As the commander of Wakanda's defenses, head of the military, and general of the royal army, W'Kabi had spent years guarding the nation's borders, maintaining its seclusion by keeping outsiders at bay.
Yet as a soldier, his true desire was to fight, to conquer, to expand territory! That was what a general should do—not spend his days like a gatekeeper, disguised as a herder in a small border village.
He had always disagreed with T'Chaka's policy of isolation. Though he yearned for battle and conquest rather than retreating into their own corner, he was a true soldier. Even when his views differed, he followed the king's orders without question.
He was a soldier, and obedience was his duty. As a general of Wakanda, loyalty to the king always came first!
Though there were doubts about Erik Killmonger's bold plan, once he gave the order with absolute authority, all opposition fell silent.
In Wakanda, the king is the supreme ruler, and his word is final. While advisors may question and offer suggestions, once the king has made a decision, they must obey unconditionally and carry it out with unwavering dedication.
Before the operation officially began, the Council of Elders announced their verdict regarding T'Chaka and Zuri. Having wrongfully killed Prince N'Jobu and abandoned his wife and child, they deserved punishment.
After a collective trial, the Council of Elders stripped Zuri of his position as High Priest and sentenced him to ten years in prison. T'Chaka, having previously abdicated, was stripped of his royal status and reduced to a commoner, also receiving a ten-year sentence.
However, with Wakanda about to launch a major military operation, the Council proposed commuting their sentences to military service.
Both T'Chaka and Zuri were among Wakanda's finest warriors. T'Chaka, in particular, as the former king and the Black Panther, had consumed the Heart-Shaped Herb, granting him superhuman strength. Despite his age, his power had not diminished significantly. It was only due to his focus on governance that he had passed the mantle of the Black Panther to his son, T'Challa.
Moreover, T'Chaka had decades of experience as the Black Panther, and even the younger, stronger T'Challa might not be his match in combat.
Though Zuri had not taken the Heart-Shaped Herb and lacked enhanced physical abilities, he had reached the peak of ordinary human strength. A former spy for Wakanda's intelligence network, the War Dogs, he had risen to become their leader, possessing exceptional combat skills and extensive field experience.
While his raw strength could not match the ape-like M'Baku, in a real fight, the outcome would be far from certain.
If Erik Killmonger had no plans for external warfare, imprisoning the two for ten years would have been feasible. But with military action imminent, leaving such capable warriors behind bars was a waste. It was far better to allow them to unleash their abilities on the battlefield, fighting for Wakanda and redeeming themselves through service.
After considering the Elders' proposal for a moment, Erik slowly nodded under the anxious gazes of those present.
"Very well. They will be deployed in the upcoming operation."
T'Challa felt a wave of relief at Erik's agreement, sparing T'Chaka and Zuri the hardship of imprisonment. Though the two would be fighting on the front lines—a potentially dangerous situation, especially since T'Chaka could no longer wear his vibranium-weave Black Panther suit—Wakanda's advanced technology meant that standard combat gear was more than capable of withstanding most conventional weapons. Combined with their formidable skills, the risks were minimal.
Therefore, T'Challa supported this alternative arrangement, believing the two would be more than willing to atone for their mistakes through action.
Of course, T'Challa himself, possessing the power of the Black Panther, would also be taking part in the operation.
Yet even with the combined might of two Black Panthers and the leader of the War Dogs, the mission still lacked sufficient manpower.
This large-scale decapitation operation—aimed at eliminating all of Africa's warlords—was not a task ordinary soldiers could handle. Each warlord was protected by vast personal armies. To eliminate them quietly, without alerting their guards or triggering larger conflicts, required highly skilled, elite warriors.
Wakanda's population was small. The border warriors of the five major tribes, tasked with guarding the kingdom, numbered only in the thousands. Of these, fewer than a hundred were elite enough to undertake such a demanding mission.
The manpower was simply insufficient to swiftly and completely eliminate the African warlords.
Even if they mobilized all capable warriors from the other tribes and the elite spies of the War Dogs, the numbers still fell short.
However, one of Wakanda's five major tribes remained absent and aloof from the kingdom's affairs: the Jabari.
Living high in the mountains, the Jabari had always upheld tradition and rejected modern technology. While other tribes embraced advanced vibranium-powered conveniences, the Jabari maintained a primitive, hunter-gatherer lifestyle.
Isolated in the harsh, high-altitude environment, they survived through hunting. These conditions forged them into a people of iron will and immense physical strength. Centuries of natural selection had endowed the Jabari with superior genetics, making them exceptionally tall and sturdy. Their hunting and warlike culture had honed their combat skills to a razor's edge.
While the Border Tribe defended Wakanda's perimeter, without advanced weaponry, the Jabari were arguably the most formidable of the five tribes.
They were Erik Killmonger's target. These powerful, battle-hardened warriors were exactly what he needed.
Now that he was king, he would not allow this formidable force to go to waste, as previous kings had.
After the pre-war council concluded, Erik Killmonger and Chen Mo set out for the mountains where the Jabari tribe resided.