Dier was indeed floating as he moved.
A newly acquired ability—flight.
It was likely due to the arrangements made on Colon Island.
If nothing unexpected happened, he would soon enter an Ability Spurt Period.
BOOM!
The stone door closed, and the three of them returned to the master bedroom along the path they had come.
Dier gently placed the sleeping Perona on the bed, then turned to scrutinize Vlad.
"Have you ever considered joining the Marines?"
Staying here as King would only waste Vlad's talent.
The same went for following him—Dier wasn't fond of combat and preferred to keep a low profile.
If Vlad wanted to grow quickly, joining the Marines was undoubtedly the better choice.
They had a complete training system and no shortage of real combat opportunities.
Only there could Vlad truly flourish.
Given his Full Body Demonization's considerable size and the freely extendable Bone Sword, his future was guaranteed to reach at least the rank of Vice Admiral.
Vlad hesitated. "But... what about this country?"
The old King was dead, Tia was dead, and he was the only prince left...
"Minor issue. I'm not telling you to leave right now."
Dier waved his hand dismissively.
"I'll stay here a while longer and find someone suitable to manage things.
You'll still be the King in name, but the actual governance can be handed over to someone else."
As long as the three armies remained under control and a capable administrator was appointed, having a King or not made little difference.
"Then I have no objections. As long as the people can live well."
Vlad nodded firmly, his expression resolute.
He had always been terrified of Monsters and the like, so staying here as King was torture for him.
Yet he couldn't bear to see his people suffer. Now that Dier had given his word, Vlad could leave with peace of mind and join the Marines to finally correct his cowardly nature.
With his future path decided, Vlad stepped out to announce the outcome of the war to the people.
The citizens cheered in unison, celebrating the birth of their new King.
Mr.1, stuffed inside a barrel, was temporarily locked in the master bedroom.
Gunpowder and the other three were secretly brought into the royal castle. Keeping his promise to Hina, Dier had found her an opponent.
"See that pink-haired girl?"
Dier leaned down and spoke to the commander of the Bloodline Army:
"Kill her, and you live. Fail, and you die."
"Understood?"
His Hypnosis ability took effect, flooding the commander's mind with the urge to kill the girl.
"AAAAAH!!!"
Eyes bloodshot, he roared and charged at Hina.
Hina clenched her fists nervously, then shouted and met him head-on.
Neither carried weapons, engaging in a bare-handed brawl.
Unsurprisingly, Hina was instantly at a disadvantage.
A month wasn't enough for her to undergo a complete transformation, and she was steadily pushed back by the commander.
Dier turned and sat on the sofa, unconcerned for her safety—even snacking casually.
The Cage-Cage Fruit's power wasn't just for making Black Guns.
If Hina wanted, she could easily defeat her opponent. But she wanted to train her close combat skills, which was why she was entangled in this fight.
Compared to her Devil Fruit Ability, her current hand-to-hand combat skills were practically nonexistent.
After taking a few punches, she finally activated her Devil Fruit Ability.
She dodged a punch by bending low, supporting herself with both hands and her right foot, then swept her leg toward the commander's shins.
The latter didn't bother to evade—Hina's strength was inferior to his, and he didn't believe her sweep could harm him.
Yet, to his surprise, Hina's leg passed straight through his legs. By the time he realized what had happened, black iron rings had already clamped around his limbs.
With a swift motion, Hina stretched her arms horizontally through his body, leaving more iron rings in their wake.
In the blink of an eye, Hina had subdued her opponent using her powers.
Clap clap—clap clap—
Dier and Robin, who had been watching from the sidelines, offered timely applause.
Hina's face flushed. She had resolved to train in close combat, yet in the end, she had still relied on her abilities to win.
"No need to rush."
Dier stepped forward, applying medicinal ointment to the bruises on her face as he reassured her:
"You're only fourteen. There's plenty of time ahead."
"Alright, let Robin tend to your other injuries."
He handed the ointment to Hina, then dragged the bound commander toward the master bedroom.
Mr.1 still needed to be dealt with.
What followed was the tedious process of Hypnosis.
Dier had no intention of keeping Mr.1 by his side—nor did he plan to hand him over to Bege.
He wanted Mr.1 to grow as he had in the original timeline, eventually catching Crocodile's eye and becoming the true Mr.1.
In the future, that scheming crocodile who coveted the Ancient Weapons would surely come after him and Robin. Mr.1 would serve as their inside man, relaying information in advance.
Once the Hypnosis was complete, Dier ordered him to leave through the back of the castle.
What Mr.1 chose to do afterward was entirely up to him—Dier wouldn't interfere in the slightest.
The room still held one unconscious commander. Dier woke him up and subjected him to Hypnosis as well.
That night, the group gathered in the castle for a royal feast.
To be honest, the food was mediocre at best—and downright unappetizing in appearance.
Roasted meat paired with watered-down tomato sauce, a bowl of worm-like pasta, and even the drinks were an unsettling shade of red.
The young Perona refused to take a single bite, while Dier devoured everything the three women left untouched.
At noon the next day, Vlad was officially crowned King in the succession ceremony.
That same day, Dier gained the ability of telepathic communication.
Just as he had predicted, new abilities would continue to manifest in him over the coming days.
The flight ability he had acquired yesterday wasn't particularly practical—he could barely hover a centimeter off the ground, moving at walking speed.
Today's telepathy was similarly limited.
In the castle's study, Robin was engrossed in a book.
Click—
Dier barged in, then stood three meters away, staring at her without a word.
"What is it? Do you need something?"
She looked up, puzzled.
Dier remained silent, taking two steps forward.
Robin pulled out a small mirror, checking if something was on her face.
Dier still didn't speak, advancing another two steps.
Robin fiddled with her hair, lowering her gaze.
Yet Dier stayed quiet, closing the distance between them.
Only when they were nearly face-to-face, Robin's cheeks burning red, did Dier's muttering echo in her mind:
"I want meat I want meat I want meat..."
Robin froze, then pressed a hand against Dier's face and shoved him away, flustered and furious:
"If you want meat, go find a cook! Don't bother me here!!"
As she spoke, she activated her ability.
Numerous arms emerged from the floor, dragging Dier down before lifting him out of the room.
Taking a deep breath, she picked up the Den Den Mushi in the room and made a call.
"Vlad, have the kitchen prepare a batch of meat dishes and send them to the dining hall."
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