"Captain, we're almost there." Drake lowered his telescope; the island was now visible ahead.
Lvneel Kingdom. This was the destination for the Bellamy Pirates' current voyage. Unlike rural backwaters like Neon Town, this nation was affiliated with the World Government, possessing its own distinct culture and military force. Ordinary, small-time pirates wouldn't dare stir up trouble here.
Bellamy himself didn't have strong memories of the country, only vaguely recalling that "Noland the Liar" was supposedly born here. Sky Island… without seeing such a place with one's own eyes, it truly was difficult to believe in. That unlucky fellow Noland hadn't just suffered misfortune himself; he'd passed his ill fate onto his descendants even after death. His progeny still lived within this kingdom, inheriting the "Liar" moniker and enduring lives filled with hardship.
Bellamy's primary objective for this trip was to purchase medicinal herbs. However, visiting the world of One Piece without trying to see a place as wondrous as Sky Island would be a major regret. Since they were already here, he might as well seek out Noland's descendant and acquire a sea chart from him.
"Drop anchor," Bellamy commanded. Their ship certainly couldn't sail directly into port. This wasn't the Grand Line; normal kingdoms wouldn't simply allow pirate vessels to dock freely.
"Drake, you and Ross stay with the ship." "Mia, Muret, you're coming with me." He definitely needed them along for buying herbs. This trip would also be a good opportunity to offload some of the excess gold and jewelry cluttering the ship. Seeing that junk constantly piled up in the rooms was starting to irritate Bellamy.
He had several small boats lowered and cleared out over a dozen cabins' worth of treasure, piling it into a glittering mound right there on the sea surface between the boats. Bellamy couldn't care less about concealing his wealth. So what if he dumped it all out in the open? Anyone who dared try to take it could simply die.
He hopped into one of the small boats with the two women, casually tossing them a pair of oars. "Let's go. Row faster."
"Hey, hey, Captain! Have some manners, would you?" The two women rolled their eyes, looking like they wanted to whack him with the oars.
Manners be damned. What kind of captain rows the boat himself? "Stop dawdling! Faster, faster!"
Urged on by Bellamy, they shot him resentful glares but began rowing swiftly. Moving such a large pile of treasure with just three people proved quite troublesome. After reaching the shore and filling three large chests, there was still a significant amount left over. Having only brought three chests, Bellamy resorted to taking off his shirt and tying it into a large makeshift sack to stuff everything else inside. Even so, loose gold and silver coins, pearls, agates, and other trinkets kept spilling onto the ground as they walked. Bellamy couldn't be bothered to stop and pick them up.
Before long, they left a glittering trail sparkling behind them.
The inhabitants of Lvneel Kingdom weren't blind; they quickly noticed this peculiar sight. At first, people hesitated. But after one young punk dashed forward and successfully snatched up a gold coin, everyone went into a frenzy.
Bellamy didn't notice the chaos he was inciting. Or perhaps, even if he had noticed, he wouldn't have cared.
As the crowd of people scrambling for dropped valuables grew, Bellamy and his two companions, laden with sacks and chests of treasure, inevitably attracted official attention.
"Who are they?" A sturdy man in a military uniform peered through a telescope, focusing on Bellamy's group.
"Reporting, sir! They're unidentified!" came the reply from a subordinate.
Unidentified? Then they must be pirates! And pirates carrying such immense wealth, no less. An irrepressible tide of greed surged within the officer's heart.
"Sound the alarm! Assemble the troops!" he roared. "Pirates are invading the great Lvneel Kingdom! Brothers, follow me! Defend our nation, protect our people!"
The subordinate soldier stared at his officer in astonishment, opening his mouth but finding no words. These unlucky fools, the soldier thought privately. Maybe they can survive if they just drop the treasure.
The alarm bells were quickly rung, and news of a pirate invasion spread rapidly. Lvneel Kingdom wasn't particularly large, with a population under a million and a land area roughly five times that of Neon Town. Through emergency channels, the King swiftly received the report. While the kingdom couldn't exactly be called peaceful, it had been quite some time since an actual pirate invasion had occurred. The sudden alarm caught the royal court completely unprepared, and the King immediately grew tense.
"Quickly! Contact the nearby Marine garrison! Request their support!"
The greedy officer, in his haste, belatedly realized he hadn't notified the royal palace first and broke into a cold sweat. He quickly dispatched a messenger, deliberately exaggerating the threat, reporting a "small pirate group of about thirty individuals."
Upon receiving this updated report, the King secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Only thirty.
"Notify the Marines they are no longer needed," he commanded, promptly uncorking a bottle of fine wine for a small celebratory drink. "And inform the General: once those pirates are captured, do not kill them immediately. I want to torture them personally, let them understand the consequences of invading the Lvneel Kingdom." Those trash pirates almost caused me to lose face in front of the Marines!
Meanwhile, Bellamy and the two women strode through the streets, completely oblivious to the commotion they had caused and the reception being prepared for them.
Lvneel Kingdom seemed quite prosperous, Bellamy observed. People bustled back and forth on the streets. Although many faces had a sallow look suggesting hardship, Bellamy could sense a glimmer of hope in their eyes.
The ruler of this country seems relatively competent, he mused. He recalled hearing that the royal family here had reigned for a very long time. An established monarchy, political stability, a king who wasn't excessively cruel, no external invasions… In the Great Pirate Era, ordinary people didn't demand much more than that. Having enough food to eat, clothes to wear, work to do, and the hope of continuing to live was often sufficient. Furthermore, as a World Government affiliated nation, paying the Heavenly Tribute each year effectively secured the monarchy's continued rule.
Even from Bellamy's perspective, the kingdom seemed reasonably well-off.
Of course, the words 'kingdom,' 'royalty,' and 'long-term rule,' when put together… anyone familiar with history understood what that combination often implied. Bellamy had no desire to delve deeper into the underlying realities. This place had nothing to do with him.
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