Starting with One Piece, a Multiverse Simulation

The day after Saito and Louise set off to find the Dragon's Feather Robe, the war between Tristain and Albion broke out.

In addition to the strongest dragon knight force and a massive fleet of magic airships, the Kingdom of Albion has also gathered 70,000 ground troops, including magical artifact puppets.

In contrast to the well-equipped and powerful Albion, the Tristine forces, including those in the capital, numbered less than 30,000 guards.

With a troop disparity of nearly double, many believed that Tristene was likely to be defeated even before the war had begun.

Queen Tristine, clad in women's armor, disregarded the ministers' objections and came to the front lines of the battlefield.

"Marshal Gramont, the Kingdom of Albion is attacking faster than we originally thought."

Given the current situation, how should we respond? Do you have any plans or strategies in mind?

Wood's combat prowess is undeniable, but now that we're at war, while individual martial prowess is crucial, it's far too difficult to influence the overall situation.

Gramont is an old general of Tristín with excellent experience in leading troops, so he was ultimately put in charge of the overall command of this battle against the Kingdom of Albion.

Upon hearing Her Majesty's question, Gramon glanced at the military map before him and a bitter expression appeared on his face.

Thirty thousand against seventy thousand, and among the enemy's seventy thousand troops, at least ten thousand were puppets who were not afraid of death and could even use magic. How could they possibly withstand that?

Even Gramon himself was not optimistic about this battle, and he had already arranged for his wife and children to be sent to a safe neighboring country.

If it weren't for the honor of the "Gramon" family and the fact that he was Marshal of Tristine, Gramon himself would have wanted to run away.

Of course, despite being extremely flustered inside, Gramon wouldn't say anything discouraging when faced with Queen Tristine's question.

"With our army of 30,000 men holding off the enemy's 70,000-strong army, to be honest, the situation we are facing is extremely serious."

However, there is still hope. In short, Your Majesty, please rest assured, even at the cost of the Gramon family's honor, I will do everything in my power to bring victory to Tristain.

Gramon did not reveal any specific plans or deployments, because he was truly helpless in the face of the current situation, and could only say that he would do his best.

The Queen, who had held a high position for many years, was not a little girl like Henrietta. When she heard what Gramont was saying, she already knew that the chances of winning were slim.

As for nobles, if it were a battle they were certain to win, they would have already been excitedly requesting to go into battle.

The nobles in the meeting hall were all bowing their heads to the ground, terrified of being called upon to fight. The severity of the situation was self-evident.

"With 30,000 against 70,000, the odds of victory were indeed very slim."

I would like to ask Marshal Gramont, if the forces were evenly matched, do you have a way to defeat the army of the Kingdom of Albion?

In the midst of a somewhat awkward silence, Wood, who had been standing behind Queen Tristine listening in, suddenly stepped forward and asked a question.

"If the forces are evenly matched, I, Gramon, have been leading troops for over a decade, so I am naturally confident of victory."

But the current situation is that Albion has a full 70,000 troops; the scenario you described, where the forces are roughly equal, is simply impossible.

Most nobles were quite dissatisfied with Wood, who came from a commoner background and rose to a high position overnight. Some noble groups even secretly gossiped that Wood was just a pretty boy.

However, because of Kisch, Gramon did not have much ill will towards Wood, and as a military officer, he admired Wood's martial prowess and acknowledged that his current position was earned through his own strength.

“I do have a suggestion that could lure away most of Albion’s forces, but this method carries certain risks for Her Majesty the Queen and Princess Henrietta.”

"Among us, the enemy's most desired target should be Her Majesty the Queen, followed by Princess Henrietta."

By using the two of them as bait, and then taking nearly a thousand cavalrymen away under the cover of night, they could draw away most of Albion's forces.

"Her Majesty the Queen and Princess Henrietta are of noble status, and given the darkness of the night, the enemy will certainly assume that we have sent a large number of troops to protect their retreat, as they cannot determine the exact number of people involved."

In this situation, if the enemy commander wants to ensure that Her Majesty the Queen and her entourage do not escape, and also wants to secure victory, he will certainly send half of his forces to pursue them.

Faced with Wood's eloquent speech, all the nobles present were stunned. As nobles and subjects, they really did not expect that Wood would be so bold.

To actually say, right in front of the Queen and the Princess, that they would be used as bait to lure the enemy troops.

"As you said, this method may indeed be feasible, but it is simply too outrageous!"

Gramon had previously admired Wood quite a bit, but upon hearing his suggestion, which was no different from betraying his master for personal gain, his expression instantly turned ugly.

“That’s right. Sending nearly a thousand cavalry to protect Her Majesty the Queen and Her Highness the Princess is a sure way to die if they are caught up by the enemy’s tens of thousands of troops!”

"As expected, commoners are just commoners; they don't even know how to be grateful for what they have."

Despite receiving so many favors from Her Majesty the Queen, are they really going to push the two princes to their deaths when danger arises?

Upon hearing Wood's outrageous words, the previously silent nobles, as if injected with adrenaline, began to eagerly express their opinions.

They may not be good at fighting, but when it comes to showing loyalty, they are absolutely fine.

After all, if it's just empty talk, there's no need to risk your life, and you can still gain Her Majesty's favor. Why not?

"Would your plan be feasible if we found someone to impersonate Her Majesty the Queen and Her Highness the Princess?" Because Wood had provided the inspiration, Marshal Gramon shared his own ideas.

"As expected of Marshal Gramon, I think this method is excellent. It avoids putting the two princes in danger while also drawing away the enemy's forces."

"Do you think the enemy commanders are all idiots like you?"

Before confirming that the other party is indeed Her Majesty the Queen and Her Highness the Princess, will most of the troops be assigned to pursue them?

Her Majesty the Queen and Her Highness the Princess not only wanted the genuine article, but also wanted to make a show of themselves in front of each other; otherwise, the plan would not succeed.

Furthermore, in my view, all lives are equal. You are unwilling to send Her Majesty the Queen and the Princess to their deaths, yet you can push others to their deaths without any remorse?

Chapter 118 The Queen and Princess's Desperate Gamble

"Don't forget, if this plan is really carried out, the thousand cavalrymen who follow the two princes will also face a nine-out-of-ten chance of death, or even greater danger."

Since you are all so loyal to Tristan, why don't you all serve as bait alongside the two princes?

That's what's disgusting about the medieval world: the so-called nobles and commoners, who were essentially living the same kind of lives, existed in almost two different worlds.

Just like Wood's proposed bait plan, no one cared what would happen to the thousand cavalrymen who followed, because most of them were just ordinary civilians.

"Outrageous... absolutely outrageous!"

"As expected, commoners are just commoners. Even if they change their clothes, they still have no sense of honor as nobles."

Wood's words immediately made the nobles present bristle and glare.

However, while most of the nobles present were criticizing Wood, Henrietta, who was also standing behind Queen Tristine, stood up to support Wood.

She even stated bluntly that she would be willing to become bait to lure the enemy if it were for Tristine's sake.

“Henrietta, I am the Queen of Tristine, so I will be the bait.”

"If I don't return this time, and Tristain manages to win, then you will be Tristain's new queen."

Queen Tristine and Henrietta were still putting on a show of maternal love and filial piety when Wood spoke up again in a rather heartless manner.

"Your Majesty, and Princess Henrietta, you don't need to be so polite with each other. I've already said that before."

"If the plan is to be executed, you all must act as bait. Only by doing so can you draw away nearly half of the enemy's forces."

Upon hearing Wood's words, many nobles present drew their longswords or took out their wands.

"You insolent scoundrel, I will surely kill you here today!"

“That’s right. If we do such a thing today, we will have no honor left as nobles.”

Seeing that the situation was getting out of control, most of the Tristain nobles even believed that Wood was an undercover agent sent by Albion to send Henrietta and the others to their deaths so that they could take over the entire Tristain without bloodshed.

"Stop! Lord Wood proposed this plan for the sake of the entire Tristine."

Given the vast disparity in troop strength, Tristine had absolutely no hope of victory unless he chose a risky approach.

Therefore, I think it's wise to accept Lord Wood's suggestion to act as bait with Henrietta, giving Tristine a chance to win.

Queen Tristine's decision naturally provoked another fierce reaction from the nobles, who all tried their best to persuade her to abandon this dangerous move.

However, Queen Tristine seemed determined and immediately decided to begin the operation that very night.

Her Majesty the Queen had made up her mind, and the other nobles, seeing that the outcome could not be changed, could only glare at Wood with eyes that looked as if he were a treacherous minister.

Wood, however, paid no attention to these stares. When he proposed the plan, he knew that the Queen would most likely agree in the end.

Because if they fought according to the established procedures, Tristine had no chance of winning.

Rather than waiting to die, it's better to fight for a chance of survival.

Even if I and Henrietta both died, at least Tristine would still survive.

That very evening, Gramont mustered a thousand cavalrymen, and Queen Tristine and Henrietta were also fully armed and ready.

Queen Tristine, unusually, personally encouraged the soldiers who had been summoned there, promising them a generous reward later.

However, most of the people gathered here knew that tonight's mission was almost certainly fatal, so their expressions were not too excited.

Because it concerned the comfort of the Queen and the Princess, Gramon did not try to cheat or shirk his duties this time. These thousand soldiers were almost all the best in the 30,000-strong army.

Those who could use noble magic even made up a third of the team.

Unlike those seasoned, jaded nobles, these energetic young nobles were truly willing to die for honor.

"Lord Wood, I know this decoy mission is extremely dangerous, especially if we encounter that situation."

I hope you can at least protect Henrietta and get her out of here. I know this might be asking too much, but with your abilities, I believe you can definitely do it.

Before the group set off, Queen Tristine gave Wood a private audience, just to say this one thing to him.

Wood's military prowess is undeniable. While it might be unrealistic for him to defeat tens of thousands of troops, the chances of him escorting someone to safety are quite high.

As the group rode on horseback, Henrietta, after deliberately avoiding the Queen's sight, quietly approached Wood and asked him for a favor, which made Wood chuckle.

Because Henrietta's intention regarding Towood was similar to Queen Tristine's, only the target was different.