Chapter 463: The Noble's Burden, I'll Take the Blame! (6k)

Chapter 463: The Noble's Burden, I'll Take the Blame! (6k)



In the skies above Storm City, dark clouds continued to loom.

"Sage, what exactly are you up to?"

Sage, sitting on a tree branch, held a microphone and looked at the Talking Cricket in Kalifa's palm, which was emitting a voice. He laughed and said, "What am I up to? Why don't you ask yourselves what you're doing? Who is Doflamingo, and what dealings do I have with him? You know very well. I'm a pirate. If Doflamingo has fallen, so be it. You have deeper ties with him, and yet you're just standing by and watching?"

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the line before a voice said, "The newspapers have already been published, and we can't change that. We have to give an explanation to the whole world. As for you, Sage, don't be too arrogant. You're just a pirate."

"A pirate does whatever the hell they want! Stop your nonsense. You five old men don't dare go to war with me!"

Sage casually threw the microphone onto the Talking Cricket, and after hanging up, he laughed, "Defeated? So pathetic! Just like before. Forget it, let Lily handle it."

"Admiral Sengoku is on his way, and the new Admiral Fujitora is with him. Is it a bit risky for Lily to face them alone?" Kalifa asked.

Sage snorted and stood up from the tree branch. He grabbed the tree, uprooting it, and then replanted it back in its original spot.

"What is the World Government? They're just like us pirates, scoundrels who collect protection fees. And what is the Navy? They're just an external organization of the World Government. You can treat them like Cipher Pol and the Marines."

"If the top is weak, the bottom won't be too strong. Do you think they're filled with blood? They're a bunch of inherently weaklings who can't stir up any real trouble."

He clapped his hands and turned to leave, saying, "Just leave it to Lily. She'll give me a satisfying answer. Time to go fishing!"

...

Dressrosa.

Lily had Doflamingo under her watch, while Admiral One Smile followed closely behind, maintaining a standoff with her.

However, the atmosphere was much more amicable than before, as pirates and marines continued to gather around them, setting up camps and eyeing each other warily.

"Don't worry about me. Maintaining order among the people is the priority."

Admiral One Smile said, "I alone am enough here."

"Do you still need to give orders, old man? This place is now our territory!"

Paru, his face wrapped in bandages, shouted, "Lady Lily has already given her orders!"

"Pirates are pirates, and marines are marines. It's not like we won't do something just because you pirates did it. That's not the way of justice. Also, don't talk to me like that. We are still enemies."

Admiral One Smile sat on a small stool and waved his hand behind him, "Go on, then."

"Yes, Admiral One Smile," a group of marines who had received the order and left again.

"Lady Lily."

Several female pirate nurses who accompanied her approached Lily with concern, "Do you need medical treatment?"

"It's a bother."

Lily nodded, glanced at the unconscious Doflamingo, and then turned and walked into the tent that had been set up. Several female pirates tended to her wounds and bound her with bandages.

In terms of injuries, Lily's condition was not light. The heavy pressure had crushed various parts of her body.

Navy admirals were not the kind to be taken lightly.

Across from her, Admiral One Smile was casually sitting on a stool, allowing others to treat his wounds.

After their wounds were treated, both sides remained in a standoff, seemingly ignoring each other's presence.

However, in Dressrosa, to the disbelief of many, the navy and pirates were working together to maintain order.

Dressrosa was not entirely prosperous, excluding the darkness and oppression that existed beneath the surface. A chaotic place ruled by a pirate who claimed to have the blood of the Celestial Dragons could not be expected to be any better. Love for the people?

During the reign of Riku King, the Colosseum still had slaves and criminal gladiators. Under Doflamingo, it only got worse, with some people trapped in an eternal prison.

There were still thugs outside, and after the initial panic caused by the Birdcage, they had regained their composure. They were considering taking advantage of the chaos in the dilapidated Dressrosa to loot and plunder, but they were discovered by the navy and pirates.

The navy arrested people without killing them.

The pirates, on the other hand, were more direct. In places of turmoil like this, slaughter was the most effective way to restore order.

Based on their past experiences of invading territories, killing people first was never a wrong move.

Although this almost led to a confrontation with the navy, they had to tolerate it, considering that Doflamingo was one of the Four Emperors. They didn't receive orders to attack, so they silently endured.

After all, there was only one admiral, and not everyone had the authority, strength, and audacity of Fujitora.

The actions outside also reached the ears of Admiral One Smile, who furrowed his brows and looked at Lily, who had already stepped out of the tent and was standing opposite him. He said, "Miss Lily, is this killing spree the custom of your Cataclysm Pirates?"

"It's the most effective and fastest way," Lily replied.

"Small evils among the people deserve small punishments, but not death," said Admiral One Smile.

"I'm a pirate. I don't bother with such details," Lily replied.

Lily narrowed her eyes, watching as Admiral One Smile's hand moved towards the hilt of his cane-sword, while her right hand gripped the hilt of her sword at her waist.

At that moment, Doflamingo, who was lying on the ground, moved his fingers and then reached out to cover his sunglasses, which were now missing a corner of the lens. He grinned and said, "Lily, kill him!"

Lily glanced at Doflamingo and said, "You've lost."

"Who would've thought it? But there's still a chance, isn't there?"

In this nation, I can still exert control."

Doflamingo sneered, "Sage needs me."

"No, I make the decisions here," Lily waved her hand, and Akin handed her the smuggling list he had found.

Akin had started searching for this list as soon as the toys turned into humans and rioted, even faster than the revolutionaries who had infiltrated the smuggling factory.

"Sage's cooperation with you is limited to the deal, and nothing else is guaranteed. Since you've lost, we will take over here. Doflamingo, you have a choice: join us or go back to being a pirate."

"How ruthless. But I was thinking the same," Doflamingo chuckled softly.

"But you know who I am, and without me, some things will be difficult to manage," Doflamingo continued with a low laugh.

"If you're going to give up sovereignty for convenience, I'd rather not have that convenience. If we want something, we'll get it ourselves," Lily said coldly.

"The winner takes all," Lily said indifferently. "That's what Sage and you always say, but you've lost and no longer have the qualifications. However..."

She had already drawn half of the sword at her waist, "According to the agreement, we'll ensure you don't end up in Impel Down!"

"Hmmmph! Without a country, it doesn't matter if I go to Impel Down or not. I'd rather see what the world would be like without me!" Doflamingo's smile widened.

"Since there's an agreement, let's change the terms. You fighting the Navy here is a waste. Get Sage to agree to one condition: when I want to get out, he must save me!"

Lily paused for a moment, then withdrew the half-drawn sword and sheathed it again.

"Alright, I'll agree on Sage's behalf."

Because Doflamingo might engage in an all-out war with the Navy, which could disrupt Sage's plans.

Yi Xia silently sheathed his staff-sword, unsure if it was a sigh or a deep thought, "Perhaps this situation is beneficial for both sides."

...

Half a day later, a warship arrived at the port of Dressrosa and transferred Doflamingo aboard.

Sengoku, now with a full head of white hair but a clearer mind, carried a bag of senbei and approached Yi Xia, who was eating soba noodles at the port, and laughed, "Yi Xia, I heard you had a conflict with Cataclysm? You were stopped by the higher-ups, right? Ha-ha-ha-ha! You must have been outmatched!"

"This isn't something to laugh about!" Yi Xia slammed the teacup filled with soba noodles onto the table. "Although I know the Four Emperors are a great disaster in this world, and that madman Cataclysm is incredibly destructive, to not even dare to fight and instead issue a direct prohibition on engaging them is truly lacking in ambition!"

He looked into the distance, "It's strange that the Navy is stationed at the port while we're a member of the World Government."

He was well aware of the Four Emperors' strength, having been around for a while.

Those who could become Four Emperors were all top-notch, especially the youngest among them, who had defeated the other three and was recognized by the sea as a legitimate emperor.

But not fighting and instead prohibiting engagement was a different matter.

Sengoku's initially cheerful expression gradually turned solemn upon hearing Yi Xia's words.

He put down the bag of senbei and sat across from Yi Xia, letting out a heavy sigh, "The World Summit is coming up soon. Even if there's going to be a fight, it won't be now. The higher-ups won't take such a risk at this critical moment."

As a former Navy Admiral, Sengoku knew a lot and understood the mindset of those people.

"On the contrary, Yi Xia, this might be an opportunity for you. Isn't this the wish you've been carrying since you joined the Navy?" Sengoku asked.

"Indeed."

Yi Xia nodded, "Perhaps this is a chance. The act of stealing a country has happened more than once or twice. These 'legal pirates' have caused pain that should never have happened. Since SSG is already prepared, perhaps I can fulfill my wish during this opportunity."

"Abolish the position of the Seven Warlords of the Sea!"

As he spoke, he picked up his staff and tapped it on the ground, walking in a certain direction.

"What are you doing?" Sengoku asked.

"There's something I can't agree with, so I want to hear it for myself. What is the reason?"

Tap, tap, tap. With his staff tapping the ground, Yi Xia's body gradually disappeared from Sengoku's sight.

"Oh," Sengoku said.

Sengoku looked up at the high dome of the palace, then shifted his gaze to the sky, "If they keep pursuing balance like this, one day, it will be broken."

Inside the warship, Tsuru sat upright in a cage, looking at Doflamingo, whose body and limbs were restrained by Sea Prism Stone chains in a spread-eagled position. She frowned and asked, "I heard you gave up your agreement with Cataclysm in exchange for a promise. What are you thinking, Doflamingo?"

"If Fujitora had helped me deal with those brats instead of fighting Lily, things wouldn't have turned out like this. This country doesn't belong to me, and the reins controlling the monsters have been cut!" Doflamingo chuckled.

"You shouldn't have let me lose," Doflamingo continued with a low laugh.

"There's no point in talking about what-ifs. The newspaper has already been published. If such a fantastical world existed, only the present is real. You've lost," Tsuru said indifferently.

"Hmmmph! You're impossible!" Doflamingo laughed out loud.

Tsuru paused for a moment, then said, "Snakes have their ways, and pirates have theirs. From your perspective, what do you think will happen to the pirates in the future?"

"Hmmmph! What will monsters who have lost their food do?"

Doflamingo let out an evil chuckle. "With the deal ruined, Kaido won't let it go, and neither will Sage! And on top of that, who else is at the top of the sea? The smart ones among the Seven Warlords of the Sea, the brats of the Generation of Evil, the Pirate Emperor of the sea, or you Navy, the rulers of the sea?"

"Losing food means losing balance. Those who go out to hunt will inevitably clash, and neither the hunters nor the prey can be sure who will have the last laugh."

"Especially that monster..."

Fools couldn't see the true nature of Sage!

Doflamingo knew that that guy was the real monster, the one who would devour everything!

Especially now that the cage called 'deal' was gone, he had already extended his claws and was about to open his mouth!

Clatter! The chains suddenly rattled, and Doflamingo exclaimed, "The era of extreme chaos is about to begin! This is why I went to Impel Down!

"You'll regret it, and those guys up there will regret it too! They'll be brought down soon! Haw haw haw haw haw! Ha ha ha ha ha!"

...

On a small hill in the outskirts of the town, a group of pirates formed a wall, blocking the bound Riku King and his family of four from the crowd of people gathering in the distance.

Lily stood next to Riku King, gazing at the fields ahead, silent.

Although the Birdcage didn't destroy the buildings here, it had torn apart vast fields.

Riku King turned to look at the crowd in the distance, then sighed and said to Lily, "Anyway, thank you for agreeing to our request and sparing our benefactor."

Luffy had already been moved away by his companions while he was unconscious.

"It's just that I ignored him."

Lily said calmly, "He defeated Doflamingo with his own strength."

"Can't we still escape death? I don't understand."

Perhaps sensing his impending death, Riku King couldn't help but feel a twinge of regret. "If the people want to elect me as their king, then my death alone is enough. Rebecca, Viola, and Cyrus are innocent."

Just as Lily was about to speak, she paused and looked towards the distance. There, Admiral One Smile was approaching, tapping the ground with his cane.

"Stop!"

Belami clenched his fist. "You Navy should withdraw now. This isn't a place you should be."

"I just want to clear my doubts. If you don't let me do that, it won't be easy for you to kill me." Admiral One Smile spoke slowly.

"Belami, let him through."

Lily waved her hand, signaling her subordinates to make way and allow Admiral One Smile to approach.

"Riku King, I know you're a good king. If it's about torturing and killing, even if I have to face punishment, I'll take you with me."

After saying this, Admiral One Smile turned to Lily. "I also want to hear your reasons."

Lily glanced at him and then turned to look at the fields. The gentle breeze blew through her wavy blonde hair, revealing her profile, which startled Riku King.

If one were to quiet down, this person wouldn't seem any different from the noble lady in their memories.

"Although I have no intention of explaining to you, I must admit, Riku Dold III, that you are a good king. Among all the kings and nobles I've met so far, only you and Cobra of Alabasta can be considered good kings."

Lily's voice echoed softly.

"Since that's the case..."

Before Riku King could finish, Lily continued, "We had just conquered Ohara, no, Gearis. I also had good intentions, just as Sage said. Those who willingly give up their power and status can be spared."

"But I soon realized I was wrong. Even if there are people like you who are compassionate, their subordinates won't think the same. I once met a fourteen-year-old boy, as innocent and romantic as your granddaughter, who hadn't done anything."

"But just because of his lineage and claim, those who resisted us had him hoisted up as a symbol to oppose us. Even after we killed the resistors and eradicated the resistance, there were still some who weren't satisfied. They took that boy underground."

"They no longer opposed us, but they used that claim to secretly oppress others. In the end, due to the gradual influence, even that innocent and romantic boy came to believe that he was born to possess power."

"There are too many of them, too many."

Lily clenched her fist. "So many that I had to kill them all to make them stop!"

"Do you think those who were coerced are evil? No, they are also ignorant. But as long as there's one, the flames of this evil will reignite!"

"Because of claims, because of lineage... I have to admit that we can't change people's preconceived notions. At least, not until those with lineage are gone. We are just pirates, pirates who aren't recognized by anyone."

"To rule, to ensure that Sage's orders are carried out without hindrance, one can only kill!"

"If that's the case, I'm willing to die, but Cyrus and the others are innocent. You can let them leave this country and never return!" Riku King exclaimed.

"We can't guarantee that we'll always win."

Lily said, "Doflamingo has ruled for so many years, hiding oppression and darkness in the deepest depths, even erasing people's memories.

But once defeated, people will remember his past claims, because the masses are fools."

"So foolish that even if someone says, look, he's oppressing you, giving you only a fraction of what you deserve, but in the end, you'll still say it's no big deal, that he's doing well."

"Yes, it's not that he's doing badly, but good and bad are relative."

Lily pointed to the fields ahead, "Do you know why I brought you here? Dressrosa, in terms of area, is not even as big as our base in Storm City, let alone the main and secondary islands of Ohara."

"You and Doflamingo, for so many years, have only developed less than half of this area."

The towns of Dressrosa were divided by a massive stone arch bridge at its center. Less than half of the area was occupied by towns, with a few outlying villages and farmland, while the other half was wilderness.

"Of course, I'm not here to talk about that. I want to know if you understand how these farming peasants live?"

King Riku was taken aback. He was a kind and benevolent ruler who avoided war, sought peace, maintained good relations with neighboring countries, and cared for his citizens. But he truly didn't know about the marginalized people.

People's activities and knowledge are limited. Some may never venture beyond the three or four streets surrounding them in their entire lives, and all their information comes from the mouths of others.

Even so-called travel often involves moving from one bustling area to another, without ever seeing the whole picture.

The king was no exception. His activities were confined to the palace, the arena, and nearby buildings. It's not that he ignored the farmers, but he simply didn't have that concept.

"When we first came to Dressrosa to build ships, I did some research. The people here, during your reign and Doflamingo's, experienced no changes. Neither of you cared about these people. They are unaffected by the changes in leadership."

"This family, three people."

Lily's finger shifted to a house that had been cut into several sections, and before that, it seemed to have already been abandoned.

In front of the house was a large field.

"They grow corn, which takes three months to mature, and they can harvest about a ton. They use the best local seeds, waking up at dawn and returning home after dark. Their palms are cracked, and their skin is darker than Akin's from the sun. They're not naturally skinny and dark; it's from the sun."

"Do you know what happens after they harvest?"

Lily looked at King Riku, and seeing his stunned expression, she said, "Paying taxes, something no one can avoid."

"Doflamingo didn't change your tax rate, so you're a good king. But even with a low tax rate and high crop prices, you and the other nobles and merchants with noble status would still suppress the prices when buying from them."

"After three months of hard work, they sell their crops and then buy seeds. But when they count their money, they only have 50,000 belli."

Lily's tone carried a hint of self-mockery or pity:

"What can you do with this money? Buy a rusty sword? See a doctor? Or buy something they want?"

"When I saw them back then, I didn't think they were unfortunate. After all, they could eat and dress warmly, living like ordinary people. But when we conquered Gearis under Sage's rule, I saw the changes."

"Even farming can bring good harvests, and street cleaners can earn respect. No matter what seemingly unprofitable profession they engage in, they receive wages equivalent to their contributions. They can not only eat and dress warmly but also afford to treat serious illnesses and buy whatever they need."

"That's when I realized that there truly is a paradise in this world."

"When I came here this time, I visited this place and found that they were gone. Was it because Doflamingo's dark oppression had ended, or did they meet an unfortunate accident and died much earlier? No one knows."

Lily gripped the hilt of her sword and said to King Riku, "I don't like killing. If possible, I wouldn't want to kill even a single person. I prefer to quietly practice my swordsmanship, draw sea charts, and use my nautical knowledge to help Sage explore every undiscovered part of the sea."

"You're also a good king, diligent and responsible, concerned about the people, and seeking peace. But..."

Clang!

Lily drew her White Lightning Blade and pointed it at King Riku and his family. Her voice was calm, but it thundered in their ears and Admiral One Smile's.

"You're in my way!!!"

...

The wind, unaffected by the era or the struggle between good and evil, continued to blow, stirring Lily's hair as she stood alone on the hillside, gazing at the fields ahead.

Beside her, Admiral One Smile stood like a statue, his eyes closed. After a long silence, he slowly spoke, "Ohara, was the rule of Cataclysm really as you described?"

"You'll know if you go and see for yourself," Lily said indifferently.

Admiral One Smile forced a stiff smile, "If you keep killing like this, it won't be good for your reputation."

"I don't care about that."

Lily reached out as if to grasp the wind, "Besides, pirates don't have a good reputation anyway. As for the nobles, I'll bear the infamy!"

Admiral One Smile remained silent for a moment, then tapped his cane on the ground and turned to leave.

"I will go."

He opened his white eyes and sighed, "If these eyes hadn't been blinded back then, perhaps I would have seen a different scene. What a pity."

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end