[51] Amethyst Kingdom Crisis (I)
[3120 words]
Giveaway winners brought in 4 names of Royals in this chapter, stay tuned in Discord for more chances to bring a slight touch of your imagination into the story.
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[Amethyst Kingdom, Grand Line]
[Earlier in the Day]
The island was situated almost exactly at the center of the Paradise Sea, a hub for traders and merchants from all seas!
Within the beautiful Amethyst Kingdom, a grand celebration was being held. The hosts were the Royal Family, The Prabna Family and the Grand Minister, Warno Proditor.
Many of the neighbouring kingdoms were invited to attend, alongside some true VIPs.
"King Faris Ashgar of the Ashgar Kingdom has arrived."
"Lord Darkshade of the Darkshade Kingdom has arrived."
"Grand Duke Dayton of the Inquisitive Isles has arrived."
"Crown Prince Cyrus of the Kingdom of South Fire has arrived."
Such names drew great attention from the other Nobles who very kindly extended their hands in greeting, after all, those four were Reverie Attendants!
…
The introductions went on and on as the powerful people lined up.
It was hosted within the Amethyst Kingdom Castle, a majestic sight of its own. Built on a hill surrounded by a lake, dozens of towers were erected from the ground. A rather modern yet noble castle at the apex, scraping the clouds.
The primary colour was a simple yet regal tan, topped with blue triangular tips at each tower.
[Castle Image (in Discord)]
Along with other Nobles came their guards and protectors, all keen for the slightest of dangers; slowly but surely, the great halls were flooded by hundreds of guests.
The hall itself was a cross-shaped chamber, spanning a few hundred meters out equally. Thick stone pillars coated in marble held up the majestic area, sporting a glass dome above that invited the warmth from the sunny sky.
The ground was polished and finished with black and white tiles and along the pillars were long red banners, sporting intricate designs, opening the way to the Royal Throne stood at one of the ends of the hall.
[Grand Hall Image (in Discord)]
The celebration could be considered a mini-reverie as it had at least 23 Kings, Queens, Heads of State and Sovereigns, all confined within a small location. From the 23 Royals, 5 held a spot at the Reverie.
[A/N: Recall that there are only 50 Reverie seats at once.]
There were around 600 guards all around the area, excluding the personal guards of each Royal. They had to keep track of the servants who numbered a good five dozen, responsible for appetizers and drinks.
*Thump* *Thump* *Thump*
A larger-than-life man walked in from the gates and into the hall with four bodyguards.
He was around nine feet in height (2.74 m) and shaped like a ball. He wore a heavy red noble coat, regal clothes underneath with a warm furred scarf draped over his shoulders and a cane with a large jewel on its top, shining as brightly as his bald head.
Such a striking look matched that of the Grand Minister of the Kingdom—Warno Proditor.
[Grand Minister Image (in Discord)]
.
"Profofofo! Everyone, I thank you for your patience and am honoured to serve as the host for you all today," he said as he bowed a few degrees down, since his fat obstructed him, it looked more like a small head nod than anything.
The people clapped in joy, cheering in Proditor's name and glory. The Minister laughed, raising his cane to quiet the people. "May I now have the privilege to present to you, the Prabna Royal Family!"
*Creak* The heavy doors opened once more as a family of four walked in.
The King wore purple robes with red petals, on the other hand, the Queen wore light purple clothes as she walked behind her husband with her two sons.
Such a noble entrance drew another applause from the crowd, filling the ends of the Grand Hall with applause.
Yet there were a few whispers amongst the masses. "Weren't the Amethyst Family the rulers?" a young prince asked his father.
*Smack* A light yet sharp smack clocked the boy's dome as he looked up in tears. "Never speak of that again!" his father thundered.
…
The King, Prabna Vari, raised his hand and addressed the room, "Everyone, this celebration is for the renaming ceremony of this noble land! So please, share this joyful moment with me as I raise my cup to our union for the new Prabna Kingdom!"
"""Cheers!"""
The clicking of glasses resounded as the guests cheered the words of the King; the celebration had begun!
Yet even with the hundreds of guards, there was a person there, watching everything going on; two amethyst-coloured eyes, locked onto the gathering.
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[G-4 Base, Amethyst Kingdom]
The Marine Base, G-4, was built only six years ago on this very island and housed 6,000 marines as it was at the center of the Paradise Sea. These men were led by five Rear Admirals and a Vice Admiral. It was around 12 kilometers away from the Royal Castle of Amethyst Kingdom.
"Hey, did you hear that the previous Vice Admiral was all of a sudden recalled back to Marineford… they sent a big man to take over in his stead!"
"What!? Is it because of the Grand Celebration? All the Royals have their own security detail on top of us."
These hushed voices came from a duo of recruits. They did not have much to do so they spent most of their time recalling and discussing global politics and national gossip.
Another such man chimed in as well, "Yeah, yeah! I can't believe they sent him here!"
Their little discussion was soon put to an end: "Enough, you three! Get to your post, the new commanding officer has arrived!"
The marines nodded with visible fascination, running out to the rear entrance near the main marine port where hundreds of other naval officers stood in salute, granting a grand welcome to their new, temporary commander.
Alas, a marine warship came into vision and soon docked with a deep thud. The strong foundation of the base let out a dull rumble as the ship lowered its boards.
*Thump* *Thump* *Thump*
Soon, tens of elite marines walked off, each with steel-like eyes, as if ready for war.
The G-4 members could only stare with envy; such discipline was not overly preserved in the Paradise Sea, if anything, it showcased the difference in rank of the newly arrived battalion.
.
Soon, an imposing figure made his debut, walking at a confident pace. The marines standing in salute felt giddy as if meeting their idol.
He had short purple hair under his marine hat. He also had a well-ironed marine coat draped over his shoulders; his thick muscles popping out from the marine shirt underneath it.
A leading Rear Admiral of G-4 stood at the front and exclaimed, "Welcome to G-4, we have been expecting you, Vice Admiral Zephyr!"
The top marine nodded strongly, ensuring to acknowledge the marines before him.
…
[Base Commander's Office]
Barely ten minutes passed and Zephyr had already seated himself as the commanding seat of G-4.
He did not wait nor rest, rather he immediately gathered the five Rear Admirals and did a quick homework check: reading a report of all the royal figures at Amethyst Island and putting all of them to memory.
The other marines waited patiently, careful not to overstep their welcome. After all, the man in front of them was becoming a leading contestant for the next generation of Admirals!
.
'Enlisted at the age of 14 to become a hero for the innocent,' one of the Rear Admirals thought to himself. 'A career of great merits and feats, known for his fairness and level-headedness and making him 1 of the 3 Admiral Candidates!'
Another of the commanders who was more brutish tried hard to mask his grin, 'Just like Vice Admiral Garp, Zephyr-sama is known to use masterful Armament Haki, he really is a role model!'
The word of the man's Armament Haki and disdain for Devil Fruit reliance had gotten out, earning him the epithet of "Black Arm" Zephyr!
*Thump!*
The man placed a stack of papers, bringing the others out of their reverie. Zephyr's eyes made them stand taller and prouder, sticking out their chests and their heads held high.
"Be prepared. I will need your full support to ensure the safety of this event, no matter what, this may very well get out of hand fast," he warned them.
Each of them saluted in return.
However, Rear Admiral Cocoa, the most respected of the five, couldn't help but speak up: "Vice Admiral Zephyr," he hesitantly asked, "even if someone attacks the Royals gathered, G-4 has more than enough resources to resist them!"
Zephyr leaned back into his leather chair and nodded.
"Tsuru-san has predicted that the renaming ceremony will draw an attack from the surviving princess, matching her identity to that of the Terror of Sabaody," he informed. "Cipher Pol has kept tabs on her."
His voice then grew unsure, "Her previous, more reckless demeanour has entirely reversed over the past few months; sloppy and rash movements became precise and thought-out, traces of her arrivals nearly null."
Zephyr narrowed his eyes and said with a solemn voice, "It's almost as if having received training and guidance from a more dangerous figure..."
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[The Castle]
"Profofofo! Drink freely, fellow Royals; today is a day of celebration!" Proditor exclaimed.
At his words came a boisterous clinking of glasses, nobles getting drunk was nothing out of the ordinary. One such Noble, who was embracing the warm atmosphere, saw something odd.
He squinted his eyes hard, staring at the rows of windows at the side of the room.
*Thwack!* He slapped himself.
"Hehe, I had so much to drink," he chided himself, "the bright afternoon somehow turned dark so fast… I really should control myself more."
The man laughed to himself, oddly enough, the bright sun that had graced the celebration had gone dark, leaving the windows black.
"No, no, there's something wrong. What happened to all the windows!?" another Royal questioned.
His voice woke the others from their conversations, each gawking at the odd display.
A guard who stood post could not help but become shocked. He looked at the large clock on the front wall and read the time twice. "I-It's only two in the afternoon, how could it be pitch-black all of a sudden!?"
The other guards felt a chill and they took out their weapons ready.
Proditor also noticed it and gave a loud yell, "What are you doing, go alert the Marines!"
Yet things got worse for the celebration: "It's no use Grand Minister, our transponder snails aren't responding!"
A more senior Royal put his finger on the matter: "Isn't it obvious, we're under attack! And whoever it is has the power to jam all our calls, get ready!"
.
Proditor took a few steps back and nearly fell on his behind.
"Y-You!" He pointed his thick and fatty finger at the lithe dark figure that had appeared at the center of the room.
*Click* Hundreds of guards swarmed immediately, drawing their various weapons. "Fire!"
Boom!
Bang!
Pew! Pew! Pew!
The men did not question the attacker, instead, unloaded their entire magazines at the darkened figure. The shell casing left a melody to play from the clattering in the pristine floors, alongside dust and smoke.
"S-She's an ability user!"
Some of the guards couldn't help but fear as they saw each of the bullets pass through the figure, leaving nothing behind but a shadowy cloud.
"Ugh!"
"Aughh!"
"My arm!"
Naturally, panic ensued amidst the crossfire.
A good amount of Royals shot to the door in hopes of fleeing but were once again met with bad news. "The doors don't lead anywhere!" It was a pitch-black screen with faint purple flickers crackling about.
One man touched the dark curtain and felt that it was malleable but unmovable—they were trapped!
*Whizz!* The assassin darted ahead, in the direction of the Grand Minister and the current Royal Family!
"Don't come near, w-we are members of the Reverie, you think you can get away with this!?" This time it was Vari, the King, who spoke up in a bold tone, feigning a calm disposition.
The assassin paused and gazed at the King.
Vari thought his words worked, his face beaming a relieved smile. However, the following sight caused his eyes to pop as he saw the assassin remove her hood.
"Those eyes, that damned purple hair! Y-You, you're the one that got away!"
Aurora, after years of a dull lifestyle of hunting pirates, finally felt alive. Her equally purple eyes locked onto the perpetrators of her past, swarming with ill intent.
*Vvoo!*
The girl resumed her pace, this time shooting toward the King, waking Vari from his frozen state and taking out a golden pistol.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The bullets went through the assassin's forehead. However, to Vari's dismay, her head simply burst into a purple cloud, taking a few moments to reform without issue. "Logia!" he cursed.
Aurora materialized her daggers, ready to do the deed.
The King took a step back while his soon-to-be killer took two steps forward. Sweat dripped from his weathered face as he could not help but grab the nearest thing to toss at the assassin in response.
"Vari, you coward!" The man actually threw his wife and made a run for it!
"Wai-" the Queen's words ended abruptly as her heart was lodged with a sharp dagger. Her body soon graced the floor with a pool of blood.
Meanwhile, Vari ran to the side doors and flung them open.
*Thud!* His body slammed onto the black wall, falling with a loud rumble. His nose was bleeding, his mind hazy.
By the time he turned around, he felt airborne.
His eyes widened from the light and empty feeling of his body. Vari's eyes went in circles as he saw his headless body flop over, his conscience following suit.
.
The slaughter of the Prabna Family sent a surge of panic through the Royals, bringing great fright into their eyes.
Under the panic, Proditor, the Grand Minister, chose to hide—he found a wide table and scrambled below; his wide mass could barely fit.
"..."
Moments passed after Vari's death, leaving Proditor unsure from under the table. He peaked out from under the spanning tablecloth and saw the hall. All four corners of the Hall were packed with tens of Nobles huddling next to each other, hoping to squeeze out from their prison.
Proditor slowly crawled out and let out a sigh of relief.
"Looks like she left, hehe, that crazy bitc–" Though his eyes saw the expression of the Royals turn upside down in his direction.
*Gulp* The man swallowed as he felt a chill behind himself.
He turned around and saw his very own shadow tremble as a purple figure rushed out and grabbed him by the throat, his meaty flesh wrapped around the assassin's gloved hands.
"..."
Aurora's eyes grew somber as she saw the frightened man. Proditor's figure would appear in her nightmares again and again, yet now he was nothing more than a fattened fool.
"I'm sure you have the same look in your eyes as my mother did when she begged you to spare us sisters."
The girl's face scrunched up into pure anger as her fingers dug into the man's neck and yelled, "My father trusted you and yet you plotted with the Prabna Family and fed the World Government lies!"
Proditor, whose throat was being constricted, tried to defend himself: "It was true! Y-Your father had a Poneglyph hidden away, everything I did was to protect this Kingdom, d-don't you know those things can lead to Buster Calls and level islands!"
"He didn't even know what that stone meant, let alone by the time you stabbed him in the back and sold yourself to the Prabnas!" Aurora exclaimed, her eyes fiery.
BOOOM!
A huge explosion sound went off, echoing through the halls and surprising everyone present.
The explosion was followed by a calm voice: "Young lady, I understand your anger, but this will not bring your family back."
Aurora's hands shook as she felt a powerful presence lock onto her every move, sending a chill down her back.
"Don't make any more bad decisions, there's still time to make things right."
She turned around and saw the eleven-and-a-half-foot-tall (3.51 m) marine standing under the broken clouds of her powers, eclipsing herself.
"I will ensure you get a fair trial, you have my word!" Zephyr promised sincerely.
The bounty hunter gave him a faint smile with a resolute gaze, "I'm only here to put my family to rest." Her words came with the tightening of her grip. "Guhh!" Proditor gagged as he was lifted off the floor, his ball-shaped figure flailing like a fish out of the sea!
.
"Don't do it," Zephyr solemnly warned as darkness covered his face.
*Fwwm!* The Vice Admiral's words were followed by a sharp plating sound as his right arm was coated in a thick coat of Haki, pristine in all ways.
Aurora turned away from the threatening sight, ignoring the marine battalion who stood around 20 meters away. Her open hand materialized a dagger as she shot at the Grand Minister's throat.
A fountain of blood exploded as the Proditor's headless body fell to the ground.
The fresh blood dyed the expensive tiles with a deep red colour, casting a reflection of the marine scene at the heart of the hall.
"..."
Zephyr clicked his tongue, his disposition now changing to that of a beast about to strike. "You've left me no choice. Your actions cannot go unpunished; justice and order must be upheld."
Aurora turned her body to the burly marine. "Where was the justice when my family was slaughtered? Your words are hollow, Vice Admiral," the girl muttered, taking a deep breath and exercising her ability to the extreme.
Zephyr picked up on a surge of power emanating from the ex-princess, clenching his fists and preparing to respond. "I can only do my part to uphold justice... I can't change the past, but I can ensure that those responsible are held accountable now."
"Let me do what I can to bring closure to this tragedy; surrender."
Boom!
The assassin's body soon exploded with the ghostly purple energy as small explosions followed suit. The ground began to dissociate with the introduction of foreign energy.
Aurora returned a gaze of conviction, spreading her ability throughout the Grand Hall. An ominous breeze whirled about, leaving the Vice Admiral solemn.
"I can't let you take me away, Zephyr; I have a promise to keep, and nothing will stop me from fulfilling it. Not you, not anyone!"
To Be Continued…
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Author's Corner.
I'm a fan of Film Z with Zephyr. I liked the lore they gave him and indirectly to almost all the new generation of marines through his guidance. What do you think about him?
Images alongside Giveaways: https://discord.gg/aJHHHPvb6q