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Chapter IV

CHAPTER IV

Today, Arashi Kingdom…

The scarred man and his fellow fish-man continued undaunted and stealthy through the corridor, stopping occasionally to admire from the windows bluish thunder and lightning streaking across the sky. Then, with the classic delay of those who are compelled by nature to always come second, an energetic roar made the floor beneath them vibrate as if during an earthquake tremor, and so did the walls. It was as if the palace was on the verge of collapsing at any moment, and if by some strange twist of fate this happened, they would have to say goodbye to Leon's treasure and the opportunity to unearth what was on the last island, even though still no one but the members of his crew knew its exact location.

A scenario the young man didn't even want to assume.

Not losing heart at all, he continued down the path until at the end of it, he glimpsed a huge, intricately carved gateway. Just what he was looking for: the entrance to the throne room. He signaled for Yoi to take cover behind one of the two columns, noticing six armed men presiding over him. They wore crimson armor and gleaming, opaque black helmets resembling insect heads, wielding swords and halberds as sharp as dragon's teeth.

A blue eagle with its beak gaping from a spear piercing its throat, the official coat of arms of the Arashi kingdom, stood out on their uniforms: two were placed on either side of it, motionless as soulless automatons; two had their backs turned, controlling the two corridors that wound east and west. The last two were blocking the stairs, preventing anyone from accessing them.

They had probably been tasked to stay and defend the kingdom's treasury with their lives while the bulk of the royal army fought against the revolutionaries led by Commander Drace. With a nod, he ordered the fish-man to take care of the men.

Yoi sneaked out of hiding, and as if by magic a miniature version of the same emerged from its left side. It was as if the creature known up to this moment had disappeared, giving way to six tiny mini-clones, exactly the same number as the guards. With an almost unnatural movement, each Yoi appeared behind its target, covering each limb with a thick, shiny, black layer, as if it were something like obsidian, using them to pierce the thick armor and poison them with the paralyzing substance they secreted, knocking them out of the fight.

It was because of its power that it had been given the epithet "Legion" since by dividing into smaller parts it could rapidly increase its ranks, much like a full-fledged army.

It was certainly a devastating ability, especially in the hands of someone who had a reputation for being a skilled assassin.

«Good job, Yoi» congratulated the boy as he came out into the open and took a quick look at the bodies lying helpless on the ground. Meanwhile, the water creature's body returned to its original size. «It was very fortunate that those fucking celestial dragons forced you to ingest the Divide Divide fruit. True, you lost the ability to swim forever, and as a fish-man it must be real torture not to be able to take full advantage of your element, but all in all what was supposed to be an affront, turned out to be a useful resource instead» he concluded as he advanced.

In response, the fish man replied with a military salute, a gesture worth a thousand words, since Yoi hadn't opened his mouth since that terrible day. The young man wasn't even sure that he possessed such a gift, but on one thing he was: that event had forever changed his worldview, awakening something that had always remained dormant within him. If he hadn't met Yoi that day, he would probably be elsewhere right now and not on the trail of some phantom legend.

«The second part of the plan was completed» the young man continued, rummaging through his jacket pockets and pulling out a pitch-black den den mushi. It belonged to that special category that allowed those who possessed it to communicate with others having the same specimen in total peace of mind, without outside agents picking it up or the Marine itself or other ill-intentioned people being able to do so «We'd better check that Neal or Lysandra haven't gotten into any trouble»

***

Far below the throne room, in a place devoid of any form of light and where the air seemed suffocating and impregnated with desolation, a crammed group of men in crimson uniforms was lying on the ground in a dark pool of blood. An otherworldly chill permeated the walls encrusted with who knows what kind of organic liquid.

That place that seemed straight out of some horror movie was none other than the dungeon, and those unfortunates, were actually part of the royal guard, probably the remaining contingent left to protect the castle.

No sound or air displacement could be heard; it was as if they had been attacked by an unknown and invisible force. Amidst the corpses of soldiers clutching their spears as if they were still ready to fight, something moved: One of them was still alive.

Although he was totally moribund and blood was gushing copiously from a wound present at the level of his abdomen, this had not prevented him from dragging himself on all fours toward the nearest companion weapon, perhaps precisely to defend himself from the same threat that had swept over him like a fury.

However, he did not even have time to reach him that a blue trail headed toward him at great speed, striking him violently from behind. No one could have survived such a thing, and indeed the man fell to the ground stone dead, without uttering even a cry of pain. Next to him, pervaded by bluish discharges, landed a young man of medium height and ice-eyed, who in the darkness of the room appeared even more menacing.

The pocket of his dark pants seemed to vibrate for a few moments, just long enough for the stranger to pull out a transponder, similar in every way to the scarred man's

«Neal, where the hell have you been?» Someone on the other end asked. A warm, authoritative voice, but one that could instill just the right amount of awe

«I am in the dungeon, Captain Morgan» replied the stranger without attempting to hide a smile. Although the man had a reputation as a stoic and ruthless individual, he loved it when he openly worried about the members of his crew

«Were you able to locate the Poneglyph and memorize what was engraved on it?»

«Of course, did you doubt it, perhaps?» retorted the young man sarcastically

A smirk appeared on Captain Morgan's face «Not at all. Is Lysandra with you?» he asked. From the tone, a slight note of apprehension seemed to shine through.

«Unfortunately not» replied Neal, «Our paths parted not less than an hour ago, when in our attempt to escape from the castle we ran into a handful of soldiers carrying five or six prisoners. At that point Lys, as if possessed by the devil herself, took out the jailers in no time and released them, not before inquiring about the presence of the two remaining Shinowians in the east wing. Knowing her, she must have rushed to rescue them»

«Very well» replied the other with a sigh «Get away from there and try to gather the others. I will join you as soon as I manage to contact 'Madame Liberty' and retrieve the artifact»

«Roger that, captain» he said, cutting off communication and stowing the device in his right pocket.

At that moment, spurts of sparks spread around the area, while long gray ears sprouted on the guy's head, chubby paws took the place of the upper limbs, as did the lower limbs, which became considerably longer. He somewhat resembled the Lapins of Drum Island, although unlike them, he had assumed a quadrupedal position and was sprinkled with grayish hair. It must have been a particular type of lagomorph, more agile and slender than the specimens widespread in the North Blue.

With a very quick dash, the boy known as Neal leapt from one wall to the other, heading upward, leaving behind him a trail as cerulean as the lightning that ripped through the Arashi sky.

«"It's always the same old story"» Captain Morgan mentally told himself as he continued to tinker with that contraption

***

Meanwhile, in what must have been the east wing, a large marble hallway embellished with peach-colored curtains adorning the windows, a hooded figure descended down from the ceiling, stealthy as a specter, landing on the unsuspecting guard and plunging a silver blade into his chest. Then, without even giving the second turncoat time to retrace his steps, he hurled a dagger straight at her back with extreme precision and speed, piercing her. The two of them breathed their last without uttering a word or causing the slightest noise.

Carefully making sure that no one else was around, the mysterious murderer reached the door to his left, there where the volume of voices seemed to grow and mingle together.

«Come on, get those ropes and help me tie her up!»

Inside the dimly lit room, a young woman stood erect. She wore sand-colored rags, a stark contrast to the long, wild flame-colored hair that fell over her shoulders. Beside her, a tall, slender soldier wrapped his arms around her torso, pinning her down. A second man, shorter and more placed than the first, had just picked up a pair of ropes from above a hook.

«Why are you doing this to me?» whispered the woman in a broken voice, shaking immediately afterwards like a leaf, as soon as she caught a glimpse of the second soldier who with complete indifference was about to bind her hands and feet.

«Because those could yield us a nice pile of dough» the former explained, pointing to her back, there where a pair of long, snow-white angelic wings sprouted from her «Once we cut them off» he concluded with a grin.

«I know someone who has contacts in the black market. I might phone him and ask him to ask a few questions around discreetly, but only once we get out to sea. So hurry up! The sooner we finish with this filthy bitch, the sooner we can relax on some beach in the South Blue. How about Mokulani, huh?» replied the latter, getting a nod of assent from the other. As he said this, he tightened the grip he had on the woman even more, causing her to gasp.

Although smuggling had been declared illegal and seemingly eradicated by the World Government, it had never flourished so much in criminal underworld circles that it had given rise to a myriad of organizations whose main purpose was the trafficking of all sorts of articles. In some parts of the Blue Sea, it was even regulated by greedy and corrupt Navy departments. The Government itself, when none other than the World Nobles were involved, pretended to be totally unaware of it, branding as charlatans and executing those who tried to prove otherwise. In the New World, where the Four Emperors dictated the law, the situation appeared different: trade in any commodity took place on a daily basis and under the complicit and tacit gaze of the population, unable to oppose such monsters.

The demand for wings belonging to the islanders in the sky was quite large, as such relics were considered collector's items of particular rarity and beauty, something that many people would be unlikely to pass up, no matter how inhumane and amoral it was.

«Please...Don't hurt me...» pleaded the woman as soon as the man was done. Her expression was as hopeful as it was resigned, hovering between life and death. Who could tell what they would do to her once they severed what for her represented the hallmark of her race?

«Don't worry, I can assure you that it will be quick, you won't feel anything» retorted the first soldier. A rather sinister smirk crept across his face as he pulled a serrated-blade knife from his belt, preparing to perform the delicate operation

On catching sight of the weapon, despondency and terror began to assail her «I beg you...Spare me...No...» the young woman continued, trying to appeal to whatever shred of pity there was in their souls.

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

«We can safely say that we are about to clip her wings» sneered the latter.

She continued to tremble, tears furrowed her face as soon as she felt the icy steel settle on her bare skin, a sensation that spread throughout her body. The thought that someone could take away what she held dearest in the world and what constituted a part of her identity forced her to scream at the top of her lungs, hoping that someone would hear her and take her away from that nightmare «Help! Please, someone help me!»

The screaming went on until a hand plugged her mouth and stifled her voice. So she heard the man behind her scold her «Shut up! Haven't you realized yet that it's all useless? You are wasting your breath, no one can hear you, and no one will come to save you» At those words, the woman's tears increased, as did her attempts to vent her anger and frustration, although they were still in vain, as they produced only a series of ineffective grumbling and grimacing.

«Make her stop now, Adam!» ordered the second one, briefly interrupting what he was doing «Or I'll make sure this monster's screams are the last thing you'll hear in your life»

A final cry of despair came out of her only when the man removed his hand from her mouth to allow the other to place a piece of cloth between her teeth, which silenced her completely. Now nothing could have stopped the two of them from accomplishing what they had set out to do, but someone else was probably not of that opinion, as there was a knock on the door, once and vehemently. They both looked at each other in amazement.

«Who could it possibly be?» Adam asked a little intimidated.

«I have no idea» replied the other «It is certainly not someone we know, since our garrison and General Caius are both busy fending off Revolutionary Army commander Byron Drace and his officer, Ramiel Walker»

«'The Bone Collector'» the first added «Just hearing that name, it evokes memories I don't even want to mention. What if it's Vladius instead?»

«Somewhat unlikely» the latter retorted bluntly «The lieutenant is holding Xun at bay along with the rest of his men on the Western Front. You should go check it out while I take care of this bad bird, just so you don't run into any unpleasant surprises»

«It is unbelievable that three prominent members of the Revolutionary Army have attacked the kingdom, I wonder if they want to wreak havoc or are aiming for something else at this point» said the man as he walked toward the door

«They are certainly not here to see that ugly face of yours» he blurted out sarcastically, laying his hands on the girl again

«If you want to see an ugly face, Tommy Atkins, why don't you look in the mirror?» Adam affirmed, smiling.

«Their ultimate goal is quite clear» Tommy asserted «And the fact that they have been known to overthrow monarchies and governments only greatly increases my doubts. Nevertheless, these are not issues that concern us, right now we have to think about the spoils and what we will do once we escape from here»

«You are right» the man replied, opening the doors but failing to catch sight of anyone, as that corridor seemed deserted, or at least that was what his eyes saw, before darkness covered them.

«Adam, is everything all right?» asked the man, without, however, receiving any answer

Although only a few minutes had passed, he had not returned, nor were any voices or anything else heard, which made him quite suspicious, so much so that he abandoned his attempt to sever the Shinowiana's wings for the umpteenth time and pushed him toward the door, there where he was sure he would find him, and indeed he was right, but what he noticed left him quite perplexed and horrified: his friend's body lay lifeless on the floor, with a strange bluish hue painting his face.

He knelt down beside him «Adam, Adam! Answer me, please!» he shouted as he tried to revive his friend with slaps on his cheeks, cold and devoid of the soft blush that marked them, but no stimulus seemed to come. It was as if something and someone had strangled him, which seemed impossible, since there were only three in the room, including the girl, and no one seemed to have entered from where the comrade was now standing.

At the sight of what had long been his most trusted friend and comrade-in-arms, now reduced to nothing more than a lifeless husk, he felt how rage tried to resurface, and immediately rising to his feet, he drew his sword and backing away, he shot glances left and right so that no one could catch him by surprise.

«How dare you do this to my friend, damn you!» He growled with such eagerness that he himself was surprised «Step forward, you coward! And face me like a man!»

A sinister hiss echoed inside the room, followed by a rustling sound. The man shifted his gaze to the side of the room, just at the point where those sounds were getting closer and closer, and that's when he saw it: the sinuous body covered in shiny, obsidian-black scales floated like the murky waters of the New World, and piercing eyes stared into his own, as if peering into his soul. It moved its forked tongue toward him, almost as if it wanted to taste him, opening wide its dark jaws, where two razor-sharp fangs sprayed with venom dangled perfect as stalactites.

«What the fuck are you?» he demanded, clutching his sword and preparing to hurl slashes at the menacing reptile, but with a swift momentum, the reptile had already wrapped itself around his leg, biting it off and wrenching a pained groan from him. Screaming in pain, the man lost his balance and fell ruinously to the ground, letting go of the heavy sword with a metallic thud.

The snake again set off on the attack, this time biting his right arm. Tommy let out another cry and tried to free the limb from the death grip exerted by its coils, but it was a futile gesture, as whatever that reptile had injected into him had already begun to take effect. The room began to swirl and a sense of weakness expanded until it covered every fiber of his body

He tried to drag himself up to the wall, leaning against it and watching that creature stand on two legs and change its appearance into that of a female figure, wrapped in robes as dark as night and with a hood lowered over her head, from which sprouted long black and golden locks «I should have known it was you» Tommy muttered as he slowly raised his head and met the woman's gaze, a pair of amber eyes that would have instilled fear in even the most intrepid souls «You are that pirate whore who is part of one of the most feared crews and is giving the Marine and the World Government a lot of trouble, You are the one they call 'Shadow of the Seven Steps', am I right?» he continued, coughing. His forehead was dripping with sweat and his breathing was becoming increasingly erratic, probably the poison was acting faster than he could have ever expected. The woman did not respond, simply walking toward the shinowian.

«If you are here... it means that your captain, the infamous Captain Morgan is also around. What, are you looking for an opportunity for redemption by allying with the revolutionaries and helping them in freeing the poor people from the evil and wicked monarchy? A noble gesture on your part...» ironized the soldier between coughs «...Or are you also searching for the treasure of the celebrated Pounce ? I've hit the jackpot haven't I?...» the man asked her again, but the girl seemed not to pay attention to him, stopping in front of the gagged figure who was looking at her with wide eyes.

«Are your new friends aware of the particular background of your beloved captain?... Of what the 'Monster of Trinidia' has done in the past?...»

Continuing to ignore him, the young woman stared at the woman, cold and unable to discern what was taking place before her eyes. Probably, to her, all this could have appeared as absolutely unreal or as a damn nightmare.

«...And what about you and your involvement in the incident of...» but before he could finish the sentence, the respiratory crisis seemed to intensify to a rather subdued gasp. And judging by the blank stare, life seemed to have left him for good.

«Did they hurt you?» she asked suddenly. The other shook her head slowly, looking around still shocked

«Are they both dead?» she asked in turn, focusing her attention on those who a few minutes ago were her executioners, now instead reduced to silence and rendered completely harmless. In the tone used there was an ill-concealed note of panic.

The assassin stared at her questioningly. The aura she exuded was dark and oppressive, so much so that it made her uncomfortable «If it matters to you, I have only collected their debt for their sins. I have no compunction about those who deny the freedom of others, do you have a problem with that?»

«Oh no, I didn't mean that» she quickly justified herself «I just wanted to make sure that they can no longer harm in any way»

«Judge for yourself» she replied coldly, pointing to the two on either side of the room

«No need...I'll take your word for it» she retorted, straightening herself up and dusting off her worn and dirty clothes, which had certainly seen better times «My name is Nephele, by the way» she affirmed, sketching a small smile, nevertheless continuing to be pervaded by a small tremor «You, on the other hand, are?»

«I am Lysandra. Lysandra Read»

***

«Damn little girl!» exclaimed Captain Morgan after a few vain attempts to contact one of the more unruly members of his crew. The fact that she did not respond could have meant that she, too, might have run into some obstacle or danger, or simply given her temperament, did not even feel like it.

However, by virtue of what Neal had reported to him, he was more inclined toward the first hypothesis, which is why he could not fail to act, but neither would he want to let go of the treasure now that it was literally one step away from him.

«Yoi, I have a very delicate assignment for you» the fish man turned to him, posing and waiting for his commander to give him instructions «Find and retrieve Lysandra, then leave this place immediately. I will take care of the treasure. Come on, there isn't a minute to lose!» concluded the young man as he prepared to cross the huge door, contrary to his comrade who instead, was advancing in the opposite direction «The randez-vous is scheduled in half an hour near the Horizon, be quick» he then added before disappeared from his sight.

The throne room was quite imposing, at least compared to the other rooms Morgan had visited. From the center of the cross vault descended a huge golden candelabra filled with winged figures holding dozens of lit candles, figures that somehow reminded the young man of the sky islanders. The floor gleamed with the whitest marble, while the walls and ceiling were carpeted with mosaics and arabesques woven in gold. Colorful arches and pillars surrounded the room, and carved wood gleamed with alchemical magic, scents and incense wafting through the air in ten different delicious aromas. In the center of it stood a fresco depicting a long golden cross superimposed on a circle, also the same color. It was a symbol he had seen other times along the course of his adventure, but it had never been connected to anything or anyone, not even some strange character he had faced.

His gaze, however, converged a little further on the dark polished stone throne at the top of a staircase of five steps covered with finely wrought red velvet. A middle-aged man was seated on it, clad in sumptuous robes of beautiful embroidered fabrics, whose shoulders were covered by a heavy cloak of cloth. His brown hair fell behind him like waves, traversed by a few hints of silvery white, matching his thick, well-groomed beard. His head, on top of which was a golden crown, was reclined toward his palm. The other hand, however, held a golden chalice garnished with precious gems: this was indeed him, the ruler of the Arashi kingdom.

«"Shit"»

It took him little time to figure out what had just ended the man's life, however, this forced him to speed up his search even more, for if anyone else entered, they could accuse him of murdering the monarch. And that was something he could not afford at the moment.

«"So where could it be?"» wondered Captain Morgan as he looked around «"If I were him, I would have hidden it in a place where no one would dare to look"» he reflected, referring to the ruler, too bad he couldn't even reply to such a statement.

Normally, for someone lacking developed senses like his or with an inferior capacity for observation, setting out to search for hours on end would have been the only option available. However, Captain Morgan was of a completely different temperament and probably would have needed only a few minutes.

He proceeded a little further, where four columns were arranged to form a similar circle. Someone else would not have paid so much attention to them, but the boy was sure that they were unusual instead so as not to hide some clue. Carefully tapping the surface, he heard something creak: It revealed something not unlike a clicking mechanism, and so did the other three.

«"They probably all have to be activated at the same time"» observed the young man «"Why did I have to send Yoi to find Lys? Her power would have been of vital importance in solving this riddle"» He walked to the center of the formation, looking around circumspectly «"However, not being aware of the state that thoughtless one was in, at that moment it was the most logical decision to make. Patience, I will have to do it the old-fashioned way"»

He paused with his hands in his pockets, lowering his gaze to the mechanism «"Soru: Shinkiro!"»

In a gust of wind, the boy disappeared, only to appear again next to the lever, moving quickly and giving the illusion that he was in several places at the same time, as if they were residual images or a real mirage. Another little thing that had helped save his skin on more than one occasion in the past.

After doing so, a small tremor echoed inside the room: A small marble pedestal emerged to his left. Morgan ran toward it, noting how on top was a small black silk casket with some cobalt-blue carved characters on it.

«"Neal will be crazy about this, only he is able to decipher this strange alphabet"» thought the young man before opening the box and viewing its contents. What he found in it left him stunned; he had finally gotten his hands on another piece of Leon's treasure. Another piece was added to that intricate puzzle, hopefully one day he would be able to solve it completely. He stowed the artifact in his pocket and prepared to return to his companions.

«Oh, well, look who decided to grace us with his unwieldy presence»

A warm, authoritative voice broke the stillness of the moment. Morgan raised his head, meeting two yellow eyes staring at him. Someone, or rather something, was stretched lazily over one of the wooden beams, just above his head. It was big and slender, with mighty muscles under the glossy black fur «'The Devil of the Seas', what an honor» The creature yawned, standing up and showing its long canines surprisingly white against the black of its coat.

The young man looked at him, emitting a rather smug smile «Flattery will not save your skin, Officer Cp0, Ramesh Devaki. Or perhaps I should call you 'Hound of the World Nobles'? What is such a good little soldier doing away from home? Don't tell me that pack of ruffians ordered you to stop my crew from fulfilling their destiny? Or maybe you just wanted to see me again? I bet that your presence here and the fact that the king was assassinated aren't mere coincidences, am I right?»

Growling, the fair stretched out its sword-sharpened claws toward him, shortly afterwards taking a mighty leap and landing elegantly on the floor. Gradually it began to shrink and rest on its hind legs, which became legs and feet. That ravenous beast had morphed into a good-looking young man with a lean but muscular physique. A thick mop of pitch-colored hair framed a frowning face, with a few cream-colored locks on either side of his head. He wore a white sleeveless shirt, a white military-cut vest and pants of the same color. His bare, sinewy arms bore green spiral-shaped tattoos that extended to below his shoulders and figures traceable to owls and a wreath of olive branches.

«I don't know what you are talking about, the murder of a respected World Government affiliate is but the latest in a long line of accusations against you. I am a proud representative of justice, and I am here to bring you to it» retorted the government agent

«Oh, I wish you'd try» Morgan smiled again, and just then, the rumble of thunder swept through the room, accompanied by a bluish lightning bolt that flooded it completely with light, casting two hideous and monstrous silhouettes on the wall.