Chapter 244: Same Ending
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The hall fell into an eerie silence.
Everyone stared at Aoki in stunned disbelief—including Alice.
She had always known Aoki was powerful, and after learning his true identity, her expectations had soared to unimaginable heights. Yet, witnessing this overwhelming display of strength, she realized how naive she had been.
The truly strong in this world were far beyond her imagination!
At that moment, a sudden realization struck Alice.
In the face of absolute power, all conspiracies and tricks were utterly insignificant.
Her only mistake was that she wasn't strong enough.
Philip, too, was struggling to process what had just happened.
Orlando.
The very man responsible for the collapse of Etania.
Dead?
The Orlando who had brazenly threatened to take his throne and kill both him and his daughter—was now lying lifeless on the ground?
Philip's gaze shifted to Aoki, his mind a whirlwind of shock and disbelief.
"Who is this man?"
Compared to Alice and Philip's astonishment and exhilaration, Silver Blade and the twin brothers were in utter despair. Their faces turned ghostly pale, their expressions akin to grieving orphans.
They had relished Orlando's humiliation but had never anticipated his death—especially not in this fashion.
They knew all too well how powerful Orlando was.
If they hadn't been completely outclassed, why else would they have swallowed their pride and ceded control to him? Yet Orlando, who had once overpowered them so completely, was now killed in a single blow.
A cold dread began creeping into their hearts, reaching their very bones. They trembled, teeth chattering as fear overtook them.
Aoki flicked his tail, sending Orlando's body carelessly to the side. His gaze shifted to Silver Blade.
Aoki wasn't one to judge others based on their appearance. After all, physical features were determined at birth, beyond anyone's control.
But.
Looking at the man clad in gaudy silver armor with such an unflattering face, Aoki couldn't help but inwardly critique him.
Who told you to dress like this?
Does your mother know you look like this?
Silver Blade, oblivious to Aoki's silent judgment, felt his scalp prickle when he met Aoki's piercing gaze. A shiver ran down his spine as fear tightened its grip on him.
Why me?
There were three of them here, but Aoki's attention seemed solely fixed on him.
Damn it, why is today so unlucky?
Cursing his misfortune, Silver Blade retreated, trying to hide among the crowd.
"Stop him! Stop him!"
Several pirates stepped forward instinctively, trying to block Aoki's path.
Ignorance bred courage.
Silver Blade and the twins knew what it meant for someone to kill Orlando with a single blow, but the lesser pirates couldn't grasp the gravity of the situation.
"Kill him! Kill him! Whoever kills him will be my new vice-captain!" Silver Blade barked, all the while inching stealthily toward the palace gate.
He didn't care about wealth, power, or prestige anymore. Survival was his only priority.
The thought of risking his life for anyone else was laughable now.
His sole desire was to escape—far away from this terrifying man.
"It's almost there!"
As the gate drew closer, a glimmer of hope appeared in Silver Blade's eyes. But just as he thought freedom was within reach, a towering black figure appeared before him.
It was a fearsome sight: a body clad in jet-black armor, a thick tail coiled behind it, and four twisted horns atop its head forming a natural crown.
"What is this…? Why does it feel so familiar?"
Silver Blade froze, his confusion mounting. His gaze flicked to the thick tail, and suddenly, everything clicked.
His eyes widened in shock as memories flooded his mind. His body trembled uncontrollably, and he stammered in disbelief.
"You… You're the Dragon King!"
Aoki flicked the blood from his hands, his tone light yet filled with an unshakable confidence.
"Even after a few months, it seems I haven't gone completely out of style yet."
Indeed, his statement was far from baseless.
The sea, vast as it was, often delivered shocking news. Yet none could rival the storm he had unleashed—the bounty of 5 billion and the audacity to slay the Celestial Dragons.
No matter how many months—or even years—passed, there would likely be no event more earth-shattering than his rampage in Mary Geoise.
Silver Blade snapped out of his daze, his expression shifting rapidly to one of flattery.
"Lord Dragon King! I've always been your biggest fan! Ever since I first heard of your exploits, I was so excited I couldn't sleep for two whole days!
From that moment on, my greatest dream has been to follow you! By the way, over the past two years, I've saved up some treasures—worth more than 1 billion berries! I'd like to gift them all to you!"
The crowd turned to look at him, a mix of shock and disdain on their faces.
The audacity of his sudden allegiance was striking, but it was the mention of 1 billion berries that truly caught their attention.
Aoki, however, remained unimpressed.
"Are you my fan?"
"Absolutely!" Silver Blade nodded eagerly, his face alight with enthusiasm so exaggerated it was impossible to tell if it was genuine or not.
"The Celestial Dragons—those so-called nobles of the world, descendants of the Creator, sitting high on their thrones—who else but you would dare to challenge them? In my eyes, even Roger is nothing compared to you! You're the greatest force this world has ever seen!"
The hall fell silent, Silver Blade's voice echoing loudly in the stillness.
Alice looked on, her expression full of contempt.
Shameless.
Philip, on the other hand, grew more uneasy.
Events had unfolded so quickly that he was struggling to process them.
The ally Alice had brought wasn't just anyone—it was the legendary Dragon King!
What kind of agreement had Alice struck with such a figure?
Still, he couldn't deny that Silver Blade's approach, while disgusting, was tactically sound. Offering flattery and a fortune worth 1 billion berries might earn the Dragon King's favor.
But Aoki's response was cold and succinct.
"First, I'm not a pirate. Second..."
Phew!
The sharp blade of Aoki's tail pierced Silver Blade's forehead. The pirate's face froze in disbelief before his body slumped to the ground, lifeless.
"It's just my luck to have a fan like you," Aoki said flatly.
The pirates finally snapped out of their shock. With a collective gasp, they stumbled back, widening the distance between themselves and Aoki.
No one dared to approach within five meters of him now.
Philip stood in stunned silence, realization dawning on him.
The Dragon King—an individual who dared to upend Mary Geoise and strike against the Celestial Dragons—must be as proud as he is powerful. Such a man would never entertain the likes of Silver Blade, a coward who turned from arrogant to servile in the blink of an eye.
Aoki's gaze shifted to the twin brothers.
The mission required him to kill three pirate captains. He wasn't sure which of the twins counted, but it hardly mattered. He would simply eliminate them both.
The twins stared back at him, whispering to each other.
"Brother, he's so strong."
"Brother, he is indeed very strong."
"Brother, a bounty of 5 billion—that's terrifying!"
"Brother, a bounty of 5 billion is truly terrifying!"
"Brother, what do we do?"
"Brother, what should we do?"
"Brother, let's fight him! Even if he's strong, we'll show him that not everyone surrenders!"
"Brother, you're right. Let's fight him! We won't surrender!"
Their voices rang out in unison, their courage surprising everyone in the hall.
The pirates looked at the twins with newfound admiration.
Facing death without hesitation was the mark of a true warrior.
Phew!
The black blade flashed, faster than the eye could follow.
In an instant, two heads soared through the air, resolute expressions frozen on their faces.
Their bodies collapsed to the floor with a heavy thud.
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