Rocks Band: I have 48 Imperial Arms.

But!

Given Locke's own circumstances, destroying an empire was no easy task. Of course, destroying a country didn't mean killing everyone in it, but rather wiping out its army to render it incapable of resistance, eliminating the empire's nobles, royalty, and so on, and finally plundering all of the empire's treasures.

This is equivalent to the destruction of a country. After all, if the destruction of a country truly meant the complete annihilation of its inhabitants from the very beginning, that would be the strangest thing of all.

But no matter how you look at it, the current situation is what it is, and it's not easy to deal with!

"Hmm~"

"The Horde Empire is quite powerful; destroying it so easily will not be an easy task."

Locke pondered this, feeling the possibility was too low.

Again!

Locke only had himself and Leone on his side; there was no one else. Did he really think he could destroy a country with just the two of them?

Uh~~~

The difficulty level is simply too high; it's practically impossible.

“Your Highness!” Leone pondered, “Assassination? Eliminating all the imperial royal family, nobles, and generals would be a better approach.”

"Ok!"

Locke nodded slightly and said, "This method is feasible, but there are still many things to think about and consider. There are still quite a few follow-up problems that need to be carefully considered."

"Ok!"

"Ok!"

Leone nodded seriously, but! It wasn't that they weren't in a hurry, after all! This was not an easy task. Locke also knew that this mission wasn't about plundering any wealth, but about showing the whole world the terror of the Rocks Pirates.

so!

Locke had to do this, otherwise the mission wouldn't be complete, but the wealth would naturally be his.

"Hmm~"

Sitting on the sofa in the room, Locke pondered to himself, "If we were to deal with it through assassination, it would indeed be the most appropriate thing to do now. According to outside intelligence, the only powerful person in the entire Horde Empire is a general known as General Stone. Apart from that, there are no other powerful individuals."

Leone's line of thinking is sound, but Locke needs to think it over carefully.

This is no joke!

Leone was a Night Raider, and in her opinion, the strength of the Hod Empire was such that if just two people were to attack head-on, it wouldn't be worth it, let alone whether they could actually take it down!

Therefore!

It's best to choose a method, but what exactly is that method?

This is the more important one!

In Leone's view, assassination seemed to be the most appropriate and easiest way to deal with everything. It was definitely the best way. So, wouldn't it be the most appropriate way to do it?

but!

Locke also needed to consider this. In Locke's view, the real core issue was how to handle the next steps and how to plan for the future. After all, what he needed to do was to let the whole world witness the terror of the Rocks Pirates.

after all!

He had no hatred for the Horde Empire, nor any necessary connection with them. The main reason he wanted the Devil Fruit was this mission; everything else was meaningless.

“However!” Locke squinted and muttered to himself, “According to Leone’s idea, it is also very suitable. As long as the deterrent is strong enough, once General Shi is dealt with, the others are simply not worth mentioning.”

"and……"

"The population of the Horde Empire is not that large, only a few million. As long as we gather the intelligence first, it will be very easy to complete the task."

Locke had already made up his mind, and then took out a Den Den Mushi and called the officer in charge of intelligence. He quickly obtained all the information he wanted.

even though!

The Rocks Pirates, such a terrifying behemoth, could basically be defeated by simply charging head-on. However, that's just a saying. The Rocks Pirates weren't idiots when it came to the vast ocean; they were well aware that they needed to gather intelligence.

after all!

On this vast ocean, it would be truly bizarre if you didn't even have any intelligence. That's why Locke easily obtained his intelligence.

The Rocks Pirates' intelligence capabilities are so advanced that it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call them the best in the entire world.

and……

In the future, the Big Mom Pirates are known for their unparalleled intelligence capabilities. Rock suspects that when the Rocks Pirates disbanded, all their intelligence personnel were taken away by that crazy woman, Linlin. Otherwise, given Linlin's abilities, it would have been quite difficult for them to reach the top level in the industry!

But!

These weren't important matters, Locke said calmly, carefully reviewing all the intelligence and confirming various issues. These were the most important things, and only by confirming all the intelligence could any problems be avoided.

……

"General Shi!!!"

"Hmm~"

"Paramecia type, Stone-Stone Fruit user".

"This is the strongest person in the entire Horde Empire."

"same!"

"The most troublesome person—if we could get rid of him, then everything would be much simpler."

Locke looked at the intelligence report before him, pondering the question of General Shi.

hmm~~~

Of course!

It's not that Locke could kill General Shi in a direct confrontation; that would be far too easy for him. General Shi is indeed quite strong, but at most he's only at the level of a lieutenant general. If Locke wanted to, he could easily kill General Shi.

But!

The biggest problem is the Stone-Stone Fruit, a very special Devil Fruit. Although it is not a Logia-type Devil Fruit, it allows the user to blend into a rocky environment. Trying to pull it out is not an easy task.

to be honest!

There is only one chance. If we don't seize the opportunity, it will be difficult to catch General Shi, who has always wanted to escape. This is a very important point.

“Your Highness,” Leone said thoughtfully, standing beside Locke, “Apart from this guy called General Stone, everyone else is very easy to deal with. They can be disposed of easily; they’re all just trash!”

Leone doesn't take anyone else seriously; they're all trash! Want to get rid of these guys?

Hehehe~~~

Isn't that a piece of cake?! A piece of cake!

Locke did not deny Leone's words, but calmly said, "There is only one night. I need to deal with everyone as quickly as possible. Only in this way can the shock be enough, and only in this way can we obtain the Devil Fruit in the mission."

"Ok!"

Leone nodded, naturally knowing what her prince was thinking.

after all!

For their family, Devil Fruits are the most important resource. As for everything else? They're simply not important and not a big deal at all! This is the absolutely crucial core issue in this matter.

Devil Fruits!!!

Whether it's summoning a new Imperial Arms or enhancing the power of an existing one, both require Devil Fruits. And since both require Devil Fruits, there simply aren't enough! They're far too precious treasures, and getting your hands on such a precious treasure is no easy feat!

after all!

For this vast ocean, Devil Fruits are strategic resources. You think you can get your hands on them so easily? It's not that simple!

There was no other way!

Every opportunity to obtain a Devil Fruit is highly valued. Every Devil Fruit is used only in the most critical situations, never wasted. Otherwise, it would be a joke.

Therefore.

Locke took this mission very seriously; there was no other way! It involved a total of three Devil Fruits!

Once this task is completed, the number of Devil Fruits in his possession will be increased to a total of 7. According to his estimation, the fifth Imperial Arm still requires 5 Devil Fruits to master, but starting from the sixth Imperial Arm, the number of Devil Fruits required will probably reach 6. Locke needs to carefully consider how to handle the situation from here on out.

"Hmm~"

Locke pondered carefully, considering all the possibilities, and finally nodded, saying, "Judging from the current situation, success is absolutely certain! However! Our actions here are just the beginning; the truly important thing is Esdeath's actions."

That's right! ! !

With the Rocks Pirates' actions, the entire sea will be plunged into utter chaos. At that time, with the sea in such turmoil, what will happen next?

This is the absolutely crucial core issue. Because of this, many things need to be carefully considered and handled very seriously.

Next…

They wouldn't make much money on their own side, and they wouldn't have the chance to obtain more Devil Fruits. But for Esdeath, it was a different story. If she succeeded in raiding the North Blue, the profits she could gain would be enormous.

"Your Highness!"

Leone said seriously, "Don't worry, although I don't like Esdeath, her abilities are absolutely unquestionable."

PS: 4000-word long chapter! Four updates a day! Fourth update! Please subscribe! Please subscribe to your favorites! Please give flowers! Please vote! Please tip! Please rate!

Chapter 77: One Night! Royal Nobles Hanging on the City Gate!