**Chapter 75: Fairy Tales Are Just Fairy Tales**

King Riku was still struggling to distinguish between reality and illusion.

"Violet."

King Riku froze, feeling a surge of anger rise within him.

But under Raijin's gaze, he dared not make a move.

This man, who sought to take over his country, had the audacity to propose marrying his daughter.

It was nothing short of a madman's dream. Even if it meant dying here today, Raijin would never succeed.

Such a thing was utterly impossible.

Suddenly, Raijin moved closer to him.

"Before I came here, I discovered something interesting. I saw a girl on the streets."

"That girl's name is Rebecca. She's been wandering in Dressrosa, with only a broken toy soldier by her side."

"This girl, with her pink hair, is now rummaging through a trash can for food."

Raijin's words filled King Riku's eyes with shock and fear.

Rebecca.

His granddaughter.

He hadn't expected that she was still alive.

This news gave King Riku a small sense of relief.

But hearing about Rebecca's current situation made his heart ache.

How could it be that he, the king of this nation, had allowed his granddaughter to live a life where she could barely find enough to eat?

Just like him, she had to sleep on the cold ground, with the sky as her blanket.

Wait!

How did this man know about Rebecca's identity?

"Your granddaughter is suffering out there, fighting stray dogs for scraps because you're too weak!"

"She should have been living the life of a noble, but now she's worse off than a beggar."

"She even had to watch as her mother was murdered right in front of her eyes, helpless to do anything."

"And she herself, who knows when she might die in the cold, becoming food for those same stray dogs."

Raijin spoke these harsh truths without any emotion.

This was the reality.

But there was one exception: the man by Rebecca's side was her father.

He had done his duty, finding warm clothes for Rebecca in the winter.

When she was hungry, he found food, staying by her side for ten long years.

But it was still a tragic life, with no hope in sight.

Rebecca would never become strong enough to surpass Doflamingo.

This country had no hope, only darkness and despair.

If Luffy hadn't come to Dressrosa, the country would have remained steeped in despair.

There would have been no glimpse of light.

This is the cruel reality of the pirate world.

Yet, to rely on a pirate to save a country...

How truly sad.

But next time, despair will fall upon Dressrosa once more.

Next time, there might be no Luffy to save them!

Until this country is destroyed.

"Enough!"

King Riku's face was full of tears as he clutched his head with both hands.

For a moment, he didn't know how to argue against the man standing before him.

The pirate world was one where the strong devoured the weak. As the ruler of a nation, he was well aware of this fact.

He had once believed that being a member of the World Government, with the backing of the Marines, would be enough to protect his country in the New World.

But reality proved him wrong!

In this world, strength was the most important thing!

His weakness had become a reason for others to invade.

"I will hand this country over to you, but I have one request."

"Treat my people well. Do not mistreat them."

King Riku covered his head with his hands, knowing that he could no longer resist Doflamingo.

The only thing left to do was to completely hand over the country to the man before him.

This nation, situated in the Grand Line, had always been too conspicuous.

Only the strong could protect its people.

A country did not need a weak king.

"Of course!"

Raijin nodded in agreement, no longer pressuring King Riku.

He had already achieved his goal.

"I will marry your daughter with all the proper ceremony, and she will become the queen of this country in the future."

"And Rebecca will regain her status. I will treat her as my own daughter."

"So, there's no need for you to fear me. We still have over ten years to get along."

Raijin suddenly smiled, as if the cold and ruthless person from before had never existed.

But King Riku knew that this man was merely masking the cruelty inside with a smile.

He was no longer in a position to oppose Raijin.

King Riku closed his eyes in pain.

He had driven away one dragon, only to see the hero who slayed it become a dragon himself.

Fairy tales are always just fairy tales!

In reality, there were no heroes with pure hearts.

But at least he had Raijin's promise.

King Riku could see that this man was cold-blooded, but he also had pride.

As long as he didn't cross any lines, Raijin wouldn't break their agreement.

"In the future, this country will become the focus of the world, more prosperous than it is now."

"King Riku, your choice was not wrong."

Raijin said with a smile.

"Let's hope so! Now, let's talk about how to bring down Doflamingo."

King Riku had given up struggling. All he wanted now was to overthrow Doflamingo.

He had no interest in listening to Raijin's grand plans.

Empty promises were worthless compared to immediate action.

After all, he had been wandering outside, barely getting enough to eat.

Now, his stomach growled with hunger. All he wanted was a delicious meal.

"No! What you need now is a good bath."

"After a hearty meal, we can talk properly."

Raijin patted his father-in-law on the shoulder and led him out of the basement, taking him to a bathroom in the villa.

Once King Riku had left, only the three of them remained in the living room.

Uchiha Izumi's lips moved slightly, as if she wanted to say something.

But after closing herself off emotionally, the once lively girl didn't know how to speak up.

Kakashi, on the other hand, had pretty much let go of all his reservations.

"Wow, I didn't expect you to make such a big sacrifice. You've never even met the princess, but you're already making decisions like this."

Kakashi said sarcastically, his tone tinged with a bit of bitterness.

He was a little envious.

While he was still studying, Raijin was already putting things into practice.

How annoying, the taste of love.

Why did this villa always have that sour smell?

Couples coming here to date every day, how frustrating.

Why did he buy a villa here, of all places?

Should he just use a Chidori and strike it down?

"For the Uchiha, such sacrifices are worth it."

"As the head of the Uchiha clan, I've already come to terms with this."

Raijin replied calmly, seeing the envy in Kakashi's eyes.

Suddenly, he felt amused. The ever-popular Kakashi in Konoha was still single.

But now, he was envious of Raijin. Did something happen?

Or maybe, Kakashi suddenly wanted to fall in love?

Has "Icha Icha Paradise" lost its charm?

Or did reading it ignite a real fire?

Did he want to experience it for himself?

"Lord Raijin!"

Suddenly, Uchiha Izumi interrupted.

Raijin looked over, seeing an awkward expression on her face.

This girl, who used to be lively and adorable, had become emotionally withdrawn after the incident with Uchiha Itachi.

Since arriving in the pirate world, her face had rarely shown any expression other than coldness.

But what was with this awkward expression now?

"I believe that the Uchiha bloodline should not be passed on to outsiders!"

"How could an ordinary person be qualified to become the wife of the clan leader?"

"Even if she's a princess, she doesn't have that right."

Izumi spoke slowly, her face showing signs of struggle.

Whatever she was feeling inside, she was pained to see Raijin sacrificing himself for the sake of the Uchiha.

She had watched him tirelessly work to make the Uchiha clan stronger.

And now, Raijin was even willing to sacrifice himself.

Lord Raijin probably wasn't doing this willingly.

He was likely doing it out of necessity, for the future of the Uchiha.

In her eyes, there had to be other ways to gain control over this country.

**Author's note:** Please keep reading! Please keep reading! Please keep reading! Please keep reading! Please keep reading! Please keep reading!

**End of Chapter**