As Noah and the princess departed, the royal guards let out a collective sigh of relief.
Murmurs quickly spread among the soldiers like a rising tide.
The title [Demonic Prince Consort] began to circulate rapidly within their ranks.
While the guards were busy clearing away the bodies, the nobles second only to Duke Outook in status received intelligence from their spies.
One after another, they were struck with fear, trembling all over.
They made a firm decision—never to provoke this demonic butcher.
Otherwise, they too would follow in the tragic footsteps of the Duke and the five hundred royal guards.
In truth, the sudden deaths of the king and the crown prince had already led many nobles to secretly view Outlook III and Sterry as prime suspects.
Yet, out of fear of Outlook III's power and the engagement between Sterry and Princess Sarie, no one dared act rashly.
No one could have predicted what would happen next.
That very night, Princess Sarie returned with a new prince consort and initiated a brutal, bloody power struggle. The powerful and arrogant Outlook's forces crumbled in an instant.
Had the princess uncovered their treacherous plot?
Such is the unpredictability of the world. Some positions truly require more than just ambition—they demand fate.
.........
The next day.
In the royal court of the Goa Kingdom, silence reigned.
The stench of blood still lingered in the air.
Princess Sarie, the kingdom's only royal daughter, stood in fury as she declared the heinous crimes of Duke Outlook: the assassination of the king and crown prince.
She sentenced the entire family of Duke Outlook to complete extermination.
The night before, the royal guards had already raided Outlook III's mansion, seizing vast amounts of wealth and treasure.
Once the matter was settled, Princess Sarie officially introduced Noah, announcing both his status as her fiancé and as the heir to the throne of the Goa Kingdom.
Those ministers and nobles who had heard whispers of the rebellion dared not voice any objections now, even if they were displeased with this unknown outsider who had risen overnight.
Faced with Noah's brutal methods, who would dare risk their lives?
Since even the kingdom's last royal daughter had acknowledged him, the rest had no room to object.
And just like that, as the court session came to a close, Noah—once a rogue from Edge Town—completed a monumental leap in status.
He had become the princess's future husband and the next king of the Goa Kingdom.
On top of that, under Princess Sarie's appointment, Noah was named commander of both the Royal Guard and the King's Army, granting him control over the nation's military.
Such a massive shift in power would take the nobles and officials some time to get used to.
...........
That night.
In the royal chambers.
"Will the princess grant me the honor of sharing the bed tonight?"
"Ahh..."
Two figures, one reluctant and one persistent, made their way to the royal bed.
"My lord Noah..."
Sarie, surrendering herself to Noah's passionate advances, fulfilled the promise she had made the night before.
Hours later.
"Noah, our wedding has been moved up to just one week from now."
"My great hero, are you so eager to become king?"
Resting in Noah's arms, Sarie traced soft circles on his chest with her fingers.
Their union was a strategic compromise between power and strength.
In the past, her noble upbringing would have never allowed her to consider a man like Noah, a mere commoner and warrior.
But after losing her father and brother, she came to realize just how irresistible and reassuring a strong man could be.
She had fallen for this brutal demon.
Perhaps this was like one of those strange tales titled [The Demon and the Princess].
"I will turn the Goa Kingdom into the greatest empire in the East Blue."
Noah's hand slid along Sarie's back, his voice calm yet confident.
The crimson marks on the bedsheet stood out vividly.
To my friends back on Earth—I made it.
I'm marrying a princess and becoming king!
Go ahead, be jealous.
"The greatest empire in the East Blue?" With a rosy blush and shining eyes, Princess Sarie looked up in awe.
Even her father never dared dream of such greatness.
To elevate the Goa Kingdom to the most beautiful kingdom in the East Blue and receive praise from the Celestial Dragons—that had already been the pinnacle of her father's lifetime achievements.
He had once expressed admiration for the legend of the Germa Kingdom in the North Blue.
Many years ago, the king of Germa had used military might to dominate the entire North Blue for sixty-six days.
This feat had become a lasting source of pride for the Vinsmoke family.
The king of Goa had fantasized about unifying the East Blue and creating a legacy of his own. But it had always remained just that—a fantasy.
After all, the kingdom's military strength was pitifully weak.
Even though the legendary Marine hero Garp hailed from their nation, they had no authority over him.
They had to rely on Vice Admiral Garp to occasionally return and sweep away the pirates threatening the seas, barely maintaining peace.
"Would you like to be empress of an empire?"
Noah smiled as his ambitions surfaced without restraint.
Sarie gazed at him with admiration and longing.
And so, passion ignited once more.
........
One week later.
The news of Princess Sarie's grand wedding and the crowning of the new king spread throughout the East Blue.
But in the greater world, such news was too small to matter.
It didn't even warrant a mention in the World Economic Journal.
Vice Admiral Garp, the kingdom's most renowned figure, didn't even attend the wedding or the coronation. The invitation sent to Marine Headquarters was completely ignored.
The one sent to Foosha Village was used by Monkey D. Luffy to make a paper airplane.
Ever since Ace had gone out to sea a year earlier, Luffy had been frequenting Makino's tavern more often.
Staying alone on Mt. Colubo had proven too boring.
Now that Ace was making a name for himself on the Grand Line—with a bounty poster reaching all the way to Foosha Village—Luffy was more eager than ever to visit the tavern for news and snacks.
.........
Back in the capital of the Goa Kingdom.
Every household was lit up and decorated, welcoming their new king.
Amid waves of blessings from nobles, officials, foreign envoys, and commoners, Noah held Princess Sarie's hand.
They were now husband and wife, and he was king.
"Long live the king!"
"Long live the queen!"
"May the Goa Kingdom prosper forever!"
........
Noah held Sarie's hand as they received congratulations from every corner of the kingdom.
I'm king now!
Seated on the throne, Noah looked down at his subjects.
To say he wasn't excited would be a lie.
He had gone from nothing to becoming king in less than two full months.
Damn, who said transmigrating was hard? It's the best thing that ever happened.
While some college grads were still fumbling through their internships, Noah had already married a rich princess and climbed to the very top of the Goa Kingdom.
Transmigration is the way to go.
Especially to another world—so many opportunities.
Time to rev up the truck-kun business and get those dump trucks moving.
............
Seven days later, the grand wedding and coronation finally came to a close. The Goa Kingdom returned to its usual peace and quiet.
Between their nightly passion, Noah and Sarie gradually took full control of the kingdom.
Still, Noah's main focus remained on training and development.
He planned to groom Sarie into a capable ruler.
He understood all too well—power without strength to support it was nothing but a castle in the sky.
One day.
After completing his training with his Devil Fruit and physical conditioning.
Inside the royal administrative office...
"Don't be upset just because Garp didn't show up."
"But Vice Admiral Garp is the hero of the navy, the pride of our kingdom. His absence makes us look bad."
"Reputation is something you build yourself. Since he didn't respect us this time, I'll make sure to repay him... properly."
"Don't be rash. Vice Admiral Garp is no one to mess with."
Noah and Sarie looked through the list of guests and gifts received for the wedding and coronation.
Sarie pouted at Garp's absence and quietly made a note in her little book.