No one understood what was happening.
Although Junhe trusted His Majesty completely, he was still stunned by the sudden order.
“What are you waiting for?
Move!” Nero shouted again.
Only then did everyone realize how serious the situation truly was.
The highest level of combat readiness had been declared.
Not even during the invasion of the Kingdom of Roya had such an order been given.
Even Aokiji was alarmed.
With his Observation Haki, he could clearly sense something terrifying hidden within the palace.
Just what was concealed inside the royal palace of Roya?
At that moment, the Royal Guards surrounding the area began withdrawing at full speed.
Losta immediately started directing them while organizing the civilians outside the palace to evacuate.
No one knew exactly what lurked inside, but one thing was certain.
Whatever it was, it was far from ordinary.
The sheer amount of energy radiating from the palace was enough to make anyone shudder.
Junhe directed the guards while assisting Losta with the evacuation.
Then blue smoke began to pour out of the palace.
The thick smoke spread rapidly in every direction.
The people still inside immediately fled in panic.
“Vice Admiral Aokiji, can you tell what that is?” Nero asked seriously.
“It should be related to a Devil Fruit,” Aokiji replied grimly.
“And whoever possesses that power has completely lost control of it.”
“If this spreads through the population, no one in the city will survive.”
He had only come to investigate.
Yet the situation had already escalated beyond his expectations.
He was beginning to suspect he might have to intervene.
“Junhe!
Losta!
Hurry and complete the evacuation!”
Nero shouted before preparing to rush forward himself.
As the smoke continued spreading, those unable to escape the palace collapsed one after another.
Meanwhile, those who managed to flee desperately ran for their lives.
“King Nero, this situation is troublesome.”
“This is a matter between your two kingdoms.
It isn’t appropriate for me to interfere too deeply.”
Aokiji still intended to remain an observer.
At most, he could protect civilians from becoming casualties.
Beyond that, he truly couldn’t involve himself.
Nero did not force the issue.
Instead, he smiled.
“In that case, I hope Vice Admiral Aokiji can ensure the civilians remain safe.”
“As for the rest, I believe my Royal Guards are capable of handling it.”
Although that was what he said, the situation changed immediately.
A giant creature suddenly leaped out of the palace.
Calling it a dog barely seemed accurate.
The beast was enormous.
When it stood upright, it was nearly twenty meters tall, rivaling the height of nearby buildings.
Combined with the blue smoke constantly pouring from its body, it no longer resembled any ordinary canine.
“Help!”
“Someone save me!”
The fleeing civilians screamed as they ran.
“Damn it!”
“What was Roya’s king thinking?”
“He actually fed a Devil Fruit to a dog?”
Nero stared at the creature in disbelief.
Fortunately, the beast clearly had no idea how to control its power.
It possessed tremendous strength but lacked the intelligence to use it properly.
Now that Nero understood what he was dealing with, the situation became much easier to handle.
Muramasa instantly appeared in his hand.
Aokiji watched with curiosity.
He wanted to see the true strength of the king who had trained an army like the Royal Guards.
The moment Muramasa appeared, however, Aokiji’s eyes narrowed slightly.
With decades of experience, he could tell immediately that the blade was extraordinary.
Nero launched himself into the air with Geppo.
In an instant, he crossed two hundred meters and appeared before the giant hound.
“Draw Sword Slash!”
A brilliant blade of light shot forward.
The attack pierced straight through the enormous beast.
Yet something unexpected happened.
The slash passed directly through the creature as though it had hit nothing.
The giant hound remained completely unharmed.
“A Logia?”
Nero’s expression darkened.
If he hadn’t been present, countless guards and civilians would have died.
A wild beast with a Logia Devil Fruit.
Worse still, it had no control over the energy pouring from its body.
Ordinary attacks were completely useless against it.
Within the entire Tru Kingdom, Junhe was the only person truly proficient in Haki.
But even that would mean little.
If someone couldn’t get close enough to strike, Haki alone wouldn’t solve the problem.
Meanwhile, the evacuation continued.
Under the direction of the Royal Guards, the citizens withdrew in an orderly but urgent manner.
Many turned back to look at the monstrous creature.
Fear was written across every face.
A monster like this had emerged from the royal palace itself.
Nero was now convinced that everyone inside the palace had already died after the beast lost control of its Devil Fruit powers.
“I didn’t expect him to be a swordsman,” Aokiji muttered.
“But without Haki—”
Before he could finish speaking, Nero’s arms turned jet black.
Armament Haki instantly coated Muramasa.
“Dragon Nest Flash: Bite!”
A black slash tore through the air.
This time, the giant hound sensed the danger.
It threw back its head and roared.
Blue smoke surged forward like a tidal wave.
But the slash arrived first.
One strike.
That was all it took.
The giant creature collapsed to the ground.
The moment it died, the Devil Fruit power surrounding its body dissipated.
Silence fell over the palace.
Not a single survivor remained.
The corpses scattered throughout the grounds still wore expressions of terror frozen at the moment of death.
The tremendous energy they had sensed earlier had come from this creature all along.
The Devil Fruit’s uncontrolled power had created the terrifying disturbance.
Now there was no reason to dwell on it.
The campaign against the Kingdom of Roya was over.
Not a single member of Roya’s royal family survived.
“A flying slash infused with Haki…”
“That was unexpected.”
Aokiji stared thoughtfully at Nero.
His surprise was understandable.
Although the beast had lacked control over its Devil Fruit abilities, the power it emitted was extraordinary.
Ordinary people would have had no chance against it.
For swordsmen, flying slashes already represented a higher realm.
Nero had crossed that threshold completely.
At his age, becoming a true swordsman was an achievement many spent their entire lives pursuing.
What Aokiji didn’t know was that this strength was only the tip of the iceberg.
After the battle ended, Nero descended from the air.
With Roya’s greatest threat eliminated, all that remained was integrating the kingdom into his own territory.
For everyone present, however, the battle for Roya’s capital had been nerve-racking.
Fortunately, everything was finally over.
Once again, the event would undoubtedly make newspaper headlines.
“Thank you for everything you’ve done, Vice Admiral Aokiji,” Nero said as he walked over.
Aokiji shrugged.
“It’s rare to hear such polite words from King Nero.”
“Honestly, it feels strange.”
“I was merely an observer.”
“What truly surprised me was you.”
Nero smiled.
“You flatter me.”
“In front of a Vice Admiral, that little sword display was nothing more than self-defense.”
At that moment, Junhe approached respectfully.
“Your Majesty, the palace situation has been resolved.”
“Should we continue evacuating the civilians?”
“For now, that’s unnecessary.”
Nero shook his head.
“Junhe, work with Losta.”
“I want a complete census of Roya’s population.” This chapter was taken from g.com without permission.
“Use the same system as the Tru Kingdom.”
“Every household, every resident, their living conditions, their occupations—everything.”
“They will be our citizens from now on.”
“Do not treat them differently.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Aokiji stepped forward.
“It seems my work here is finished as well.”
“I’ve learned what I came to learn.”
“I should return to Marine Headquarters and submit my report.”
“No need to rush,” Nero said with a smile.
“It’s rare for a Vice Admiral of Marine Headquarters to visit the Tru Kingdom.”
“You should stay a few more days.”
“Allow us to show proper hospitality.”
“You’ve helped us tremendously.”
“I’d rather not.”
Aokiji immediately refused.
“This place is full of trouble.”
“It would be better for both of us if I leave sooner rather than later.”
As he spoke, he prepared to depart without giving Nero a chance to persuade him further.
He had gathered all the information he needed.
At least now he could give Sengoku an explanation.
Watching Aokiji’s retreating figure, a triumphant smile appeared at the corner of Nero’s mouth.
The real show had yet to begin.
This was only the opening act.
“Losta.”
Nero turned to the man beside him.
“Vice Admiral Aokiji came all the way to the Tru Kingdom and helped us rescue the Kingdom of Roya.”
“Make sure the entire world knows about the friendship between the Marines and our kingdom.”
“Don’t worry, Your Majesty.”
“Everything has already been arranged.”
“There won’t be any problems.”
Losta adjusted his glasses confidently.
“Good.”
“Now let’s take a look at Roya’s royal palace.”
“Who knows?
We might move our capital here one day.”
“It’s not a bad place.”
Nero stepped forward.
The palace grounds were still covered with corpses, yet the luxury of the place far surpassed anything in the Tru Kingdom.
“Your Majesty, should we wait until the palace has been cleaned first?” Losta asked.
“Why bother?”
Nero continued walking.
“If you want to survive in this world, the first lesson is not to fear everything.”
“Losta, as Minister of Commerce, you’ll face far more difficult situations in the future.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“I’ll remember that.”
Without further discussion, Nero ignored the corpses and entered the palace.
Most of the guards had already departed to maintain order throughout the city.
Although few people opposed the Tru Kingdom’s occupation, there would always be opportunists looking to profit from the chaos.
Stepping over the bodies, Nero strode toward the palace with confidence.
The place could only be described as extravagant.
For a kingdom as troubled as Roya, constructing something like this must have consumed an unimaginable amount of wealth.
The highest section of the palace stood nearly one hundred meters tall.
Its architecture resembled that of grand European castles.
Massive pillars towered overhead.
The moment one stepped through the entrance, luxury was visible everywhere.
Even the marble flooring radiated wealth.
The polished surface was smooth enough to reflect a person’s image.
Instead of trees, vast lawns stretched out on both sides of the central road.
The brilliant green grass looked inviting enough to lie down upon.
The wide avenue beneath their feet extended straight toward the main hall.
Every detail had been crafted with exceptional care.
From the palace gate to the main building, the distance was at least three hundred meters.
Along the way, however, the destructive energy released by the giant hound had left devastation everywhere.
Corpses littered the grounds.
No one had counted them.
But there were certainly thousands.