"The Gambino Family… truly a generous family."
Arthur cast one final glance at the now lifeless Muir Island. With a light wave of his hand, the fleet raised its sails and began the voyage back to the Kingdom of Zephir.
Onboard, the Kingdom Army stared at the holds filled with gold, jewels, weapons, and ammunition.
It felt like a dream.
Even after the ships had already departed, many soldiers still hadn't fully recovered from the shock.
Originally, they had believed that this expedition to Muir Island would almost certainly be a suicide mission.
But as soldiers, bound by duty and honor, not a single one of them had retreated.
All the way there, however, tension and unease had hung heavily over everyone.
What they never expected was that when they finally arrived—
They would find nothing but ruins.
The Gambino Family had already been completely wiped out.
From beginning to end, their only role had been transporting supplies and collecting spoils.
They hadn't fought a single battle.
The news left them both relieved and deeply shaken.
Shaken because a powerful mafia family like the Gambinos had been annihilated overnight.
And the ones responsible—
Were merely a forty-eight–man unit.
What stirred even greater awe was what Commander Stanley had hinted at.
This terrifying force…
Was a secret unit personally cultivated by Prince Arthur.
The name of the Ninja Assassination Tactical Unit quickly spread among the soldiers like wildfire.
And along with it—
Their reverence for Arthur grew.
Inside the luxurious cabin of the flagship.
Arthur sat comfortably on the sofa, flipping through books about the world's history.
If he intended to live in this world, understanding its past was essential.
Beside him, Elia was carefully peeling grapes.
Her jade-like fingers held each crystal-clear fruit before gently feeding it to him.
"The Void Century…"
Arthur chewed the sweet-and-sour grape while reading the brief passage in the history book.
His brows furrowed slightly.
Then he shook his head.
Whatever had happened during those hundred missing years…
Had nothing to do with him.
Snap.
He closed the book and leaned back against the sofa, letting out a long breath.
Opening his mouth, he accepted another grape from Elia and slowly sank into thought.
"The Gambino problem has been resolved."
"Now the only threats to the Kingdom of Zephir are the pirates rampaging across our territory."
"That's nothing major. The Kingdom Army can handle most of them."
"And if they encounter troublesome opponents… the ANBU can step in."
"But compared to that…"
His narrowed eyes gleamed with anticipation.
"I'm more excited about the exclusive lottery draw."
Every man had dreams of becoming strong.
Arthur was no exception.
Even if his summoned legions were powerful, that didn't change the fact that he himself was still weak.
Only by becoming strong personally could he truly stand among the monsters of this world.
"When we return…"
Arthur closed his eyes.
"I'll ascend the throne and become king."
Knock knock knock.
The quiet room was interrupted by a knock on the door.
"Come in," Arthur said calmly.
"Your Highness."
Stanley entered, holding a box with both hands.
He knelt before Arthur and carefully opened it.
"Your Highness, this treasure was discovered in the Gambino Family warehouse."
"Oh?"
Arthur glanced at the contents and raised an eyebrow.
"A Devil Fruit?"
Inside the box lay a strange fruit shaped like a mango.
Its color was pale green, and mysterious swirling patterns covered its surface like ancient runes.
It was unmistakably—
A Devil Fruit.
"Yes, Your Highness," Stanley confirmed respectfully.
Ever since witnessing the terrifying strength of the ANBU, his reverence for Arthur had only grown.
Arthur stared at the Devil Fruit thoughtfully.
After a moment, he shook his head.
He abandoned the idea of eating it.
Devil Fruits could grant immense power quickly.
But eating one without knowing its ability was extremely risky.
Besides—
It would cost him the ability to swim.
With the exclusive lottery system, Arthur had plenty of ways to grow stronger.
There was no need to take unnecessary risks.
Beside him, Elia curiously examined the strange fruit before feeding him another peeled grape.
Arthur chewed it slowly and spoke calmly to Stanley.
"As the commander of the Kingdom Army, your strength is still lacking."
"You may have this Devil Fruit."
Stanley froze.
Then overwhelming joy appeared on his face.
"Granted… to me?"
He lowered his head immediately, his voice filled with gratitude.
"Thank you for your generosity, Your Highness!"
"You may leave."
Arthur waved his hand dismissively.
"Yes!"
Stanley suppressed his excitement and withdrew respectfully.
"Elia, stop peeling grapes."
"Come massage my shoulders."
"Yes, Your Highness."
Elia obediently moved behind him.
Her soft hands gently kneaded his shoulders.
Arthur closed his eyes comfortably.
Soon, without realizing it—
He drifted into sleep.
Meanwhile.
Less than an hour after the Zephir fleet departed Muir Island—
Another ship slowly approached the island.
It was a medium-sized sailing vessel.
On its mast fluttered the flag of one of the three great mafia families of West Blue—
The Brule Family.
"What?! What happened here?!"
"Why are all the Gambino members dead?!"
"How is this possible?!"
"Look over there! That's Clyde, one of the Gambino executives! He was a Devil Fruit user!"
"My god… look there… that's Ant, the Gambino boss! He's dead too?!"
"This… this can't be real!"
Before long, shocked cries echoed across the ruined center of Muir Island.
Members of the Brule Family gathered around the collapsed manor.
Their faces were filled with disbelief as they stared at the horrifying scene.
Bodies everywhere.
Expressions frozen in terror.
And when they saw the corpses of the Gambino executives—
And their leader, Ant—
A chilling realization swept through every one of them.
The Gambino Family…
Had been completely annihilated.
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