Chapter 50: A New Era Begins

"Really? That's fantastic. Just give the order, Mr. Roja, and I'll lead our people straight into the capital," Ge Meng exclaimed eagerly.

He was already seething with anger towards the nobles in the city.

Gomeng's sentiments were shared by the other cadres who had endured hardships in the terminal. Their lives had been worse than those of slaves, thanks to the aristocrats and those in power in the city.

"I understand the urge to fight, but we can't approach it recklessly like this," Roja intervened, pressing his hand down to signal them to calm down.

"If we engage in a direct confrontation, it's likely to turn into siege warfare and street fighting. That would result in high casualties, impacting civilians. Even if we manage to take the royal capital in the end, the cost would be too high for us to accept," Roja explained.

"Therefore, our strategy should involve luring the royal capital's guards out of the city for a battle. We'll defeat them with overwhelming force and then proceed to encircle the high town and the palace directly."

"Keep in mind, Smile and Naguri won't be participating in the battle at full strength for a day. Don't underestimate the enemy," Roja cautioned, addressing Gomon and the other army cadres.

Initially, Roja's plan involved leveraging Yixiao and Naguri's formidable individual strength, waiting for the opportune moment, and directly apprehending all the royal families and nobles. Following that, the army would enter and take control of the entire capital.

However, after conversing with Garp, Roja reconsidered his approach.

Given the World Government's heightened concern for East Blue, such a direct and forceful strategy seemed too brash. After the uprising, members of the CP organization would undoubtedly come to investigate, necessitating a more calculated approach.

If this uprising is framed as a major pirate incident involving the invasion of a kingdom and the plundering of the throne, ending it won't be as straightforward. Roja isn't Doflamingo, capable of successfully overthrowing a country with such crude methods.

Additionally, as he and Garp discussed, the focus isn't on developing the Goa Kingdom. East Blue isn't where his primary efforts lie; he and Fujitora are destined for a fierce confrontation elsewhere. Consequently, investigations following the clues will stir unwanted reactions.

Therefore, in this uprising, Roja plans to minimize Fujitora's involvement and traces. Even after its success, it's nearly time for him to depart East Blue.

As for Naguri, Roja won't allow him to go out and reveal his identity, considering he's a pirate with a bounty.

To be honest, the current combat effectiveness of the Revolutionary Army far surpasses that of the Imperial Guard Army. The strength of the Royal Guard Army in a small country like Goa is quite limited.

In a survey conducted a few months ago during the investigation of the Goa Kingdom, Roja estimated that the standing force of the Royal Guard Army is only about 1,000 people, with a maximum capacity of no more than 1,500.

The current strength of the Revolutionary Army stands at about 2,000. Whether it's individual physical fitness, combat skills, or fighting spirit, they far surpass the Royal Guard Army.

If this doesn't result in a significant victory, then Roja and Fujitora's presence in this location for over half a year would be in vain.

"This is also a test for all of you. Discuss the specific battle plan amongst yourselves. I won't participate in the discussion this time," Roja instructed Gomon and the others.

These cadres have received extensive theoretical knowledge from Roja over the past few months. Now, what they lack is practical combat experience and that final bit of courage.

This is the final task Roja assigned. Both Roja and Fujitora are departing, leaving Gomon and the others in charge of progress here. They need to step up and take on leading roles.

"It's time to clear the garbage heaps near the city walls," Ge Meng pondered for a moment and suggested, "Luring out the guards won't be hard. Once those selfish nobles realize it's profitable, they'll come out."

"If the nobles notice the changes, they'll likely send tax collectors. We'll reject them, and after a few conflicts to show vulnerability, they'll likely send troops to take control," Jimmy explained.

"At that point, we'll handle the guards and advance into the capital. We can split into two teams: one to deal with the forced conscripts and the other to disguise as a caravan, disembarking from the front port," he continued.

"We'll leave some people to take over the port, preventing nobles from escaping by sea. Others will calm the civilians on the central street, and the remaining group will surround the high ground to prevent nobles from blending into civilian areas."

"Some individuals need to be positioned to seal off the border town, and the presence of the gangsters within adds a significant element of instability," the discussion continued.

Roja remained silent, observing their conversation with a smile on his face.

Who could have imagined that these individuals, who were immersed in detailed battle plans, were once gang members and considered societal waste just six months ago?

Now, half a year later, they've become robust and strategic, rising from the depths of society. They are now plotting to overthrow the country's top rulers.

Roja stands up to leave, relieved that these individuals have matured and can now stand on their own.

In contrast to those who have emerged from challenging circumstances, armed with progressive ideas and strengthened through rigorous training, the decadent nobles are simply incapable of being their adversaries.

Roja perceives this battle as lacking any suspense.

In the upcoming days, the plan will be executed step by step.

As anticipated by Gomon and the others, after the removal of the garbage mountain, the nobles took notice of the transformations here.

The fertile land that had been reclaimed was promptly sold off by the avaricious nobles.

After several confrontations, deliberately showcasing vulnerability, the next phase involves the guards' army pressing down on the situation.

Although it's labelled as a large army, in reality, it consists of only about a thousand individuals.

The nobles of the Goa Kingdom are accustomed to a position of superiority, and the uncertain object's terminal is conveniently situated next to the capital.

As a result, the nobles left minimal troops in the city.

During the clash between the 1,000-strong Revolutionary Army and the 1,000-member Royal Guard Army, two hundred soldiers who had covertly entered the border town seized control forcefully.

A group of soldiers disguised as merchants preemptively seized control of the port, followed by the disembarkation of hundreds of soldiers.

A smaller contingent headed towards the central street, while a larger group completely encircled the high ground.

Despite the one-sided nature of the frontal battlefield, the entire capital was successfully captured with minimal disruption.

Seven hours after the frontal battle, at dusk, the nobles in Gaozhen surrendered. Within ten minutes, the royal family in the palace also capitulated.

A soldier from the Revolutionary Army ascended to the palace's highest point, kicked down the flag symbolizing the power of the Goa royal family, and raised a brand new red flag.

Observing this spectacle, Roja turned to Fujitora beside him and remarked, "A new era has begun."

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