Two days later while I am far from being back to normal, life goes on in our city. I catch Makino staring off into space more than a few times, her fingers upon her lips. Though this body is still way too young, I have made my intentions very clear. But this matter of the heart is so much new territory for me and I have no one that could give me sound advice to turn to. Garp is well, Garp. Makino is the target of my affections. Ace has way less tact than I do, though my decimation of five ships with the girls help leaves that up for debate.
My mental state is stable with no nightmares so far, though even Hellfire expressed some nausea at the carnage I unleashed even with no proper weapon in hand. I’ve giving the situation a few more days before I go and see how the nobles have reacted to what I presume to be the elimination of most of their army. The marines are still neutral so I shouldn’t have to worry about any sanctions from them even if I do give a literal finishing blow to the nobles as I go through with my threat to tear their part of the Goa Kingdome down brick by bloody brick. The actual Monarchy are probably going to be spared the worst of what I will inflict, though they will still have no ‘kingdom’ to call their own once I am done.
It is four days later, and things are in such chaos as I look upon Hightown from the wall. I’m actively seeing many of the nobles packing up and outright abandoning their mansion-style houses, though a few have increased their guard number as they stubbornly refuse their neighbor’s pleas to abandon the kingdom. On my way here, not once did I see a guard manning any of the walls, or even patrolling the commoner’s streets, proving that except for their personal retinues, they sent everyone they could in the failed attack. Now with nothing to show for it many are doing the smart thing and leaving, though as they leave Hightown and pass through the commoner’s area on the way to the docks, some are being pelted with rotten fruit or even small rocks by those hidden within the crowds. The nobles could very well retaliate, but when the citizens vastly outnumber even the largest retinue, such action would be extremely foolish.
Having seen enough, I move to the castle by cutting straight through Hightown, and though I am so noticeably out of place, the guards around the stubborn nobles seem to have clear orders not engage unless I would make myself a clear threat. With this I get to the castle with barely a restrained glare being sent my way. There are no guards at the castle entrance so I let myself in as I easily lift up the portcullis to enter the castle proper. I, after some searching, enter the throne room to see a sorry sight. The Monarchy all look very haggard, the King worrying his hands over his circlet as he talks to his queen and a few advisors. My appearance has the few guards present draw their weapons, even though I am but a child.
“Sucks to see a lot of the nobles running away, leaving you with even tougher decisions than when you allowed them send your army to collect taxes from my city, doesn’t it?” I ask with a very condescending tone.
“Your city?” The king asks, confusion in his voice.
“Foosha City. For a several years because of who resides there, Foosha City, formerly Foosha Village has been prospering and thus growing at a phenomenal rate. Almost all of the new residents are people who used to live within the Goa Kingdom’s walls, both the peasant area, and the Gray Terminal. The latter of which when burned and almost destroyed outright is what sealed the nobles fate. Notice that I said nobles’ fate, not your own. With so many of them and you being just not memorable, like the rats that are currently abandoning the ship, so should you leave everything behind and dissolve the Goa Kingdom in the process. Do this and myself who was one of four to bring low the army of over a thousand, will not pursue you and yours even should I later encounter you by chance away from Dawn Island.” I say in a neutral tone, though at the mention of myself being personally responsible for the army’s destruction, the weapons wielded are gripped with shaking wrists, for they detect no falsehood within my claims.
“You killed over a thousand men? How is that possible at your age when you can’t be more than ten years old?” The king asks, shock coloring his haggard features.
“I turn nine in a month. I have had to grow up quickly, way too quickly. I have experienced more than all but the most adventurous would even if they had ten lifetimes to live. I started out a happy go-lucky child, abet one with a huge, ever-growing dream. To be the freest man in the world. To do that I have paid in blood, sweat, and buckets of tears to become strong. Strong enough that I would never have to bend the knee to anyone I didn’t choose too. I killed my first man a few months after I turned six with no formal training. Then my formerly absentee grandfather showed up out of the blue. Off and on I then learned at the hands of said grandfather, who is near the upper echelons of physical power even today. I found brothers of circumstance and almost lost my life because I wasn’t strong enough. I became a hero to the downtrodden, the majority of which were considered discarded trash that used to live in the Gray Terminal. Loose lips sink ships all too often. That is how I found my short-term goal and target, the nobles. Nobles that it seems whom wanted to impress the visiting Celestial Dragon. Their solution was to hire the Bluejam Pirates to spread barrels of high-grade cannon powder so that they could destroy the Gray Terminal. So many people died that night, but much less than if me and remaining brother hadn’t worked ourselves to the bone to warn people and dispose of the powder. It was Bluejam himself that told me about the noble's plan, shortly before I killed him that is. With nowhere to really go, where do you think the twenty-thousand plus survivors settled? What is now Foosha City. With help from my grandpa, an active marine vice-admiral by the way, things settled down and prospered as the huge influx of people found new homes and jobs to provide for their families. But when too many of your regular citizens, the nobles work and tax force, also wanted fresh starts away from those who don’t care about them except for the money they spend and the labor they provide, what happens? The nobles could have changed their tunes long before this, but they kept wanting the easy way, so they, with or without your permission, but in your name all the same, sent an army to collect taxes and tribute for past and future protections, thinking they could have an easy payday. Me and my girls even gave them an option, but what did the army do? They didn’t heed the visceral warning of one dead by having his throat ripped out and neck snapped, and another with a barely attached but still useless hand. So, me and my girls had to protect me and mine, to put the tragic loss of life on our shoulders. Now I’m here to make sure that it ends after letting the resulting oh shits thoughts to percolate for several days. One way or another, the Goa Kingdom is dead. So, I say again, dissolve the Goa Kingdom and leave Dawn Island forever, or I parade yours and the remaining nobles soon to be dead corpses around for the people you were charged with leading, to tear apart at their leisure.” I say as the shadows of what I have done and will do, can be seen through my eyes, for my resolve will not waver.
You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.
With my speech concluded the puppet of a king sags as if he is being poured out of his throne, the magnitude of what I have done is sinking in. His queen is not much better as she fainted dead away half-way though my little speech. “I will do as you command. I will go to the square in two days time and have anyone who will listen hear the end of a once great kingdom. Just be advised that the World Government will not take this lying down and you may have to deal with repercussions.” The soon to be former king says.
With that I take my leave of the castle. Before leaving Hightown, I break into many former nobles houses, knowing that as much as they have, some of the bigger items would have to be left behind. I am doing this to hold onto a long-promised idea, finding traces of Sabo. The past two years news coos were paid attention to, looking for any information on Sabo, whether an obituary, or him having run away again but not contacting me or Ace for some reason. The fifth house I break into has me do a more thorough search for information. The reason is the ten-foot-tall family portrait depicting the Sabo I knew from several years ago. After hours searching to the point of the sun setting, I find my only piece of news in a drawer in the lord’s study. While I never saw Sabo write, his name, signed at the bottom indicates he wrote or approved of what was written. In it he denounces his blood family for the greedy parasites that they are. He also states of him having found a recruiter for the Revolutionary Army and that he would be leaving with them shortly. I take the page and gently put it inside my new vest, ready to be pulled out when I next find Ace.
I leave through the front door and no one stops me, though some guards draw their weapons. They are of no consequence to me right now. I leave over the wall like I have so many times before, knowing that I will be back in two days to hear of the dissolution. Ace is barely finishing dinner as I’m greeted by the girls at the door. The grin gets Ace’s attention. I take out and hand the folded letter to him. He takes the time to read it and is laughing by the end. “So, we all are going on different paths. Me as a Pirate, you as an Adventurer, and Sabo as a bloody rebel. It is going to be fun to see where we are all at in ten years and if we even see him again.”
Emergency news coos make the rounds the next day as a huge announcement will be issued by the King of the Goa Kingdom. Gramps who ‘choose’ to visit that day seeks me out. “I swear, even your father at his current age is less trouble than you are proving to be, and you haven’t even left the island yet. If that had been a marine force you slaughtered, your bounty would probably exceed one-hundred-million Beri even with your terrors helping.” He says with an exasperated look on his face. He says ‘terrors’ when referencing my girls as a hazing ritual has been going on since shortly after I got them. Anyone under his command that is recently promoted to Chief Petty Officer has to walk the girls for one hour. If they can get back under their own power (walking or as the few times they succeeded, crawling), then they get a bonus to their next pay of two-hundred thousand Beri, more than they would make in a year even if they were a Warrant Officer. If they fail however, well they not only have to pay for the bottomless pit that is my stomach (when I choose to just keep eating for over two hours), but they are given shit details until Garp leaves, which can be up to a month later.
“I can barely believe it. Kingdoms don’t just disappear, but are normally overthrown by people, not one person on a vendetta of a crusade. Since I am the most familiar with the area, I was sent forthwith to oversee this happening as a representation of a ‘neutral’ party. While taxes still need to be collected, but considering the lack of importance of Dawn Island to the World Government as a whole, the fact that this wasn’t a statement against the Celestial Dragons but the Goa Kingdom itself, and the amount won’t be any more than fifty-thousand Beri a year, which I know is mere peanuts compared to what any kingdom in the Grandline pays by comparison.” Garp says as he drags his hand down his face, his tone giving off the vibe of him ‘being done with this shit’.
The next day it happens. The soon to be former king is only accompanied by a pair of guards, and no nobles are in sight. A carriage off to the side holds the soon to be former queen and the few possessions they are taking. I watch from the wall separating the former Hightown from the peasants, while Garp himself within arm's length of the king.
“I have failed. Failed to be a just ruler. Failed in the obligation to the people that I ruled. I let those who were supposed to advise me make irreparable decisions in my name. All in the misguided name of greed and ignorance. Ignorance that I didn’t see this sooner. Ignorance that I let my authority be usurped. All for the greed of an unjust few. It is with a heavy heart that I with my last act as King of the Goa Kingdom, that I dissolve said kingdom forevermore. Though we are all still beholden to the World Government as a whole, I am leaving Dawn Island forever. May you all continue to live your lives as you have. That is all.” The short speech is said with a straight but sad tone. The words reverberating with shock throughout the crowd of peasants as they somberly part to let him leave in peace.