One piece: Establishing a Pirate Family

Chapter 214: The Eight-Nation Alliance

The hall was noisy.

The aging king sat in silence, watching his ministers, generals, and nobles below him.

"Your Majesty! You must make a decision! The Rockefeller Pirates are heading toward our country!"

Seeing the king remain motionless, some of the older ministers began to kneel, pleading with him.

Looking at his ministers, the king felt a deep sense of sorrow.

He understood the situation all too well.

"My dear ministers! If war breaks out, do you truly believe we can match them? You must remember, these are the Rockefeller Pirates, led by the world's greatest swordsman. If we go to war, will we really stand a chance?"

The king's words silenced the room.

People in other seas might not understand how terrifying Rockefeller Charlotte was, but the nobles of the New World knew all too well.

"Your Majesty! The Rommel Kingdom has an army of 50,000 soldiers. We have a real chance! As far as I know, the Rockefeller Pirates number only 2,000. 50,000 versus 2,000—we have the advantage!"

A general stepped forward, trying to rally confidence among the hesitant nobles.

Upon hearing this, the previously doubtful nobles straightened their backs.

"Your Majesty! With such overwhelming numbers, we must seize this opportunity to reclaim our lands!"

The ministers, nobles, and generals united in their demand, bowing before the king.

The king closed his eyes, sighing in resignation.

He understood the political reality—even if he opposed war, it wouldn't matter.

If everyone agreed except him, his resistance would be meaningless.

He had ruled long enough to know one simple truth:

Never put yourself at odds with the majority.

With a weary wave of his hand, he gave his reluctant approval.

"Then it is decided… Do as you must."

Upon hearing this, the court erupted in cheers.

The nobles and generals left the hall eagerly, ready to prepare for war.

None of them realized the disaster their decision would bring.

Meanwhile, Charlotte remained unaware that a coalition army was being formed against him.

But even if he had known, he would have laughed it off.

Against true strength, sheer numbers were meaningless.

---

Charlotte's Study

Charlotte was overwhelmed with paperwork.

For an entire afternoon each day, he was stuck in his study, handling various reports from his maids.

"This is not how I planned things!"

Charlotte groaned, leaning back in his chair.

His original plan had been to set sail immediately after his ship was built.

But the issues with the surrounding islands had trapped him in another conflict.

Eight out of ten things in life never go as planned.

Now, the ship was complete, and final decorations were being added.

Charlotte was eager to take his family and set sail.

But before departing, he had one final task:

Destroy the surrounding kingdoms' resistance.

He needed to send a clear message—Kami Island is my territory.

And anyone who tried to interfere would face destruction.

Only then could Charlotte sail in peace.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

"Come in!"

Charlotte didn't even look up from his papers.

The door opened, and a tall figure walked in.

Without glancing, Charlotte already knew who it was.

"Barrett, sit down."

Charlotte continued reviewing documents, waving a hand dismissively.

"What do you need? Speak."

Barrett rarely sought Charlotte out—unless something important was happening.

"Captain! Our expansion has started affecting certain kingdoms. Here's the latest intelligence—many kingdoms are secretly gathering armies to attack us."

Barrett placed a detailed report on Charlotte's desk.

Upon hearing that someone dared to challenge him, Charlotte laughed.

"Oh? Let's see who's foolish enough to try!"

He put down his pen and opened the report.

"Wow… That many?"

Charlotte raised an eyebrow.

"Is this… an Eight-Nation Alliance?"

He smirked, flipping through the pages.

Barrett nodded.

"Yes! Eight kingdoms have united against us. We've already seized islands from seven of them. The last kingdom likely joined out of fear or pressure. While none of these kings are individually dangerous, their combined army is 250,000 strong—though most are land forces, with very few naval units."

Charlotte shook his head in amusement.

"This is your problem now. Handle it. If you can't, let me know. But I believe in you."

He tossed the report back to Barrett.

"Yes, Captain!"

Barrett caught it without hesitation.

The Eight-Nation Alliance? Pathetic.

To Barrett, they were nothing more than insects.

He had only come to inform Charlotte—he never doubted his own ability to crush them.

With Charlotte's go-ahead, Barrett immediately mobilized his forces.

Instead of waiting for the kingdoms to attack, Barrett struck first.

That was his way.

---

The Counterattack Begins

Barrett gathered his captains for a strategy meeting.

"Our primary target is King Rommel. Take him down first, and the rest will collapse!"

Despite being only twelve, Barrett commanded authority far beyond his years.

Having grown up in a military environment, his movements and leadership style were disciplined and precise.

The seasoned captains under him felt uneasy—they were used to the freedom of piracy, not military structure.

But they followed orders nonetheless.

At the port, the Rockefeller fleet was fully mobilized.

Fifteen ships, each bearing the Rockefeller Pirates' flag, stood ready.

Pirates, armed and prepared, loaded onto the ships in formation.

Barrels of gunpowder and ammunition were transported onto the decks.

Standing at the forefront, Barrett directed his forces with unwavering confidence.

Carter, Paul, Wolfe, and Isaac coordinated their respective divisions.

The massive military operation was impossible to ignore.

Spies, hidden among the crowd, immediately reported back.

"Notify Marine Headquarters! The Rockefeller Pirates are making a major move! Their target is unknown!"

Since Charlotte declared Kami Island a free port, agents from various factions had infiltrated the island.

Kami Island had become a sieve—for every ten people, at least one was a spy.

While these spies frantically sent reports, the Rockefeller fleet set sail.

But no one noticed the white figure silently climbing aboard one of the ships…

---

Read up to 20 Chapters ahead on patreon.com/Fanglin

[Please leave a 5 Star review and power stone for this novel]

*Thank you*