One Piece: Lost in the Tutorial #67

With the soldiers out of his way, Blake reached the throne. The king, seeing that there was no escape, made a final plea, but it was cut short as Blake drove his fist into the king, shattering the throne behind him and sending him flying.

The king's back hit the wall, and he slid down to the ground, the impact shaking the room and casting a heavy silence. Still, Blake was far from finished.

Taking each step slowly and deliberately, he drew his sword, keeping his cold gaze fixed on the king. The king attempted to beg for his life, but his words came out as nothing more than garbled nonsense mixed with violent coughs as he gasped for breath.

Blake stood over the trembling monarch, his eyes burning with a mix of rage and satisfaction. "Your death will be as slow as it will be painful..." he said, his voice dripping with venom.

The king's eyes widened in terror, and he tried to crawl away, but his injuries left him too weak. Blake's shadow loomed over him as he raised his sword, the blade catching the light and reflecting the king's fear-stricken face.

"Please... show... mercy..." the king managed to choke out between coughs.

Blake's expression remained unmoved. "Mercy? You showed my family no mercy. They burned to death BECAUSE OF YOU!" He pressed the tip of his sword against the king's chest, just enough to draw blood. "Now, you will pay with your life and suffering."

As Blake began to slowly drag the blade across the king's chest, Kiera stood nearby, her eyes cold and unfeeling. The king's screams filled the throne room, echoing off the ornate walls and high ceiling. Each cry for help, each gasp of pain, seemed to embolden Blake further.

Minutes felt like hours as Blake exacted his revenge, ensuring every second was filled with the king's suffering.

...

Fleet Admiral Sengoku sat at his desk, the weight of his responsibilities apparent in the lines etched across his face. The stack of paperwork before him seemed endless, each document demanding his attention and decision. The room was quiet, save for the occasional rustle of papers and the steady ticking of the clock on the wall.

The calm was abruptly interrupted by the ringing of the Transponder Snail on his desk. Sengoku frowned slightly, recognizing the specific tone that indicated a call from one of his top operatives. He picked up the receiver, his voice steady and authoritative.

"Sengoku speaking. Is that you, Drake?"

"Yes, Fleet Admiral. It's me," X Drake's voice crackled through the snail. "I've arrived at Lvneel as planned. I'm in position as the fleet admiral commander."

"Good," Sengoku replied, leaning back in his chair. "Have you managed to infiltrate Blake Thorne's crew?"

Drake hesitated, and Sengoku's frown deepened. "There are... complications."

"What kind of complications?" Sengoku asked, his tone sharp.

Drake's reply was tense. "Blake Thorne just attacked the royal castle of Lvneel. He butchered the king in front of his soldiers."

Sengoku was momentarily speechless, feeling a headache forming behind his temples. He pinched the bridge of his nose and took a deep breath. "Why would he do that?"

Drake's voice was steady as he explained, "I asked around. It turns out Blake was originally the son of a noble from Lvneel. The king had his parents killed and sold Blake into slavery to scrounge up money to bribe other kingdoms. Blake has come back for revenge."

Another silence followed as Sengoku processed the information. He quickly regained his composure and instructed, "Stand down for now, Drake. Wait for further instructions."

"Understood, Fleet Admiral," Drake replied before the line went dead.

Sengoku let out a long, tired sigh, leaning back in his chair and closing his eyes for a moment.

The situation was rapidly escalating, and he could feel the pressure mounting. He had long realized the threat and potential of the pirate named Blake Thorne.

He ordered Drake to move ahead of time and defect from the marines solely for the purpose of infiltrating this troublesome crew of rookie pirates, in hopes of containing them or even destroying them from the inside.

Given the vastness of the sea and how short-staffed the Marines were at the moment, Sengoku thought the best course of action was to keep an eye on these pirates and try to influence them, hoping to turn them from potential threats and headaches to assets.

It was the best course of action he could think of, especially because Blake and his crew refrained from killing any marines, and yet he never considered something like this would happen, dashing all his hopes and toppling all his plans.

Opening his eyes, he reached for the Transponder Snail again, knowing that this matter was quickly becoming something beyond even his considerable pay grade.

He dialed another number, one that connected to an office even more secure and secretive than his own. As the snail rang, he prepared himself for the conversation to come, hoping that his superiors would have a plan to deal with the chaos unfolding in Lvneel.

...

In the meeting chamber of Pangaea Castle, the five elders—the highest authority in the World Government—sat in their own chairs, their faces grave and pensive as they waited for something.

The silence was broken by the ringing of the Transponder Snail, its eyes opening to reveal the call's urgency. Mars, the elder with a long white beard, picked up the receiver.

"Yes, what is it?" he asked, his voice measured and controlled.

"It's Commander in Chief Kong," came the reply, the deep, authoritative voice of one of the highest-ranking officers in the World Government. "We have a situation in Lvneel. Blake Thorne, the pirate with a 150 million Beri bounty, has attacked and killed the king of Lvneel..."

He trailed off, taking a deep breath before continuing. "His crew has taken over the royal castle, and the local forces have been unable to respond effectively. What should be our next course of action?"

The elders exchanged glances before Mars responded, "We will need to discuss the matter before giving you an answer... do you have anything to add?"

Kong's response was quick as it was clear. "I do, but it will take some time to explain the entirety of the situation... someone with a detailed report of the incident will come to you soon."

"Very well. Then you are to keep an eye on the situation and wait for further orders..." Mars said and with that, he ended the call and set the receiver down, turning to his colleagues.

The room was heavy with tension as the five elders began their deliberation.

"We need to eliminate Blake Thorne. His actions show a lack of regard for authority. If he's capable of attacking a marine base and killing a king as a rookie, then I can't begin to imagine what he'll do once he's more powerful." Mars stated firmly. "We should deploy the Marines."

Warcury, a bald man with a scar across his face, shook his head. "I agree that we must eliminate the threat of this pirate, but the Marines are stretched thin as it is. Thorne has already incapacitated one of the vice admirals. We should use the Cipher Pol instead."

Peter, with a stern look and sharp eyes, interjected, "We'd need to send at least two vice admirals for such an endeavor, maybe even three to be sure. But we can't afford to send such valuable manpower to the North Blue. The Four Emperors might start acting out if they sense a weakness in our defenses."

Nusjuro, a man with round glasses and a calm demeanor, pondered aloud, "Should we use the Cipher Pol after all?"

Saturn, who had remained silent until now, finally spoke. "Only Cipher Pol Zero would have a chance, but they're all deployed on their own important missions. We can't divert them for this."

Mars leaned forward, his eyes narrowing in thought. "We need a plan that doesn't compromise our current operations or leave us vulnerable. Blake Thorne might become a significant threat in time, but we must handle this delicately."

The elders fell into a contemplative silence, each lost in their thoughts. The gravity of the situation was clear, and the decision they faced was not an easy one.

The silence stretched on, until it was finally broken by a knock on the meeting room's door. The five elders exchanged glances, and Saturn invited the visitor in.

It was an agent dressed in a sharp dark suit, who wasted no time in declaring, "I've been sent by Commander in Chief Kong to deliver a detailed report regarding the most recent incident at the Lvneel Kingdom within North Blue."