In the vast and boundless world of One Piece, in the West Blue, lay the Kingdom of Zephir.
As the first gentle rays of morning sunlight spilled across the land, the resplendent royal palace—glittering with gold and dripping in luxury—bathed in its warm glow.
The palace stood proudly at the heart of a bustling city. The blue-and-white flag of the Kingdom of Zephir fluttered fiercely in the sea breeze, as if proclaiming its dignity and glory to the world.
Deep within the palace, inside an exquisitely decorated chamber, a young man with black hair and black eyes lay quietly upon a soft bed.
His face was pale as paper, drained of all color, his body frighteningly weak.
"Your Highness, it's time to change your bandages."
With that gentle voice, the door slowly opened. A delicate-looking maid with a graceful temperament stepped inside, carrying medicine and fresh bandages.
She stopped beside the bed, a hint of timidity in her eyes as she carefully looked at the young man.
Hearing someone call him, the young man slowly turned his head, his gaze settling on her.
Then, with visible effort, he rolled onto his stomach. Despite his ghostly pale complexion, he forced out a faint smile.
"Sorry for the trouble."
"N-Not at all! Taking care of you is my duty!" the maid replied flustered.
She stole a glance at his face—though pale and weak, it still carried a warm, reassuring smile. Her cheeks instantly flushed red.
In a slight panic, she set the medicine aside, gently lifting his shirt. Carefully, she began unwrapping the blood-soaked bandages around his back.
"Hiss—"
As the bandages came loose, a horrifying, jagged slash wound was revealed in full view.
The maid inhaled deeply, steadying herself before beginning to clean the wound. She applied fresh ointment with utmost care, then wrapped him in new bandages.
Throughout the entire process, the young man clenched his teeth in silence, enduring the searing pain. Cold sweat streamed down his pallid face.
"Your Highness, the wound has been treated. Do you have any other orders?" the maid asked softly, holding the bloodied bandages she had removed.
"That's all. You may leave," he said, forcing himself to roll back onto his side. His face remained as pale as snow as he waved weakly.
"Yes, Your Highness."
She bowed slightly and turned to go.
But seeing how pale he still looked, a wave of sympathy rose in her heart.
After hesitating briefly, she couldn't help but speak again.
"Your Highness, please don't lose hope. I believe that under your leadership, the Kingdom of Zephir will surely overcome this crisis."
The young man froze for a moment. Then the corners of his lips lifted into a warm smile.
"Thank you… for your trust."
The maid's face turned crimson. Lowering her head shyly, she hurried out of the room.
Once the door closed and she was gone, the smile on the young man's face vanished instantly, replaced by bitterness.
"Lead the Kingdom of Zephir out of this crisis… heh…"
A faint, self-mocking smile tugged at his lips as he closed his eyes.
In truth, he hadn't originally belonged to this world.
His name was Arthur. A sudden accident had caused him to be reborn into this unfamiliar world.
This was the world of One Piece.
And he had become the prince of a small kingdom in the West Blue—the Kingdom of Zephir.
His full name was Zephir Arthur. "Zephir" was the royal family's surname.
At first glance, reincarnating as a prince sounded like an incredible stroke of luck.
Even if he couldn't dominate this pirate-infested world, he should at least have lived a life of wealth and comfort.
But reality was far crueler.
In this world, nearly every nation chose to join the World Government, becoming affiliated states. In name, they were protected by the Marines; in truth, they were also monitored.
The Kingdom of Zephir, however, was one of the rare few that had refused to join the World Government.
Because of that decision, it received no protection.
For over a century since its founding, it had been plagued by constant harassment from pirates and various underground forces.
Fortunately, the kingdom's legion commander was a powerful Devil Fruit user. Thanks to him, Zephir had managed to endure through the storms.
But just one week ago, disaster struck.
One of the three major mafia families in the West Blue—the Gambino Family—set its sights on the Zephir royal house.
With fewer than a thousand men, armed with advanced and powerful weaponry, the Gambino Family easily crushed Zephir's army of nearly ten thousand soldiers.
Worse still, the Gambino Family also had a Devil Fruit user.
Before countless witnesses, Zephir's legion commander was killed on the spot.
Afterward, that same man stormed into the royal palace alone and brutally murdered the reigning king of Zephir.
Before leaving, he declared coldly:
"In seven days, the Kingdom of Zephir must unconditionally submit to the Gambino Family. Otherwise, we will wipe it from existence."
Then he departed as brazenly as he had arrived.
In the week that followed, already devastated by the Gambino Family's assault, Zephir suffered relentless pirate raids. The kingdom teetered on the brink of collapse.
Some had attempted to send distress signals to the Marines.
But the Marines turned a blind eye.
No response ever came.
The entire nation sank into despair.
As for Arthur—unwilling to stand by and watch his country fall—he had donned armor and taken to the battlefield during a fierce pirate attack.
He was struck down and knocked unconscious by a single slash.
It was that very incident that awakened the memories of his previous life, long sealed since his reincarnation.
"The legion commander is dead… the army has fallen apart… the king was killed… the kingdom is on the verge of destruction…"
"Heh… In a situation like this, can I really lead Zephir out of despair?"
Arthur slowly opened his eyes, staring blankly at the magnificently decorated ceiling. He had no mind to appreciate its luxury—only bitterness and hopelessness filled his heart.
And then—
A string of cold, mechanical notification sounds suddenly echoed within his mind.
Ding! The Strongest King System has finished loading!
Scanning current world structure… Scan complete!
Generating personal status panel… Generation complete!
Welcome to the Strongest King System. This system will accompany the host throughout the journey and assist in building the strongest empire! Please check your personal status panel for details!
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