Once the crowd finally quieted down, the king straightened his back and continued:
"Upon learning of this matter, the kingdom took immediate action.
We dispatched a large number of troops to guard the city gates and prevent anyone from escaping.
We also promptly mobilized forces to apprehend those involved in the case, including Jesse, the Commander of the City Guard.
Through our methods and thorough investigation, we gathered evidence confirming Jesse's involvement in human trafficking. We dismantled the trafficking ring and captured many of its members.
After interrogation and examining the recovered evidence, the conclusion was clear — Jesse was the mastermind behind the human trafficking ring.
Faced with irrefutable evidence, Jesse confessed to all of his crimes. Once I confirmed the situation, I ordered their immediate execution.
Once again, I offer my deepest apologies to all citizens — this failure allowed such a monster to attain a position of power within our kingdom."
As he finished speaking, the king bowed once more to the people.
Though this second bow did not provoke as intense a reaction as the first, it still deeply impacted the crowd. The visible anger on many of their faces faded, even for those who had personally suffered at the hands of the trafficking organization.
Straightening again, the king declared:
"To prevent such atrocities from happening again, the kingdom will establish a Missing Persons Organization.
If anyone vanishes without explanation, this organization will conduct an investigation.
Once we discover evidence of trafficking, we will strike mercilessly, whether the perpetrators are individuals or groups.
The organization will also assist citizens in searching for their lost family members. If you can provide relevant information, the organization will do everything in its power to help you find them.
Furthermore, we will deploy forces throughout the kingdom to root out and eliminate any remaining trafficking organizations.
Those found guilty, especially ringleaders or those with heinous crimes, will be punished with the death penalty.
Citizens who provide useful information about such organizations will be richly rewarded.
If you discover anything suspicious, report it to the kingdom immediately — and if your report is verified, you will receive a generous reward."
"Long live the king!"
"Long live the king!"
"Long live the king!"
The crowd erupted in cheers.
Everyone was deeply stirred by the king's promise to eradicate the traffickers and help locate missing loved ones.
This was a matter that affected every family. No one could guarantee they wouldn't become the next target of such criminals. The only way to eliminate the threat was to destroy the trafficking rings completely.
Now, with a dedicated organization formed by the state, and a king willing to act in the people's interest, how could they not admire and support him?
Once the excitement died down again, the king made another announcement:
"As for the punishment of the criminals, their severed heads will remain on display in this square for three months, as a warning to all.
I also want to express gratitude to the one who provided the intelligence that led to this crackdown — the person who first spread the word about Jesse.
In recognition of your contribution to the kingdom, I hereby extend a personal invitation to attend a banquet held in your honor this evening.
At this event, the kingdom will bestow upon you a First-Class Medal, along with a substantial reward.
I hope you will attend, and that your example will inspire others like you to step forward and serve justice."
"What?! A First-Class Medal?! That's the highest honor in the kingdom aside from the National Hero Medal! Why can't something like this happen to me?"
"You? Don't kid yourself. Even if you knew about the trafficking ring, would you have the guts to do what he did?
You think you could outmaneuver Jesse without getting caught? You'd probably be dead before you even started.
That man risked his life to reveal Jesse's crimes — and helped the kingdom cut out a dangerous cancer. He gave hope to countless families.
This reward? He earned it."
The crowd buzzed with loud discussions over the reward, but everyone agreed that the person responsible — Buggy — deserved it completely.
After giving a few instructions to the guards, the king finally turned and left the royal square under the watchful eyes of the people.
Hidden in the crowd, Buggy had heard every word.
To the average citizen, the matter now seemed settled and resolved, clean and complete.
But to Buggy, it was filled with suspicion and contradictions.
He had even begun forming some deeper theories.
As he watched the king's departing figure, a cold glint flashed in Buggy's eyes.
As the king left, the crowd slowly began to disperse.
Some remained behind, unable to tear themselves away. The matter had affected them personally.
They stared hatefully at the severed heads on display, wishing they could stomp them into dust.
But reason held them back. The king had spoken — the heads were left as a warning. If they wanted to see fewer traffickers in the future, they needed to follow the rules.
Buggy waited until some people had left, then blended into the crowd and exited the square.
He headed back toward the Brilliance, his ship.
When he passed by the city gates, he noticed they had returned to normal.
The extra guards were gone, and the tightly sealed gates had been reopened.
Rather than use Shave and startle people during broad daylight, Buggy simply walked out through the main gate. It was easier and less dramatic.
The Brilliance was anchored not far from the harbor. As planned, a small boat was waiting nearby.
Buggy boarded it and returned to his ship.
"Cousin, you're finally back!"
Weevil shouted joyfully the moment he saw him.
"Captain! So? Did you find anything?"
Daddy and the others ran up to ask.
Weevil, as usual, wasn't interested in the investigation.
Buggy shook his head.
"Everything we knew — all the leads — they've been wiped clean.
Anyone who could've talked has been silenced.
Any place we could've searched has already been cleared.
We got nothing."
"Then what do we do now, Captain? How do we keep investigating?"
"Don't panic," Buggy replied.
"Even though all the obvious clues were erased, I still learned something big while I was in the city.
Here's what happened—"
Buggy then told them everything: the king's speech, his attitude, the measures taken, Jesse's execution, and the entire political performance.
He also shared his suspicions and thoughts.
Everyone on board was shocked.
They hadn't expected the situation to be this deep — or that even the king himself might be involved.
Each of them fell silent, lost in thought.
The question now was:
What do they do next?