Thank you," Mohammed Alshamsi ", for becoming an Elite member on P@treon. Shoutout to you. Enjoy
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In this dark environment, the two of them couldn't see everything. It was normal for Daiki to have such doubts.
Anos didn't say it out loud, but he already felt like he was dreaming.
It was unimaginable that the Ancient Weapon Pluto, which everyone was pursuing, actually existed in the Kingdom of Tru.
No matter how you think about it, it shouldn't be here. How could such a remote place like the South Blue store something so important?
Now Anos understood his father's word after giving the map "The decisions you make will come at a certain price or consequences. And by the time you've realised that you made the wrong decision, it will lead to your & kingdom's downfall"
There was almost no rust on it. A giant ship, almost entirely made of steel, lay at their feet. For the technological level of this era, the sight of such a thing was truly puzzling!
"You don't need to know the origin of this thing. At least for now, for you, for me, and the entire kingdom, all it can bring is disaster!" Anos said with a frown.
"Then what should we do now?" Daiki asked in disbelief.
"Leave, and bury this matter for now. When our kingdom has enough strength, we will retrieve it. At the very least, it could completely change the fate of our kingdom." Anos replied.
"Understood, Your Majesty..."
"It seems that Pirate King Roger knew about this as well. I never expected this thing would be here," Anos thought to himself.
After just one glance, Anos immediately took Daiki, and they began flying upwards.
Needless to say, the magnetic field emanating from this place was coming from the ship.
Such a massive steel ship, let alone one built hundreds of years ago, was beyond comprehension, even for Anos. He had reason to believe it was a creation far ahead of its time.
Finally, the two climbed back up. They looked at each other and saw the serious expressions on each other's faces.
Daiki quickly blocked the entrance with rocks. From the outside, it looked the same as before, without any trace of change.
Standing once more on the mountain peak, Anos sighed slowly and gazed into the distance. The restlessness and uneasiness in his heart were evident on his face.
"Your Majesty, should we station guards here in the future?" Daiki asked.
"No, just leave it as it is. This thing has been hidden here for hundreds of years without being discovered. If we start guarding it too conspicuously, we won't have the strength to deal with anyone who might come across it!" Anos said calmly.
"Understood, Your Majesty."
"Let's go. We should start heading back, and make sure we don't disturb anyone on the island," Anos instructed.
Originally, they had come here with high hopes, expecting to find treasure. Maybe a warehouse filled with gold. But now, it seemed this discovery was anything but a blessing.
At least for the current state of their kingdom, it had no immediate benefit. On the contrary, it could bring great disaster.
----
Royal Palace
After returning, Anos and the others never mentioned a word about their treasure-hunting experience.
Two years slowly passed after that incident. During those two years, Anos continued his daily training and completed the tasks provided by the system.
At the very least, during this time, he focused on mastering the three types of Haki, which were crucial in this world.
Anos, in his room, looked at his now darkened hand. It was now hundreds of times harder than steel. Whether it was strength or speed, Anos had grown exponentially stronger compared to his former self.
At this age, Anos had officially turned sixteen, standing around 1.9 meters tall. He was a strikingly handsome young man.
Although he now wore aristocratic clothing daily, without the crown and with short hair, Anos looked particularly distinguished.
In the past two years, the entire Kingdom of Tru has undergone significant changes.
Perfume trading had swept across the pirate world. Despite the daunting price of 50,000 Beris per bottle, the product was still scarce in many places.
This single product had already brought immense wealth to the Kingdom of Tru and drastically improved the living conditions of its residents.
There was no longer the food and clothing shortage that plagued the kingdom just two years ago.
Every face was now filled with smiles. The low production cost allowed them to create such expensive goods.
The cost of making a bottle of perfume was less than 100 Beris, yet its daily production easily met the demands of the entire pirate world.
However, relying solely on one perfume factory wasn't enough to elevate the living standards of the entire kingdom.
After the first year, perfume production became secondary, and the real primary business shifted to textile machines purchased through Anos' system.
Today, no other cloth in the pirate world could compare to the textiles produced in the Tru Kingdom.
It wasn't just because of the fabric, but more so because all the silk threads used for weaving were sourced from the system space.
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty..."
Anos was honing his Armament Haki when there was an urgent knock on his door.
After glancing at his iron-black hand, Anos quickly retracted his Haki. Once the black aura disappeared, his hand returned to its normal appearance.
"What's going on? Why are you so anxious?"
Anos opened the door and asked the maid waiting outside.
"Your Majesty, I apologize for the intrusion. The King's Guard just sent word that a shipment dispatched seven days ago was hijacked by pirates. Lady Suzu and Captian Daiki have sent me to ask for your guidance," the maid said anxiously.
"Have they identified which pirates were responsible?" Anos asked calmly, his expression unchanged as though the matter didn't concern him.
"Your Majesty, they didn't provide specific details, but Captain Daiki is waiting for you in the palace hall right now," the maid replied.
"I see. I'll head over now," Anos said with a slight smile.
Upon seeing Anos smile, the maid, who had been nervous moments earlier, immediately relaxed, her admiration for the king evident.
Anos didn't waste any more words. After acknowledging her, he started making his way toward the palace hall.
The value of the stolen goods equated to nearly a week's income for the Kingdom of Tru, so there was no room for loss.
Even though he maintained a calm demeanour, Anos was still intrigued by the situation.
But considering the era they lived in, it wasn't entirely surprising for goods to be stolen at sea.
After all, in an era dominated by pirates, only the Marines posed a significant threat. For merchant ships, pirates were a constant menace.
Upon reaching the hall, Anos saw Daiki pacing back and forth, his anxiety written on his face.
"Your Majesty, you're here..."
Though Daiki had been quite agitated, upon seeing Anos, he immediately composed himself and respectfully greeted him.
"Where's Suzu? Isn't she in charge of the merchant fleet? Why isn't she here when something this serious has happened?" Anos asked calmly.
Daiki lowered his head in obvious embarrassment, his clenched fists showing his frustration.
"Your Majesty, Suzu has already ordered an investigation into which pirate group is responsible. She couldn't come here right away, but she asked me to consult you for further guidance," Daiki explained.
"Nothing is pressing going on in the kingdom now. It seems someone is specifically targeting us. Let Suzu join me we'll head to sea to investigate," Anos said.
"Your Majesty, allow me to handle this. The Kingdom of Tru cannot afford to be without you!" Daiki urged.
"There's no need for further discussion. Stay here and protect the kingdom. Your strength isn't weak, so don't let me down," Anos said with a smile.
He wasn't particularly upset about the cargo being stolen. It wasn't worth his energy.
However, the goods on an entire ship were worth several billion Beris, a substantial amount. It couldn't be given up so easily.
--
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