Branch Office Building.
Rorschach was placed in front of the Branch Chief's office door, adjusting his appearance slightly before knocking gently.
"Come in."
From inside the office came a slightly tired, gruff female voice.
Rorschach opened the door and entered, seeing Lieutenant Colonel Jennifer, who appeared more robust than most men, furrowing her brows and looking worriedly at a stack of papers in her hand.
Rorschach was curious about the kind of news that made this strong woman from the North Sea Branch feel this distressed.
"Is there bad news, Lieutenant Colonel?"
So he asked directly.
Upon hearing Rorschach's voice, Lieutenant Colonel Jennifer sighed and handed him the papers.
"See for yourself, we have a big problem to deal with."
"A big problem?"
Rorschach raised his eyebrows and stepped forward to take the stack of papers.
With just a quick glance, Rorschach, like Lieutenant Colonel Jennifer, frowned.
"King Prince VII has died."
"Before his death, King Prince VII left a will announcing that the next heir to the throne of the Prince Kingdom would be the second prince, Prince Groose."
"Prince Elia has launched a coup and has begun restricting the movement of people in and out of the royal castle."
Rorschach flipped through the pages to find that all the intelligence information was related to the Prince Kingdom.
Prematurely collecting high taxes, a complete overhaul of military personnel, and the appearance of many notorious pirate groups near the royal castle.
After reading these documents, Rorschach looked at Lieutenant Colonel Jennifer in confusion:
"The Prince Kingdom coup should be an internal conflict of a member nation of the alliance. According to naval regulations, we don't have the authority to intervene in such matters. Even if the kingdom becomes unstable due to the coup, it has nothing to do with our 177th Branch."
"Lieutenant Colonel, what is there to be concerned about? We should only need to increase patrols in the surrounding seas to prevent pirates from taking advantage of the situation."
"If only it were that simple."
Jennifer sighed and pulled out another file from her desk drawer, placing it on the table.
She pointed to the file with her finger.
"Here are the details about Elia."
"Elia, the eldest prince of the Prince Kingdom, is a person of great cunning and exceptional ability."
"In recent years, when King Prince VII was ill and unable to manage affairs, the kingdom was in turmoil. Nobles and merchants began leaving the kingdom due to high taxes."
"On the other hand, the weakened kingdom attracted many dark forces."
"Pirates, slave ships, and black market mafias were rampant in the kingdom, and our North Sea Branch could not eradicate them."
"In these difficult circumstances, the eldest prince Elia used his outstanding personal abilities to strengthen relations with the world government and several neighboring countries, restoring order in the kingdom."
"With these relationships, he developed trade, attracting merchants by reducing taxes."
"He not only paid the annual tribute of 50 billion Berries but also stabilized the kingdom's economy and brought peace of mind to the people."
Rorschach was astonished.
This person named Elia was indeed formidable.
He managed to save a kingdom on the verge of collapse and restore its vitality.
But Rorschach was puzzled.
"Wait, Lieutenant Colonel Jennifer, you're talking about Elia, not Groose?"
Jennifer nodded.
Rorschach became even more confused.
"So why did King Prince VII transfer the throne to Prince Groose?"
This doesn't make sense.
Traditionally, the eldest prince is the rightful heir to the throne.
Furthermore, Elia has proven his competence.
Isn't it better for him to take the throne and lead the kingdom to a more prosperous future?
Is the second prince Groose more capable than him?
"Because Elia is the son of a maid, whereas Prince Groose is the son of the queen."
Lieutenant Colonel Jennifer's answer stunned Rorschach.
What a dramatic royal family scene in this alternate world.
What a melodramatic plot.
"Not only that, but Groose also resembles his father the king greatly, while Elia takes after his mother. With these two factors, King Prince VII naturally favored passing the throne to Prince Groose."
"If that's the case, isn't a coup led by Elia a good thing for the future of the kingdom?"
Rorschach took the file from the table and pulled out some papers to read.
"The problem lies here."
Jennifer's expression became more serious, "Recently, our intelligence agents discovered some dark methods used by Elia and his intention to launch a coup. If he succeeds, the entire North Sea will know no peace."
"Is it that serious? Is he really colluding with the Revolutionary Army to rebel and leave the alliance to join the Revolutionary Army?"
Rorschach was reading one of the papers, and his sarcastic remark was suddenly halted.
His right hand, holding the paper, tensed, causing the paper to wrinkle.
"Elia secretly colludes with many large and small pirate groups in the North Sea, allowing pirates to loot remote villages and islands in neighboring countries, gathering wealth."
"He uses maritime trade ships to cover his true intentions, providing cover and protection for the looters. In a short time, he has amassed a vast fortune."
"The pirate groups involved include: Steel Blade Pirates, Flower Eye Pirates, Giant Insect Pirates, and Ripper Pirates."
"The Ripper Pirates... are under Elia's orders?"
Rorschach's eyes were fixed on the words "Ripper Pirates."
To this day, these words represent an unforgettable scar in his heart.
"Elia's true intention might be to emulate the Eight Treasures Navy in the West Sea, establishing a pirate kingdom in the North Sea. If his coup succeeds, the Prince Kingdom will become the largest pirate force in the North Sea."
Jennifer did not notice the murderous intent in Rorschach's eyes and continued speaking seriously.
"At that time, all naval operations in the North Sea will be under Elia's control."
Rorschach clenched the paper, his eyes bloodshot, and said in a hoarse voice:
"Why? Wouldn't gathering the pirates in one place make it easier for us in the navy to capture them?"
"No, you're wrong." Jennifer shook her head.
"Because at that time, the pirates affiliated with the Prince Kingdom will become legitimate."
"In this sea, there are two types of pirates that the navy cannot easily capture."
"One is the pirates under the Seven Warlords of the Sea, who have the legal right to plunder the sea."
"The other is the pirates who establish nations and pay the annual tribute, becoming members of the World Government's alliance."
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