As Victor Shaw and Princess Sally disappeared into the palace halls, a wave of relief washed over the entire Royal Guard.
No one dared to say it aloud, but every soldier silently exhaled shoulders slack, weapons lowered, hearts pounding from the tension that had just passed.
And then, like thunder after a storm, the murmuring began.
The whispers echoed across the palace grounds.
"Demon Son-in-Law."
That was the title they gave him.
It spread like wildfire among the troops.
While some continued dragging away the blood-soaked corpses, others retold what they had just witnessed, unable to believe it themselves.
At the same time, deep within the lavish mansions of Goa's elite, the nobility those who ranked just below the once-mighty Oterluk family began receiving hushed, urgent reports from their informants.
Every last one of them paled with horror.
They shook uncontrollably.
Some collapsed into their chairs.
Others clutched their teacups until they cracked in their hands.
They had all come to one decision:
Never. Ever. Cross that man.
The Demon Butcher.
They wouldn't so much as look at Victor Shaw the wrong way, lest they meet the same bloody end as the Oterluks and the five hundred Royal Guards who had fallen the night before.
In truth, ever since the King and Prince had died under suspicious circumstances, some of the sharper nobles had suspected the Oterluk family especially after seeing how much they benefited from the tragedy.
But Oterluk III was powerful.
Untouchable.
And with Sterry engaged to Princess Sally, no one dared say a word.
What none of them could have predicted…
Was that by nightfall, Princess Sally would return to the capital not with Sterry but with a new suitor.
A stranger.
And not only that she brought him straight into the palace and waged a swift, bloody coup.
Oterluk III was crushed.
In a single night, his centuries-old family line vanished.
Did Sally uncover Oterluk's betrayal?
Had she known all along?
No one had answers.
Only one truth remained:
Power can change hands in an instant.
And in this world, some thrones aren't worth chasing unless luck is on your side.
…
The next morning.
At the royal court of the Goa Kingdom…
The tension was thick enough to suffocate.
All the gathered nobles and government ministers sat silently, as quiet as insects in winter.
Even now, the scent of dried blood clung faintly to the throne room walls.
No one dared speak.
At the front of the hall, Princess Sally De Cannette stood tall and composed.
Her voice rang out sharply as she declared the crimes of the Oterluk family their conspiracy, their treason, and the assassination of the King and Prince.
Her decree was swift and absolute.
The Oterluk clan would be purged in full.
And it was already done.
The night before, the Royal Guard had raided the Oterluk estate, seizing a staggering hoard of gold, jewels, and contraband.
The fall of House Oterluk wasn't just bloody.
It was total.
After settling their crimes, Princess Sally took a step forward and made a second announcement.
One that changed the kingdom's future forever.
She introduced a name the court had only heard in fearful whispers the night before
Victor Shaw.
She formally declared him her fiancé, her chosen heir to the throne, and the man who would rule the Goa Kingdom by her side.
Gasps rippled through the court.
Most had already heard rumors about last night's rebellion about the mysterious warrior who cleaved through five hundred men.
Now, the legend stood confirmed.
Even if some of the nobles felt uneasy about the sudden rise of Victor Shaw, none dared speak a word of protest.
Not here.
Not now.
Not when he had bathed the palace in blood less than twenty-four hours ago.
Even if they had doubts even if they couldn't fully accept this stranger rising to royalty overnight none of them had the courage to object.
Princess Sally had publicly acknowledged him.
Had chosen him.
If the sole heir to the throne embraced Victor as her future husband...
What noble or minister would dare say otherwise?
And so
As the court session came to a close,
Victor Shaw, once a vagabond from Edge Town, officially completed his meteoric rise.
From street scoundrel to future King of Goa.
From hunted prey to the man seated one step away from the throne.
To solidify his position even further, Princess Sally appointed him as the Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Guard and the King's Army granting him full control of the entire kingdom's military.
This was no small shift in power.
It was a seismic upheaval.
And it would take time for the nobles and officials of the Goa Kingdom to truly adapt.
But no one would challenge it. Not openly.
Not after what they'd seen.
…
That evening.
Royal Palace Princess's Bedchamber
"I wonder…" Victor said with a teasing grin, "if the Princess is willing to share her bed with me tonight?"
"Ying~ ying~ ying~" came the soft, bashful response.
Two shadows moved across the candlelit chamber, slipping quietly toward the royal bed half-willing, half-shy.
"Victor… my Lord~"
Sally whispered his name softly as she fell into his arms, her cheeks flushed, heart racing.
That night, she fulfilled the promise she had made.
A promise wrapped in loyalty… and sealed in something more.
Several hours passed.
The air in the chamber had long since turned warm.
Lying against his chest, Princess Sally De Cannette gently traced her fingers across Victor Shaw's skin, drawing invisible patterns with a sleepy smile.
"Our wedding…" she murmured, "has been moved up to next week."
She tilted her head, eyes gleaming mischievously.
"Is my hero already so eager to become King?"
Her tone was playful. But there was truth behind it.
Their union while born from politics had become something more.
Victor held her close, listening in silence.
For Sally, this wasn't just a political alliance anymore.
She had been raised on noble etiquette, taught to value bloodlines and status above all.
Under normal circumstances, she would've never given her heart to a rough warrior from the slums.
But then her father was poisoned.
Her brother, assassinated.
The noble world she trusted crumbled in days.
And in the chaos this man, this brutal demon had held her, protected her, and swept away every threat in his path.
Now, being in his arms gave her more security than any royal title ever had.
She realized…
Somewhere along the way
She had fallen for him.
Perhaps… it was like one of those strange romantic tales nobles secretly read in the night.
"The Demon and the Princess."
"I want to build the Goa Kingdom into the strongest empire in East Blue," Victor said at last, his eyes firm.
"There's no time to waste."
Victor Shaw gently caressed Princess Sally's smooth, pale back, a faint smile tugging at his lips.
The plum blossom patterns scattered across the silk bedsheets added a romantic flair to the scene soft, delicate, and a little surreal.
He glanced around and chuckled to himself.
My friends back on Earth…
Guess what?
I made it.
I'm going to marry a princess and become a king.
Go ahead. Be envious. Be jealous. Be bitter. This is real.
"The East Blue's first empire?" Sally asked, her cheeks flushed and her eyes glimmering.
She looked at him with awe.
Even her late father the former King had never dared dream of something so grand.
To build the Goa Kingdom into the most beautiful kingdom in East Blue, to host Celestial Dragons, to earn their praise that alone had been the greatest accomplishment her father boasted about until his final breath.
She remembered his voice filled with pride.
She also remembered his wistful tone when he once mentioned the legendary "King of North Blue" the monarch of the Germa Kingdom.
Long ago, the Germa King had ruled the entire North Blue for a short but glorious span of 66 days using fearsome military might to establish dominance.
The Vinsmoke family had passed down that tale for generations as a badge of honor.
Sally's father had secretly admired it.
He too had fantasized about unifying the East Blue and leaving behind a legacy of greatness.
But it remained just that a fantasy.
Because the Goa Kingdom simply lacked the strength.
Their military was small.
Their influence, limited.
Even with a legendary figure like Marine Hero Garp born from their land…
They couldn't command him.
They had no authority over him.
They could only hope Vice Admiral Garp would occasionally visit his hometown and help sweep away the pirates in the region.
That was the only way to maintain peace and order in the Goa Kingdom.
"Do you want to become the Empress of an Empire?"
Victor's voice was low, almost teasing, but his smile burned with ambition.
And his dragon stirred again beneath the sheets undeniably confident, as if already declaring ownership over destiny.
Sally looked at him with sparkling eyes.
Her admiration and desire had turned into something deeper.
The man in front of her… he wasn't just her protector.
He was a king in the making.
In the heat of the moment, passion flared once again, and the two resumed their battle under the silken canopy.
…
One week later.
News of the Goa Kingdom's royal wedding and the Princess's newly appointed consort spread quietly across the East Blue.
But in the grand scheme of things, it barely made a ripple.
This sort of event didn't qualify for coverage in the World Economic News, nor did it attract attention from the Marines.
Even Vice Admiral Garp, one of the highest-ranking figures in the region and a native of Goa, didn't bother returning home to attend the ceremony or the new King's coronation.
To the world, it was a trivial matter.
A small kingdom's internal celebration.
But to the people of Goa...
History was being rewritten.
The royal invitation sent to Marineford had been completely ignored by Iron Fist Garp.
As for the one sent to Windmill Village?
Straw Hat Luffy used it to fold paper airplanes.
Ever since Ace set sail a year ago, Luffy had started coming down from Mt. Colubo to Makino's tavern more frequently.
Training alone on the mountain had become a bit too lonely for him.
Now, Fire Fist Ace had made quite a name for himself on the Grand Line.
His wanted posters had even reached Windmill Village Luffy saw them with his own eyes.
Every time a new bounty showed up, Luffy would dart into Makino's place, demanding food and drinks as he waited for the latest updates.
…
Meanwhile, in the Royal Capital of the Goa Kingdom
Lanterns lit the streets.
Silk streamers fluttered in the wind.
Every household celebrated the arrival of their new King.
Amidst cheers from nobles, ministers, and even foreign dignitaries, Victor Shaw, holding Princess Sally's hand, completed the grand wedding and ascended the throne.
"Congratulations, Your Majesty!"
"Congratulations, Queen!"
"Long live the Goa Kingdom!"
…
Victor stood beside Queen Sally, hand in hand, greeting a long line of bowing nobles, military commanders, merchants, and emissaries.
Behind them, citizens filled the streets, cheering loudly.
I'm really a King now.
Victor sat upon the throne, gazing down at the court.
He could hardly believe it.
In less than two months, he had gone from a nobody in Edge Town to ruler of an entire kingdom.
No long pirate journey.
No bounty.
No struggle on the Grand Line.
Just quick, decisive power.
Who said transmigrating was hard?
This is the life.
While other college graduates back on Earth were probably still fumbling through unpaid internships, Victor Shaw had married a gorgeous, noble-born princess and become King of a sovereign nation.
Transmigration? 10/10. Highly recommend.
Other worlds were full of opportunities.
Heavy truck accident business?
Truck-kun?
Yes, please. Keep 'em coming.
…
Seven days later.
The grand wedding and coronation ceremonies came to an end.
The excitement settled.
The capital returned to its usual peaceful rhythm.
But inside the palace?
Victor and Queen Sally were anything but idle.
Their nights grew increasingly intimate.
And their grip on the kingdom grew stronger with each passing day.
But Victor didn't grow complacent.
He focused primarily on cultivation and training, pushing his body and mastering his Devil Fruit ability.
At the same time, he began coaching Sally not just to be his partner, but a true queen in her own right.
He understood better than anyone:
Power without strength was nothing but a house of cards.
…
One day, inside the palace administrative office
Victor leaned back after his morning training session, glancing over the guest list and gifts from the wedding.
Sally sat beside him, arms crossed.
"Don't be mad," he said casually. "So what if Garp didn't show up?"
"But he's Vice Admiral Garp the face of Goa! When he ignores us like this, it makes the kingdom look bad."
Victor shrugged.
"Face is something you give yourself."
His expression darkened slightly.
"But since Garp didn't give us any face this time… I'll make sure to return the favor someday."
Sally raised an eyebrow.
"Don't be impulsive. He's not someone you can mess with casually."
Victor smirked.
"I know. But even heroes can be humbled."
Sally glanced at the page again, noting the absence of Garp's name and silently marked it in her heart.