From the noble district to the slums of Kalmar City, chaos engulfed every corner. The torrential rain further obscured visibility, leaving the palace guards on edge. They gripped their weapons tightly, stationed along the outer walls of the royal palace, scanning the surroundings with vigilance.
It was in this tense atmosphere that Harden led a group of pirates, armed with blades and guns, to the palace gates.
"Who are you!?" shouted an officer atop the gate, addressing Harden from a distance.
"We are soldiers of the city militia!" bellowed a loud-voiced pirate from the Morgan Pirates, speaking on Harden's behalf. "There's unrest spreading from the slums to the noble district. Rielde, the Minister of Internal Affairs, has colluded with his allies to secretly mobilize the garrison, intending to stage a coup. We are concerned for His Majesty's safety and have come to the palace to protect him!"
The guards atop the gate murmured anxiously at the mention of Rielde's supposed treason. As a member of an old and influential noble family, Rielde had connections among the guards, some of whom were even distantly related to him. Moreover, such accusations couldn't be taken at face value. After a brief pause, the officer shouted back, "If that's the case, wait where you are for further orders! His Majesty's safety is our responsibility. Until this matter is fully investigated, I cannot allow you to enter the palace."
Harden pushed back the hood of his rain-soaked cloak, letting the downpour drench his hair. His cold gaze seemed to pierce through the heavy rain as he stared at the officer on the wall. "Rielde's treason implicates numerous officials and nobles. If he can mobilize other garrisons, he can certainly command members of the palace guard. We must personally ensure His Majesty's safety. Until we see him and confirm he is unharmed, anyone who dares to stop us will be treated as an accomplice to the traitors!"
The officer on the wall was enraged. "Who do you think you are!? You'd better stay put and behave yourselves!"
"Yasopp!" Harden barked without turning his head.
From behind him, Yasopp, who had remained silent until now, suddenly flicked aside the hem of his raincoat. In the blink of an eye, a long bolt-action rifle was in his hands. With a fluid motion, he aimed and fired.
Bang!
The gunshot echoed through the rain. The bullet pierced the downpour and struck the officer squarely in the forehead.
As the guards cried out in shock, the officer swayed on his feet, then turned slightly before tumbling off the wall.
The body fell from the high wall with a sickening thud, splattering blood and water upon impact. Harden had already drawn his curved blade, roaring, "Follow me into the palace! The captain's orders are clear—kill all who resist!"
With that, he charged toward the wall, leading the Morgan Pirates in a thunderous assault.
Reaching the base of the wall, Harden shook his left hand, sending a grappling hook flying upward. It latched onto the wall, and with the blade clenched between his teeth, his muscular arms bulged as he quickly scaled the wall. By the time the guards recovered from their shock, Harden was already atop the wall.
Close behind him were the skilled sailors of the Morgan Pirates, men who could climb masts and rigging like monkeys. Scaling the solid walls was child's play for them. Grappling hooks flew, and the pirates ascended with astonishing speed.
Meanwhile, Harden, now atop the wall, was already cutting down guards with ruthless efficiency. He aimed for the head with every strike, and within moments, several headless corpses lay scattered around him.
A competent leader knows how to utilize their subordinates. William, having led the Morgan Pirates for so long, was well aware of the personalities of his officers.
As his vice-captain, Harden was the most ferocious and bloodthirsty of them all. He submitted to no one but William. In this world, the monarchy and the king's authority represented a form of order. Centuries of tradition, coupled with the status of being a World Government member nation, had deeply ingrained the king's power and prestige in the minds of the native populace. Even among pirates, especially in the relatively weak East Blue, this reverence for the monarchy persisted to some extent.
By putting someone like Harden in charge, William had no doubt that he would show no hesitation or mercy while storming the palace.
The guards, unaccustomed to such brutality, were utterly demoralized. When the rest of the Morgan Pirates reached the top of the wall, one soldier suddenly screamed and fled, triggering a chain reaction. The remaining guards followed suit, abandoning their posts in a panicked retreat.
Harden ordered a few men to open the gates, then led the rest deeper into the palace. Inside, the palace staff—maids and attendants—screamed in terror at the sight of the blood-soaked pirates. They scattered in all directions, their shrieks echoing through the halls.
Annoyed by the noise, Harden slashed down a fleeing attendant with a single stroke, then grabbed another by the collar. "Where are the king and queen?" he demanded.
The trembling attendant pointed westward. Harden shoved him aside and led his men in that direction.
Bang!
Harden kicked open a door, and the pirates poured in behind him. Inside, a slightly overweight man wearing a crown cowered behind a group of loyal guards, his face pale with fear.
"Your Majesty?" Harden tilted his head, his tone mocking.
"Who... who are you? What do you want?" Norton I asked, his voice quivering. He had no idea who Harden and his men were. The fleeing guards from the walls couldn't outrun the pirates, and Norton I only knew that a group of bloodthirsty intruders had stormed the palace. Their motives and intentions were a complete mystery to him.
"We're here to protect you, Your Majesty," Harden said dryly. He was about to say more when the sound of hurried footsteps reached his ears. Some of his men turned warily toward the noise.
Moments later, a pirate from the Morgan Pirates ran in, panting from exertion. "The captain... the captain is here!" he announced.
Harden's face lit up with joy. Sure enough, after another ten minutes, William appeared through the rain. Accompanying him were Kuro, Edmond, and Aramis, all striding purposefully toward the palace.
"Captain!"
"Captain William!"
The Morgan Pirates cheered, stepping aside to clear a path for their leader.
William entered the room, the heat radiating from his body creating waves of steam that quickly enveloped him. By the time the steam dissipated, he stood before Norton I, completely dry, with no trace of the rain he had just walked through.
"Your Majesty, I apologize for startling you," William said with a grin.
"Stolt?" Norton I peered out from behind his guards. "What's happening outside? And what are you doing here? Are you staging a coup?"
"Your Majesty," William replied, his smile revealing a row of gleaming white teeth. "Minister of Internal Affairs Rielde has been embezzling funds. Fearing punishment, he colluded with his allies to secretly mobilize the garrison and launch a rebellion. The Minister of Finance, Arcadio, and his entire family have already been killed by him. I'm here to protect you."
As he spoke, his gaze swept over the guards standing before Norton I. "After all, this conspiracy runs deep. I can't be sure who among your guards might also be working with Rielde."
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
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