Chapter 2: Killing Five Hundred People and Seizing Power
In the Goa Kingdom's Royal Capital, the Royal Guard was in a state of chaos.
"Grand Duke Outlook assassinated the King and Prince? That's impossible!" a soldier shouted.
"The entire Outlook family has been executed?" another asked in disbelief.
"No, Your Royal Highness, you must have been deceived! Grand Duke Outlook would never rebel!"
"I don't believe it! Everyone, charge! Slay the traitors and protect the Princess!"
The Royal Guard was subtly divided into three factions. There were the confused neutralists, who held their positions and did nothing. Then there were the loyalists, who stood by the Princess. Finally, there were the rebels, composed of Grand Duke Outlook's trusted officers and relatives, who refused to believe the news of his death.
Amid the chaos, Princess Sally and Kael, both in luxurious attire, appeared on a building overlooking the rebel army.
"My King, can you display your heroic strength?" Princess Sally asked. She wanted to quickly stabilize the capital and build Kael's reputation. To her, the future king could not be a common ruffian; he had to be a powerful hero. The situation needed a swift and decisive end.
"There are so many soldiers, it's a bit difficult," Kael replied, "but not too difficult!"
With a long saber at his waist, Kael walked calmly towards the agitated rebel army.
"He's the traitor who deceived the Princess! Kill him!" General Ampera, a rebel leader, ordered his men to open fire. A dense barrage of cannon fire instantly shot towards Kael.
"Oops! Dense cannon fire is my bane," Kael muttered with a smirk. He took a deep breath, and countless bullets and cannonballs pierced his body.
"We killed him! What a fool!" Ampera laughed excitedly. He hadn't expected to defeat the enemy so easily. Kael's calm demeanor had initially intimidated him, but it turned out to be a false alarm.
As Ampera watched Kael's body disappear in the smoke of the cannons, his eyes gleamed. If the Outlook family was truly dead, he, as a relative, could inherit the Grand Duke's forces. He might even have a chance to marry the Princess and become the new King. The thought of this possibility made his breathing heavy and his eyes turn red with ambition.
"General, he seems fine!" a soldier shouted in panic.
"A monster! He's a monster!" another screamed.
"Could he be a Logia-type Devil Fruit user, like Captain Smoker of Loguetown?"
Cold sweat instantly broke out on Ampera's forehead. A Logia-type user in the Goa Kingdom? How could they possibly fight him? Such powerhouses should be Marine admirals or pirates on the Grand Line, not here. Ampera's fear grew as Kael's figure flickered amidst the cannon fire, completely unharmed.
When the smoke cleared, Kael raised his hand and opened a void domain, instantly covering the entire rebel army.
Domain: Banishment!
In the shocked eyes of Princess Sally and the Royal Guard, the rebel soldiers began to mysteriously disappear one by one. Kael then rushed towards their original positions.
"It's that strange ability!" Princess Sally's eyes widened. She had seen Kael use this power to make guards disappear in the palace before, only for them to reappear and be cut down. Now, he was making hundreds of soldiers vanish at once.
"Where are General Ampera and the others?" a loyalist officer asked in horror. A chill ran down their spines. This man could not only withstand gunfire but also make people disappear. He was terrifying.
A few breaths later, as Kael reached the soldiers' original positions, they began to reappear. A gun-wielding soldier materialized, only to be instantly cut down by Kael. A second later, a soldier with a knife appeared and was killed with a backhand strike. One by one, the soldiers reappeared like respawning NPCs and were mercilessly cut down.
The bizarre scene terrified both the loyalist and neutralist soldiers.
Meanwhile, in the eyes of the rebel soldiers, they only saw Kael raise his hand, and the next moment, he was beside them, cutting them down. Before they lost consciousness, there was only endless pain and confusion. Their surroundings were empty; there were no allies to be found. If they had known their enemy could be immune to gunfire and teleport, they would never have joined Ampera.
The slaughter continued. Kael cut down every rebel soldier, as if they were nothing more than wild monsters. Blood flowed freely, gathering into small streams.
Finally, General Ampera appeared and was instantly pierced through the heart by Kael's saber. Kael's breathing was heavy, and his hands trembled slightly. Killing five hundred people while maintaining his ability was physically demanding. Fortunately, there were no Haki users among the Royal Guard; otherwise, he might have been in trouble.
"You are a devil!" Ampera gasped, clutching the blood-stained saber in his chest. His surroundings were covered with corpses. How was it possible that his entire army had been slaughtered in an instant? He had only seen Kael raise his hand, and now he was dying.
As Kael pulled the saber out, Ampera collapsed. His final moments were filled with regret and confusion. Why did such a powerhouse appear in the Goa Kingdom? His dream of marrying the Princess and becoming King was shattered.
Clang!
Kael looked at the dull saber in his hand and threw it to the ground. "Hey, come clean this up!" he shouted to the trembling soldiers.
He was covered in blood, looking like a demon. Even Princess Sally, who had grown up in luxury and never witnessed such a brutal massacre, was scared.
"Why aren't you cleaning up the rebels?!" her voice broke into a high-pitched shriek.
The neutralist and loyalist soldiers scrambled to obey, fearfully avoiding Kael, this "demon," and rushing to clear the corpses.
"Lord Kael, your clothes are dirty. Let's go change," Princess Sally said, forcing a smile. She was like a startled fawn, enduring her discomfort.
"This way, you can control the military, right?" Kael smiled faintly, his breathing slowly returning to normal. Slaying five hundred people had exhausted him, but his ability had been brilliantly effective. He knew his reputation was now comparable to ruthless figures like Rob Lucci and Judge.
"Yes, absolutely," Princess Sally said, nodding her head repeatedly. She tremblingly took Kael's blood-soaked arm and led him back to the palace for a bath and a change of clothes.