Before the stunned eyes of every Marine present, the so-called "invincible" Captain Morgan was defeated—just like that.
Some of the spectators from Shells Town, upon seeing the brutal Captain Morgan fall, even began to cheer.
Only one person trembled with fear—Helmeppo, Morgan's son, clutching a white wolf by his side.
His pillar of support had collapsed.
"I will personally report the conspiracy between Morgan and Kuro to Marine Headquarters once I captures Kuro," he said coldly.
"Lieutenant," he ordered the Marine Lieutenant, "you are to maintain the order of the 153rd Branch immediately."
"And the news of the Clover Kingdom being incorporated into the Goa Kingdom will soon reach here."
Noah pointed sternly at Lieutenant Ripper as his subordinates dragged the gravely injured Captatin Morgan aboard the warship.
"Yes, sir!"
Under Noah's commanding presence, Ripper stood up straight and gave a sharp salute to this king.
In truth, he was glad to see the brutal Morgan apprehended. He had long been dissatisfied with him, but Morgan's higher rank made resistance impossible.
Noah had no intention of dealing further with Morgan's son or any other lingering matters.
He didn't even disembark. The three warships set sail once more, heading directly toward Syrup Village, where Captain Kuro was believed to be hiding.
The six warships he left in the Clover Kingdom would soon spread the news across all the islands of the small nation, including Shells Town.
Meanwhile, some conservative nobles from within the Goa Kingdom had already begun sailing out to take control of the Clover Kingdom.
As Noah had said before: the glory of the Empire belongs to them as well.
Now was their time to act.
......
"Tsk, tsk. So Kuro's still alive, huh?"
Eric, a bounty hunter and navy mercenary, was extremely familiar with the pirates of the East Blue—especially those with bounties exceeding ten million berries.
Following Noah, this king who dared to strike a Marine Captain with impunity, gave Eric an odd sense of satisfaction.
It felt far better than working under Commodore Nelson Royal as a mercenary.
Van Augur observed Noah, the king of Goa.
He didn't act like a king. He looked more like a pirate warlord, carving out territory at will. The speed and aggression of his actions made his ambition clear.
The Goa Empire?
That was only part of it.
Van Augur sensed Noah's ambitions reached far beyond that.
At that moment, Noah was lifting a dumbbell, continuing his physical training.
These small-time enemies could be easily handled by the mercenaries he hired.
Why waste his energy when he'd already paid good money for them?
And if he managed to win them over, that money might not be wasted at all. He could just convert the mercenary fees into salaries and rewards.
This expedition was all about speed.
The Marine branches and kingdoms in the East Blue were notoriously slow to react.
By the time Marine Headquarters and the World Government caught wind of things, Noah might already have completed his Goa Empire upgrade.
At that point, with the royal families gone and his forces entrenched, the facts would be established. The World Government wouldn't say much—as long as the heavenly tribute was paid in full.
Syrup Village of the Moonlight Kingdom wasn't far from Orange Town of the Organ Kingdom.
These two kingdoms, like the Conomi Kingdom, were island nations—composed of numerous smaller islands.
The Conomi Kingdom alone had 30 to 40 islands and dozens of towns and villages, though over 20 of them had been taken over by Arlong.
Smaller islands were considered villages, while the larger and more prosperous ones were towns.
This was a common setup for island and archipelago kingdoms in this world.
Once Noah dealt with the Moonlight Kingdom, he might just head to the Organ Kingdom next.
He wondered if Buggy the Clown was still in those waters.
........
Watching Noah, a king, continue his training with such discipline, Eric couldn't help but feel a growing sense of unease and pressure.
He made up his mind: once this contract was done, he'd get far away from the Goa Kingdom and this sharp-featured king.
He wasn't about to become one of those bounty hunters who joined Noah's forces. No way.
He preferred the freedom of the mercenary life.
Van Augur, on the other hand, was weighing his options. If Noah didn't let them leave, he might just join Noah and rise within the Goa Kingdom's ranks, using the opportunity to restore his family's legacy.
His plans to remain a bounty hunter—or switch over to piracy—might need to change.
After all, Noah's conduct wasn't far off from the pirate kings of old.
Unlike Eric, Van Augur came from a family with lineage and a surname—he had deeper vision. Plenty of civilians and pirates didn't even have family names.
One day later.
When Noah's three warships reached the waters near Syrup Village, the main forces of the Goa Kingdom had already taken full control of the Clover Kingdom.
The expeditionary fleet, now free, was also sailing toward the Moonlight Kingdom to rendezvous with Noah.
They knew their king had an appetite far larger than just one kingdom.
"Your Majesty Noah! There's a pirate ship up ahead! Looks like the Black Cat Pirates!"
Van Augur peered through his ultra-range monocle and spotted a pirate ship flying the black cat flag.
It looked like Captain Kuro was indeed still alive and operating nearby.
Otherwise, his crew wouldn't be wandering these waters.
"Take them down."
Noah didn't even pause in his training. He simply issued the order.
"Yes, sir!"
The security forces maneuvered the three warships to encircle the Black Cat Pirates.
Eric was already preparing to bring in those wanted criminals and earn some extra bounty on the side.
........
At that moment, aboard the Black Cat Pirates' ship—the Bezan Black—first mate Jango, along with Sham and Buchi, panicked as they saw warships approaching.
They initially mistook them for Marine vessels and immediately attempted to flee.
But soon, they realized the flags weren't Marine insignia—they were royal banners. Even so, three warships were too much for them to handle. They had no choice but to run.
However, they underestimated the Goa Kingdom's new-model warships, which rivaled military vessels in performance.
Before long, the Black Cat Pirates were caught.
Eric and Van Augur launched their attack.
"Fire!!"
Jango shouted in panic as the pirates opened fire in return.
"Don't damage my ship..."
A soft voice murmured.
To the utter shock of the Black Cat Pirates, their cannon fire vanished in mid-air—vanished without a trace.
They froze in horror, drenched in cold sweat.
Eric and Van Augur were once again left in awe of Noah's Devil Fruit powers.
Even high-speed projectiles like bullets and cannonballs were simply... banished.
That meant anything approaching Noah could be removed from existence.
Eric even watched as his own wind blades—his strongest ranged attack—were erased the moment they neared Noah.
The realization hit him hard.
The man he thought was on par with him... might be far stronger.
If his best techniques meant nothing to Noah, then Eric's value in combat was next to nothing.
A trace of defeat flickered in his eyes.
Noah had barely shown any effort, yet the change in Eric and Van Augur's expressions was immediate and obvious.
These two would soon become his loyal workhorses.
Leaving? Not a chance.
And if they tried, well... Noah had slave collars and Seastone cuffs at the ready. For a ruthless king, owning a few slaves wasn't out of line.
If they were bound to Noah, regaining their freedom would take blood, sweat, and years of hard labor.
No one escaped easily.
Under Eric and Van Augur's assault, Jango and his men were quickly defeated.
With three warships bearing down on them, the little Black Cat Pirates never stood a chance.
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