"That's exactly why I didn't want to come back to the West Blue… there's zero challenge here!"
Bege was an extremely ambitious man.
A place like the West Blue was never in his sights.
"Don't worry, Uncle Rorlchart," Carina said confidently. "These are elite forces sent by that lord. That so-called werewolf is absolutely no match for them!"
"That lord?"
Rorlchart looked confused.
"Yes."
Carina's eyes burned with fanatic devotion.
"If gods truly exist in this world, then that lord is the one true god!"
Seeing that look on her face, Rorlchart couldn't help but worry she might have been brainwashed.
"May I ask how this lord is addressed?"
Carina shook her head, her expression solemn and reverent.
"Before I successfully restore my country, I am not qualified to speak that lord's name."
"If I fail, I will not allow my failure to stain that lord's honor."
"But I believe… I will not fail."
"That lord saved me when I had fallen into the deepest darkness. Now, it's my turn to prove my worth!"
She had lived through the most desperate moment of her life.
She had seen with her own eyes, in Water 7 under the rule of the Holy Spirit Empire, what true national prosperity looked like… what a paradise on earth truly meant.
She had witnessed terrifying power that could shake heaven and earth, wielded casually by people like Yoruichi.
In that moment, Carina, a girl from the West Blue, truly saw how vast the world was.
She genuinely believed that if gods existed, then Oguro was one of them.
Powerful yet kind. Fair, yet dignified.
With the aid of a true god, how could she possibly lose to a despicable traitor like Red?
"Time is short. Prepare to move," Carina said as she stood up.
Her plan was extremely simple.
Kill Red.
That's right. Brutally simple.
Even though only a few dozen people followed behind her, every single one approved to enter the Shadow Dragon Guard had mastered the Six Powers, and some even Haki.
Their combat strength was something ordinary soldiers couldn't even begin to compare to.
Lucci, that perfectionist, had set the selection standards even higher than CP9 back in the day.
He had no choice.
Under Oguro, the Shinigami were captains or vice-captains at worst, seated officers at minimum.
After staying around monsters like that for so long, Lucci felt real pressure.
He had to prove the value of the Shadow Dragon Guard to Oguro.
So the standards kept getting raised… again and again.
Late at night, the group moved toward the royal palace like ghosts.
Bege's underworld forces had already cleaned up the surrounding area in advance, ensuring their movements wouldn't be exposed.
"Stop! Who are you people?"
At the palace gate, the guards on duty stopped Carina's group.
Carina revealed her face and shouted coldly,
"I am Carina Itel!"
"Red Treya committed treason and usurped the throne. His crime is unforgivable!"
"If you abandon darkness and return to the light, your crimes may be forgiven."
"But if you insist on aiding a tyrant… death awaits!"
As she spoke the final words, a dense killing intent erupted from Carina's body.
An invisible pressure swept across the area, making everyone nearby feel suffocated.
Bege was so shocked that even the cigar in his mouth dropped to the ground.
"This is… the budding form of Conqueror's Haki? Holy hell! Since when did the West Blue produce a monster like this?"
Who could have imagined that Carina, who had nearly become a slave and once had no combat ability at all, possessed the rare kingly potential that appeared once in a million people?
"The West Blue… is really about to change," Bege thought silently.
At that moment, the small squad leader on duty reacted.
He yanked out his sword and roared,
"The former royal family is already dead! How dare you impersonate Princess Carina!"
"You deserve death! Everyone, kill these intruders!"
The palace guards had long since been replaced by Red's own people.
Carina had expected this from the start.
All she needed was a legitimate pretext.
With a wave of her hand, the dozens of Shadow Dragon Guard trainees lunged forward like tigers pouncing on prey.
Boom!
After one punch sent the squad leader flying, what followed was pure, one-sided slaughter.
These guards were only slightly stronger than ordinary people.
Once Tekkai was activated, their blades couldn't even break the Shadow Dragon Guard's defenses.
In just a few breaths, the hundred-man unit guarding the palace gate was completely down.
Carina did not order their execution.
Not out of mercy.
She intended to sentence them to death after a formal trial.
She would use a grand public judgment to announce the return of the Itel Kingdom…
And at the same time, establish unquestionable authority for herself.
The commotion at the palace gate immediately drew the attention of the other guards.
Unfortunately for them, they were just as useless against the Shadow Dragon Guard, all taken down in a single exchange.
Bang!
Suddenly, a change.
A figure dropped from the sky, delivering a heavy kick toward the Shadow Dragon Guard member charging at the front.
"Tekkai!"
That trainee reacted quickly, instantly assuming his strongest defensive stance.
His muscles hardened like steel.
Boom!
The trainee was blasted backward, his feet carving deep skid marks into the ground.
Luckily, he didn't seem seriously injured.
"Tch… tough bastard," the attacker said in a lazy, mocking tone.
"No wonder you made it all the way here."
"Oh! It's Commander Kara!"
"The legendary warrior!"
"Kara! Kara!"
The surrounding guards erupted into cheers.
Carina and the others immediately understood.
This was the Zoan-type Devil Fruit user… the so-called "legendary warrior" everyone kept hyping up.
Kara basked in the adoration of the ordinary soldiers and pointed arrogantly at Carina's group.
"Alright, this little rebellion game ends here."
"With me, Kara, standing here, you'd better surrender now. Maybe I'll let you live."
"Otherwise, the mass grave outside the city will be your destination tonight!"
Bege rolled his eyes.
"Ate a Devil Fruit, got praised a few times, and now he really thinks he's a god."
Before Carina could give the order, the Shadow Dragon Guard trainees had already regrouped and charged straight at Kara.
"Shigan!"
"Rankyaku!"
Facing a Devil Fruit user, they held nothing back, unleashing their strongest attacks.
Seeing the overwhelming barrage, Kara was startled.
These bastards… how dare they attack him?!
Kara roared, his body rapidly expanding as he dropped into a low stance.
Thick fur spread across his body in the blink of an eye.
A massive black wolf appeared before everyone.
Pff! Pff!
Shigan and Rankyaku struck, carving more than a dozen wounds of varying depth across Kara's body.
"Damn you!"
"You actually dared to injure the great Kara!"
"I'll tear you all to pieces!"
With a powerful kick, Kara swung his forepaws like a raging storm.
The Shadow Dragon Guard trainees immediately used Soru to pull back.
Only the two closest were a bit too slow, sent flying by a claw strike and suffering minor injuries.
***
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