Chapter 3: Preparing For Battle
The next day.
The dawn light had not yet dispersed the darkness on the ground.
Elus woke up on time, his biological clock working as always without waking the still soundly sleeping maid. He washed his face and brushed his teeth. Although he was a prince, he was more accustomed to doing these things himself rather than standing or sitting like a log while someone poked a toothbrush in his mouth.
Well, although the maid’s movements were professional and didn’t make him uncomfortable at all; on the contrary, her movements were so gentle they could be considered enjoyable.
But not being accustomed is not being accustomed.
Some habits remaining in his psychology had not changed due to his new life.
After washing up, Elus changed into training clothes and went straight to the private training ground to begin his regular morning exercises.
More than two hundred years ago,
the ancestors of the Sokachio family came from the East Blue as bounty hunters, fought their way into the Grand Line, and then charged into the New World. Relying on their iron fists, they carved out a foundation in the New World, laying the groundwork for the Eckmond Kingdom. After several generations of effort from his ancestors, the kingdom had reached its current prosperous state.
A good life is hard-earned.
Maintaining this good life is even harder.
This is a truth that every child of the Sokachio family needs to understand from a young age.
To survive in the New World, strong martial power is the most reliable guarantee. The kingdoms of the New World have rules entirely different from those of the Four Seas and Paradise. In the New World, a king may not be the strongest warrior in the kingdom, but he would certainly not be someone with no strength.
Therefore, the Sokachio family has never abandoned their pursuit of martial power for generations.
Currently, the strongest publicly known member of the Sokachio family is Elus’s grandfather, that old man who married a new wife less than twenty years old on the Red Line. He possesses the strength of a Navy Headquarters Vice Admiral and was a notorious scoundrel in the New World during his tenure.
Then there is Elus’s father, the sixth King of the Eckmond Kingdom, Sokachio Berville, who, if placed in the Navy, would be considered a Rear Admiral level expert at Headquarters.
As for Elus.
He is still young and has not yet displayed his bravery under the gaze of the masses. He needs a sufficiently brilliant opportunity to let the world know of his existence, to let the friends and enemies of the Eckmond Kingdom know that the next King of the Eckmond Kingdom is also a powerful individual no less than his elders.
And this opportunity,
has already been laid before him.
The war with the Amento Kingdom is the stage for Elus’s debut.
————
After finishing his morning training, bathing, and changing, and having a quick breakfast, Elus once again arrived at the study used by His Majesty the King to receive guests.
Before him, a guest had already arrived.
“His Highness Elus.”
The burly man sitting on the sofa stood up and bowed in greeting to Elus, who pushed the door open.
“There’s no need to be so formal. Besides, you are my superior now, so I should be the one to salute you, General Foy.” Elus greeted the burly man with a smile.
This burly man, standing two meters sixty tall with shoulders wide enough to race horses, and a yellowish beard under his chin, was the Navy Minister of the Eckmond Kingdom—Barmond Foy. For Elus, who would soon concurrently hold the position of Vice Navy Minister, Foy was indeed his superior.
“Haha! You’ve certainly grown up! You look much sturdier than when you were little.” Foy let out a hearty laugh. He turned his gaze to Berville, who was sitting behind the desk, and said with a smile, “Your Majesty, it looks like in a few years, we’ll be retiring to the World Government!”
This is a rule of the Eckmond Kingdom.
One ruler, one court.
Just as Elus’s grandfather abdicated to Berville and took his old retainers to the World Government Headquarters on the Red Line, when Berville abdicates to Elus, he will also take his confidants to the Red Line.
And it’s not just ministers; other members of the royal family will also be taken along.
Elus’s grandfather took two other sons to the Red Line, and Berville will also take Elus’s younger brother and younger sister when he leaves.
This rule was established by the second King to avoid infighting within the family.
After all,
royal families like the Alabasta Kingdom and the Drum Kingdom that pass down the lineage through a single heir are rare oddities. As for the Goa Kingdom, which can only rely on adopted sons to inherit the throne, that’s a tragedy—of course, that’s assuming they are truly adopted sons and not illegitimate ones.
Most kingdoms’ royal families don’t feel entitled to call themselves royal unless they have over a hundred members.
As for how they integrated into the World Government, it’s simple: the second King used his invincible golden bullet offensive to capture the only daughter of a high official within the World Government at the time. She was already over fifty years old, and he married a new wife in her twenties. Perhaps marrying a ‘young’ wife is also a tradition of the Sokachio family?
In short, the second King ‘sacrificed’ himself in this way. Due to overwork, he died before the age of sixty, but he successfully laid the foundation for the Sokachio family within the World Government.
“I am also looking forward to that day!”
Hearing Foy’s words, Berville also laughed heartily.
The bleak clouds of yesterday had been completely dispersed by Elus’s return.
After His Majesty the King and the Navy Minister had laughed enough, they got down to business.
“Foy, tell me about the situation on the front lines!”
Berville held a cigar, but did not light it.
“The Navy of the Amento Kingdom is advancing south from the north. The northernmost Whale Head Island was the first to be breached two days ago. Ten minutes before you entered, the garrison on Whale Belly Island sent a report: the Amento Kingdom’s fleet has appeared in the lookout’s field of vision.
His Highness Elus, you need to rush to Whale Tail Island with reinforcements before it falls. If Whale Tail Island is captured, the islands that need defending will become Long Whisker Island, Macchiato Island, and Bowhead Island, which will be much more troublesome.”
The map of the Eckmond Kingdom’s territory was hanging on the study wall.
Foy stood by the map, pointing to various locations on it, diligently explaining to Elus.
However,
it’s not that complicated.
The chaotic magnetic fields of the New World are enough to make any mediocre navigator faint.
When sailing in the New World, one must follow the direction of the Log Pose. Otherwise, if one accidentally enters some extremely dangerous sea areas, it truly means there is no way out. This also limits the flexibility of naval warfare to a certain extent, making the wars in the New World direct and brutal.
There are only a few attack routes, and only a few defensive positions. Neither the attacker nor the defender has much room for choice.
A decapitation tactic like a direct strike on the enemy’s stronghold, even with an Eternal Pose to the enemy’s main base, cannot be employed without island resupply along the way.
Such wars do not require many strategies or tricks. Whoever has a bigger warship, more firepower, and more strong persons has the advantage. The enemy and our side are competing in pure strength.
For example, Whale Head Island, Whale Belly Island, and Whale Tail Island. When connected on the sea chart, the three islands resemble a giant whale. These three islands are the three great gates to the north of the Eckmond Kingdom. The sea areas and islands around these three islands are extremely dangerous. One must either break through these three islands directly or bypass this sea area and attack the Eckmond Kingdom from other directions.
Currently,
the Amento Kingdom is preparing to blast through Whale Head Island, Whale Belly Island, and Whale Tail Island with sheer force.
“Whale Tail Island?”
Elus stared at the sea chart for a few seconds and nodded.
“I understand. I will annihilate the enemy at Whale Tail Island.”
“El, be careful. Don’t forget that the Amento Kingdom is just a facade, and Umit is the real mastermind,” Berville repeatedly warned. Although Elus’s strength had already surpassed his two years ago, as the saying goes, swords and spears have no eyes, and even the Four Emperors dare not claim to be invincible in battles – the Beasts have been captured by the Navy many times.
“By the way, the intelligence from the front line mentioned several Great Pirates with bounties over 100 million. Here is the compiled list and information. Pay attention to it,” Berville picked up a document from the table and handed it to Elus.
