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Chapter 7
The guard captain, hearing Heracles' words, assumed they were ready to pay up. "Ten thousand Berries per person. That's two million Berries total," he shouted loudly.
Victor burst out laughing at the absurd number. Heracles couldn't help but laugh too—he'd never heard of entry taxes being demanded without any trade or goods first.
Victor grinned at Heracles. "You handle your share. Mine's on the house."
Heracles smirked. "You joking?"
He turned to the crew. "All of you—back to the ship. Sail out of the harbor and wait for us offshore."
The crew immediately understood: things were about to get violent. They nodded and hurried back to the ship. Most were ordinary scholars; only Heracles had real combat ability. They couldn't handle trained soldiers.
The captain wasn't pleased. "Stop! Who said you could leave? Want to leave? Pay ten thousand Berries each!"
The crew ignored him completely.
Victor laughed louder. "Hahaha—you really picked the wrong person to mess with. Your luck ends here."
In the next instant, Victor vanished from sight.
He was done talking. Actions spoke louder now.
Within a few breaths, the entire Drum Kingdom guard squad lay groaning on the ground. The surrounding snow slowly stained red with blood.
Victor stood casually with one foot on the captain's chest, pulling out food and continuing to eat as if nothing had happened.
"Taxes, taxes… tax this, you moron. Keep talking. So arrogant, zero sense of danger. You deserve every second of this."
Victor genuinely despised rude, overbearing people like this.
The captain, hearing the taunt, passed out from rage and pain—unable to respond.
Victor glanced at Heracles. "Alright, they're dealt with. Let's head to the palace. Might as well test our luck there."
Heracles shook his head. "I'll stay here and keep watch. Don't want reinforcements showing up and hurting innocent people."
Victor nodded. "Fair enough. Stay in town, get a feel for the local culture. Maybe stock up on supplies while you're at it."
Heracles agreed.
With a quick gesture, Victor leaped away, vanishing into the snowy forest toward the mountain-top castle.
At the Drum Kingdom's royal palace, celebrations were underway—the prince had just been born.
"Hahaha! I finally have a son! Wonderful!"
The middle-aged man with the enormous mouth—metal teeth glinting—gazed fondly at the infant in his arms. "My precious boy… from now on, your name is Wapol."
This was clearly the King of Drum.
The castle hall was filled with nearly every doctor in the kingdom.
Victor's voice suddenly echoed through the chamber. "So Wapol was just born. Looks like my timing is perfect. And you must be the King of Drum. Seems you've already eaten the Baku Baku no Mi."
Disappointment flashed across Victor's face—he could see the fruit's power already active in the king.
The sudden voice startled everyone.
"Who are you?! Who let you in?! Guards—seize him!"
The king shouted in panic, ordering his men forward without a second thought.
The palace guards rushed toward Victor.
Victor remained calm, lost in thought about something he wanted to test later. These soldiers didn't even register as threats to him.
Just as they closed in, Victor disappeared.
Seconds later, the guards began collapsing one after another—spitting blood, knocked unconscious or worse.
The eerie scene sent waves of terror through the room. Everyone broke into a cold sweat.
"Is he human? A ghost?!"
"Devil Fruit user? How is he so fast?!"
"We're just doctors—this has nothing to do with us!"
The physicians scrambled away in fear.
The king tried to bluff. "Who the hell are you?! I'm the King of Drum! Harm me and the World Government will put a bounty on your head!"
Victor appeared directly in front of him, smiling. "Oh? I don't really care. But you don't seem like a very good king. Mind if someone else takes the throne?"
The king stumbled backward, sweat pouring down his face.
"D-don't do anything reckless! Don't hurt my son!"
He was genuinely terrified now.
Victor stayed calm. "Relax. I'm not interested in your son. I'm only interested in your Baku Baku no Mi."
The king's expression hardened at the mention of the fruit. "Impossible! You'll have to kill me first!"
He quickly handed the baby to the queen and urged her to flee.
Then, from his massive mouth, he spat out a bizarre, enormous cannon—its barrel aimed straight at Victor.
"Hahaha! I'm a Munch-Munch Fruit user! Try my Super Alloy Cannon!"
He hurriedly loaded a shell and prepared to fire.
Victor shook his head in disappointment. "Devil Fruit powers aren't omnipotent. And your body is pathetically weak. What a complete waste of the Baku Baku no Mi."
He couldn't help but comment on the king's terrible use of such a versatile ability.
The king ignored him completely and lit the fuse.
"Hahaha! Whoever you are—you're going to die under my cannon!"
He didn't care who else got caught in the blast.
The doctors, watching the scene unfold, bolted for the exits in terror. They'd seen this cannon's destructive power before—rebels had been obliterated by it in the past.
They knew staying meant death. Neither side was someone they could afford to cross.
Victor watched the fleeing crowd and sensed their emotions through Observation Haki. "Looks like you really are a tyrant and a fool. Not a single person here feels loyalty toward you—only fear, disgust, hatred."
The king sneered. "Hmph! They're all lowly peasants. Born to serve the royal family. Us giving them orders is an honor—they should be grateful!"
The moment the words left his mouth—
BOOM!
The cannon fired with a deafening roar, the shell rocketing straight toward Victor.
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