Inside the room, Diamante and Vergo talked for a long time, sharing amusing stories from their years apart. Their bond, already strong, deepened even further.
With that, Vergo officially took up residence on the Ark. As for his warship, it had been dealt with days ago. Under the cover of a pirate attack orchestrated by Diamante, Vergo had ensured its destruction from the inside, neatly pinning the blame on King Riku and his forces.
Vergo had already reported the incident to the Marines. His official story was that he was injured and temporarily unable to return to G-5 base. He also informed his superiors that he was currently in Dressrosa, attempting to thwart King Riku's "conspiracy," and requested Marine assistance.
Marine Headquarters, Marineford.
BANG!
A fist slammed down on a desk, sending newspapers and a teacup flying. It was clear that the room's occupant was furious.
"Damn you, Morgans! Damn you, King Riku!" Sengoku cursed, his face contorted with rage.
The news was infuriating: a Marine unit led by Vergo had been ambushed in the waters near Dressrosa. Aside from Vergo himself, who had barely managed to escape with his life, there were no survivors. The newspaper report claimed that the pirates responsible had been dispatched by King Riku. To make matters worse, Morgans had pointed the finger directly at a World Government-affiliated nation, an act that undoubtedly damaged the World Government's prestige.
Everyone knew how the World Government operated. King Riku's alleged actions were tantamount to suicide, a direct challenge to their authority.
Having provoked the World Government, King Riku would have to pay the price. At this point, it didn't matter whether Morgans' report from Dressrosa was entirely true. Such rumors don't appear out of thin air, and with Commodore Vergo personally corroborating the facts, there was no question of King Riku being wrongly accused.
Even if it were false, the damage to the World Government's image demanded punishment.
The pressure now fell squarely on Sengoku. The Five Elders had been just as enraged as he was when they first saw the paper. For a small, affiliated nation to dare to defy them was unthinkable. They had tasked Sengoku with handling the matter.
Sengoku sighed. He had no choice. He had dealt with situations like this countless times. As a key figurehead for the World Government, he had to maintain its public image.
"Has that fool Riku eaten his fill and got nothing better to do than cause me trouble?" Sengoku muttered, stroking the head of his pet goat to calm his rising anger. His mind was already calculating how to deal with Dressrosa.
From a strategic point of view, this was an opportunity. The Marines had a limited foothold in the New World. If they could seize control of Dressrosa, it would serve as a vital staging point for deeper infiltration.
While Sengoku was contemplating his next move, Dressrosa itself was already in turmoil.
"Your Majesty! Your Majesty! Terrible news!" A guard rushed into the throne room, holding a newspaper, and reported to King Riku.
"What's with all the panic?" King Riku asked, his voice laced with impatience. His eyes were heavy with exhaustion. For days, he and his daughter Viola had been working tirelessly to comfort the terrified populace, but their efforts were in vain. The people were like frightened birds, rejecting his kindness. The constant rejection had taken its toll, and the weariness was etched deep into his face.
"Your Majesty, you must see this," the guard said, quickly handing him the paper to convey the gravity of the situation.
Seeing the guard's frantic expression, King Riku knew something serious had happened. He took the paper and his eyes fell upon the glaring headline: "World Government Nation Dressrosa Colludes with Pirates, Murders Marines." The color drained from his face. Forcing himself to suppress the rising panic, he read every word.
With each line, his hands trembled more violently, until he could no longer hold the paper, letting it slip from his grasp and flutter to the floor.
The guard watched him nervously. Seeing the king's utterly lost and soul-crushed appearance, the guard panicked. "Your Majesty! Your Majesty, are you alright!?"
"It's over... It's really over this time," King Riku whispered, his voice filled with sorrow. "Dressrosa will be ruined at my hands. Even the World Government will abandon us. There's no one left who can help us now."
The past several days of frantic work now seemed like a cruel joke. As he spoke, tears of pure despair welled up in his eyes and streamed down his cheeks.
"Your Majesty..." The guard felt a pang of pain in his own heart. He knew as well as anyone that Dressrosa was on the brink of collapse. Only his duty as a guard kept him from fleeing. Otherwise, he would have left this troubled land long ago, just like so many of the other islanders.
After another long look at the broken king, the guard quietly withdrew. He knew that the only person who could reach the king now was his family. He immediately went to find the princess.
"Father... Father..."
Viola's gentle voice reached King Riku's ears, piercing through the fog of his despair and bringing a flicker of life back into his eyes.
"Viola, you're here," he said, forcing a smile that was more painful than a grimace.
Seeing her father, who seemed to have aged years in a single day, Viola's eyes turned red with unshed tears. She had already heard the news, but what could she, a young girl, possibly do to save a dying nation?
King Riku raised a trembling, aged hand and gently stroked her hair.
"Father... are we... are we going to lose our country?" Viola sobbed, collapsing into her father's arms.
"It's alright, Viola. Everything will be alright," he soothed.
"But..." Viola couldn't stop crying, her words catching in her throat.
"There must be a way," King Riku said, forcing himself to sound strong. He couldn't let his daughter see him despair. Even if he had to die, he would die before she did.
"Mm," Viola nodded vaguely. An idea was forming in her mind, but she didn't know if her father would agree, so she kept it to herself.
In the sunflower fields, Princess Scarlett and Kyros had also seen the newspaper. Years ago, Scarlett had been declared dead by her father to protect her. But when the king was framed for the massacre, she had no choice but to reveal herself to restore his credibility. Her reappearance, along with the king's efforts, had managed to calm the populace for a time. But she never imagined that retribution would come so swiftly.
"Scarlett, what do we do?" Kyros asked anxiously.
As the elder princess, Scarlett was more mature and worldly than Viola. When she read the news, her first thought wasn't of a fallen nation, but of the stench of conspiracy. The more she thought about it, the more her heart pounded with fear. She didn't know if she should voice her suspicions to her father.
"Scarlett... Scarlett!"
Kyros's voice pulled her from her deep thought.
"Are you okay?" he asked, concerned by her distant expression. He took her hand in his.
"I'm fine. Don't worry, I won't fall apart. Dressrosa must not be lost." Scarlett gave Kyros a sweet smile.
"Everything will be alright. I will always be in front of you. Even if I have to die, I will die before you do," Kyros said. His words weren't romantic or eloquent, but they filled Scarlett's heart with a deep sense of contentment. She knew he was a man who always kept his word.
"Let's go see Father," Scarlett said.
"As you wish," Kyros nodded.
A short while later, Kyros, holding Rebecca in his arms, left the flower field with Scarlett. The peaceful family of three was forced to leave their sanctuary to face the impending storm and the crisis that threatened to destroy their nation.