The palace complex of the Kingdom of Prince is located deep within the royal city, backed by a mountain approximately five hundred meters high.
The white buildings extend at the foot of the mountain, forming onion-shaped domes.
The onion domes in the center are the most prominent and largest.
There, stands the royal palace of this kingdom.
An old slanting stone bridge leads directly to this massive castle built in the air.
To enter the royal palace, one must cross this single stone bridge.
At the palace gate, two guards stand, holding long swords and wearing iron armor.
At this moment, the guards stood firm, diligently performing their duty of guarding the palace.
At this time, a long black whip extended from underneath the right side of the stone bridge, like the tongue of a pure black snake.
Snap! The tip of the whip moved flexibly and landed on the exposed neck of the right-side guard.
The sound was so light that the guard opposite didn't hear it.
The guard who was struck by the whip's blow, his eyes became dazed, and a satisfied smile gradually appeared on his face, his mouth curling into a somewhat foolish expression.
"Hehehe, master, please whip me to your heart's content~"
He began to mutter in a dreamy tone.
The opposite guard was stunned, "What did you say?"
"I said…"
The whipped guard took two steps forward, a satisfied smile on his face, and suddenly thrust the spear in his hand at his comrade.
Squelch!
The sharp spear tip pierced through the comrade's neck.
"All of the master's orders, I will obey without hesitation."
The right-side guard pushed his lifeless comrade's body off the stone bridge, which was several tens of meters high.
Smiling, he watched as a dozen sneaky figures jumped up from under the stone bridge.
Leading them was the graceful Peacock.
She slowly rose from a squatting position, extending her white fingers, pulling down her rolled-up skirt to cover a dazzling white part.
Behind Peacock, a clothed white bear had flushed cheeks, with two streams of blood flowing from its nose.
Beside the white bear, Law's two subordinates, Penguin and Shachi, were panting heavily, their faces flushed.
They stared intently at Peacock's graceful back, muttering, "We want to be whipped too."
Penguin and Shachi were stunned, turning to the white bear, saying oddly, "Aren't you a bear? You should be interested in female bears."
"Ah? Sorry."
Bepo lowered his furry head, the entire bear instantly becoming downcast.
"Spineless fools, losing composure in the face of mere beauty, no wonder you're pirates."
"Exactly, they need much more training to strengthen their resolve."
The Marine officers who jumped up behind them nonchalantly wiped the blood from their noses and slipped into the royal hall.
"Master~."
The guard who killed his comrade knelt down, with a silly smile on his face, looking up at Peacock.
"Tell me, where is Prince Grus imprisoned? Where is Prince Illya now?" Peacock asked, her black whip slowly curling up.
The guard, in a dreamlike state, said, "Prince Grus is imprisoned in the King's Hall, and Prince Illya has just headed there."
"Good, where is the King's Hall located?"
The guard, his face showing infatuation, said, "At the top of this hall, from there you can overlook the entire Prince royal city."
"Thank you very much," Peacock said sweetly, bending down to stroke the guard's cheek with her white fingers.
The guard's face showed a look of infatuation.
Crack.
Peacock snapped his neck with her white fingers, then threw the body off the stone bridge.
"You, hide at the hall entrance and guard against anyone approaching, understood?"
Peacock gracefully got up, walked to the blushing Bepo and his companions, smiling seductively, and patted Bepo's furry head.
"Yes, master~," Bepo said, cheeks flushed, sitting down like he was drunk, smiling foolishly.
Peacock's figure flashed, disappearing from the hall entrance, heading in the direction indicated by the guard.
Behind her, Penguin and Shachi muttered in frustration.
"Ah, ah, ah, damn it, why does this always happen! Why are we less attractive than a bear? We want to be patted on the head by beautiful women too, damn it!"
At the top of the royal hall, in the large onion-shaped chamber.
The floor was covered with a red carpet edged with gold thread, the fireplace on the walls flickering with fire.
Prince Illya sat relaxed on a soft bear-skin sofa, pouring a glass of red wine for his brother.
Opposite him sat a tall, thin young man with curly hair, wearing a large white feathered cloak.
The young man's eyes were hidden under his curly hair, his hands shackled with heavy seastone cuffs.
The shackles made him weak, slumping on the sofa.
"Brother, are you sure you want to do this? I actually have no interest in the throne that father passed down to me. You know that, I was never fit to be a ruler."
The eldest prince, Illya, said nothing, just quietly swirled the glass, watching the amber liquid swirl inside.
Prince Grus sighed, placing the chains on his wrists on the table in front of him, then leaned back into the sofa.
"I've always known you're the most talented one. You've always been better than me, ever since we were young."
"Whether it was learning the culture, history, languages, customs, or etiquette that nobles had to study, or the swordsmanship and martial arts trained by the guards, you always mastered them faster than I did."
"I've always admired your talent, envied your bravery and eloquence."
"I know, even without using those dirty methods, with your abilities, you can lead the Kingdom of Prince to prosperity anytime you want."
With a rattling of chains, Grus leaned forward, his face hidden under his hair, looking at his brother.
"So, brother, please stop."
"There's no need for this, creating a pirate nation will only bring destruction to this country. The centuries-old legacy of the Kingdom of Prince will be destroyed, countless citizens will perish under pirate swords."
"There's still time to save everything before the World Government's mandate arrives!"
"Brother! I don't know what turned you into this. But in my heart, you were never a cruel person. So, what are you truly seeking?"
Grus spoke earnestly, his voice trembling.
Illya took a sip of the amber wine, raising his head slightly, looking at the ancient paintings on the ceiling of the hall.
"Grus,"
"I'm seeking an answer."
────────────────────────────────────
"If you're interested, please support me in my other novel [Naruto: Starting with Tsunade-san]."
"Power stones if you like them"
"If you want an early access join my patreon:- patreon.com/BaDwYGaMeR"