[Chapter Size: 1948 Words.]
Third Person POV
Goa Kingdom, East Blue.
…
…
The nobles and soldiers still conscious in the throne room of Goa stared at the scene before them, letting silence dictate the narrative. Their faces revealed a mix of shock, fear, and disbelief at the sudden turn of events.
Some wore expressions of pure astonishment, with wide eyes and slightly open mouths, as if they couldn’t believe what their eyes were witnessing. Others appeared apprehensive, sweat starting to bead on their foreheads as they grasped the magnitude of the situation. And there were those whose features showed pure indignation, as if confronting a king were an unacceptable crime, but reality had forced them to face this new dynamic. All of them envied their colleagues who had fainted from Luffy’s aura, sparing them from witnessing the scene that would haunt everyone for the rest of their lives.
The atmosphere in the room was tense; where there had been arrogance and superiority, there was now a sense of vulnerability. No one dared to utter a word, fearing to unleash the captain of the Straw Hat Pirates’ wrath even further. They were silent witnesses to a revolution that had completely transformed the situation, and there was nothing they could do to reverse what was happening.
The nobles gazed at Sterry’s body, lying on the floor like a felled animal, unable to hide the incredulity and fear in their eyes. A collective whisper began to rise in the room as they exchanged hushed words.
“The king… Is he… is he dead?”
“It can’t be! How did this happen so quickly?”
“The captain of the Straw Hat Pirates… he really killed our king…”
“I can’t believe what my eyes are seeing. Our king…”
“This can’t be happening. He was our ruler, and now he’s dead, like anyone else…”
“These pirates… they are dethroning us…”
The room was immersed in a mixture of shock and terror as the nobles processed the reality that their king was dead, and a group of invading pirates was now in control of their fate. It was an unthinkable and terrifying twist for those who once considered themselves untouchable and powerful.
Luffy looked at the petrified nobles, his eyes cold and determined, leaving no doubt about his intention. However, surprising everyone in the room, he asked a polite, albeit authoritative, question:
“Can you tell me where the treasure room of this palace is?”
The nobles, in shock over the death of their king, exchanged glances and stuttered in response:
“It… it’s in the basement, down the corridor to the left…”
Luffy nodded with a head gesture and turned to his crew, particularly to Nami, with a determined look.
“Nami, go to the treasure room and see what valuable items we can take. Yamato, help her break into the safe.” The women nodded at Luffy’s words.
Nami and Yamato quickly headed towards the treasure. Meanwhile, Luffy took the mermaid and turned his attention to the guards still in the room, terrified.
“Soldiers, clean the king’s body from here and the dirty floor,” Luffy said.
The nobles and soldiers, still in shock, hesitated for a moment. However, Luffy’s firm and resolute gaze made it clear that he was not someone to be challenged. Finally, one of the bravest nobles decided to take the lead.
“Come on, we’ll all help remove the body,” he said to the other nobles and soldiers, who nodded in agreement.
Together, they approached the body of the former king Sterry and began to move it carefully, taking it out of the throne room. Others grabbed mops and began to clean the floor where Sterry had fallen.
“You must be tired, princess. Come, let’s sit and wait for the others.” Luffy simply said before starting to walk.
After the place was clean and Sterry’s body removed, Luffy walked to the vacant throne. He looked at the majestic royal chair for a moment, contemplating the irony of his situation. Then, he calmly sat on the throne before turning his eyes to everyone in the room.
Shirahoshi, who was beside him, climbed onto Luffy’s lap and hugged him with a shy yet grateful look. The mermaid princess felt secure in the captain’s arms, and her expression showed the trust she placed in him.
While Luffy looked at the nobles and soldiers, they had no choice but to watch in silence. The throne room now belonged to the captain of the Straw Hat Pirates, and the sight of Luffy sitting on the royal throne of Goa with a mermaid in his lap seemed like a representation of power and audacity. Luffy reflected on what they would call him now, his name echoing throughout the world after this audacious act.
‘What would they call me now?’ Luffy pondered, his mind filled with thoughts on how the world would react to this act. ‘Hero, villain, usurper, kingslayer, demon? I guess I’ll find out soon.’ While the nobles and soldiers watched with eyes full of fear, the captain of the Straw Hat Pirates was determined to move forward, no matter what name the world chose to give him.
Luffy looked at Shirahoshi and smiled, feeling more determined than ever to protect those he loved and seek revenge against those responsible for trying to steal the mermaid princess from him. Shirahoshi’s eyes met his, and in her gaze, there was a mix of gratitude and trust.
Shirahoshi was experiencing a whirlwind of emotions, and what intrigued her the most was the strange feeling growing inside her. She didn’t have much understanding of what love was, as her life had been mainly confined to the Ryugu Palace, and she had never had the opportunity to engage in personal relationships.
While hugging Luffy and looking into his eyes, she felt warm inside and happy, but at the same time, her lack of knowledge about her own emotions left her confused. It was as if her heart was speaking a language she didn’t fully understand, but she knew it was something special and intense.
While Luffy was sitting on the throne with Shirahoshi on his lap, the door of the throne room opened abruptly, revealing Lami, Reiju, and Zoro entering the room. Their expressions ranged from surprise to confusion at seeing Luffy on the throne of the Goa king with a mermaid in his lap.
Lami couldn’t help but laugh, teasing the situation. “Damn Luffy, you’re really starting a revolution here, aren’t you?”
Reiju looked at the scene with a mischievous smile. “Oh, it seems our captain found a very interesting way to take the throne and get our hands on our mermaid.”
Zoro, on the other hand, just shook his head and sighed. “Why am I surprised? This is typical of the Captain.”
Shirahoshi blushed, while Luffy just laughed at the companions’ reactions. The scene was unexpected but had certainly brought a touch of humor to the serious situation. And so, the Straw Hat Pirates’ group proved once again that they were experts at surprising everyone around them.
Luffy looked at them and asked with a mischievous smile, “Tell me, who won the competition between you two?”
Lami, confident, replied, “Of course, Luffy! I clearly won. I’m the master of the Ope Ope no Mi techniques, and no one can surpass me!”
Reiju didn’t let that pass, teasing Lami, “No one can surpass? Please, Lami, even your eyebrows are darker than your skills. I won!”
Lami laughed, “Oh, Reiju, at least my eyebrows are natural, unlike yours, which seem to have been done by a distracted painter.”
Reiju laughed mockingly and replied with a touch of sarcasm, “Well, at least my eyebrows don’t look like they were attacked by a gang of crows, Lami. Do all the crows in the world love your gothic style?”
Lami rolled her eyes and mocked, “Better crows than eyebrows worthy of a bygone century.”
Reiju retorted with a smug smile, “At least my style doesn’t look like I’m about to lead a secret cult.”
Silence hung for a moment until Luffy’s voice roared in a threatening tone. “SILENCE! YOUR KING DEMANDS ORDER!” The room trembled under the weight of his voice, amplified by his Moa Moa no Mi ability.
“Always wanted to do that…” Luffy murmured before facing the nobles who were watching him attentively.
“This kingdom has already been conquered, and my revenge has been consummated. I leave a warning to the whole world: I don’t care who you are, if you try to harm my people, I will retaliate. Now, ministers, spread the order that all kingdom soldiers must surrender and stop attacking,” announced Luffy with authority. One of the nobles nodded in fear and quickly left the room. Everyone who had fallen before was already conscious, but seeing Luffy sitting on the throne in front of them meant one thing when Sterry was no longer in their sight.
“Let’s head to the treasure now. I want to see how much gold is in there, and Nami and Yamato should be breaking the vault at this moment,” declared Luffy. He left the room, accompanied by a terrified minister who had no choice but to guide him to the castle’s vault. As they walked through the corridors and descended into the basement, the sound of explosions echoed, indicating that Yamato was breaking the vault under Nami’s guidance, who knew the weaknesses of the armored boxes well.
Inside the castle’s vault, an unimaginable wealth awaited the Straw Hat Pirates’ crew. Luffy and some of his companions were left speechless before the pile of gold, jewels, and treasures of all kinds. The shine and reflection of precious gems filled the place, casting fascinating glimmers of light on the walls and ceiling.
Nami was particularly enchanted, as her eyes gleamed with greed while assessing the fortune unfolding before her. Zoro watched with a serious look, perhaps imagining new swords and high-quality equipment to add to his collection.
Shirahoshi, who was in Luffy’s arms, observed the treasure with curiosity, as it was a completely new sight for her, coming from the deep-sea kingdom.
Yamato looked at the treasure disinterestedly.
Lami, on the other hand, only cast a brief glance at the treasure and lost interest, returning to focus on other matters of her personal interest, while Reiju did the same.
Luffy, on his part, smiled with satisfaction as he contemplated the treasure, ready to add more money to the system. Luffy then announced enthusiastically:
“Everyone, before we take everything, you can grab whatever you want! Whatever shines and catches your eye, it’s yours!”
Nami wasted no time and began examining stacks of gold coins and jewels, choosing some of the most precious gems and stacking them in a bag. Zoro picked up a sword that looked especially sharp and well-crafted, swinging it to feel the perfect weight in his hands.
Shirahoshi, fascinated by all the colors and shines, chose a series of pearls and shells that seemed tailor-made for her. Yamato stood by her side, uninterested in the treasure but happy to see her so amazed.
Lami and Reiju briefly looked at the treasures but soon got distracted by their own activities, as material wealth was not their main focus.
Luffy waited patiently as his friends selected their items. Once they were done, he began taking piles of gold coins and jewels and transferring them to his system, using his mythical zoan abilities.
In no time, everyone had what they wanted, but there were still many stacks of gold remaining. Luffy then took a generous amount and kept it for the others, sucking up all the rest into the system, clearing Goa’s national treasure.
[System: You’ve just added 4,210,000,000 berries to the store!]
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