Sandy Island, Alabasta Kingdom.
In a land about to begin another peaceful day, a man muttered.
"Today, it feels somehow different..."
"Hmm? What's wrong?"
In the streets of the capital, Alubarna, a middle-aged man seemed to be gazing at the sky.
A nearby man, looking puzzled, called out to him.
The sky today was cloudless and clear, a beautiful, vibrant blue.
Yet, the man looking up appeared to sense something in its pristine state.
"It feels different from usual, doesn't it?"
"Does it? It's always sunny, isn't it?"
"True, but that's not what I mean."
"Speaking of which, it hasn't rained lately. This town used to get occasional showers, even if the rest of Alabasta didn't."
"Ah..."
"If it rained across all of Alabasta, there wouldn't have been a rebellion, would there? Things never go as smoothly as you'd like in this world, do they?"
As he spoke, the man carried a barrel for his work.
The other man continued to gaze at the sky, not bothering to check the movements behind him.
"Still, I feel like something is different..."
"Hey, no time for slacking off. It's work today. It's only natural that today is different from yesterday, and we have to work our hardest today."
"Hmm, I suppose so. It's natural for something to feel different."
"Exactly. Every day has its own sky, after all."
With that, the man who had been looking at the sky also began to move for work.
Elsewhere, at the Royal Palace.
This morning was more bustling than usual.
While the town appeared as it always did, only the palace interior showed signs of frantic activity.
Soldiers ran through the corridors, and servants scurried back and forth.
In a corner of the corridor, a man stood with his arms crossed, his face stern.
Dressed differently from the other soldiers, he was the Vice-Commander of the Royal Guard.
With Igaram, the Commander, absent, the two Vice-Commanders remaining in the palace had to maintain order.
Chaka waited for reports from the soldiers, his expression grim and his demeanor deeply unsettled.
"Sir Chaka!"
"The King?"
"He's still nowhere to be found! We searched everywhere, but...!"
A soldier rushed up to report, but the desired news was not forthcoming.
Chaka's expression grew even more severe, and he instinctively clutched his head.
The major incident had just occurred this morning: the King had inexplicably vanished from his bedchamber—a mysterious and grave matter for the Kingdom of Alabasta.
Given the recent domestic unrest, guards were stationed outside the King's room.
Even without that, the castle was constantly on alert for intruders, and anyone approaching the King was always scrutinized.
Yet, no one had seen anything suspicious last night, and there were no strange traces left anywhere in the castle.
Only the King himself had cleanly disappeared.
If this wasn't an abnormality, what was?
Chaka, deeply worried for the King's safety, grew increasingly anxious.
He considered numerous possibilities to track down the culprit but found no plausible leads or viable methods.
Could the King have left his room of his own accord and gone somewhere?
If so, he would have surely spoken to the guards outside the room.
Even silently, they would have noticed.
That possibility seemed unthinkable.
So, was kidnapping the most likely scenario?
It felt like a trap of thought to believe it couldn't be done.
To slip past the castle's security and abduct only the King, without leaving any trace.
Whether it was possible or not, for now, that explanation seemed to fit the current situation.
"Could it be the rebel army...? No, even then, it's hard to imagine no one noticing. But His Majesty is still missing... What in the world is happening?"
"Sir Chaka, if you'll forgive my impertinence, could it be Koza? He frequently came and went from this castle when he was young, so it wouldn't be surprising if there were secret passages we don't know about."
"Nonsense. Koza is an adult now. Even if such a passage existed, for him to enter the castle without the guards noticing still feels wrong. He couldn't do it the same way he did as a child."
"But, I can't imagine His Majesty leaving the castle without a word..."
Chaka spoke with the reporting soldier, trying to fully grasp the situation.
But he couldn't understand.
He struggled to comprehend this inexplicable predicament.
Where had the King gone? And by what means?
The more he thought, the further away from an answer he felt, and Chaka's face hardened.
"Enough! Thinking won't help. Find His Majesty, immediately. Even if he slipped out last night, he couldn't have gone far. Search all of Alubarna!"
"Yes, sir!"
The soldier saluted and departed.
Chaka, too, began to move with hurried steps down the corridor, heading to an unknown destination.
He didn't know where to go.
Even in such a critical situation, he was useless just because the King was gone.
He felt pathetic.
As a guardian of the nation, he should dedicate himself and protect the country no matter what happened.
Contrary to that thought, he felt only panic, unable to do anything.
He wished nothing more would happen.
It would be fortunate if this were just a prank.
Yet, a sudden, abnormal situation made him vaguely sense something.
Today, on this very day, something was about to begin.
Just as Chaka thought this, a soldier came running from down the corridor, shouting loudly.
"Sir Chaka! Th-this is urgent! Please hurry to the plaza!"
"Have you found His Majesty!?"
"Y-yes! But... just hurry! Sir Pell is already on his way!"
"Understood!"
Answering concisely, Chaka broke into a full sprint.
That frantic demeanor.
The King must have been found, but clearly, trouble had erupted.
Even imagining the worst-case scenario, Chaka gathered all his strength and raced towards the plaza, which was close to the Royal Palace.
Thus, he pushed through the gathered townsfolk and reached the plaza.
What he saw there was likely a worse sight than he could have ever imagined.
From a high vantage point overlooking the plaza, on the roof of a building, stood King Cobra of Alabasta.
He was gagged, bleeding from his head, and kneeling.
Next to him was a man, presumably the culprit, raising a weapon.
Chaka, looking up, felt a chill run down his spine.
It was unmistakably the grown-up Koza.
"This foolish King abandoned countless towns! He protected only this town where he lives! He is a great sinner who senselessly took the lives of his people! If this King had known the pain of others, so many lives could have been saved!"
"Koza... What are you doing...?"
"Chaka!"
Anger? Sorrow? Fear? Despair?
As Chaka's clenched fists trembled, another man rushed to his side.
It was Pell, the other Vice-Commander of the Royal Guard, standing shoulder to shoulder with Chaka.
He, too, was severely agitated.
Yet, now, his King, whom he was sworn to protect, was injured and restrained not far away.
Seeing this, he seemed to be contemplating how to resolve the situation.
How could they save the King, held hostage, without further harm?
As he desperately thought, he called out to his comrade, truly worried for their King.
"I'm sorry, by the time I arrived, he was already...!"
"There's no need to apologize. More importantly, right now, we must save him without further injury."
"Yes, I know. But if we move, he will too."
"Koza, you fool, do you even know what you're doing...!"
Feeling a boiling rage, the two glared at Koza, radiating fury.
The opponent didn't seem to notice, but if he had, it could have led to the worst outcome.
The two tried to remain calm, suppressing their anger, even if only for a moment.
Meanwhile, Koza continued to shout.
King Cobra was not fit to be king.
He was the real murderer.
People died because the King was foolish.
He spouted every word he could think of to wound the King's dignity and defile his image.
To the people gathered there, and to those who heard his voice, Koza's behavior seemed utterly insane, but he himself appeared unconcerned.
He attacked the King relentlessly.
Chaka and Pell's expressions visibly changed.
There was no way they could remain silent while their lord was being slandered.
They were about to move, but they desperately held back, likely realizing that this was exactly what Koza wanted.
Both bit their lips so hard they drew blood, searching for an opportunity to rescue the King.
"Hold on, Chaka. If you move now, it's exactly what he wants."
"I know. But why, why must His Majesty endure such humiliation...!"
"Koza! Why such a violent act...!"
"Even if we became enemies, I still respected you...!"
Koza, roaring with emotion, held a sword in his right hand and gripped Cobra's shoulder with his left.
Instantly, Chaka and Pell felt a chill run down their spines.
Raising the sword high, Koza had finally made the forbidden choice.
"This King is no longer fit to rule! I will inflict the pain of the injured upon the King who harmed his people! This man will be executed!"
"What!?"
"Pell... I can't hold back any longer...!"
Chaka's form slowly began to change.
Black fur sprouted, fangs, claws, and ears appeared on his head, transforming him into a hybrid of man and animal.
The Dog-Dog Fruit, Model: Jackal.
Instantly in his combat form, Chaka drew his uniquely long sword, bent his knees, and gathered his strength.
Seeing this, Pell also transformed.
The Bird-Bird Fruit, Model: Falcon.
A Zoan-type ability that allowed him to fly, earning him the title of Alabasta's strongest warrior.
He swiftly took up his sword and spread his large wings.
"KOZA!!"
"I won't let you!!"
Chaka pushed off the ground, and Pell flew towards Koza.
Their speed was far beyond what any normal person could react to.
When they noticed them, Koza stared blankly at the two, who were suddenly upon him, and then, inexplicably, he smirked at the sight of them, a look utterly unlike him.
"Oh dear. Am I in big trouble now?"
A nonchalant voice, ill-suited to the tense situation.
At that moment, the two instantly understood.
They had been trapped.
Just then, two figures leaped out from the shadows, attacking Chaka and Pell before they even realized it.
-------------------------------
I've already uploaded 40 chapters of this story on Patreon!
If you enjoy it, come check out the latest chapters in advance.
Here's the link:
[patreon.com/Greyhounds]
Thank you so much for your support!!
"And If you're enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!"