Aftermath

"Zephyr, what the hell are you doing—?!"

Inside the captain's quarters of the Marine warship, the Den Den Mushi on the desk shrieked in fury, its face twisted with rage.

Zephyr stared at the snail without a trace of emotion and replied flatly, "I killed King Aryel XIII of the Flevance Kingdom."

"I know! I know already!" Fleet Admiral Kong's voice howled from Marine Headquarters, hoarse and frantic. "But why?! Give me a reason—no, give the World Government a reason!!!"

"Aryel XIII knew that Amber Lead was poisonous and caused Amber Lead Syndrome," Zephyr said coldly. "He still served me food with utensils made from Amber Lead, and even added seasoning made from it into the dishes. I killed him in the name of justice. Is that a problem?"

"Nani?!"

Kong was stunned. "You're saying... Amber Lead is toxic? And that Amber Lead Syndrome is caused by exposure to the mineral?!"

"That's right. The Amber Lead mine beneath Flevance is poisonous. But the Aryel royal family kept that fact hidden to profit off products made from it!" Zephyr's voice trembled with fury. "The World Government also sent inspectors to Flevance. They knew Amber Lead was toxic too, but for the sake of profit, they covered it up!"

"Do you understand? More than half of Flevance's population has been infected with Amber Lead Syndrome!"

"There's no cure. The skin and hair of the infected gradually turn white, and in the end, they die in unbearable agony. Worst of all, the toxin accumulates in the body and is hereditary. It shortens the lifespan of the next generation, and eventually, the bloodline ends altogether."

"From what I've heard, there are already teenagers in Flevance dying from this disease. Once it fully breaks out, the entire kingdom will collapse."

"Wait, wait... this is a lot to take in. Let me think—" Kong shook his head, overwhelmed, trying to sort through the information.

After a moment, his tone turned serious. "You said Amber Lead Syndrome is caused by contact with the mines. But if both the Aryel royal family and the World Government knew it was toxic, and covered it up for profit... then how you did find out?"

"Cross told me," Zephyr said bluntly.

"Cross?" Kong was taken aback. "You mean that brat, Amphitrite Cross?!"

"That's right. I didn't believe it at first either. But Aryel XIII confessed, right in front of Flevance's ministers, generals, and guards," Zephyr sighed. His voice carried both frustration and fury.

Kong cursed under his breath and didn't press further. If Aryel XIII had admitted the truth publicly, then it didn't matter how Cross had learned it in the first place.

"I killed Aryel XIII. Cross took care of his younger brother, Bagran. The rest of the royal family has been captured by the ministers and generals who've now learned the truth. They're planning to hold a public trial tomorrow, in front of all Flevance's citizens," Zephyr reported.

"Serves them right," Kong spat, but his brow furrowed in frustration again.

One of the fifty kings attending the Reverie had just been killed. Were they supposed to find a replacement last minute?

And more importantly, this was supposed to be a guard mission, yet the Marines had killed the very person they were escorting. It was absurd.

Yet Kong couldn't find it in himself to blame Zephyr either. After all, Aryel XIII had gone so far as to serve poisoned food to a Marine admiral. He was asking to be executed.

Yes, assassinating a king was a serious crime.

But poisoning a high-ranking Marine was just as serious, if not more so.

"Damn that Aryel family... and damn the World Government too!" Kong growled.

An entire allied nation's population infected with an incurable, hereditary illness, children included. If they didn't find a solution soon, the country was doomed.

At that moment, Cross approached Zephyr and spoke up. "Fleet Admiral Kong, the Aryel royal family is finished. What we need to prepare for now... is the World Government's response, and how to stabilize the Flevance Kingdom."

After all, a monarch of a World Government member nation had been killed. An explanation would be mandatory.

A Marine escort team killing a king bound for the Reverie, such a scandal could spark an international crisis. It could shake the loyalty of other member nations and endanger the Government's foundation.

"Do you have a plan?" Kong asked quietly.

"Let the World Government announce the truth," Cross said. "Reveal that Amber Lead is toxic, and explain everything publicly."

"That's impossible!" Kong rejected it instantly. "The World Government sent inspectors to Flevance in the past. If we now admit that Amber Lead is poisonous, it'll mean we lied to the world! That would devastate the Government's authority!"

"That's easy to work around," Cross replied with a smile. "Say that the Aryel family bribed the inspectors... or secretly swapped out the toxic mine samples to cover it up. Pin everything on the royal family. As long as we silence the Aryels, even if the public suspects something, they'll have no choice but to accept the Government's version of events. Isn't that right, Fleet Admiral Kong?"

Kong didn't respond, deep in thought.

He had to admit, Cross's plan was the only viable option.

What else could they do? Imprison Zephyr and Cross in Impel Down?

Kong himself wouldn't agree to that, and the entire Marine force wouldn't either.

Because no matter how you looked at it, Amber Lead was indeed toxic. And Aryel XIII did try to poison a Marine commander. That was attempted murder, plain and simple.

And if Zephyr were still an Admiral instead of retired, Aryel XIII's actions could've justified a Buster Call against Flevance.

After a long silence, Kong rubbed his temples in exhaustion and muttered, "Your suggestion is solid. I'll handle negotiations with the World Government personally."

"Thank you, Fleet Admiral," Cross replied with a calm smile.

"Sigh..."

Kong let out a long breath. "For now, both of you remain in Flevance. Await further orders."

"Understood," Zephyr said in a low voice.

Click.

The line went dead. The Den Den Mushi closed its eyes and slipped into sleep.

-------

Want to read ahead of schedule? Head over to my Patreon ——— patreon(.)com/JuanPiece [remove the parenthesis ( )]

There are 100+ advance chapters available for you to read!