Chapter 4: A War Full of Doubts
The original name of Jacob Island has been lost to history. Today, it is known as a medium-sized island occupied by a nation affiliated with the World Government.
Its geography is unique in the East Blue. A large portion of its land is a vast plain, only a few meters above sea level, rich in vegetation and fresh water, making it very habitable. The other part of the island is a barren plateau rising over a thousand meters high. One side of the plateau connects to the plain via a steep 40-degree slope, while the other side is a perilous cliff that drops vertically into the sea.
The entire island features two distinctly different architectural styles. One belongs to the current Jacob Kingdom. The other consists of ruins scattered across the plain, destroyed by war a century ago and left as historical relics.
The two are separated by a wall over eight meters high and stretching for more than ten kilometers, as if dividing the world of civilization from the world of ruins and wilderness.
At this moment, atop the high wall, kingdom soldiers armed with Marine-issue weapons nervously formed a battle line. They raised their guns, aimed at the refugees emerging from the ruins, and opened fire without mercy.
In one corner of the wall, a few dozen soldiers, though dressed in the uniforms of the Jacob Kingdom, subconsciously adopted standard Marine defensive tactics. They looked down at the nearly naked refugees, their faces etched with reluctance. After exchanging glances, they grimly pulled the triggers of their firearms.
Every time the soldiers pulled their triggers, a golden muzzle flash erupted. Lead bullets cut brilliant streaks through the air, piercing into frail bodies with lightning speed.
Cannons from behind the wall fired, their black shells screaming through the sky before crashing among the people in the ruins.
BOOM—
A violent explosion erupted. Fire swelled, and a heatwave rose. The massive shockwave, carrying shrapnel, instantly sent a group of ragged, disheveled refugees flying.
Seeing the refugees thrown into chaos by the explosion, the soldiers on the wall grinned, letting out wild laughter.
"Haha, these damned pariahs are even more pathetic than the little brats who stole water last night! At least they managed to crawl a few meters with the buckets."
"Last night we only used sniper rifles. This time, we're using the cannons the Marines sold us!"
"..."
"Tch, didn't you snipe a few of the little runts last night? It's all your fault for hogging the targets. My daughter even made fun of me for not killing a single one!" the soldier said, a frustrated look on his face.
Beside him, a man with a large beard wore a blissful smile. "Haha, my 5-year-old son was so happy when he heard about my kill count! He said when he grows up, he wants to be like me, join the army, and kill all these damned pariahs."
Their casual conversation was not concealed in the slightest, carrying over the roar of the cannons to the ears of soldiers more than ten meters away.
This caused some of the soldiers who were unconsciously maintaining Marine tactical stances to fall silent. They subconsciously raised their rifle barrels, letting the bullets hit empty ground. Then, they all turned to look at their officer, who stood with a grim face, his hand tightening around his katana, their eyes filled with hope.
Finally, the man with the resolute face stared blankly at the tragic battlefield below and slowly said the words his men were waiting for: "Follow your own justice. I will take responsibility for all the consequences!"
With that, he slowly slid down to sit with his back against the wall, his face dejected, his eyes dull and lifeless, as if his spirit had suffered a massive blow.
Hearing this, the soldiers beside him looked slightly relieved. After taking a deep breath, they aimed beside the refugees and pulled their triggers once more.
Suddenly, the soldiers farther away became frantic, their voices filled with terror. "Concentrate your fire! Take down that monster!"
In an instant, the sound of guns and cannons was deafening. Muzzle flashes flickered, changing the color of the entire wall segment. A barrage of bullets and portable cannon shells flew through the air, heading straight for a dilapidated ruin.
RUMBLE—
The already crumbling structure disintegrated instantly under the onslaught of explosions. Huge chunks of rubble scattered, and the dust of ages mixed with the smoke from the explosions, shroufing the entire area.
Within the dense smoke, only the light from the explosions and the sparks from bullets striking steel could be seen.
This sudden turn of events even caught the attention of the real big shot on the wall.
A tall, thin man in a white suit, his face obscured by a white mask, raised a pair of binoculars and looked towards the smoke-shrouded battlefield, peering at the massive, indistinct figure within.
As he watched, the corners of his mouth beneath the mask turned up slightly. "Did we really lure him out just by sniping a few children stealing water?" he chuckled. "That's a bit different from those brutal Oni in the New World."
A moment later, he lowered the binoculars and turned to the middle-aged man beside him, who was clad in magnificent armor with a saber at his waist.
"Vice Admiral Nathan, the target has appeared. As agreed, please assist us in his capture."
A shadow of annoyance passed through the middle-aged man's eyes. Without turning his head, he said casually, "I retired from the Marines a long time ago. Please address me as King Nathan."
"Also," he continued, "based on our estimates, this Oni who appeared on my soil is at least fifteen years old. Are you at CP0 truly capable of brainwashing and controlling him?"
Meanwhile, in the clouds more than five thousand meters high, Louis, having heard the keywords, narrowed his eyes. He came to an abrupt halt, flapping his wings to hover in the sky. His hand subconsciously went to the spear on his back as he expressionlessly repeated the words his superhuman hearing had picked up: "CP0, a retired Vice Admiral..."
A thoughtful look appeared on his face, but his hand had already, at some point, taken the spear from his back.
Soon, Louis snapped out of his thoughts, his decision made, his gaze turning sharp. "Well, since I'm already here..."
The next second, with a powerful beat of his wings, the surrounding clouds were thrown into chaos by a turbulent gust of wind, and his entire body vanished from the spot.
Back on the high wall, King Nathan watched the white-clad figure lead a group of black-suited agents into the distance, his eyes gradually turning cold.
"He must die here. No one can take him from this kingdom."
Years ago, the previous king had killed a group of children in front of Roger and had humiliated Roger's companion. This led to Roger's fury, and he had single-handedly destroyed the entire military of the Jacob Kingdom. As a result, Nathan, who had been painstakingly climbing the ranks to Vice Admiral, was forced to retire and return to bear the heavy burden of the crown.
And now, a uniquely talented Oni had been born from among the kingdom's enemies. As king, Nathan had to ensure that no one could take him away.
"Not even CP0!" King Nathan's gaze was deep, his tone icy. "Dole, you will assist me. Before CP0 can react, we will kill the one with the oni horns!"
"Yes, sir!" A figure in a white suit and a cape of Justice appeared silently. As if facing a superior officer, she gave the king of this nation a Marine salute.
King Nathan stood at the gate of the high wall, coldly watching the heavily armored figure step out from the smoke and dust.