“Kill him!”
Saint Ari’s furious command exploded through the throne room.
The Duke looked up in horror.
His eyes darted between the enraged Celestial Dragon sitting atop the king…
And Norton’s calm expression.
A calmness that concealed a storm.
This is bad…
This is going to end in disaster.
If fighting broke out here…
No one could predict what would happen.
That was a Celestial Dragon.
If anything happened to him…
Their entire kingdom might be erased from existence.
The Duke swallowed hard.
Suppressing his fear with tremendous effort…
He shakily rose to his feet.
“Your Excellency…”
“Please calm your anger…”
Saint Ari slowly turned his head toward him.
“Hey.”
He kicked the king beneath him.
“Who is this guy?”
“One of the Dukes appointed by my late father, Saint Ari.”
the king answered with an ingratiating smile.
“So…”
“Just one of your dogs.”
“I almost thought he was one of the Holy Knights.”
“And he actually dares tell me to calm down?”
The foolish expression on Saint Ari’s face twisted into something monstrous.
“What do you think you are?!”
The Duke staggered backward in terror.
He nearly collapsed.
Fortunately, Furning caught him in time.
The king noticed Saint Ari’s growing anger and immediately barked,
“My loyal Duke!”
“Apologize to Saint Ari at once!”
The Duke swallowed.
Every ounce of courage he had gathered was crushed beneath the Celestial Dragon’s gaze.
He immediately fell to his knees.
“I meant no offense!”
“Please forgive my disrespect!”
He bowed repeatedly.
“Dad…”
Furning looked at him with worried eyes.
She had never seen her father so terrified.
In her heart…
The Duke had always been dependable.
Always calm.
“…Hm?”
Saint Ari suddenly noticed Furning’s beautiful face.
“Who’s she?”
“The Duke’s daughter, Saint Ari.”
the king answered.
“She’s the one who built the White Pearl.”
“Oh?”
Saint Ari’s eyes lit up.
“So you’re that unlucky girl who keeps building cursed ships?”
“…Yes.”
The king awkwardly glanced toward the Duke.
Saint Ari suddenly grinned.
“Excellent!”
“She’s rare enough to collect…”
“And she’s pretty.”
“I’ve decided!”
“I’ll make her my sixth wife!”
The Duke’s face changed instantly.
He sprang to his feet and shielded Furning behind him.
“No!”
“Your Excellency!”
“You can’t do that!”
“…”
Even the king hesitated.
Saint Ari immediately kicked him off his feet.
“What?”
“You don’t want a seat at the Reverie anymore?”
“I do!”
The king hurriedly nodded.
Everything he’d sacrificed…
His dignity…
It had all been for that single opportunity.
“Then hand over both the White Pearl…”
“And this unlucky girl.”
“When I return to the Holy Land…”
“I’ll submit your recommendation to the Five Elders immediately.”
“Really?!”
The king’s face filled with delight.
Without even looking at the Duke…
He immediately declared,
“Saint Ari!”
“Please take Furning with you!”
“It is her greatest honor to become your wife!”
“No!”
“Your Majesty!”
“You can’t!”
“I’ll never agree!”
The Duke rushed toward them desperately.
Furning instinctively tried to follow.
But Nami grabbed her arm.
“Don’t!”
Furning turned in confusion.
Then—
Bang!
A gunshot echoed through the throne room.
The Duke fell.
Not because he’d been shot…
But because Norton had pushed him aside.
Norton casually crushed the bullet he’d caught between two fingers into powder.
He looked at the stunned Duke.
“I just saved your life again.”
The Duke’s face was deathly pale.
The crushing pressure of power…
Combined with the brush with death…
Had nearly broken his mind.
Furning hurried over, lifting her skirts as she helped him back up.
“Dad!”
“Are you okay?”
“I’m fine…”
His trembling hands clutched her arm.
“Run…”
“Furning…”
“Escape to the sea…”
Only out on the ocean…
Could one escape the reach of the Celestial Dragons.
Seeing her father reduced to such a state…
Furning glared fiercely at Saint Ari.
“You ugly freak!”
“I’ll never marry you!”
“I hate you!”
The king’s face darkened.
“Furning!”
“Mind your manners!”
“It is an honor to marry Saint Ari!”
“He is a Celestial Dragon!”
“A World Noble!”
Furning stared at him coldly.
“You’ve disappointed me…”
“Your Majesty.”
“I won’t marry that ugly freak.”
“And I won’t give either of you the White Pearl.”
Nami stared at her in shock.
Behind Furning’s cheerful, innocent demeanor…
She had never imagined such courage.
The courage to openly defy a World Noble.
Even her father…
A Duke…
Had lacked that resolve.
“Well said.”
Norton applauded with a grin.
“What did you say?!”
Saint Ari’s face turned crimson with rage.
“I’ve changed my mind!”
“I’m going to kill all of you!”
“Mongola!”
“At your service.”
The masked CP0 agent bowed slightly.
“Kill that silver-haired man.”
“And the Duke too.”
“Leave the white-haired girl and the orange-haired woman alive.”
The CP0 agent spoke quietly.
“Saint Ari…”
“Executing one of a kingdom’s highest-ranking nobles may negatively affect the World Government’s reputation.”
Saint Ari glared at him.
“What?”
“You’re defying me too, Mongola?!”
“No.”
The CP0 agent smiled beneath his mask.
“I merely suggest…”
“Killing everyone who witnessed today’s events.”
“That way…”
“There’ll be no one left to spread the story.”
As he spoke…
He turned his gaze toward the king.
The king visibly trembled.
“I won’t say a word!”
“I swear!”
“Please deal with these people however you wish!”
The CP0 agent looked back at Saint Ari.
“Your decision?”
“So troublesome.”
Saint Ari waved impatiently.
“Kill them all.”
“Every last one.”
“But leave those two women alive.”
“I want to torture them myself.”
Nami’s face instantly went pale.
She quietly hid behind Norton.
The king’s face turned even whiter.
Without warning…
He turned to flee.
The CP0 agent disappeared.
An instant later…
The king’s head rolled across the floor.
He died before he could even scream.
The masked agent calmly licked the blood from his fingertip.
“So…”
“So this is what a king’s blood tastes like.”
The severed head rolled to the Duke’s feet.
The Duke opened his mouth.
No sound came out.
His legs had gone completely weak.
All that remained in his eyes…
Was terror.
Everything had spiraled far beyond anything he could have imagined.
“Mongola.”
Saint Ari laughed happily.
“You sadist.”
“Making all those excuses…”
“You just wanted more people to kill.”
“I knew bringing you along was the right choice.”
“Now this is entertaining!”
The CP0 agent was named Mongola.
Even among CP0…
He was infamous for his bloodlust.
Saint Ari had secretly descended from Mary Geoise without informing his family.
His escort was small.
But with Mongola beside him…
He felt perfectly safe.
Because Mongola…
Was monstrously powerful.
Saint Ari didn’t mind Mongola’s little schemes.
He was cruel.
But unquestionably loyal.
Everyone in Mary Geoise acknowledged that.
The Duke grabbed Furning’s hand.
“Run!”
The two of them fled without looking back.
Nami peeked out from behind Norton.
Her face was equally pale.
“What do we do now?”
Watching a king die right before her eyes…
Was beyond anything she had ever imagined.
“What do we do?”
Norton looked toward the slowly approaching Mongola.
A wild smile spread across his face.
“We fight.”
“…Then I’m leaving first!”
Nami was already halfway across the hall.
She waved back as she ran.
“Good luck, Norton!”