While Rosen's side was celebrating a major victory, the king's emotions swung from disbelief to fury, then to panic. This defeat was enough to endanger the entire Andia Kingdom—no, it had already done so.
The royal army had been crushed on all fronts. Although some forces survived by clinging to the noble fortresses, the overall situation had completely reversed—overturned by a group of "pigs" the king once dismissed. He found it hard to accept.
Eight fortresses had already fallen, and Xia's forces were expanding rapidly.
Counting the City Builders, she now commanded nearly three hundred thousand troops—a number growing like a snowball with every passing day.
"Consolidate our forces. Send envoys to the World Government and request assistance." The battle had frightened the king deeply, forcing him to face the possibility of his own downfall.
The capital itself was in chaos. Several nobles had rebelled, leaving the royal defenses stretched thin. Were it not for his secret precautions, even his own safety would be in jeopardy.
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"Your Majesty, many noble houses can't be reached," a soldier reported nervously. The kingdom's internal disorder had weakened the royal family's influence and authority, revealing long-hidden flaws.
"Hmph. Once the situation stabilizes, we'll purge them one by one. How dare a herd of beasts defy me! Send the envoy immediately."
"Yes, sir."
After a brief silence in the hall, the king muttered, "You'd better bring me good news."
"Apologies. Princess Xia has many strong protectors—I failed," Allen said calmly, rising from the floor.
"I didn't expect it to be easy. Stay close to me for now. I underestimated them, and now they've grown strong. The royal summons has been issued—once all available troops gather, we'll first cleanse the capital of rebels, then crush the Andia insurgents."
"There is some good news," Allen added suddenly. "On my way back, I saw Duke Raymont assembling his forces to attack the rebels besieging the capital."
"Really?!" The king's face brightened. Had he misjudged Raymont all along? At such a critical time, the duke had acted immediately to defend the capital.
Though the capital's defenses were formidable and the king believed no army could breach them, any assault on the royal city was an unforgivable insult.
"Yes," Allen confirmed.
"Excellent! Then clearing out the rebels will be much easier."
Duke Raymont commanded a massive private army under the Pheromone Trading Guild. Though the AKS Guild would no longer obey the Central Chamber, several other guilds—including some under Moris—still controlled private forces loyal to the crown.
Along with Raymont's own troops, he was easily the most powerful noble after the king himself.
Inside a luxurious hotel facing the palace, Daz Bones and MR.5 were watching the royal compound. A knock came at the door—a soldier disguised as a civilian entered, one of the king's own attendants.
Moments later, Daz Bones glanced at the report in his hand and said to MR.5, "The king has sent envoys to the World Government. The boss will need some time—get ready, we'll intercept them at sea."
"No problem." MR.5 grinned eagerly. Surveillance work bored him; he preferred the thrill of combat.
"Sir, why not reveal Crocodile's identity to the king?" Outside the capital, an elite army was gathered—Duke Raymont's forces. He stood beside Colonel Colson, observing the suppression of the rebellious nobles' coalition.
"The king may no longer be as shrewd as before," Raymont said evenly, "but he's not a fool. If he knew his greatest enemy was also the man who killed his son, what do you think he'd do?"
"He'd launch an all-out attack, no matter the cost, until the enemy was destroyed," Colson replied after thinking.
"Exactly. We can conspire with a viper, but not dance with a raging lion. Let the king keep what little reason he has left. Once we drive back Xia's coalition, we'll reveal the truth to him at the right moment. Then we can sit back and watch both sides destroy each other—and whoever survives, we'll easily take the rest."
Colson nodded. "A pity that woman wasn't simple either. If we'd eliminated her earlier, things would be easier. I can't imagine why someone that powerful would serve Crocodile. It's hard to believe his strength surpasses hers. I wonder how she's faring after being poisoned."
"It's simple," Raymont said with a frown. "Either Crocodile is stronger—or more compelling. In either case, he's dangerous."
Andia had now descended into utter chaos.
The rebellion of the fortresses had frightened the remaining nobles. They tightened control over their City Builders—some ruling with cruelty, others showing restraint.
Among the ten surviving fortresses, skirmishes flared constantly.
Now, the eight fortresses led by Rosen acted in coordination: if one was attacked by remnants of the royal army, the others immediately dispatched reinforcements.
The royal army had suffered heavy losses twice already, and Princess Xiya's coalition of City Builders now held the upper hand, crushing the king's decapitation squads.
Most royal troops had pulled back, though some launched cautious probing assaults.
Although the royal army had failed to breach several fortresses, they still held strong defensive positions. Without Rosen's direct intervention, capturing them would be difficult.
But Rosen couldn't act too often—his power would draw attention. The royal forces and Raymont's faction surely had their own hidden masters. If his methods were studied and countered, one misstep in the final battle could spell disaster.
This was the game of war—whichever side revealed more flaws would be doomed.
Both camps continued testing each other, each probe costing lives. But no one would stop, because everyone wanted to be the final victor.
"Report! The City Builders' assault on Raymont's fortress has failed—we suffered heavy losses. Also, the Losa Fortress has been recaptured by Duke Raymont's coalition."
"Two southern fortresses' nobles have publicly declared allegiance to Princess Xia's cause and sent five thousand troops to show their support."
"The routed troops from the capital attack have been reorganized into our army."
"Our forces have broken through another fortress wall and are now assaulting the inner city."
"Boss, we successfully intercepted the envoy's fleet—but since both sides used Den Den Mushi for communication, more envoys will likely be sent. Or worse, the World Government might dispatch someone to investigate."
"What?! The World Government is preparing for war with the Yonko Whitebeard, and they've told us to stabilize our own country first—no reinforcements?! Damn it!"
The king's furious roar echoed through the palace.
(End of Chapter)