Starting with Naruto, I'll become stronger through my own efforts.

Chapter 287 The Great Fire of the Kingdom of Goa

Among the many characters, the one from the One Piece world is the most assimilated by his world.

Unlike his previous life, he was determined and passionate about improving his strength. He focused on training every day and never missed an opportunity to fight.

The pirate Shazo doesn't even like little girls; until now, he's only ever treated Nami like a beast of burden.

This guy is a total goofball.

But just because he looks like a simpleton doesn't mean he's an idiot.

With the help of the memories shared with Interstellar Xia Zuo, Xia Zuo mastered thousands of accounting knowledge and skills, all of which were still effective under the monitoring of super artificial intelligence.

Through practice, Xia Zuo naturally grew into an expert in writing reports to fraudulently obtain reimbursements and funding, and was also adept at cleaning up the messes after making mistakes.

However exquisite and profound the technique, after being observed by others for many years, clues will still be discovered.

Although Lieutenant Colonel Faye and other officers couldn't understand Xia Zuo's actions, it didn't stop them from knowing what their superiors had done.

While they were greatly shocked, they naturally began to make use of Xia Zuo's skills.

For the next period of time, the 77th Branch resumed its normal routine. The marines did not conduct any unusual patrols or training, and prices on the island where the branch was located returned to normal.

But inside what appears to be a normal branch to outsiders, all the marines are working intensely.

They were racing against time to prepare for dealing with the Celestial Dragons.

The efforts and tension of the 77th Division were not in vain; the Celestial Dragons really did arrive.

The World Government issued a notice that Charmaco Saint was about to approach the East China Sea, and the entire East China Sea instantly boiled over.

As the most knowledgeable violent system of the Celestial Dragons, the Navy knew exactly what kind of trouble the Celestial Dragons were. All bases and branches were thrown into chaos as they desperately hid their valuable treasures.

The pretty female marines either hide their identities or learn how to make ugly makeup.

Even male marines are not safe, especially those who look particularly strong. Many of them are chosen by the Celestial Dragons to be gladiators or mounts.

Those male marines who are particularly handsome are also dangerous; they are even more dangerous than the female marines. Not only are there female Celestial Dragons, but a few male Celestial Dragons are also perverted men with two penises.

In short, all the good-looking sailors in the East China Sea Navy were trembling with fear, and daily work such as training and patrols were in chaos.

Only the 77th branch was different, because they started preparing several days in advance. At this time, they appeared unusually calm and composed, maintaining their normal work and life.

But compared to the chaos in other bases and branches, the marines of Branch 77 felt an indescribable respect for their branch leader.

When they encounter marines from other bases, these guys completely lose control and look down on them.

The marines who were being stared at took it all for granted, cowering and dejected like quails, not daring to look up at anyone.

In stark contrast to the navy's attitude, the kingdoms of the East China Sea were jubilant.

The East China Sea, known as the "weakest sea," has no special races, no remarkable local products, and no famous entertainment venues, yet it is extremely vast and requires a very long time to navigate.

Therefore, the Celestial Dragons, who were indulging in pleasure, never came to the East Blue.

Distance produces beauty.

Having never seen the Celestial Dragons, who wielded supreme power, the nobles and commoners of the various kingdoms in the East Blue were filled with fantasies about them and warmly welcomed their visits.

Many kingdoms prepared special celebrations for this.

Among them, the Goa Kingdom, as the largest kingdom in the East Blue, is bound to be one of the destinations visited by the Celestial Dragons.

The king and nobles excitedly discussed the welcoming ceremony, meticulously considering every detail to ensure perfection, regardless of the cost.

The new finance minister said with a smile, "As long as we can satisfy the world's nobles, our Kingdom of Goa will surely receive a hundredfold return."

Of course, he has already made a fortune, to the point that he is somewhat at a loss.

The king wholeheartedly agreed with the new finance minister's words. What did spending money matter? As long as he could leave a good impression on the world's nobles, his safety would be more guaranteed.

The King couldn't help but shudder at the thought of the death of the entire family and clan of the Finance Minister last year, the horror of their blood flowing through the streets of the capital.

so horrible.

If the navy was able to storm into the capital and slaughter the finance minister last year, wouldn't they be able to storm into the palace and kill him in the future?

To ensure their own safety, they had to please the world's elite and find a reliable patron.

Just when all the nobles felt they had everything under control and began to dream of winning the praise of the world's nobles, one noble glanced out the window and froze.

He suddenly stood up, disregarded etiquette, walked to the window, and looked at it carefully again and again.

Just as the king frowned, preparing to reprimand him, the nobleman pointed to the window and exclaimed, "Your Majesty, garbage! A mountain of garbage! I see a mountain of garbage!"

His words drew the nobles' attention to the windows, and through the clean windows, they could indeed see, outside the high walls, one after another, towering hills of garbage.

The nobles looked at each other, wondering why so much garbage had piled up at the destination.

His Majesty the King was furious: "Find a solution to this problem immediately! We cannot allow the noble Saint Chalmar to see this garbage!"

"However, there is already too much undetermined cargo at the destination, and it is impossible to transport it away in time. Moreover, we cannot find a suitable new storage site."

"If we can't move it, then we shouldn't bother moving it."

"What should we do then?"

"Burn, set a fire, burn all the trash."

"Oh! Great idea!"

"By the way, we can send troops to burn it down. We can burn all those bugs at the Uncertainty Terminal to death too, since they're all trash anyway."

"Your idea is even better!"

His Majesty the King also thought the method was perfect, but he still offered his own opinion: "Send more guards to reinforce and protect the city walls, so that the fire does not spread inside the walls."

The ministers and nobles bowed their heads in unison: "Yes, Your Majesty is wise!"

The king was overjoyed: "Very well, then it's decided. Go and prepare for fire prevention and arson."

"Make sure the Kingdom of Goa is completely cleaned up before Saint Charmaco arrives!"

The nobles shouted, "Let the flames cleanse the Kingdom of Goa, making our country even more beautiful!"

"Burn those rubbish! Burn those rubbish!"

"The Kingdom of Goa will surely be reborn from the flames, becoming an even more perfect and great kingdom!"

Then the nobles filed out and left the palace.

In the palace, after all the nobles had left, His Majesty the King remained seated on his throne, gazing sideways at the scenery outside the window, and remained silent for a long time.

The king's close advisor, Otruc III, slipped back through the gate, approached the king, and knelt on one knee.

He asked in a low voice, "Your Majesty—"

The king raised his right hand, adorned with six rings, to stop Otruuk III from speaking.

He said coldly, "I know what you want to say. You want to ask me why, after approving the arson plan, I didn't personally oversee it?"

Otruuk III's eyes widened, and he remained stunned for several seconds before respectfully bowing with his hand on his chest: "Your Majesty is wise beyond compare."

The king pointed to the huge window and said, "This window is right here, and the huge wall outside the window is right there. I've seen the garbage dump outside the wall for almost a year, but you're bringing it up now."

"Some people really do think I'm an idiot."

"But they don't even consider how I became king, and how I've remained king until today."

"For 20 years, there has not been a single coup. Do they think that I am very cowardly for not killing anyone because of this?"

""

"Sir Otruk, tell me the truth, do you also think I'm incompetent?"

Otruuk III dared not answer this crucial question. He changed from kneeling on one knee to prostrating himself on the ground, trembling, cold sweat dripping from his nose onto the carpet.

"Hmph, at least you have some self-awareness," the king said disdainfully. "Out of respect for your deference, I'll give you a piece of advice: don't get involved in this matter. Find an excuse to avoid it."

King Auteluk III quickly agreed: "Yes, Your Majesty, I was in a car accident on my way home and broke my leg, so I have to withdraw from this matter."

The king continued, "I know what you want. In fact, I did the same thing two years ago, and I didn't want to stop you at all."

"The land inside the walls has been completely divided up. The nobles have such big appetites, and it's not easy for them to devour each other, so they can only look outwards."

The king suddenly laughed: "Hehe, actually I want to too, even more than they do, because I need to give you land and wealth in exchange for your loyalty."

"What a pity, the Navy suddenly has a Commodore named Xia Zuo, this matter can't be done."

King Autelluch III asked in surprise, "The one from the East Sea who massacred the former Chancellor of the Exchequer?"

The king turned to his close advisor and said, "Yes, it's him."

"He was an extraordinary person, powerful, with his own set of rules, and he acted in accordance with those rules."

"Because old Pudo's youngest son massacred the village, he was able to storm into the capital and kill old Pudo's entire family and clan."

"So, do you remember, if he were to turn on all the nobles of the Goa Kingdom because the nobles burned countless rubbish to death?"

Otruk III's expression changed drastically. He immediately recalled the horrific scene from last year when the entire capital was flooded with blood.

He said with difficulty, "No, no way, that was just a noble family, and one that became pirates. This time it's the entire Goa Kingdom's noble family—"

The king raised his right index finger and gently swung it from side to side. The green gemstone emitted a breathtaking light as his finger moved.

"Sir Otruk, you're mistaken. It refers to all nobles except for me, the King, and his direct subjects. Oh, and now you're included in the 'exclusion' category as well."

"Killing all the ruling nobles of a kingdom means the destruction of that kingdom."

"I believe that Brigadier General Shazo would not be so irrational. He would never personally destroy a kingdom, especially the Goa Kingdom, a member state of the World Government."

"However, if two-thirds, or even three-quarters, of the nobles are killed, the situation will be completely different."

"Nobles are not only the rulers of the kingdom, but also its burden. The death of most of the nobles will not destroy the kingdom, but will greatly increase the king's power, increase the efficiency of the kingdom's governance tenfold, reduce the burden a hundredfold, and make the whole kingdom stronger."

"Therefore, I will certainly agree to the nobles' suggestion to set fire, because it is their common will, and even I cannot resist it."

"However, I will never personally oversee the arson. I'm afraid that General Shazo will kill me too and bring a new king to the Kingdom of Goa."

"I have cleared myself of any involvement in this matter, and I believe that General Xia Zuo will not necessarily kill me out of respect for me as the king."

Otruuk III trembled and bowed to His Majesty the King again with utmost reverence.

The nobles of the Kingdom of Goa acted quickly, and the very next day they eagerly lit a great fire.

After all, the Celestial Dragons are arriving soon, and we can't let the nobles of the world see such a raging inferno, as that would greatly diminish the Goa Kingdom's standing within the World Government.

The garbage that had accumulated over decades was indeed plentiful. The fire burned for three full days without any sign of abating, still billowing flames and billowing thick smoke.

The enormous column of smoke rose to a height of several thousand meters, like a pitch-black pillar supporting the sky, and could be clearly seen from the sea hundreds of kilometers away.

Standing on the boat, Xia Zuo saw the clearly visible column of smoke and knew what had happened.

His anger flared up instantly, but he quickly suppressed it.

Without the right to investigate, there is no right to speak.

How could he make a decision so casually without careful investigation?

Perhaps it wasn't an uncertain destination fire, and perhaps this fire wasn't arson. Such a huge mountain of garbage, piled up so high, it's quite reasonable for the garbage at the deepest part to spontaneously combust.

Xia Zuo turned to an officer and ordered, "Captain Reid, when we arrive in the Kingdom of Goa, go and investigate the situation of the fire."

The slender and agile Captain Reed jumped down from the gun barrel, revealing an ordinary face devoid of any distinguishing features. After glancing at the distant column of smoke, he asked, "Branch Chief, what kind of intelligence do you need?"

Xia Zuo replied, "All the information related to the fire."

Was this fire arson or an accident? If it was arson, who was involved?

"If it was an accident, what was the cause of the fire? If it was arson, did the arsonist intentionally burn people to death?"

"I need to know all of this."

Captain Reed replied, "I understand. Don't worry, Branch Chief, I will complete the mission tonight."

Captain Reed wasn't exaggerating. Just over four hours after landing, he submitted detailed intelligence to Shazo, including a list of nobles involved in arson and the deployment of troops to surround the undetermined destination.