Summoner in One Piece

The plan to capture Ho Kaku's three key cronies relied on deception and precision. Under Tsunade's guidance, a forged message, meticulously crafted to mimic Ho Kaku's handwriting and official seal, was prepared. It was an urgent summons, citing a "critical, unforeseen development regarding the Count's arrival" and demanding their immediate, discreet presence at an abandoned warehouse on the city's western outskirts, a place known for its isolation and disuse. The message was delivered by a seemingly innocuous, low-ranking messenger, carefully chosen by Akane from the few loyal city guards they had turned.

As dusk deepened into night, Chief Administrator Jin, Commander Bao, and Tax Master Song, each arriving separately and cautiously, converged on the dilapidated warehouse. They were wary, but the urgency of the summons and the perceived authority of Ho Kaku's seal compelled them. The air inside the cavernous, dust-filled space was cold, the silence broken only by the scurry of rats. Akane was a shadow among shadows, perched high on a crumbling rafter, her sword a dark line against the faint moonlight filtering through a broken skylight. Her heart beat a steady rhythm, a familiar thrum of anticipation. Below, the three men shuffled nervously, their whispers echoing. Perfect. Isolated. No alarms. Tsunade was already on the ground, a part of the very darkness that enveloped them. Her chakra control allowed her to move with impossible silence, her presence undetectable even to the wary senses of Commander Bao. She had already identified the quickest path to each target, the precise pressure points to strike for immediate incapacitation.

As Commander Bao, the last to arrive, stepped fully into the warehouse, a faint creak from the main door signaled its silent closure. Before any of them could react, Tsunade moved. She was a blur, striking Jin first, a swift, precise chop to the neck that rendered him unconscious before he could even gasp. Simultaneously, Akane dropped from above, landing with a soft thud behind Tax Master Song, her arm wrapping around his throat, a muffled struggle quickly silenced. Commander Bao, a seasoned soldier, reacted with surprising speed, reaching for his sidearm, but Tsunade was already there, a knee to his gut followed by a quick, disabling strike to his arm, disarming him before he could draw. He crumpled, groaning, but conscious.

"No alarms," Tsunade whispered, her voice barely audible in the vast space, as Akane efficiently bound Song and Jin.

"He's awake," Akane noted, gesturing to Bao.

Tsunade knelt beside the groaning Commander. "You will cooperate, Commander Bao," she stated, her voice calm but with an undeniable edge of command. "Your master, Ho Kaku, is about to fall. Your choice now is to aid the rightful Count of Tonryuu, or fall with him." She applied a precise pressure to a nerve point, sending a jolt of pain through Bao's arm, a silent demonstration of her capability. He winced, his eyes wide with fear and grudging understanding.

Within minutes, all three men were securely bound and gagged. A small team of Alex's elite soldiers, waiting discreetly nearby, moved in to transport the prisoners to a pre-arranged secure location within the Lord's Mansion – a dungeon beneath the administrative wing that Tsunade had identified during her reconnaissance. The arrests had been swift, silent, and utterly successful. Ho Kaku's primary pillars of support were now neutralized, unaware of their fate.

As the last of the captured cronies was led away, Tsunade sent a pre-arranged signal – a single, high-pitched whistle, almost indistinguishable from the night wind – to Erza. The military head, along with Kaelen and the combined force of Alex's seventeen elite soldiers and the eighty newly swayed city guards, had been waiting in formation in a secluded courtyard of the mansion.

"The signal," Erza announced, her voice low and sharp. "They're secured. Time to move."

"Remember your orders," Kaelen reminded the assembled soldiers, his voice a low rumble. "No unnecessary bloodshed. Offer surrender. But if they resist, be decisive."

Their first target was the armory. It was lightly guarded, as expected, by a handful of Ho Kaku's remaining loyalists. Erza, leading the charge, moved with a knight's practiced grace, her poleaxe a blur. Kaelen, equally formidable, covered her flank. The loyalist guards, outnumbered and surprised, quickly realized the futility of resistance. Some dropped their weapons immediately, others were disarmed and subdued. Within moments, the armory was secured, its weapons and armor now under Alex's control.

Next, they moved to the main barracks. Here, the resistance was slightly more organized, but still minimal. Commander Bao's absence had left a void, and the remaining 120 soldiers loyal to Ho Kaku were disorganized and confused. Erza's forces, bolstered by the eighty turncoats who knew the layout, surged in. A brief, sharp clash of steel echoed through the barracks, quickly quelled by the disciplined charge of Alex's men. Many of Ho Kaku's soldiers, seeing their comrades surrender and facing a unified, determined force, quickly followed suit. The five truly loyal guards put up a desperate fight but were swiftly overwhelmed and captured.

By the time the first hint of false dawn painted the eastern sky, the armory and the main barracks were firmly under Alex's control. The remaining city guards, now disarmed and gathered in the barracks courtyard, looked up at Erza, Kaelen, and Alex's elite soldiers, their faces a mixture of fear and dawning realization. The military heart of Tonryuu City had been seized with remarkable efficiency and minimal casualties.