One Piece: The True Codex

The long-faced noble was so startled that he jumped off the sofa as though electrocuted, distancing himself from the severed head that had rolled onto the floor.

"Who... who did this?" the long-faced noble stammered, his voice trembling with fear.

"The Morgan Pirates... it's the Morgan Pirates!" Count Pere, pale and trembling, slumped weakly back into the sofa.

He had now truly witnessed the brutality of pirates. It seemed clear that the Blue Sapphire Pirates had likely met a grim fate as well.

The severed head was undoubtedly a warning—a message of dissatisfaction with Count Pere's repeated violations of the Morgan Pirates' decrees.

Count Pere exemplified the phrase "all bark and no bite." Just moments ago, he had been brimming with confidence, but now he was jumpy and paranoid, convinced that the Morgan Pirates could attack at any moment. He was completely at a loss.

Seeing Count Pere in such a state of panic, the long-faced noble hesitated for a moment before asking, "This 'Morgan Pirates' you mentioned—is it the same group of Navia Kingdom pirates you've been at odds with?"

"Yes, it's them! It's them!" Count Pere's voice rose instinctively out of fear. "These people are lawless! They killed my man and even sent his head here!"

The long-faced noble said no more, but in his mind, he had firmly committed the name "Morgan Pirates" to memory.

...

While the nobles of the Goa Kingdom had their own troubles, the nobles of the Navia Kingdom were not without their own grievances.

In the estate of Count Rielde, the Navia Kingdom's Minister of Internal Affairs, the conference room was dimly lit due to the drawn curtains. All servants and the butler had been dismissed from the room. Seated inside were nobles whom Count Rielde trusted.

These individuals shared a common sentiment: every single one of them harbored dissatisfaction with Arcadio, the Minister of Finance.

The Bureau of Alcohol Smuggling Investigation, established specifically to enforce the prohibition laws, was like Pandora's box. When William deliberately handed this box to Arcadio, it was with ill intentions.

This bureau was essentially a secret police organization. In the hands of a rational leader, it could serve its intended purpose. But in the hands of someone like Arcadio, it inevitably became a tool for eliminating political rivals and suppressing dissent.

Arcadio had no intention of restraining this rabid dog that bit indiscriminately. Leveraging King Norton I's emphasis on royal authority and his trust in Arcadio, as well as the bureau's powers, Arcadio had already brought down several nobles, including the Prime Minister, who had once been a potential rival.

This only increased King Norton I's satisfaction with both Arcadio and the Bureau of Alcohol Smuggling Investigation, believing they were fulfilling their duties with utmost loyalty.

As a result, the nobles were gripped by fear. While Arcadio had always been influential, he now wielded enough power to bend the truth and reverse black and white.

"To bring down Arcadio, we must first eliminate his two key subordinates—Kro from the bureau and Stolt from the militia," one noble suggested.

"But how do we eliminate them? We've been suppressing them for nearly a year now. Otherwise, Stolt would have already qualified to participate in the daily court meetings. What else can we do?" another noble countered.

"Perhaps we could destroy them... physically," a tall, thin noble proposed sinisterly.

"Dream on. Even Andre couldn't defeat Stolt back then," a middle-aged, balding noble sitting nearby retorted, shaking his head.

"Poison would do the trick," the tall, thin noble said dismissively. "His men are nothing but low-born brutes. Once Stolt is gone, we nobles, with our status, can easily control them. A few small favors would be enough to win them over. I refuse to believe there isn't a single person among Stolt's men who doesn't dream of becoming a noble. Once we control his forces, Arcadio will effectively lose a major asset."

Count Rielde, who had remained silent until now, finally tapped the armrest of his chair and spoke. "That could serve as a backup plan. But for now, our first priority should be to see if we can win them over."

"Win them over? They were all handpicked by Arcadio himself," someone questioned.

"They're just a bunch of lowly opportunists, driven solely by self-interest. Loyalty means nothing to them. They sided with Arcadio purely for the benefits he offered. If we can show them that we can provide the same benefits—or even more—they'll be tempted," Count Rielde explained.

"Kro will be hard to sway. He's impervious to bribes," one noble remarked, clearly having failed in previous attempts to win Kro over.

"Then focus on Stolt. Without his support, neither Arcadio nor Kro will have reliable manpower to draw upon," Count Rielde mused. "While Stolt is one of Arcadio's men, he's known for being slippery. He's maintained decent relations with the nobles by diligently upholding order in the noble district, unlike Kro, who shows no regard for anyone. Stolt might be open to persuasion."

The nobles exchanged glances. "Let's hope so."

"If not, we'll have no choice but to poison him."

"Such a treacherous man—if he refuses to reform, then he deserves to die."

As the nobles continued to denounce Arcadio and his associates, a faint noise suddenly came from outside the room.

The room fell silent instantly. A sharp-eyed noble by the door quickly opened it, revealing a tall, red-haired young maid in a maid's uniform standing there with a tray. She looked startled, her other hand raised as if she had been about to knock.

"Anna?" Count Rielde frowned, scrutinizing the maid. He vaguely recalled her name. "Didn't I say no one was to approach this room?"

The maid named Anna replied timidly, "The butler said you were meeting with the other lords, and I thought the tea must have run out by now, so I came to replace it."

"That won't be necessary. Leave," Count Rielde said impatiently, waving her away.

Anna curtsied cautiously and hurried off.

The noble by the door closed it again, and the others resumed their discussion, though their voices were noticeably quieter.

Meanwhile, Anna left the conference room with a calm expression. After placing the tray back in the kitchen, her demeanor suddenly changed. She clutched her stomach, her brows furrowing in apparent discomfort.

The other maids in the kitchen noticed and asked with concern, "What's wrong?"

"I'm feeling... a bit unwell," Anna replied vaguely.

Two of the maids exchanged glances and urged her, "You should go rest. If the butler comes by, we'll cover for you."

Anna thanked them weakly, then slowly left the kitchen. Once she was out of sight, her expression returned to normal. Familiar with the layout of the estate, she avoided others as she made her way to the back door. Moving swiftly, she slipped out and headed toward the slums.

~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~

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