When Teach returned to Parage Island, the more perceptive members of the crew immediately sensed that something about him had changed.
It was not a change in strength.
It was something deeper.
Something internal.
They could not quite describe it, but the difference was unmistakable. Naturally, they became curious about what had happened to Teach during the time he had been away.
Still, that thought only lingered for a moment.
Right now, far more important matters demanded their attention.
By this point, the entire Sageros Sea had fallen under the control of the Nightfall Pirates.
The conquest had taken less than a month.
The speed shocked many observers.
Only now did people truly understand the terrifying strength of the Nightfall Pirates. With the Sageros Sea firmly in their grasp, they had officially become one of the major forces in the New World.
On the strategic maps held by powerful factions across the seas, a new mark had appeared.
The territory of the Nightfall Pirates.
Even after consolidating control, their expansion continued.
Their rapid rise and overwhelming momentum attracted countless pirates. Some saw the potential of the Nightfall Pirates. Others had simply been squeezed out by the intense competition between the large pirate crews of the New World.
Many of them headed toward the Sageros Sea, hoping to join.
The territory itself was vast.
Naturally, the pirates who conquered it could not leave it unguarded.
On key islands, elite fighters needed to be stationed to respond quickly if hostile pirate forces appeared.
Because of this, several Executive Officers could not attend the current meeting in person.
Instead, they joined through Video Den Den Mushi.
Everyone already knew the next objective.
Even so, the excitement was impossible to hide.
They were preparing to move into Saint Louis Island.
The high officials of the Christi Kingdom were ready as well.
Before this point, many of the kingdom's leaders had already accepted reality and chosen cooperation. However, some news still leaked within the kingdom.
The result was a massive purge.
Hardline opponents who fiercely resisted the idea of the Nightfall Pirates entering the kingdom were swiftly eliminated.
Some had even planned to rally the population and resist.
They never had the chance.
Before they could act, they were executed.
The purge covered a wide range, though the number of people involved was not extremely large. Most officials understood the consequences of resistance.
More citizens simply waited quietly.
They wanted to see what changes would come to the Christi Kingdom once the Nightfall Pirates officially arrived.
Taking control of Saint Louis Island was not as simple as issuing an order.
The Nightfall Pirates needed to demonstrate their power.
At the same time, they had to destroy three rival kingdoms.
And they had to do it while appearing as heroes.
Saviors.
Great contributors to peace.
"Are you ready?" Teach asked with a smile.
He sat casually on his throne while looking at the Executive Officers.
"Yes."
They had waited for this moment for a long time.
"Then let's begin."
Teach waved his hand.
"The list of the key figures from the three kingdoms is here. Go eliminate them."
"As for the battlefield," he continued with a grin, "leave that to me."
He stood up.
The next moment, his body rose into the air and shot toward Saint Louis Island.
The Executive Officers immediately moved as well.
Those capable of flight headed directly toward the island.
Others had already infiltrated the three kingdoms beforehand and were participating in the meeting through Video Den Den Mushi.
Meanwhile, the main battlefield between the Christi Kingdom and the Three-Kingdom Alliance lay along their shared border.
War was about to erupt.
The air itself seemed filled with the scent of gunpowder.
The timing was no coincidence.
The Christi Kingdom had deliberately provoked the situation, shifting from passive defense to an active offensive.
Once their army marched out, the alliance naturally had no choice but to respond.
Thus the smoke of war began to rise.
Within the Christi Kingdom army, however, some perceptive officers noticed something unusual.
The high command did not appear nervous.
Instead, they behaved with strange calmness.
Almost as if they possessed a secret weapon capable of deciding the outcome of the entire war.
Such whispers spread quietly among the officers, but the ordinary soldiers knew nothing.
The lower ranks marched forward carrying their patriotism, their anxiety, and their fear.
They prepared to face the enemy.
The battlefield itself was a vast plain.
From a distance, countless soldiers filled the land like swarms of ants.
Rifles.
Cannons.
Heavy weapons.
More than one million soldiers stood ready for battle.
The atmosphere was tense and oppressive.
No one could guess how many lives would be lost.
Yet something strange puzzled many observers.
Why was the war being broadcast live?
Across the Christi Kingdom, large video screens displayed real-time footage from the battlefield.
Normally, wars were hidden from the public.
The people only heard the final results.
Victory.
Defeat.
Casualties.
But now every citizen could watch everything unfold.
Officials offered only vague explanations, hinting that something extremely important was about to happen.
Curiosity gradually replaced doubt.
People watched in silence.
Inside the royal palace of the capital Grater, the kingdom's most important ministers had gathered.
They stood beside King Melo, watching the battlefield through a massive screen.
Messengers entered frequently, delivering new intelligence.
"The Nightfall Pirates have begun their operation," one minister reported.
"It will not be long before we receive confirmation that the royal families of Moore, Ser, and Lock have been eliminated."
The Christi Kingdom had also contributed heavily to this operation.
Most of the individuals marked for removal had been handled by their own intelligence network.
The Nightfall Pirates were responsible only for the most important targets.
Kings.
Royal families.
Key ministers.
The kingdom had used nearly every hidden resource it possessed.
If they did not seize this opportunity to conquer the three kingdoms in one stroke, they would never have another chance.
Failure was not even considered.
From the moment the Nightfall Pirates joined the operation, the outcome had already been decided.
Nearby, a large area of land east of the palace had been cleared.
The location was originally intended to become a luxurious royal park.
Construction had once stopped for unknown reasons.
Now it had resumed.
Workers from across the kingdom were building an enormous palace.
One just as magnificent as the royal palace itself.
At first glance, the project seemed absurd.
The kingdom was at war.
Yet they were building a palace.
But the citizens were not fools.
King Merlot was known for his wisdom. The royal family would not make such a foolish decision during wartime.
People suspected there was a deeper reason.
Many believed they would soon learn the truth.
The palace was being built for the Nightfall Pirates.
Their future headquarters on Saint Louis Island.
Finally, after hours of preparation, the war began.
Across the kingdom, countless citizens stared at the screens.
Their hearts pounded.
On the battlefield, even the high-ranking generals of the Christi Kingdom felt nervous.
War was never a trivial matter.
Before the fighting started, they had already confirmed something with the palace.
Had the Nightfall Pirates arrived?
If the battle began before their allies intervened, the Christi Kingdom would suffer catastrophic losses.
Fortunately, King Merlot personally confirmed the answer.
Teach had already arrived.
High above the battlefield, Teach floated silently in the sky.
His Observation Haki spread across the entire plain.
Every movement.
Every soldier.
Every cannon.
Everything fell within his perception.
From that vantage point, he resembled a god observing the battlefield.
There were only two people present who possessed notable strength.
Both were roughly at the level of Marine Vice Admirals.
One belonged to the Christi Kingdom.
The other commanded the alliance forces.
They were the strongest generals on each side.
The Christi Kingdom's general appeared slightly stronger.
If not for the Nightfall Pirates' involvement, this war would have been far more brutal.
In this world, mercenaries, pirates, and bounty hunters frequently participated in wars between kingdoms.
All it took was money.
However, the Nightfall Pirates had already banned such outsiders from entering the Sageros Sea.
Because of this, no external forces could interfere in the current conflict.
The war between the four kingdoms remained largely unknown to the outside world.
Most attention across the seas was focused on the rise of the Nightfall Pirates.
This isolation of information was essential.
On the battlefield below, the two armies finally confronted each other.
Across the plains, the Three-Kingdom Alliance had established an enormous defensive line.
Steel nets.
Bunkers.
Fortified gun positions.
Cannons waited behind every line of defense.
Meanwhile, the Christi Kingdom's army seemed strangely relaxed in comparison.
Even observers watching the broadcast could notice the difference.
Yet the Christi soldiers themselves felt confident.
Before the battle began, they had been told something.
Powerful reinforcements would arrive.
That alone was enough to raise their morale.
Across the field, the generals of the Three-Kingdom Alliance frowned.
Something felt wrong.
"What exactly is the Christi Kingdom planning?" one general muttered.
Another shook his head.
"Forget it. Follow the battle plan and attack with full strength."
"No matter what secret weapon they have, they cannot defeat us so easily."
"If we break through their lines, we will carve territory directly from the Christi Kingdom."
The thought filled several officers with greed.
For kingdoms, land meant power.
More land meant more resources.
More population.
More wealth.
"Then let's begin."
"Let this war decide everything."
The two massive armies faced each other across the plain.
The air grew heavy.
The battle could start at any moment.
Then suddenly, soldiers on both sides felt something strange.
An instinctive sense of danger.
One by one, they raised their heads toward the sky.
Above the battlefield, high in the air, a lone figure slowly descended.
At first he was only a silhouette.
But as he came closer, his appearance became clear.
The citizens watching the broadcast froze.
The soldiers on the battlefield froze.
Eyes widened.
Bodies trembled.
The man seemed to draw every gaze toward him.
Even those who had not yet seen him instinctively looked up.
One trembling voice finally broke the silence.
"D… Dark Emperor… Te… Teach!"