# Chapter 257: Pirates Usurping a Nation
Thinking about the possible consequences, even Ian couldn't help but shiver.
Fortunately, fortunately he hadn't suddenly decided to change course and had still followed the original plan to land on this island.
"Tell me everything in detail!" Ian also sat down and said, "What's going on on this island? Since you were carrying a mission and waiting for me on this island, how did you get involved in the fighting here? Also, where are Walnut and Yard? Didn't they come with you, or did you get separated from them?"
Konenai had been about to explain, but just then, Zeke and the others found their way to this house, so Konenai had to temporarily stop talking.
"Captain, there are no other survivors in the village!" Zeke reported to Ian, then curiously glanced at Konenai.
Ian knew what they were thinking, so he introduced her: "This is Konenai. She's considered my companion. Back at Holy Land Mary Geoise, it was with her help that I was able to learn about the Marines' movements."
As soon as Zeke heard this, he immediately regarded Konenai with great respect. In fact, when they had escaped with Ian back then, Zeke and the others had noticed Ian communicating with someone through a Den Den Mushi. They had guessed back then that Ian might have companions, but they never expected to meet one here. By that measure, Konenai was also their benefactor.
Through the conversation, Konenai also realized these were Ian's crew members, so she nodded to them in greeting.
Everyone gathered around Konenai and sat down to listen to her story. In truth, not just Ian, but everyone was completely confused about the situation on this island.
"Walnut, Yard, and I landed on this island a month ago!" Konenai said. "Counting back, that should have been half a month after the Salamis incident. After arriving on this island, we were originally staying in the city waiting for you. But then something happened—we saved a man who was being chased by pirates. Under his guidance, we came to this village."
"Saving someone?" Ian asked doubtfully. "What does that have to do with today's events?"
"Let me finish!" Konenai said. "Saving him wasn't a big deal in itself, but afterward we found out that this man was actually a miner who had escaped from the mine tunnels."
As Konenai continued her story, Ian and the others gradually understood what was going on.
It turned out that this island in the New World was a small but famous gemstone nation, producing some rubies and emeralds. Although the output wasn't large, it still allowed the people on this island to live quite prosperously.
The island's population wasn't very large. Because it produced gemstones, most people were miners. This small country was originally one of the World Government's member nations, but since it was located in the middle section of the New World, there were no Marines stationed here.
However, unexpectedly, about eight years ago, a great pirate suddenly came to this island. Using his pirate crew, he launched a surprise attack, broke into the royal palace, and killed the country's king!
What happened next went without saying. That great pirate usurped the country and sat himself on the throne.
Normally, this was something the World Government would absolutely not allow. At the time, the World Government had considered sending Marines to capture this pirate. But unexpectedly, that pirate king actually made a trip to Mary Geoise. When he returned, he had legitimately become the country's king. Although the World Government didn't express approval, they also didn't send any more Marines, effectively tacitly accepting it.
Such a reversal left the island's citizens completely confused. Although they knew this pirate king had probably reached some agreement with the World Government, since they didn't know the details, they were powerless to do anything.
The country established on this island had too short a history, unlike ancient kingdoms like Alabasta where the royal family was deeply rooted in the people's hearts. For ordinary people, who became king wasn't something they cared much about. If the other side had military force and they couldn't resist, then submitting was also acceptable, as long as it didn't disrupt their daily lives.
However, who would have thought that shortly after this pirate king took power, he announced that all the mineral veins on the island would be nationalized, and all miners on the island must serve the country.
He sent out his men to carry out mass arrests of the island's adult males, forcing them to become miners, then assigned them to the mine tunnels to dig for ore.
Having lost their personal freedom, the people treated as miners on the island had their daily working hours greatly increased. Not only was the physical labor heavy, but the compensation they received in the end was pitifully small compared to before. Moreover, even after their work was done, these miners weren't allowed to return home but were gathered together under unified supervision.
This was essentially no different from being slaves...
As time went on, the people couldn't take it anymore and wanted to resist. But this pirate king actually bribed many pirate crews to serve him, using pirates to suppress these miners.
This situation continued for a full eight years. All those captured and forced to dig were tortured until they no longer looked human. During this period, some miners escaped out to sea, trying to seek help from the Marines. However, some were caught and killed by pursuing pirates. Occasionally, a few who actually escaped and found the Marines were given excuses by the Marines to brush them off and ignore them.
After discovering this situation, the people on the island finally despaired. They knew the Marines could no longer be relied upon and could only depend on themselves. So in secret, the miners began to secretly unite, planning to launch an uprising to overthrow this pirate king.
Konenai and the others, unaware of the situation, happened to choose this time to land on the island. The man they saved turned out to be one of the leaders organizing the miners' planned uprising!
The reason he was being chased by pirates was that a traitor had appeared within their organization, and someone had exposed him!
He and dozens of miners realized something was wrong and killed the guards to escape. But while passing through the city, they were caught up by pirates hired by the king. A fierce battle broke out in the city. Everyone else died, and he was severely wounded. Konenai and the others found him and saved him. Konenai escorted him back to this secret base village, while leaving Walnut and Yard in the city to continue waiting for Ian.
As a Revolutionary Army member, Konenai sympathized with these miners' plight, so within her ability, she was willing to help them.
However, the timing was unfortunate. The man she saved was unconscious for three full days. During those three days, the pirate king also prepared and launched a bloody suppression against the miners who wanted to resist him.
The timing was exactly last night!
Due to the informant's betrayal, all the hiding places of the rebelling miners were exposed. The pirate king hired a large number of different pirate crews as his enforcers to attack these hiding places. These miners were originally just ordinary civilians with pitifully few weapons. How could they be a match for vicious pirates who had long been fighting and killing at sea? After putting up some resistance, the miners' defensive line collapsed.
At this point, if the pirate king had any conscience, he could have just recaptured the people. But because this pirate king had originally taken the throne illegitimately, he was always on guard. Such an uprising and resistance incident made him extremely furious, so he ordered all miners who participated in the uprising to be killed.
Thus, the first massacre in this island's history occurred. The deranged pirates faithfully executed their employer's orders, launching a mass slaughter against the miners on the island.
Thousands of miners, indiscriminately, were all listed as targets for slaughter. Although the miners resisted desperately, they ultimately couldn't defeat the well-armed pirates who also had cannons. In the end, they had to fight while retreating, trying to escape out to sea.
But just as they set out to sea, they encountered pirates who had followed them. So at sea, another fierce battle broke out between the two sides.
This time was even worse. Naval battles were routine for pirates. Although the miners, having no retreat, gritted their teeth and fought hard, killing quite a few pirates, in the end, they were still wiped out...
That was the gist of what happened. The village where Konenai was staying was one of the miners' secret hideouts, which also attracted pirates in pursuit. Although Konenai helped the miners resist these pirates, she was outnumbered. Finally, caught off guard, she was cut down from behind by a pirate...
If Ian had arrived an hour or two later, Konenai would likely have died from blood loss.
Listening to her story, Ian and the others remained silent the whole time.
Finally, Ian frowned and asked, "Strange. Just relying on some gemstones, could this pirate king bribe the World Government to turn a blind eye and leave this place alone?"
"Right," Zeke also asked. "If the gemstones produced on this island were really that profitable, wouldn't it attract the interest of the Four Emperors?"
When Konenai was telling her story earlier, Ian had interrupted to ask a couple of questions. He learned that the pirate king here was a great pirate with a bounty as high as 340 million, but he didn't seem to have any connection with the Four Emperors' crews. This island wasn't under any Four Emperor's jurisdiction either.
This was what Ian found strangest. Logically, a place that could produce gemstones would inevitably attract the covetousness of the Four Emperors, right? No pirate would turn down money.
"I asked the miners here," Konenai shook her head and said. "Actually, the gemstone veins on this island are very few. After so many years of mining, they've almost been exhausted."
"Then why imprison these miners and make them dig?" Ian asked, puzzled.
"Because what that pirate king wants doesn't seem to be the gemstones at all!" Konenai fumbled around on herself for a moment, pulled out a small white crystal, and said, "What he wants seems to be this thing!"