Zeke makes his stand & The Prince’s Arrival

Kuljub, the High Priest, looked at Zeke with an angry face, giving his already old face a sinister-looking expression.

"Fine, you dogs, after I pummel the lights out of you, it will be the time you will plead for your life."

As he said, he looked at his 1000 warriors and give his command for the war to commence.

"MY WARRIORS, YOU SEE THE TRAITORS RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU!? THEY PLAN TO RESIST THE ANCESTORS JUDGMENT, AND IT'S OUR RIGHT TO DELIVER IT."

"GO, MY WARRIORS, LET THE BLOOD OF OUR ENEMY BRING JOY TO OUR ANCESTORS!?"

Saying that, all the warriors behind him released a battle cry that shook the entire periphery. With their faces covered in ash paint, they tightened their grip on their weapons and with the lead of a crazed warrior, the rest began to rush for Zeke's warriors.

Zeke standing proud at the forefront of his clan's warrior while holding the longsword in his arm, he also gave his order for the fight to start.

"My valiant warriors, don't fear those brainwashed zombies. Don't fear them because they are only shells of what they once were. No longer are people of Tamuin. They are just the slaves of old Kuljub.

YOU CAN FIGHT THEM WITHOUT FEARING ANYTHING. YOU ARE STRONG. YOU ARE THE PROUD SONS OF TAMUIN. WHO ARE WE TO FEAR WHEN WE GOT THE HELP OF OUR FOREIGNER FRIENDS!?"

"NOBODY CHIEFTAIN!? WE ARE PROUD SONS OF TAMUIN!?"

Roared the 560 warriors behind Zeke with a proud expression on their faces while also grabbing their weapons, ready for bloodshed.

"FEAR NO ONE, LIVE BY YOUR HEART, MY PROUD WARRIORS!? ONCE THIS WAR IS OVER, A NEW ERA FOR TAMUIN WILL ARRIVE. PROSPERITY AND GLORY WILL SHINE UPON US!?"

As Zeke said, he was the first to jump in the fight while moving toward the High Priest.

Using his longsword, he began cleaving apart some of the priest's warriors who were in his way. The first one to cut down on flesh was the Goddonk Clan, and seeing their Chieftain jump in the heart of the enemy, the rest of the warriors also began their march.

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Flex, who took the merchants and their attendants out of the village, heard the commotion and the war cries ensuing.

"Captain Flex, we know what to do. Go join chieftain Zeke and help our friends."

"Don't worry, Velomer, you just get your ass back to Valor and watch out for anything bad happening."

"Yes, Captain." replied the merchants with Velomer the fat merchant at their lead.

Flex saw them rush back to Valor and moved toward where his 2 platoons settled to wait for him. Once he arrived there, he began to explain the situation they were in.

"Guys, there's a civil war happening in the city. The Cheiftain of the islanders Zeke Goddonk is fighting the High Priest Kuljub. What are we going to do? Are we joining in this dance?"

The soldiers looked at one another with serious faces while Levon and Yetty got to where Flex stood.

"Tell me, boys, I promised to join the fight and help the chieftain of this island. He will be an important partner for Kaysang, but I can't just put your lives at risk. So I ask you again, will you join this fight?"

There was silence for a minute, but then a soldier moved, placing a bullet in his rifle. The other followed in his lead and put their bullets in their own riffles.

"Why are you asking, captain? Do you think that we people of Sun District and Kaysang are scared dogs to scramble back to Valor and sail back home? How the rest of our brothers from the other regiments would look at us if this were to happen?"

The other soldiers laughed a bit, but the soldier who said that raised his hand to silence the others.

"Captain, you know the answer. Let's fuck those damned islanders and show them the superiority of our Kingdom."

"YEAH!? WE'LL BLOW THEIR HEADS LIKE WATERMELONS!?" roared one of the soldiers, making the other soldiers laugh once again.

"Good, then let's prepare and take the advantageous ground. We'll fire those bastards from the top of their buildings. Ready?"

"YES, SIR!?" replied all 100 soldiers in unison while placing their rifles close to their chest.

Flex nodded and began walking back toward the village while this time he moved on the flanks of the battlefield to suppress the warriors of the high priest.

"Guys, let me repeat myself again. You will only shoot at those guys who have their faces painted in ash. The others who don't have their faces painted are our allies.

Levon, you take one flank. Yetty, you are to lead the other flank." commanded Flex while using his rifle to paint on the ground their positions before entering inside the city.

"What about you, brother?" asked Levon and Yetty, a bit confused that Flex was nowhere in this plan.

"Don't worry about me. I will try to help Zeke and disturb attacks that would rather prove dangerous for him. Also, I will clear the bastards on the ground, so you better don't shot at me."

The soldiers maintained a firm side as they were soon to enter the war.

"Okay, if there are no complaints about my plan. Let's show those islanders what we are about. Go, don't embarrass me and the crown."

Levon and Yetty nodded their heads, and each of them took a platoon of 50 people. Leaving Flex the only one standing close to the periphery of the city of Tamuin.

He, too, began approaching the city at a fast speed while drawing out his long dagger and short sword.

Once he entered inside, what he saw and heard was total chaos. The islander warriors were fighting between themselves to the death.

'Damn, I missed the start of this war. Well, let's first help some of Zeke's men who are close to getting killed. As for Zeke, I think he can manage himself the starting hour if he fights smart.'

Thinking that he moved fast around the warriors who were fighting as if he was a phantom. He spotted some of Zeke's warriors who got unbalanced and dropped on the ground.

"YOUR DEATH AWAITS, YOU DAMNED TRAITOR!?" roared the priest warrior, with red eyes as if he went into a trance.

Zeke's warrior closed his as if expecting a swift death, but then he felt a slight wind passing by him and with the sound of a body dropping on the ground.

He opened his eyes and saw the back of a man clad in black clothes and with a large silver crowned eagle on his back. Looking on the ground, he could see the priest warrior who missed his head.

"You are the leader of the foreigners. You have my deepest thanks." said that warrior as he began raising on his feet. As he was doing that, he heard Flex said to him.

"No problem. I gave my word to your leader that I will watch over your backs. Now ready yourself and maintain your calm while fighting. Your life is more precious than you believe."

Saying that the warrior noticed as Flex moved from his vision at a fast speed. Looking left and right, he saw that the black cladded man arrived at another warrior belonging to the priest.

With his short sword, he swiftly slashed the head of that warrior.

"By the ancestors, those foreigners are powerful. Ahh, shit. I have to be careful, or I will get myself killed."

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Somewhere else in the center of the battlefield, Zeke, who was fighting the high priest, heard the old man say to him as they clashed their weapons, the golden staff against the longsword.

"It seems you will soon lose your proud men, little shit. I told you to give me my grandson, and maybe I would have spared some of you, but in denying this to me, you sealed your fate."

With another clash as Zeke approached the old man again, he said with a sneer.

"Old Kuljub, don't think that I will remain the same brat that you met when you visited Master Moriah."

"But do you think I forgot about you, little brat? That master of yours told me before I killed him that you will be the one to bring glory to Tamuin but what I see now is totally different. You brought yourself your own demise."

The old priest, once again, clashed his staff with Zeke's sword, pushing him a bit more back.

"You're still weak, little brat. How can you compare to me who has received the ancestors' powers since his middle-age."

"It means nothing. I still can beat you regardless of how long you hold that power," said Zeke as his fist was cladded in the Armament Haki and which he later used to throw a jab at the priest.

The old man looked calmly at Zeke, who threw that jab at his face. He stopped in place, and suddenly, his face turned into something similar to a stone that later turned a bit black.

'Fuck, what was that? This is clearly not only the ancestors' powers. Can he turn into stone? What is that?"

Stepping back after delivering that jab in the old priest's face, he stared with a serious expression at him.

"What is that little shit? Did your fist hurt by chance? You look surprised. Do you think that the ancestors only blessed me with their power? No, they gifted me another thing. It was a fruit that gave me the supreme power to rule Tamuin."

"Heh, supreme power, you say?"

Zeke sneered again and cladded his sword in Armament Haki before delivering an overhead strike to the priest.

Meanwhile, the old man dropped his staff on the ground and turned his frail-looking arm into stone before quickly cladding it in Armament.

The clash came, but there seemed to be no effect. Zeke couldn't cut on the priest's arm, but he left a mark on it.

"Argh, you piece of shit, that one hurt. Hehe, it feels like I'm fighting Moriah again. I feel I should kill you rapidly, but I will play with you a bit more. Maybe you tell me where my grandson is."

As he said that, he stepped toward Zeke while his fists were turned into stone material, and along with the armament, it looked indestructible.

'I have to parry that attack, or it will hurt even if I use the ancestor's powers.'

The priest did a series of punches as if he knew to box, and this counter-attack from the old man placed Zeke on the back steps as he was parrying the punches using his longsword.

Zeke, who was now on defence, kept his attention on the priest attacks that came like a barrage. Zeke was visibly overpowered in haki and experience by his opponent.

Minutes passed, and their fight still looked balanced, with a slight advantage on the priest, until it got to the 30 minutes where Zeke, who was constantly using the haki to block and counter the priest, felt something going inside his body.

'My power is depleting at a fast speed. If the old man fights in this rhythm, I think I can keep going for 30 more minutes, but after that, I can only pray to the ancestors about the foreigner's arrival. Otherwise, all my clan would be doomed.'

'Master Moriah, I'm sorry, but I'm still weak and can't take revenge on your death.'

Thinking that Zeke, who had some blood around his mouth from an attack that connected coming from the priest, saw the priest use his staff to attack from a longer range.

'The old man could it be that he is also started getting tired. Why would he use the staff when he has that stone power and the ancestor's power?'

Quickly placing the longsword to block the staff attacks, Zeke took some steps forward as he was blocking the attacks.

Step by step, he felt that he had enough range in his sword and attacking the priest's staff instead of blocking, he created an opening for a strike.

Kuljub sensed that something would go wrong around him, and when he saw his staff deflected and Zeke using a thrusting cut to his heart, he instantly concentrated all his devil power ability and haki to block it.

"Phew, that was close, Zeke. If not for the ancestors whispering to me, I would be joining them. Heh, it's been a while since I fought like this. But I think I played enough with you. Let me show you what the strongest person in the history of Tamuin really looks like, young brat."

As he said that, all of his body seemed to be turning in stone, but at the same time maintaining his human shape and even the priest attire he was wearing. The transformation was short lives as if the process was natural for him.

After that, he finally moved toward Zeke with heavy steps shaking the ground and even disturbing the war between the factions.

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Flex, who was assisting Zeke's warriors in the war, keeping them alive, heard the commotion at the center of the battlefield where the priest and chieftain were fighting.

'Is that the priest? Fuck, could it be that he's a logia-type user? That's bad. I need to clean up those annoying brainwashed guys and give my support to Zeke.'

Taking the snail from his pocket and quickly calling Levon and Yetty as he was slashing the warriors who kept on coming at him.

"Brother's let yourself loose. SUPPRESSING FIRE!?"

"Roger."

After getting the confirmation, from the top of the buildings around the periphery of Tamuin, the soldiers made their appearance and were readying their rifles for the kill.

Levon, who was holding his spear in his hand on one flank standing tall on those builds and Yetty, who held his great axe, gave the start of the Kaysang participation in this conflict.

"FIRE!?"

As they said, the soldiers targeting in their vision the priest warriors let loose and began firing toward them.

The thunderous explosion of the gunpowder resounded on the battlefield and managed to silence the entire battlecries of the warriors.

Not long after that, the cries of agony and pain filled the entire battlefield, along with the smoke of gunpowder.

"ARGHH!? MY LEG, I CAN'T FEEL MY LEG!? WHAT HAPPENED TO ME!? IS THIS THE ANCESTORS PUNISHMENT!? BUT HOW!? WE WERE DELIVERING JUDGMENT FOR THE ANCESTORS!?"

This type of cry of pain and despair belonging to the priest warriors filled the battlefield. Yet that was a small number of people who got hit by the rain of bullets. Compared to their vast number, the soldiers managed to only make a dent in their armor.

The soldiers began refilling their rifles with gunpowder and the lead bullet while Levon and Yetty jumped on the battlefield and began unleashing their skills.

The screams of agony continued for the priest's warrior as Yetty, who had a large build, began cleaving left and right with his axe, splashing blood and shattering heads to a crazy degree.

"Haha, that was what I was missing. To bathe myself in my enemy's blood."

Meanwhile, Levon was more skillful in his display and ended the islanders in clean spear strikes and thrusts that shocked the islanders.

As they, the officers of the Kaysang Army did the groundwork, the soldiers on buildings showered once again their bullets on the islander warriors.

Zeke's clan's men, who were breathing hard from the fighting they were doing, looked around themselves and noticed the soldiers on the buildings and the officers who were like reapers on the battlefield.

"The foreigners have come to help us!? Push my brothers, don't show our foreign friends that we are weak!? SHOW THEM THAT WE ARE PROUD SONS OF TAMUIN!?" shouted Belros, one of Zeke's elite warriors, while outstanding an enemy before killing him.

"FIGHT!? KILL THE TRAITORS!?" shouted the rest of Zeke's warriors as their morale increased to a limit they never could imagine.

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Back to the main battle, Zeke, who heard his warriors roar with such high morale, also tried to gather what powers he had left to push this old monster, who used a new way of fighting compared to the early part of the fight.

Spikes of sharp stones began targeting him like thrown javelins, and the number of spikes was increasing along with the increased morale of his men.

"Your dog seems to bark loud, but once I finish you, regardless that I lost my puppets, I will end them and rebuild Tamuin in my own way."

Zeke, who had some pierced wounds on his arms and legs, laughed at the old man's declaration.

"You will have to pass past me to reach my warriors. Until then, keep your dream to yourself."

Shattering those thrown stone javelins using a combination of sword strikes while his sword was covered in armament, he began breathing hard.

'Huh, so you little shit, finally done? Well, it's almost one hour since we began this fight. I should start preparing to end you and seal your fate.'

'Also, those pesky foreigners, after I end those dogs, I will find out where you came from, and I will especially go to your country so I can kill you all. Hmph, you want to dethrone me from my power? Not a chance, you little ants, I will see you die soon.'

Thinking that the old priest began suppressing Zeke using his devil fruit ability along with his experienced fighting knowledge that used a low amount of energy while fighting, steady and strong like a stone.

Not minding the losses of his warriors, the warrior kept fighting with Zeke, delivering a variety of attacks that kept the young chieftain busy and at the same time confused his energy.

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Minutes passed, and the battlefield turned crimson from the shed blood and the body parts of the dismembered and dead warriors.

The fight turned chaotic when the warriors on the priest camp began doing suicide attacks while targetting the Kaysang soldiers.

"Damn it, those brainwashed zombies just keep on coming for us after they noticed us. How many bullets do you still have, guys?" asked a soldier who had a wound on his arm that looked to be a sword wound.

"I have 15 more bullets. But I doubt we will have much success on the higher ground since those painted fucks began moving around and started dodging the bullets when they hear the gunpowder explode."

Replied another soldier who was bloody, with blood that didn't belong to him, but instead of a warrior who climbed the building they were, and tried to kill them.

"I think it is about time we get down and join the others. Ready?"

The rest of the soldiers on that building who had some wounds from the warriors' attacks finished their preparations and drew their swords and close range pistols.

"Then let's show those braindead islanders that we Kaysang soldiers can also fight man to man against them."

They climbed down and began shooting their close-range pistols, all their 6 rounds at the warriors.

"KILL THE FOREIGNERS. THEY ARE THE BRINGERS OF DEATH. END THEM QUICK!?" roared the warriors belonging to the priest who by now numbered in half their original number.

While the priest's warriors did that, Zeke's ones, who also suffered some losses but not comparable to the priest's huge number, also jumped to help the soldiers.

Flex, who was supporting people on the battlefield, finally had a worthy enemy who managed to block him.

"Heh, so you are one of those champions?"

"That's right, you cursed foreigner. I will be your end!?" roared the elite warrior while using his gladius to push Flex.

The same thing happened for Levon and Yetty, who were fighting some strong opponents.

"Tsk, this will be annoying. More people on our side will die because of you annoying barbarian."

As Flex said that, he used his speed to move like a phantom around the champion, who to his surprise, kept along with his speed and attacks.

The fight kept Flex busy for 5 minutes, while along with the fight, he thought to himself.

'It's about time the one-hour mark arrives. Would His Highness appear soon? Or did he encounter problems on his journey to here since the Rain Islands have bad weather on the sea nearby?'

"You!? How dare you not fight me seriously. That's an insult to my great name."

Getting his attention back to the fight, he saw the warrior attack him with a series of combo strikes that looked quite strong from the outside. However, Flex, who analyzed the weaknesses that this warrior showed so far, did a step back and used suddenly jumped on the guy's body and propelled himself into the sky.

The warrior looked confused as to why Flex did that, but when he looked up, he saw the black attired officer as he flew back while holding his short sword and dagger precariously.

[Death from Above]

Cited Flex to himself, his strongest attack as he slashed the warrior on his chest and throat when he landed back on the ground.

Looking around himself on the battlefield, he saw that his two brothers also finished their fights while having some minor wounds around themselves.

Then, as he checked the battlefield, he saw a soldier being ganged by 3 of the enemy warriors, which instantly made him react and move to rescue him at his fast speed.

"DON'T YOU DARE KILL MY MEN!?"

Roaring, toward those warriors, in only some seconds like a crazed ghost, he slashed the heads of two guys using his long dagger and short sword and the last one being killed by the soldier.

"Are you fine, soldier?"

"Sigh, thanks sir, I thought I would be done for after those guys cornered me."

Suddenly, as he talked a bit with the soldier, instructing him on what to do next, he felt the ground shake all of a sudden as if an earthquake happened.

"What the fuck is going on?"

"Captain, look up. There's a giant over there." said the soldier with a pale face while pointing toward the center of the battlefield.

Flex saw a giant human made of rock that seemed to be attacking something, clearly that someone was Zeke.

"FUCK!? FUCK!? FUCK!? That Zeke guy is so dead after that giant attack."

However, as he watched helplessly, believing that Zeke finally delivered his last breath, he saw something covering and releasing a lot of dark smoke.

This being was flying in the sky while on his back were two wings that looked a mix of crimson and blackness as they propelled him.

As that flying in the sky and was clearly moving toward the giant made out of rock, the soldiers and the rest of the people heard and felt another thunderous quake along with the head of the stone giant being shattered.

Flex had his mouth open, and the soldier also looked similar to Flex while looking at what happened to the stone giant who suddenly had no head.

"My god, the prince finally arrived to help us."

"The prince? Who?"

"Sigh, you little soldiers don't know him as the prince because he didn't want you to know about it since he was weak at the time he started building the army. You might know that person who arrived as Sir Blood.

"WHAT!? Sir Blood, who instructed us, has come here to help us? Wait, what? Captain, what you just said? He's the prince from those stories?"

"Indeed, Sir Blood, the scourge of Kaysang or whatever title those bastard nobles placed on him is, in fact, our Royal Highness, Vermilion Zagreus Vlad, our future monarch."

Some of the soldiers nearby who listened to what Flex revealed had their eyes wide open and mouth largely open.

Not long from the initial shock, they became excited and said to themselves.

"The Royal Prince trained us, lowly commoners? My god, if I tell father and mother about this, it would turn into a legendary story for my family for generations to come."

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A/N: Phew, I thought for a second that Zeke was going to die. Nice save Vlad, let's those peasants see your power.

P.S: Fun fact. I don't know how well this chapter is for you, but I wrote it today without much preparation because I had some projects for the university to complete. If you ask me, I think is pretty good, with a small cliffhanger.

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