Chapter 242: Changes in the Capital
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Under the clear blue sky, two pirate ships sped through the air.
After crossing a vast Gobi Desert, a sprawling city appeared in the distance.
"Aoki, the king is there!" Alice exclaimed, standing at the bow of the ship with an expression of excitement.
She was finally home.
The moment had arrived far sooner than she had anticipated.
Aoki walked up beside her, his eyes scanning the city below as they approached.
The ships sped forward, quickly closing the distance until they hovered directly above the city.
But as they descended, Alice's smile faded, replaced by a look of growing dread.
The city was engulfed in chaos. Smoke billowed into the sky, and the sounds of screams and the clash of weapons echoed through the air.
The royal capital had become a battlefield—a living hell.
Alice gritted her teeth, her eyes blazing with fury. Her once serene features were now twisted with rage.
"Those bastards! I'll kill them all!"
Aoki placed a steadying hand on her shoulder as the ships began their descent.
---
Inside one of the city's homes, the turmoil outside reverberated through the walls.
"The pirates have entered the city! What should we do?" Helen asked, clutching her young daughter tightly, her face pale with fear.
Roy, a slender man wearing thick glasses, gripped a sword with trembling hands.
"No matter what happens, I'll protect you both!" he declared firmly.
Bang!
Before he could act, the door was violently kicked open.
Three pirates burst into the room, their predatory gazes locking onto Helen.
Roy inhaled sharply, raising his sword with both hands.
"Get out! Leave now, or face me!" he shouted, his voice shaking but determined.
The pirates didn't even glance at him, their focus entirely on Helen.
"Oh, hell yeah, we hit the jackpot!" one pirate exclaimed.
"Hehehe, even the kid looks decent!" another sneered.
"Quit wasting time. If you don't act fast, someone else will take your prize!"
"Not this time! You were first last time. It's my turn now!"
Helen's daughter whimpered in fear, burying her face in her mother's chest. Helen held her tighter, her own face a mask of terror.
Listening to the pirates' vile words, Roy's blood boiled. He lunged forward, gripping his sword tightly.
"Get out of here, you bastards!"
One of the pirates sidestepped easily, avoiding the swing, and retaliated with a brutal kick.
Boom!
Roy was sent flying across the room, crashing heavily into the wall.
The pirates ignored him, advancing toward Helen.
"Stop!" Roy shouted, his voice hoarse as he struggled to rise. His elegant features were now twisted with desperation.
Before anyone could act further, a shadow descended over the room, plunging it into sudden darkness.
"What the...?"
The pirates froze, startled by the abrupt change. Even Roy, still slumped on the floor, was momentarily confused.
A flash of red streaked through the room.
Phew!
One pirate's head exploded, his body crumpling to the ground.
Warm blood splattered across the remaining pirates' faces, but their horrified eyes remained fixed on the crimson figure before them.
"No... it can't be! Didn't you run away?" one of them stammered.
Alice's fierce, murderous gaze silenced them. Without a word, she closed the distance in an instant.
Bang! Bang!
The remaining pirates fell, lifeless, their eyes wide with terror.
Roy let out a shaky breath, his body sagging to the floor. Relief mingled with worry in his expression as he forced a wry smile.
"Your Highness... you shouldn't have come back," he said weakly. "The kingdom is lost. We're too weak to stand against them, but you... you can still escape. Please, leave! You've done enough."
Alice glanced at him, her expression resolute.
"Hide. The kingdom isn't finished yet."
Without another word, she turned and left the room.
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Outside, two massive pirate ships were parked on the street, and teams of soldiers were quickly disembarking.
"Taken care of?" Aoki asked, tossing aside a pirate's corpse.
Alice nodded, about to speak when her expression shifted.
Her gaze snapped toward a street across the way, where a group of pirates was quickly approaching.
They stopped about ten meters away.
The leader of the group was a young man with heavy bags under his eyes and disheveled hair. He stared at Alice and scratched his head lazily.
"Ah, I was wondering who'd show up. Isn't this our little princess? You finally escaped, so why did you come back?"
"Of course, I came back to kill you!"
Alice stomped her foot, her body turning into a sharp arrow as she launched herself at him.
"Damn it, lunatic!"
The young man's expression turned serious as he swiftly drew a scimitar from his waist.
Clang!
Alice's fist, wrapped in Armament Haki, smashed against the scimitar, sending shockwaves through the air.
The young man staggered back three steps, his eyes narrowing with caution even as his mouth curled into a mocking grin.
"Heh, Princess, you're back just in time. The captain and the others are already at the palace. If you hurry, you might just catch your father's last breath."
"I'll kill you first, then deal with them!" Alice shot back, her voice cold and unyielding as she charged forward again.
The young man continued to retreat, his movements growing increasingly frantic.
"Your Highness, this isn't the first time we've fought. You should know by now that it's impossible to kill me so quickly.
If you keep wasting time here, you might not even get the chance to see your father alive!"
Alice didn't reply. Her fierce gaze was locked on him as she unleashed another devastating punch.
"Damn it! She's like a mad dog!"
The young man cursed under his breath and rushed forward, slashing with his scimitar while trying to calculate an escape.
Clang!
The scimitar collided with her fist again, but this time his expression changed drastically.
"What the hell? How did she get so much stronger all of a sudden?"
Her pitch-black fist, enhanced with Armament Haki, shattered his scimitar like brittle glass. Before he could react, the remaining force of her strike crashed into his head.
Bang!
Blood poured from his nose, mouth, and ears as the light faded from his eyes. His body crumpled to the ground, lifeless.
Alice clenched and unclenched her fists, staring at her hands in awe.
"This Miraculous suit is incredible!"
At first glance, her hands looked the same as usual, but under the layer of Armament Haki was a pair of gloves as thin as a cicada's wing.
The young man with messy hair had been the vice-captain of the Silver Blade Pirates.
They had clashed many times before, and just as he had said, while she was stronger, she had always struggled to kill him.
But this time, the fight had lasted less than ten seconds.
While the element of surprise played a role, the true difference came from the enhancements provided by the suit. With its help, her strength had far surpassed her opponent's.
Snapping out of her thoughts, Alice turned and hurried back to Aoki.
"Aoki, the strongest members of the Pirate Alliance should be at the palace. The ones left in the royal capital are just ordinary members."
"Then we'll head to the palace as well," Aoki said decisively.
For him, this was good news. It meant they could take out all their targets at once without wasting time searching.
Alice nodded, then turned to Huck and the assembled soldiers.
"Huck, I'm leaving the rest here to you."
"Don't worry, Your Highness!" Huck responded solemnly.
Though he wished to witness the downfall of the Pirate Alliance firsthand, his priority was protecting the residents of the royal capital.
"Team One!" Alice called out.
Seven soldiers stepped forward, each clad in identical black uniforms.
Aoki raised a hand, and with a single motion, he, Alice, and the seven soldiers of Team One rose into the air and sped off toward the palace.
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