One Piece: Lord of the Weather Chapter 65: Attack

The next morning, Jinny walked alone through the forest.

The sky was clear, but the sll of rain was in the air. Or perhaps she was just imagining it. She walked among the tall trees, following the small stream that Pablo had told her about. The water flowed gently, touching the rocks softly.

After about an hour, she heard the sound of the water change. From a quiet murmur to a louder roar. She stepped forward. And she saw the waterfall.

It was small, no more than three ters high. But behind it, there was a shadow. A gap in the rock.

She stopped. She looked around. No one. Then she stepped forward.

She entered from behind the waterfall. The cold water sprayed on her face. But it didn't wet her much.

The passage was narrow at first, then suddenly widened.

And her eyes fell upon the scene before her.

The cave was enormous.

Its ceiling was very high, almost invisible in the darkness. Massive stone pillars ford naturally, like pillars of an ancient temple. On the walls, torches hung, illuminating the place with warm yellow light.

And in the center of the cave, there was a small army.

n dressed in almost uniform clothing. Not regular soldiers, but there was order in their movent. So were training with swords. So were cleaning their guns. So were talking with their comrades.

There were wooden boxes stacked to the ceiling. Guns. Swords. Ammunition. Small cannons. And gunpowder. The scene exceeded any expectation she had imagined.

Jinny paused for a mont. She didn't expect this. She didn't expect the numbers to be this large. Or the organization to be at this level.

One of the n approached her. His face was firm, his eyes sharp. But he was not hostile.

"Jinny?"

"Yes."

"Pablo is waiting for you."

He walked ahead of her through the cave. She passed by groups of n. So looked at her. So whispered. So tried not to look at her alluring body, but failed. Her body drew attention wherever she went. Her slim waist, her hips, and her full chest made n stare at her despite themselves.

Jinny ignored them. She was used to it. She had learned not to care.

Finally, they reached the end of the cave. There was a room half-enclosed by thick fabric curtains. Inside, a large wooden table with a map of Sorbet on it. An oil lamp illuminated the place.

And behind the table, Pablo was sitting.

He raised his head when she entered. He looked at her. He didn't say anything for a few seconds. He looked at her face. At her pink hair cascading over her shoulders. At her amber eyes. At her full lips. At her body that her simple clothes could not hide.

He smiled a slow, confident smile.

"You ca."

"I ca." Jinny said. She didn't smile. She stood firmly, her arms crossed beneath her chest.

"Where is Kuma?"

"He didn't co. I ca alone."

Pablo looked at her for a mont. His eyes wandered over her body again. Then he said:

"Alright. Perhaps this is better. I was hoping to see you alone eventually."

Jinny raised one eyebrow. She didn't comnt.

Pablo continued, leaning forward slightly, as if approaching her without actually moving:

"Do you know that you are more beautiful than I expected? Even when I saw you at the church, I couldn't believe that a woman like you lives in this poor place."

Jinny didn't move. She looked at him, uninterested. But he didn't stop.

"Your body... another painting. Everyone who sees you knows that. I am not blind. Your slim waist, and..." He paused for a mont, as if searching for the right words. "Your alluring figure. I think the gods wanted to make you unique."

Jinny shook her head and said:

"Are you done? I am not here for this."

Pablo laughed a small laugh. "You are sharp. I like that even more."

"Pablo. I ca to speak seriously."

He raised his hands in a playful gesture of surrender. "Alright. Speak seriously. But know that I am not joking either. I truly admire you."

Jinny ignored his words. She said:

"Kuma and I discussed the matter. We decided to give you a chance. But with conditions."

"What are they?"

"First: Kuma and I will remain in the rear lines. We will not kill anyone. Neither I nor Kuma. We can help with treatnt, evacuation, supply. But we will not put our hands on a weapon to kill with."

Pablo twirled his pen between his fingers. He was thinking.

"Rejected."

Jinny's throat tightened. "What?"

"Kuma will remain in the rear lines. He will treat the wounded. I will not ask him to kill anyone. But in an ergency... in the mont when we might lose everything... I will ask him to intervene. Not necessarily to kill. But I will ask him to use his ability to tip the scales of battle."

Jinny paused for a mont. She was thinking. "And if he refuses?"

"If he refuses in a decisive mont, I will die, my n will die, you will die, Kuma will die, and the poor will beco slaves. Do you want this?"

Jinny bit her lip. "This is not a condition."

"This is reality." Pablo said quietly. "War is not clean. Either you survive, or you die. There is no third option."

Jinny sighed deeply. "I will tell Kuma. But I promise nothing."

"That is enough."

"Second condition: We will remain independent allies. In the church. We do not want to join your family. Nor do we want to live in a cave underground."

Pablo agreed. "Alright. But you... will stay here."

Jinny was shocked. Her eyes widened. "What?!"

"I don't need Kuma here. But I need you. You have a talent. I know that. I have heard about your ability in this field. Don't ask how I know. You will stay here, in the headquarters. I will provide you with everything you need. A private room, food, clothing, and communication devices. You will spy on the king's communications and his aides. You will infiltrate their networks. This is your mission."

Jinny was stunned. Her eyes were burning. How did he know about her talent? She knew he was right. Her talent for espionage was great.

"I have no choice, do I?"

Pablo looked at her with piercing eyes. Then he said quietly:

"You have no choice. But believe , you will enjoy staying here. I will make sure your room is comfortable. And if you need anything... I am at your service."

He winked at her.

Jinny shook her head. "You don't give up, do you?"

"Never. Especially with a beautiful woman like you."

She looked at the ground for a mont. She was thinking about Kuma. About what she had agreed to. About the price. Then she raised her eyes.

"Alright. I will stay."

Pablo smiled broadly. He stood up from behind the table and stepped toward her. He was close to her now. She said:

"Don't co closer."

He stopped. He raised his hands again. "As you wish. But know that I will wait."

He gestured to one of his n. "Prepare a room for Jinny. Make it comfortable."

The man nodded and left.

Jinny stood in her place, her arms still crossed. She looked at Pablo with eyes that showed nothing. But inside her, the sea was turbulent.

---

In the following nights, the south did not sleep.

In a remote village on the edge of the poor fields, about thirty young n gathered in an abandoned barn. They whispered. So were afraid. So were excited. So didn't know why they were there.

Then one of Pablo's n entered. He was one of the forty who were sowing sedition in the south. They knew him. He used to sit with them in the fields, talking to them about injustice, about the king, about freedom.

He didn't speak much this ti. He opened a wooden box.

Guns.

The young n's eyes widened. They had never seen such weapons before. They had never touched a gun in their lives. The shiny tal, the polished wood, and the strong sll of fresh gunpowder. The scene was surreal.

"These are for you." the man said. "But not for free. You will fight with them. You will fight with them. But they will bring you freedom."

They hesitated for a mont. One of them looked at the gun, then at his trembling hands, then at the gun again.

One of them stepped forward. A young man in his twenties, his eyes burning. He grabbed a gun. He felt its weight. It was heavier than he expected, but it gave him a feeling of power he had never felt before. He looked at the man.

"When?"

"Soon. Get ready."

In another village, a similar scene. Young n gathered in the darkness, whispering with excitent. The guns passed from hand to hand, like dreams.

In a third village, one of them cried when he held his gun. He wasn't afraid. He cried because he couldn't believe this was happening. That soone was giving them weapons to fight the unjust king.

Five hundred guns. Five hundred young n. Five hundred new revolutionaries.

After distributing the weapons, Pablo's n took these young n to the edges of the forest. Distant places, where no sound or light reached. There, they began training them.

How to hold the gun. How to aim. How to shoot. How to deal with the recoil.

So were afraid of the sound.

So had their eyes watering from the gunpowder smoke.

But they continued. They knew this was their only path to freedom.

Within days, these young n were no longer frightened peasants. They beca fighters. Their eyes were harder. Their hands trembled less.

The south was turning into a volcano. And there was nothing left to stop it.

---

Hours after her eting with Pablo, she returned to the church to deliver Pablo's words to Kuma and to gather so of her belongings.

She arrived at the church at noon. Kuma was sitting on his massive chair, waiting for her. He knew she would co.

He looked at her. He saw the exhaustion on her face. He also saw sothing else. Sothing that hadn't been there before. Resolve. Perhaps acceptance.

"What happened?" he asked in his deep voice.

Jinny sat on a nearby wooden bench. She told him everything.

About the enormous cave, its amazing size and natural stone pillars.

About the n, their numbers, their organization, their discipline. About the weapons stacked to the ceiling. About the countless boxes.

And about the conditions he imposed.

"You agreed?" asked Kuma.

"I had to. He doesn't ask for help. He imposes it. But he is also the only one who can stop Bekori."

Kuma was silent. He was thinking. His massive body didn't move, but his eyes reflected an inner storm.

"I will stay here." he said finally. "I will treat the wounded. And in ergencies... I will intervene."

Jinny looked at him. "You agree?"

"I have the sa choice you had. No choice."

A long silence between them. The church was quiet. The faint light filtered through the windows.

Then Jinny said: "The cave is incredibly organized. The n are trained. The weapons are plentiful. He is not joking."

"That was clear from the beginning."

After a mont, Jinny stood up.

"I must return. There is work."

"Be careful."

"I will."

She gathered so of her belongings and left the church, returning to the forest. Kuma remained alone.

He knew the coming days would be the hardest.

---

Three days after Jinny's visit, the moon was at its peak. The sky was clear.

Pablo stood outside the cave. Before him, eighty n stood in rows. Marco on his right. Shigo on his left.

"Tonight, we strike the heart of the north." Pablo said in a low but decisive voice. "Prince Leon's palace. One hundred and eighty soldiers. Our target: the prince himself."

He looked at their faces. They knew the risk. They knew so of them might not return. But no one backed down.

"Follow ."

He didn't explain how they would infiltrate. He didn't say who would lead them. He just said: follow .

The n looked at each other. But they didn't object. They trusted him.

"Don't hesitate. Leave no witnesses. Leave no trace."

He paused for a mont.

"Move."

The n surged like a flood. Eighty shadows walking through the forest under the cover of darkness.

Pablo was at the front. Marco beside him.

They walked for hours. The forest was dark, but they knew the way. They had planned everything.

Shortly after midnight, they arrived.

From a distance, they saw Prince Leon's palace.

It was a large white building, surrounded by a high stone wall. On the towers, guards held their guns. In the courtyards, soldiers walked slowly. They looked tired. They looked inattentive. No one expected an attack at this hour.

Pablo began using his ability.

The n didn't notice him. They were looking at the palace, preparing for the attack. They didn't see the sky change.

It began to change.

The clouds that had been light beca thick. Black. Heavy. They gathered with unnatural speed.

Then the rain fell.

Not ordinary rain. It was heavy, violent, as if the sky had opened.

And the wind was strong. Howling between the buildings. Raising dust. Breaking branches. Making vision nearly impossible.

The soldiers on the towers scattered. So ran under shelter. So clung to the walls lest the wind carry them away. They didn't see Pablo. They didn't see his n.

Pablo said nothing. He didn't explain.