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'Hey! That's a bit shallow. Just because I'm wearing a mask, you assume I'm not a good person?'
'If I walked down the street with a hood on, would you throw me in jail?'
Vivi understood that Byakuya had his reasons for not wanting to remove his mask.
During their time together, Vivi didn't think Byakuya was some evil person.
On the contrary, she had seen his kindness in the little things he did.
After all, someone like Byakuya, who was kind-hearted, handsome, strong, and still young—with a touch of mystery to boot—how could a girl in the bloom of youth not be a little obsessed?
Moreover, Byakuya had defeated Crocodile, lifting the shadow that had weighed on Vivi's heart for years. It was only then that Vivi began to develop feelings for him.
Just as Vivi was about to explain this to Koza, Byakuya spoke up. "I might not be a saint, but I think I'm much better than you," he said.
"When Vivi risked her life to infiltrate Crocodile's Baroque Works to save the Kingdom of Alabasta, where were you?"
"…"
"When Vivi's life was in danger, where were you?"
"…"
"Let me tell you where you were—you were busy forming a rebel army, attacking cities, and planning to overthrow King Cobra."
"Did you ever believe what Vivi told you? Did you ever do anything to help Vivi or this country? Ultimately, you were just another pawn in Crocodile's hands."
Koza was speechless under Byakuya's interrogation. After a long pause, Koza smiled bitterly. "Maybe you're right. Maybe it was all my fault. But now, I have no way out."
"Koza!" Vivi exclaimed.
Koza continued, "Since I've already made the mistake, I might as well see it through."
"If we can take Alubarna today, kill Cobra, and establish a new dynasty, no one will know we were wrong."
"The people will think we overthrew Cobra's tyrannical rule and see us as heroes of the Kingdom of Alabasta."
Koza spoke softly as if trying to convince himself as much as anyone else.
Byakuya looked at Koza, surprised that someone who seemed so honest could be so willing to betray his principles.
Having made up his mind, Koza raised his right fist high and shouted, "Continue the attack! We must take Alubarna today!"
"Kill! Kill! Kill!" The rebels fought even harder under Koza's command, reluctant to admit their guilt.
The battle on the city walls grew fiercer than ever before.
Even those rebels who had realized their mistake were swept along by their comrades and forced to attack the royal army against their will.
At this point, even if Byakuya were to kill Koza, it would only further fuel the rebels' fighting spirit, having the opposite effect of what they wanted.
As the screams of battle filled the air and Koza's expression grew colder, Vivi became increasingly anxious. She wanted to rush into the fray to stop the fighting.
"Are you crazy?" Byakuya grabbed Vivi, holding her back. It was obvious that both the rebels and the royal army had reached a point of no return.
If Princess Vivi tried intervening, the royal soldiers might hesitate, but the rebels wouldn't care.
Vivi looked at Byakuya helplessly. To her, these were all her people, and she couldn't bear to see them slaughter each other.
"But…"
Seeing Vivi's sorrowful expression, Byakuya confidently said, "Didn't I say that subduing the rebels was part of our agreement? Leave them to me."
"You?" Vivi became even more anxious after hearing Byakuya's words. "No! No! No!"
She recalled the enormous impact of the punch Byakuya had thrown a few days earlier.
If Byakuya were to step in and deal with the rebels, it was likely that very few of the fifty thousand or so rebels would survive.
If Byakuya were to intervene, it might have been better to let the two sides continue fighting as they were.
Byakuya, guessing what Vivi was thinking, smiled and said, "Don't worry. I promise to stop this war without hurting anyone."
Vivi asked doubtfully, "Is that… even possible?"
Byakuya smiled without answering.
Instead, he stepped into the air as if invisible steps were beneath his feet, walking up until he stood above everyone's heads.
It had been nearly a year since Byakuya last used the King Engine. He wasn't sure what consequences it would have now with his current strength.
As the faint sound of a heartbeat echoed, the rebels fighting nearby suddenly felt an inexplicable sense of dread, as if a natural disaster was about to strike.
Anxiety began to spread through their hearts. The heartbeat grew louder and faster as time passed until it enveloped the battlefield.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
With each heartbeat, the rebels felt like an invisible giant hand was gripping their hearts, squeezing tightly.
The excruciating pain relentlessly assaulted their nerves. All the rebels stared at Byakuya, floating in the sky, their faces filled with terror.
It was as if they were witnessing the most horrifying thing they had ever seen.
This fear grew from deep within their hearts, a primal terror.
In their eyes, Byakuya in the sky was like a god who could decide their fate with a single word.
It was an instinctive fear that lower beings feel toward a higher being, something that couldn't be overcome by mere willpower.
Under the overwhelming fear, all fifty thousand rebels dropped their weapons. Their legs gave way, and they fell to their knees, trembling.
With faces full of terror, they began bowing and praying to Byakuya, who was high above them.
Even with the weapons of the royal army soldiers about to strike them down, they didn't stop pleading for Byakuya to spare them.
Cobra, Chaka, Vivi, Pell, and Koza stood in stunned silence, watching the madness unfold.
What kind of scene is it when over fifty thousand people kneel and worship one person?
Cobra had ruled the Kingdom of Alabasta for over thirty years, but even he had never witnessed such a sight.
Even Byakuya was momentarily taken aback before he realized what had happened. He couldn't help but feel pleased.
"Well, these five hundred thousand rebels weren't that tough. It only took a few minutes to deal with them. This was easier than I thought."
However, Byakuya noted that the King Engine differed greatly from Haoshoku Haki. One induced fear, while the other exerted dominance.
This realization sparked a new idea in his mind. Even after Byakuya deactivated the King Engine, the fear on the rebels' faces didn't fade.
They were completely incapable of resisting. Byakuya returned to Vivi's side with a light laugh. "See? I told you I could stop the rebels without hurting anyone."
Vivi finally snapped out of her daze when she heard Byakuya's voice. She hugged him excitedly, exclaiming, "You're amazing! You're incredible!"
Feeling the soft warmth of Vivi's body and hearing her words full of affection, Byakuya couldn't help but feel overwhelmed.
Not far away, Koza collapsed to the ground, his eyes empty as he muttered to himself, "Five hundred thousand troops... gone, just like that?"
Five minutes ago, he led fifty-five thousand rebels, confident and determined. He was certain they would take Alubarna's capital and lead the Kingdom of Alabasta into a new era.
But in just five minutes, everything had changed. The fifty-five thousand rebels were subdued without a single drop of blood being spilt.
Even the woman he had loved for so long was lying happily in someone else's arms. The pain was almost unbearable.
Pell, who couldn't stand the sight of Byakuya and Vivi's sweetness, decided to distance himself and the couple.
He quickly restrained Koza. Meanwhile, under Cobra's orders, Chaka led the royal army to rounding up the rebels.
The rebels, completely devoid of any fighting spirit, knelt on the ground in a daze, allowing themselves to be shackled by the royal soldiers.
Thus, a war involving tens of thousands of people ended.
Vivi looked at the scene before her, feeling like she was in a dream.
From this day forward, the Kingdom of Alabasta would enter a new era of prosperity, all thanks to the man standing before her.
As Vivi gazed at Byakuya, she gradually became more and more captivated by him.
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