Take down the nobles, but of course, we can't let Sage gain control here, mainly because we haven't won yet.
However, the large quantity of supplies hoarded by the nobles has been added to the city, and those soldiers, although not joining us, are patrolling spontaneously, so there won't be any chaos in the city for now.
"There's no need to waste too much energy on this kind of thing. Once we win, we can break in just the same, hee hee hee."
Augustine Castle's royal palace remains enormous, built with stones engraved with ancient patterns. Inside, it is even more luxurious. The entire hall seems golden, whether due to the light or a special material.
Anyway, Sage didn't see any gold paint, just plenty of murals, statues, and intricate carvings on the surrounding walls. The throne at the top seems to be built for a giant; only a giant would sit comfortably there.
On the entire throne hangs a large, luxurious carpet, and the upper half of the throne's backrest is engraved with a crown adorned with gold and gemstones, looking quite noble...
It is indeed quite noble.
Sage stroked the throne, smiled satisfactorily, and sensed through Observation that this throne is rich in historical significance, a fine collection piece.
He then turned and sat down, looking at Moriah, saying, "That's a different matter. I certainly can watch it fall into chaos, and someone would thank me once I clean it up. But I have no time for such schemes and conspiracies. Even pirates have principles—if something can be done in one go, there's no need for two steps."
"All that matters is that we win."
Lily took out a stack of parchment, saying, "Taken from the nobles: maps of the main and vice islands of the Gares Kingdom, along with their follow-up plans, are all here."
At this moment in the royal palace, both high-ranking and lower officers gathered here. Lily glanced at them, finally fixing her gaze on Sage.
"That great noble, Tihana, indeed called up an army of a hundred thousand, splitting them into eighteen teams."
She pulled out a blackboard from somewhere and stuck the papers onto it one by one, placing two maps at the center: Gares' main island on the left and Timadon vice island on the right.
Lily waved her hand, and a female pirate promptly ran up, handing her a pen.
"Eighteen teams set out from different directions, ultimately converging below Augustine Castle, consisting of private troops raised by the nobles. According to intelligence, each was trained with substantial investment."
Lily drew lines and arrows from various directions on the map, all leading to Augustine Castle's location.
"The nobles of Augustine Castle lean toward Tihana; therefore, they will open the city gates for her to rest and open the main gate to launch an attack on Timadon from the harbor here."
After finishing, she paused and said, "Meanwhile, William in Timadon is also aware of this news, sold out by the nobles here. These guys have connections on both sides. According to intelligence, that 'Young Lion' William will also summon an army of fifty thousand, crossing the sea to Augustine. This time, they won't choose naval combat, aiming to decide the outcome in one grand battle."
"This is also the plot of those nobles, who engineered this situation in the city to force numerous civilians to flee, thus grabbing city properties. So, regardless of who eventually rules here, many industries in Augustine Castle will belong to them."
"And now, there's you..."
Lily looked at Sage, saying, "With a public execution in front of the Radio Snail, those people should have seen it, and they will accelerate their pace; now there are no nobles holding things back. Everyone's target will be Augustine Castle. According to the distance, Tihana will move first, followed by William, totaling one hundred and fifty thousand troops, ultimately arriving at Augustine simultaneously."
These words sent a shiver through everyone's heart.
Some present here had experienced Alabasta and witnessed that war involving a million troops.
But that was different. Firstly, that million-strong army was not all gathered in the royal city; many couldn't arrive in time, with some still in the desert outside. The royal city itself didn't have many troops.
But this time, it's a solid force of one hundred and fifty thousand, and they're all formidable; though not as advanced as those in the Summit War, they are certainly no pushovers.
For a powerful nation like this, that number can sweep away many. And this doesn't even count the local guards and those soldiers who don't wish to participate in an internal war.
As strong as Whitebeard, during the Summit War, his total forces combined were only fifty thousand.
This explains why pirates won't attack these powerful countries, because it's truly difficult.
"The best approach, Sage, is to tackle one end first. When William is crossing the sea, you can use your abilities to eliminate them entirely, then we swiftly occupy Augustine Castle, use the city gates to battle Tihana's side. With your abilities, although it might destroy Augustine, we will secure ultimate victory."
With two endowed with Supreme King, plus Sage's own powers, handling a hundred thousand isn't impossible.
This is the tactic Lily devised after consolidating the intelligence.
"Excellent!"
Sage laughed, "But there's no need to make it so troublesome, Lily. According to the route you mapped out, such complexity isn't necessary. I've got a plan; hear me out.
He looked at the mapped-out lines on Gares' main island, clenched his fist strongly, grinning viciously, "Gares is mountainous; when they move out, they can only assemble on the flatland near Augustine. Before they do, it's our opportunity!"
A hundred thousand divided into eighteen routes?
If it's due to the geography, someone must be quite the genius to propose that, or Sage would laugh his teeth out.
As for the so-called 'winning with fewer against more,' Sage understood—it's about concentrating one's entire force, locating the opponent's weak point, then gradually devouring it for a full victory.
Now's a prime opportunity!
Sage stood up, walked toward the blackboard, and pointed at one of the lines under everyone's gaze.
"No matter how many roads they come from, I go one way only!"
"With a force of five thousand, all led by you, I don't care when armies arrive or what the geography is—I only know those nobles are divided into eighteen routes, and I want you to swallow them. Any problem with that?!"
So many officers, a strategist, a chief advisor, a conductor, two with Supreme King, and a former Seven Warlords, plus the Demon Race's forces, totaling five thousand to wipe out eighteen teams?
Can't do it?
If not, then stop pretending and find a vacant land to develop slowly, Sage.
The three responsible for refining the plan exchanged knowing glances, and Moriah, rubbing his chin, snickered, "Seems like a pretty good idea."
"Feasible," Hawkins said flatly.
"Let's do it!" Lily took a deep breath, trying her best to hide the excitement in her heart.
Sage's words presented a new perspective.
They could indeed defeat their foes one by one before they have a chance to gather, which wouldn't damage Augustine. For Lily, this was a war worth commanding.
Five thousand against one hundred thousand, if they could annihilate...
For Sage, it would greatly enhance his reputation!
A secure ascension to become one of the Four Emperors!
"But what about William..."
"I'll handle it."
Sage clenched his fist heavily and confidently said, "I'll hold the fort at Augustine Castle. If they dare cross the sea, they'll be annihilated!"
All it takes is a cannonball.
Such power may be a bit lacking against the strong, as destruction and power are indeed different, but it's more than enough for weaklings. As for that so-called strongest in the kingdom, William... He was just looking forward to meeting him.
"Understood, let's set off now then."
Lily nodded, rolled up and put away the map, then led her people out of the Royal Palace.
Now was not the time to linger here. The enemy had already moved, and they must race against time to reach their destination.
Over five thousand people, commanded by Lily, took ample supplies and headed directly to the West City Gate of Augustine Castle, racing towards the mountainous area.
With detailed intelligence obtained from the nobles and the information from Zack, they could easily devise a more comprehensive plan.
It's merely a matter of which to strike first...
A day later.
A towering army of five thousand marched along a mountain path within the main island of the Gares Kingdom, soldiers wearing markedly different armor and uniforms, wielding different weapons.
Gares Kingdom is a typical feudal system, with nobles of all sizes possessing their own territories. To recruit soldiers, they must be dispatched by these nobles, then gather into an army led by a commander.
That's why these soldiers were different.
But they were all elites under the various nobles, not mediocrities.
As for the leader...
"General Misty, take a break, won't you? The weather has been so stuffy lately; I'm drenched with sweat. This mountain path is quite cool; let's find a spot to camp. I've brought some prized wine."
A nobleman approached the front and smiled at the female general, whose skin was pure as snow and had brown hair.
The gathering of noble private soldiers naturally brought these nobles along, each with its own leader, then collectively led by the commander.
The commander of this squad was Misty, the 'Wind Chasing General,' who had formerly served as Patrol Captain responsible for the kingdom's overall patrol in the Gares Kingdom.
"We must reach Augustine Castle as soon as possible to rendezvous with Tihana." Misty said expressionlessly.
Her position was granted by the old king, and after his death, she withdrew from Augustine Castle and returned to her hometown.
If it weren't for being close friends with Tihana, she wouldn't have accepted this summons.
The main reason is the kingdom cannot endure more wars. The people in her hometown obviously suffered due to rising prices, and if this continues, they might not even afford food.
Thus, she chose Tihana. In her eyes, only Tihana could end the war, while William, although strong, was not accepted by the crowd. Even if he seized the kingdom, he wouldn't stabilize it.
The nobleman chuckled and said, "No rush, Duke Tihana departed last, even if we rest for a while, it won't delay us. Look, we're already exhausted. Forcing ourselves to march will only weaken our performance at our destination; it's better to rest first so that if we face a surprise attack, we have the energy to fight."
Misty opened her mouth, intending to speak, but seeing some tempted nobles among the troop, she fell silent again.
She had seen the Radio Snail and knew what happened at Augustine Castle, but these nobles evidently weren't concerned, still maintaining that relaxed attitude.
Pirates occupied Augustine, and the citizens living there must be suffering. The sooner they go, the sooner they can repel the pirates, instead of being here as if on a picnic.
But this group was clearly determined to rest.
Misty's eyes flashed a trace of impatience, "I..."
Just as she was about to speak, a red dot flashed in her pupils. She took a step back, dodging as swiftly as the wind.
Bang, bang, bang!
At this moment, a volley of gunfire erupted from the surroundings, bullets splattering blood as they struck the soldiers.
"Enemy attack!"
Misty dashed to the side, exclaiming sharply, then promptly drew her longbow from her back, quickly nocked an arrow without looking, and pulled the bowstring toward the front.
Buzz!
Suddenly, her body shivered, revealing an incredulous look, her drawn string slackened slightly, eyes fixated frontward.
"Supreme King?!"