Chapter 96: Chaos Unleashed

The pig farm was, after all, a production base primarily focused on agriculture and livestock, so there were numerous buildings.

Now, flames soared sky-high. Most of the buildings were engulfed in a sea of fire. Such a severe blaze was clearly orchestrated by the Revolutionary Army, indirectly indicating that their attempt to rescue the slaves was not going smoothly. Thus, the Revolutionary Army resorted to arson, hoping to divert the enemy's forces.

However, once the fires were set, the Revolutionary Army noticed that the pig farm’s armed troops had no intention of fighting the flames. Even as the inferno spread to the warehouse storing grain, the armed teams turned a blind eye, weapons in hand, pouring murderous intent upon their foes.

The reason lay in Ralph’s orders. Ralph, who commanded numerous enterprises in Mad Hat Town—not only the auctions but also investments in Wine Street and Flower Street—possessed considerable wealth. How could he care about the mere output of a pig farm? Compared to this, the slaves who continuously supplied labor and the military factory hidden underground were far more crucial.

The slaves were expendable; if lost, they could always be replenished with money through the slave-hunting squads. Anything solvable with money meant nothing to Ralph. The military factory, however, was his lifeblood and a vital step toward connecting with “The Jester.”

Now, the Revolutionary Army had set their sights on him. Worse yet, they had planted explosives in his military factory. Had Ralph not always prioritized the factory’s defenses, the consequences would have been disastrous.

Enraged, Ralph issued an order of no mercy, incentivizing his men with rewards. Even if slaves were caught in the crossfire, it didn’t matter; not a single Revolutionary could escape. Driven by hefty bounties, Ralph’s subordinates fought as if injected with adrenaline, putting immense pressure on the Revolutionary Army.

Under the glow of the flames, the pig farm’s skies echoed with deafening sounds of battle. Ralph’s armed troops were not only numerous but also well-equipped—shoulder-mounted cannons among their arsenal. After all, they were stationed right next to a military factory. Relying on their considerable supply of cannons, the armed teams made retreat difficult for the Revolutionary Army.

Deep beneath the pig farm, in a subterranean tunnel, trembling slaves supported one another, forming a long procession. At intervals along the sides, Revolutionary soldiers maintained order, guarding against accidents.

At the very front strode a bare-chested giant wearing only a plaid skirt. He was Molly, the Western Army Captain of the Revolutionary Army, whose Devil Fruit powers allowed him to easily carve out walkable tunnels underground. Thanks to this ability, he was the busiest among the four captains during any rescue operation. This time, Sabo had contacted him to help with the Mad Hat Town rescue.

Boom… Boom…

Explosions from above made the tunnel tremble slightly. Dust fell in a steady stream, heightening the sense of danger. Molly glanced up at the tunnel’s ceiling, concern flickering in his eyes—not for the tunnel's sturdiness, but for his comrades fighting on the surface.

“Can we hurry up?” He looked back at the long line of slaves, gripping his massive trident tightly.

Between the height of the cliffs and the sea, and the presence of many elderly, sick, and frail among the slaves, Molly couldn’t dig a connecting tunnel in advance. To safely deliver the slaves to the ships waiting at sea, he had to push a tunnel downward from above—but not too steep, considering the slaves’ physical limitations.

Molly’s efficiency in tunnel excavation was unquestionable; he would never be slow. The real problem lay in the slaves’ pace. But such difficulties were routine for Molly during rescue missions; his main concern remained his comrades fighting on the surface.

Just then, a message was relayed among the Revolutionary soldiers maintaining order. Passing from rear to front, through the long line of slaves, it reached the soldier closest to Molly.

The message came from Koala.

“Molly, Koala went to support Sabo on the surface. She asked me to let you know,” the soldier said.

“Understood,” Molly replied without looking up, continuing to push the tunnel forward.

…

On the surface.

Sabo wielded a steel pipe, charging recklessly into the enemy ranks. To relieve pressure on his teammates, his targets were the armed troops with shoulder-mounted cannons. Thanks to Sabo’s direct assault, the number of cannons was slowly dwindling.

Alone, he faced a swarm of armed troops, but his exceptional skills meant that even outnumbered, they could do nothing against him. Instead, many fell to Sabo’s steel pipe. The material of the pipe was unknown, but a single strike could destroy a cannon—let alone a person, who couldn’t withstand even one blow.

Sabo’s prowess greatly eased the Revolutionary Army’s retreat. The tide of battle was slowly turning in their favor.

But with the arrival of Ralph’s trusted lieutenant, Sabo’s momentum was checked.

Sabo’s gaze sharpened as a man suddenly blocked his path. “Copper Beard Scott!”

His eyes swept over the man’s bronze-hued, pointed beard, instantly recognizing him. Scott was the strongest enforcer under Ralph. The castle fruit auctioned earlier was brought back by Scott from the Grand Line.

“Impressive,” Scott said, raising fists like bronze. Upon seeing Sabo’s age, an odd look flashed in his eyes.

Sabo glanced at the small dent in his steel pipe, remaining silent.

Sensing Sabo’s wariness, Scott smiled smugly. “Kid, you managed to block my punch. You should—”

Clang!

A lead bullet suddenly struck Scott’s temple, interrupting him and pushing his head to one side with its impact.

“Hmm?” The unexpected bullet surprised Sabo. He quickly looked toward the source, suspicion in his eyes. That direction was entirely occupied by enemies.

Scott, too, was baffled. “Which idiot missed their shot?” he cursed. If not for his Copper Fruit powers, a shot to the temple...

After cursing, Scott looked back at Sabo, wanting to finish his previously interrupted sentence. “You should feel—”

Clang!

Another lead bullet hit Scott’s temple, again cutting him off.

“Damn it,” Scott growled, glaring toward the source of the bullet. All he saw were his own armed troops.

A string of question marks seemed to pop up on Scott’s forehead.

Sabo found it strange as well, but had no time to ponder, launching an attack at Scott. He had to deal with Scott quickly and return to destroying cannons to ease his comrades’ burden.

Scott had wanted to find the shooter, but with Sabo’s sudden assault, he had no choice but to fight back. They immediately engaged in fierce combat.

In the distance.

“So tough,” said Mod, wearing an armed troop uniform and smeared with ash, a hint of regret in his eyes. He sighed, then aimed his gun at the Revolutionary Army. Of course, with careful aim, his bullets would never hit the revolutionaries. Amid such chaos, accidents were inevitable.

Beside him, Sunny, also in uniform, whispered, “See, I told you my shot didn’t miss.”

“Ah, sorry, sorry, my mistake,” Mod replied quietly. Then, with a ferocious expression, he fired at the Revolutionaries.

Pulling the trigger, Mod shouted with murderous intent, “How dare you cause trouble at the pig farm! Watch me kill you, you wretched bastards!”

Sunny looked at Mod, impressed by his immersion, then silently edged away.

The surrounding armed troops, inspired by Mod’s fighting spirit, joined in:

“Well done, brother!”

“Right, let’s wipe out these troublemakers!”