the allure of capturing the Kuja had driven more than thirty powerful slaver groups into the dangerous waters of the Calm Belt. More than half a dozen slaver ships had already fallen prey to the Sea Kings.

Contrary to the somber mood on the Marine ships, the slaver ships were celebrating in abandon. Despite losing more than half a dozen of their compatriots, the remaining slavers were excited. Individually, none of these slavers would have dared to attack Amazon Lily. Even their collective forces would not have entertained such a venture.

But the Marines were sending an overwhelming force of close to a dozen battleships led by five Vice Admirals to destroy the island. This force was akin to the Marines' famed Buster Call. They knew Amazon Lily had no chance, even if the famed Empress Shakuyaku returned. She couldn't handle such an overwhelming force.

On the biggest slaver ship, larger than the Marines' battleships, a banquet was in progress to celebrate their upcoming hunt.

"Hahahaha, Captain, who would have expected that we would get such an opportunity! It's the Kuja... the Kuja! I've never tasted a Kuja before. I've heard rumors that every one of them is a rare beauty, even rivaling those mermaids from Fishman Island," one slaver, drunk and overwhelmed with lust, started making obscene gestures and actions about what he would do once he laid his hands on a Kuja.

His eyes glistened with a depraved hunger, and his hands mimicked the act of grabbing and groping, eliciting laughter from his equally depraved comrades. And it was not just this slaver; everyone on the ship had the same lewd expressions plastered on their faces.

"Hehehehe, you can enjoy to your hearts' content. Just make sure not to kill any of the goods. Even the spoiled goods are worth a hefty price. Remember, we need a hundred of the best-looking Kuja reserved—untouched, unspoiled. I have a deal lined up with the agents of the Tenryuubito themselves. They are willing to pay a hundred million for the premium products. So, if anyone touches those premium goods without my express permission, I will cut off your manhood and feed it to the sharks," the Captain of the slaver ship bellowed.

Although he said it with a smile, the message was clear: as long as they kept them alive and stayed away from the premium goods, they could let loose.

The Captain was a large man with a twisted grin, his eyes cold and calculating. His voice carried both a promise and a threat, making the slavers around him shiver in excitement and fear.

"I was wondering why the Marines were even willing to escort us to Amazon Lily. Any other time, they would have hunted us down, It seems like they have orders from up high," the Vice-Captain, the only man who sat on the same level as the Captain, commented with a knowing look. Their Captain sure had signed a big deal. A hundred million for a beautiful-looking Kuja? They were going to make a fortune.

He instinctively turned to the other slaver ships around them. "What do we do about the rest, Captain? I am sure many others should have gotten the same offers as us," the Vice-Captain questioned.

"Anyone who interferes with us—kill them! Just don't go annoying the Marines. They will leave once they have cleared the way for us. And remember, I want at least a hundred premium products. Anything more will be enjoyed as spoils. We sure are lacking some good-looking pleasure girls," he laughed maniacally, kicking a woman chained to the deck like a dog. She whimpered, her eyes filled with a mix of fear and defiance, but the Captain's laughter drowned out her silent rebellion.

The celebration continued, growing louder and more raucous. Men boasted of their future exploits, their fantasies growing darker and more perverse with each passing minute. They reveled in their imagined conquests, their depravity knowing no bounds. The air was thick with the smell of alcohol and the sounds of debauchery, a stark contrast to the noble mission they pretended to uphold.

In the midst of this chaos, the Captain stood, his eyes gleaming with greed and anticipation. "This is our chance, men. Our chance to make history, to become legends. Let's make sure we seize it!" His words were met with a cheer, a roar of agreement that echoed across the fleet.

The slavers, driven by their base desires and unchecked by any moral compass, prepared for the horrors they were about to unleash. The fate of Amazon Lily hung in the balance, and the depravity of these men threatened to destroy everything the Kuja had fought to protect.

The massive fleet pressed on cutting down the sea kings that tried to impede their journey, the Marine ships cutting through the calm yet treacherous waters. The Vice Admiral stood on the deck, staring into the horizon, his mind heavy with the mission ahead. He couldn't shake the unease gnawing at him. The Kuja were not just any adversaries; they were fierce, skilled warriors, and he knew that this mission, sanctioned by the World Government, was morally dubious at best.

As night fell, the fleet anchored to rest. The Vice Admiral called a meeting with his senior officers, a mix of hardened veterans and eager young soldiers. The tension in the room was palpable.

"Listen up," he began, his voice gruff. "We have our orders, and we will carry them out. But remember, we are Marines. Our duty is to uphold justice, not to aid slavers. Our primary objective is to neutralize the threat posed by the Kuja. After that, we will withdraw and leave the slavers to their fate. We do not engage with them unless provoked. Understood?"

"Sir! Have we really fallen so low as to pave the way for these depraved men? They are a pack of wild beasts, and the island is sure to have children. Is this what we signed up for?" One of the Rear Admirals mustered up his courage and shared his opinion in front of the five Vice Admirals. Many people in the room had fixed opinions about this mission.

Originally, Admiral Zephyr was ordered to lead the mission, but he outright declined after learning what the World Government had planned for the island. So the duty fell into the hands of one of the most senior vice admiral from HQ to carry out the mission. Close to fifteen thousand Marines were venturing with a single goal: genocide.

"Enough! We are Marines. We embody justice. The Kuja are pirates, and pirates need to be put down. The World Government took pity on this tribe and provided the previous Empress with the title of a Warlord. But Shakuyaku chose to spit on the position and deserted. And what do we do to deserters?" A Vice Admiral tried to justify what they were doing, his tone hard and unyielding. They could not have their own men questioning their motives.

"But... but sir! The children, the innocents?" The Rear Admiral questioned, his voice trembling but resolute.

"Remember this, Marines: there are no innocents among the Kuja. Piracy is in their blood, and the children, as you call them, will grow up to become future pirates. So we are just nipping a threat in the bud. And we are not going to be doing the deed. We will just turn a blind eye to everything after we subdue the resistance they put up," another Vice Admiral added with a cruel glint in his eyes. He was part of the World Government faction, and he was the one who suggested the idea of employing slavers to his superiors.

The Rear Admiral stood there, his face pale and his hands clenched into fists. He had known that the mission was questionable, but he hadn't realized the full extent of the depravity they were enabling. The thought of children being caught in the crossfire, of families being torn apart, made his stomach churn.

"You have your orders, Rear Admiral. Follow them," the senior Vice Admiral said, his voice brooking no argument. His cold eyes bore into the younger officer, daring him to object further.

The Rear Admiral swallowed hard, nodding reluctantly. He knew that defiance could mean court-martial or worse, but the weight of what they were about to do hung heavily on his conscience.

As he left the briefing room, the other officers' laughter and callous remarks about the Kuja women echoed behind him. He walked down the corridor, each step feeling heavier than the last. The image of innocent children and terrified women flashed before his eyes. He couldn't shake the feeling that they were no better than the pirates they claimed to fight.

The officers nodded, though the moral dilemma was clear on many faces. They had sworn an oath to protect and serve, and now they were walking a fine line between duty and dishonor.

The next morning, the fleet set sail again. As they neared Amazon Lily, the atmosphere grew tense. The lush, green island came into view, a stark contrast to the impending violence. The slaver ships eagerly pushed forward, their crews hungry for the spoils they believed awaited them.

The Vice Admiral took a deep breath, steeling himself for the task ahead. "Prepare for battle," he ordered. "Remember, our mission is to destroy Amazon Lily. We will not interfere with what follows."

The ominous silence that blanketed Amazon Lily was shattered as the Marine ships switched formations, ensuring that the Kuja would be thoroughly dealt with. Vice Admiral Strickland, a towering man with a face etched in scars and authority, stood at the prow of his ship, his voice booming across the fleet.

"No mercy! Remember, these are pirates, and they must be exterminated!" His command echoed with finality.

As the Vice Admiral's words hung in the air, the marine captain, his second-in-command, frantically scanned the coastline with his spyglass. His hands shook slightly as he repeatedly tried to catch the Vice Admiral's attention.

"Vice Admiral! Sir! You need to see this!" The Captain's voice was edged with urgency and fear.

The Vice Admiral, irritated by the interruption as they made their final approach, snapped, "What is it, Harrington? Can't you see we're on the brink of battle?"

"Sir, there's someone on the coast," Harrington replied, his voice trembling.

Strickland's brow furrowed. "How many?" he demanded, expecting to hear of a sizable Kuja force.

Harrington swallowed hard, his face pale. "Just one, sir."

"One?" The Vice Admiral was confused and snatched the spyglass from his subordinate. He raised it to his eye, focusing on the shore. The scene that met his gaze sent a shiver down his spine.

A lone man sat on a boulder at the edge of the island's coast, his posture relaxed yet imposing. A sword lay across his lap, gleaming in the rising sun. The golden rays of dawn seemed to avoid him, casting an eerie shadow despite the bright morning. The man's hair, a striking silver, flowed like a river of light, and his eyes, now open and piercing, exuded a terrifying calm. His presence alone seemed to distort the air around him, creating a palpable sense of dread.

The Vice Admiral's breath hitched. "Silvers Rayleigh," he whispered, the name falling from his lips like a curse.

But the order had already been given. Before Strickland could call for a ceasefire, the fleet opened fire. The roar of hundreds of cannons filled the air, the projectiles arcing towards the island in a deadly barrage.

Rayleigh, the Dark King, slowly rose from his seat, his eyes narrowing as he watched the approaching onslaught. The air around him shimmered, and with a barely perceptible shift in his stance, he unleashed a torrent of Conqueror's Haki.

The pressure burst forth like a god of slaughter, an invisible force that froze the cannonballs mid-air. They hung suspended, vibrating with the sheer intensity of Rayleigh's will. The Haki spread like a tidal wave, its crushing weight spanning miles and engulfing the entire enemy fleet.

The Vice Admiral felt the air grow thick, his heart pounding in his chest as the overwhelming presence of Rayleigh's Haki pressed down on him. Marines and slavers alike fell to their knees, many frothing from their mouths, succumbing to the overwhelming pressure. The rest were gasping for breath, their minds reeling from the sheer force of Rayleigh's spirit.

The Vice Admiral's hands trembled; he did not even have a thought of resistance, the spyglass slipping from his grasp. He was a veteran who served in the New World and had heard many rumors about the Dark King's might, but witnessing it firsthand was an entirely different experience.

Rayleigh's eyes locked onto the Vice Admiral's, and in that moment, the Vice Admiral felt a primal fear grip his soul. The Dark King raised his sword, and with a swift, fluid motion, he slashed through the air. An invisible blade of Haki sliced through the cannonballs, disintegrating them into harmless dust that scattered into the sea breeze.

"Retreat," Strickland croaked, his voice barely above a whisper. He cleared his throat and shouted, "Retreat! Fall back!"

But it was too late. The damage was done. The fleet, now paralyzed by fear and the sheer strength of Rayleigh's Conqueror's Haki, began to understand the true predicament they were in. They had willingly offered themselves up for slaughter. It wasn't the Kuja who were the prey, as they had so arrogantly envisioned; it was them. They were the prey, and the predator who hunted them was the right-hand man of the Pirate King himself.

The realization hit them like a tidal wave. Marines and slavers alike, who moments ago were filled with bravado and bloodlust, now felt their courage evaporate under the oppressive weight of Rayleigh's presence. Their confidence was shattered, replaced by a cold, creeping terror.