Pablo and his n stord the warehouse under the cover of heavy rain and fierce winds. The locks on the iron doors were forced open.
Most of the soldiers were asleep. So did not even wake up. So opened their eyes to swords and guns. Screams mixed with the howling of the wind. Gunshots were lost in the roar of the storm.
Pablo was at the heart of the battle. His strong body moved among the soldiers like a shadow. His pistol fired shot after shot. Each bullet found its target.
Marco was like a hurricane. His fists shattered soldiers' faces. His kicks sent their bodies flying through the air. He needed no weapon. His body was the weapon.
Shigo was calr. His sword drew circles of death in the air. Each movent cut a neck or an arm.
The battle did not last long. Less than ten minutes.
When it was over, all thirty soldiers were dead. No one remained.
But Pablo lost two n. Two of his forty n fell. They did not move. Their enemies' bullets found them before they could find their enemies.
---
Then Pablo raised his head. He looked around. And his heart stopped for a mont.
The warehouse was enormous.
Sacks of herbs were stacked to the ceiling. Hundreds of sacks. So were filled with precious Silveria Azure, gleaming like eralds under the dim lamp light. So were filled with Verdiana Green, with its strong aromatic scent. And so held Golden Topaz Leaves, resembling shiny pieces of gold under the light.
Pablo had never seen such a quantity before. He thought the convoys he had stolen were large. But they were just a drop compared to this.
"This..." he whispered. "This is real wealth."
He smiled. A wide smile. The first real smile since arriving in Sorbet.
"We move everything." he ordered his n.
The carts that were inside the warehouse were used to transport the sacks. Forty carts. They needed a second trip to take everything.
The work continued all night. The n were exhausted, but they did not stop.
Before dawn, everything had been moved to the cave. Every herb. Every sack. Everything.
Pablo closed the warehouse door behind him. It looked empty. No one knew that hours earlier it had been full of riches.
They disappeared into the forest with the first light.
---
King Bekori's Palace
The next morning, the palace was bustling with unusual activity. Guards running, servants whispering, pale faces.
Noble Valdemar, the owner of the warehouse, stood in the great hall. He was a tall, thin man, with a long nose and cold blue eyes. He wore an expensive black suit. He was trembling. Not from cold.
"The warehouse... the entire warehouse has been robbed!" he said in a hoarse voice. "Everything. Thirty soldiers killed. The herbs have disappeared. Nothing remains."
King Bekori was sitting on his throne. He did not shout this ti. He did not stand. He sat. Silent. And that was more terrifying than his shouting.
His small eyes were fixed on Valdemar. He looked at him like a snake waiting for the right mont to strike.
"Thirty soldiers?" he said in a quiet, terrifying voice. "And one hundred and fifty were on patrol. How did they see nothing? How did they hear nothing?"
"I... I don't know, Your Majesty. The soldiers say there was a storm hitting the area that night. Heavy rain. Strong winds. They saw nothing. They heard nothing."
"A storm." Bekori repeated the word. Then he suddenly stood up.
"A storm! A storm prevented one hundred and fifty soldiers from seeing what was happening a few miles away?! You tell a storm was the reason?!"
His shouting now echoed through the hall. Servants and guards trembled.
Valdemar could not answer. He stared at the ground.
Bekori sat down again. He took a deep breath.
"I will send an additional five hundred soldiers. I will double the patrols. I will ensure that all your warehouses are under heavy guard. And if this happens again..." He stopped. His eyes promised death. "You will be responsible."
Valdemar bowed. He left the hall trembling.
Bekori remained sitting. He was thinking.
He knew there was a hidden hand working in his kingdom. A hand no one could see. He knew that whoever stood behind this theft was not an ordinary thief.
But he did not know who it was.
And that disturbed him most.
---
After things settled, Pablo sat alone in his room in the cave. The sacks were piled around him. He began sorting them. Calculating. Estimating the value.
Silveria Azure: The most valuable. He found it in huge quantities. The price of one sack on the black market exceeded 800,000 Beli. He had over a hundred sacks. Alone, it was worth over 80 million.
Verdiana Green: Less valuable, but still expensive. A sack was worth about 400,000. He had two hundred sacks. About another 80 million.
Golden Topaz Leaves: The rarest and most expensive after Silveria. A single sack was worth over 1.2 million Beli. He had fifty sacks. About 60 million.
Other herbs: Various types, less famous but still valuable. Their total exceeded 30 million.
He added the numbers. Calculated again. Calculated a third ti.
The result: over 250 million Beli.
Pablo closed his eyes. He smiled.
He knew this operation would be big. But he did not expect it to be this huge.
This amount was enough to change everything.
He opened his eyes. He was ready for the next step.
---
Pablo took out his Den Den Mushi. He called Arthur.
The snail rang twice. Then Arthur picked up.
"Pablo. How are things?"
"Good. More than good. I have a task for you."
"I'm listening."
"I will need a eting with the smuggler Renold. Arrange it for . As soon as possible."
"How much quantity this ti?"
"Large. Over 250 million."
Arthur was silent for a second. Even he, accustod to Pablo's numbers, was surprised.
"I will arrange it imdiately."
"And there is sothing else."
"I'm listening."
"I will need weapons. Swords, guns, and cannons. Worth one hundred million Beli. I want you to buy them and store them in Naraka."
Arthur paused. He was thinking.
"One hundred million? That's a huge sum. Why all this?"
Pablo did not reply imdiately. Then he said:
"I will tell you when the ti cos. Just trust ."
"I trust you. But—"
"Prepare the weapons. I will need them soon."
Arthur sighed. "Alright. I will buy them. I will store them in the secret warehouses under the headquarters."
"And there is one last thing."
"What?"
"I want you to send an additional sixty n. Send them in three batches. Twenty each ti. So as not to attract suspicion."
Arthur was silent. He knew Pablo did not ask for anything without reason.
"You have forty n with you now. You need sixty more? That ans you are planning big operations."
"I am planning many things. Send them imdiately."
"I will start preparing the first batch within days."
Pablo hung up. He turned his back to the wall.
He was thinking.
Sixty additional n ant a hundred n in Sorbet.
Pablo was preparing for sothing big.
He did not tell Arthur what it was. Not yet. But Arthur knew that Pablo did nothing without reason.
---
In the following days, the face of the Sorbet Kingdom changed.
Soldiers were everywhere. An additional five hundred soldiers spread through the streets. Patrols did not stop. Every convoy was under heavy guard. Every warehouse was surrounded by soldiers.
The people in the north were afraid. They were not used to seeing this many soldiers in their streets. Rumors spread quickly. "There are thieves robbing entire warehouses." "They are killing soldiers like flies." "They are not human."
In the south, the poor heard the news as they worked in the fields. So smiled in secret. So felt hope for the first ti. So began to wonder: who are these people who dare to do what no one has done before?
King Bekori was in his palace. He had not left for days. He was planning. He was thinking. He wanted to find these thieves before their actions destroyed his kingdom.
But Pablo was in his cave. Far away. Hidden. Planning as well.
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