"Uncle, I'm so bored… How much longer until we reach Wano?" Anne asked, lying on the flaming cloud and lazily munching on an apple.
They had been flying in the sky for an entire day already, the endless blue stretching beneath them.
"Probably another full day of flying," Karl replied. "Let's find an island to rest on for the night first. I'm starving—should've packed more meat."
"Yes, please! I'm sick of just fruit," Anne said immediately, tossing her apple core over the side.
The Kingdom of Sylvania—a powerful nation deep in the New World, boasting an army of over 600,000 soldiers.
Right now, the kingdom was in chaos. The old king had died, and the crown prince had taken the throne. But instead of peace, he was cleansing the court of his royal brothers.
Rumor had it the Second Prince was planning to join forces with the Third and Fourth Princes to overthrow him. Each of those princes commanded one hundred thousand soldiers—enough to threaten the new king's rule.
So, the Crown Prince struck first. Before his brothers even realized it, he assassinated the Second Prince and framed the Third and Fourth for the deed. Then, he absorbed the Second Prince's army into his own forces.
When the remaining princes learned that their brother's troops had fallen into the Crown Prince's hands, they knew they were doomed. The Crown Prince now held three hundred thousand men—though a third of them guarded the capital, while another two hundred thousand were still en route. The Third and Fourth Princes decided to gamble everything on a single strike, hoping to seize the capital before reinforcements could arrive.
For a time, victory seemed within reach… until an unexpected force entered the fray.
The Crown Prince had secretly hired the Behemoth Pirates, promising to reward them with two Devil Fruits if they helped crush his rebel brothers.
The captain of the Behemoth Pirates was a user of the Ancient Zoan: Ryu Ryu no Mi, Model – Southern Behemoth Dragon. The Southern Behemoth Dragon was a dinosaur rivaling the Tyrannosaurus in strength—bloodthirsty, savage, and massive. The pirate captain also wielded both Armament and Observation Haki, making him a terrifying ally.
With the Behemoth Pirates joining the battle, the outcome was sealed.
By the war's end, the Crown Prince stood victorious. The Third and Fourth Princes were captured alive, and their combined army of two hundred thousand was almost annihilated.
That evening, the capital erupted in celebration. The Crown Prince's faction feasted and drank to their triumph—unaware that the Behemoth Pirates were plotting betrayal at that very moment.
At their temporary camp, the pirates reveled separately from the royal army. As a reward for their help, the Crown Prince had graciously gifted them his late father's thirty-plus concubines.
"Captain, when do we move?" one of the pirate officers asked, a drunken grin on his face as he groped two trembling concubines. "I can't wait any longer!"
"Hehehe… patience, my dear brother," the pirate captain—Rim—replied with a cruel smile. "Once we get our hands on those Devil Fruits, we strike. I've heard they aren't stored in the royal treasury, so the king's hiding them somewhere else. Otherwise, do you think I'd still be waiting?"
The Behemoth Pirates were formed by Rim and his two younger brothers. The Devil Fruits promised by the Crown Prince were meant for those brothers—once they consumed them, the crew's strength would skyrocket.
The concubines listened in terror, forcing nervous smiles while silently praying for the nightmare to end.
Meanwhile, high above the war-torn country, Karl and Anne descended through the clouds.
"Uncle, it looks like there was a war down there…" Anne whispered, her face pale as she looked at the smoldering ruins below. Cries of grief echoed from the shattered city—women, children, the elderly—echoes of suffering everywhere.
"Yeah… looks like the war just ended," Karl said quietly. Even he felt uneasy; the oppressive air seemed thick with malice—perhaps even the influence of a Devil Fruit.
"Aww, great. And here I was hoping we could find a nice place for a bath and a proper meal," Anne grumbled, tugging at her hair. After flying for days, the salty wind had left it dry and tangled.
"Let's check inside the city first," Karl said. "Some parts still look intact."
"Alright… guess that's our only option." Anne sighed and followed him.
Inside the capital, the outer districts near the walls lay in ruins. Relief efforts were minimal—just a handful of soldiers helping a sea of displaced citizens.
Karl and Anne made their way into the Inner City, the noble district still largely untouched by the conflict. Entry required a fee of one million Berries, far beyond what any commoner could afford.
They found a luxurious hotel and checked in. Anne immediately vanished into the bath, while Karl ordered an extravagant meal of local specialties. Too hungry to wait, he started eating before she came out.
"(⊙o⊙) Wow! So much food! Uncle—you started without me!?" Anne cried when she saw the feast. Her stomach growled loudly, and she dove straight in.
"Anne, you usually act so graceful. Try to keep that cool image of yours," Karl teased, watching her devour the dishes.
"There's no one else here, so who cares about image?" she said through a mouthful of meat.
Karl chuckled and shook his head. As long as she's happy, he thought.
Not long after, the two finished the entire table's worth of food. Then Karl pulled out two beach chairs from his storage bracelet, setting them up on the balcony. They lay back under the night sky, full and relaxed.
Elsewhere, in the Behemoth Pirates' camp, a royal envoy had just arrived. He tried not to look at the terrified concubines being abused by the pirates—but couldn't help thinking bitterly, Why weren't they given to me instead?
"Hehehe~ So, what brings you here?" Rim asked, still lounging with a woman in his arms. "Did your king finally bring me what he promised?"
So it's time, Rim thought, his blood beginning to boil with anticipation.
"Captain Rim," the envoy said haughtily, "His Majesty asked me to tell you that due to the recent rebellion, he's been too busy to recall where he stored the promised items. He requests your patience for a few more days."
The envoy smirked inwardly. Brilliant plan. The Marines couldn't interfere in internal wars, but pirates could. So the king used them to crush his brothers' rebellion—then stall them until the Navy arrived to wipe them out. Two birds with one stone.
But the envoy didn't notice the storm brewing behind Rim's eyes.
Too busy? Forgot where he put them?
That was an insult.
Without a word, Rim shoved the concubine off his lap, drew his blade, and slashed the envoy in half in one clean motion. The woman screamed in terror.
The pirates immediately dropped their entertainment, gathering around their enraged captain, eyes blazing. The air grew thick with bloodlust.
The Behemoth Pirates were done waiting.
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