After about ten days, Barrett and Gaban returned one after the other. Barrett came back first, and his methods really were simple and brutal. He directly tied up the King of Goren and brought him back.
Gaban and Scaler's approach was much gentler by comparison. They "invited" the King of Biya to come along.
The three kings talked all night. No one knew what they discussed, but after the two kings returned to their countries, they announced their submission to the Kingdom of Mohr.
There were still stubborn hardliners in both kingdoms who refused to accept it, but every one of those who dared to jump out was eliminated by the Roger Pirates. Yes, eliminated. They vanished from this world completely, just to make sure that after the Roger Pirates left, those people wouldn't stand up and cause trouble again.
King Kather also finally forced the truth out of Goren about who the traitor embedded in Mohr was. The result shocked everyone. It was actually one of the kingdom's highest ranking ministers.
Luckily, the Roger Pirates arrived in time. Otherwise, the king's authority might have been slowly hollowed out, and the fall of the nation wouldn't have been far off.
The day after learning the truth, King Kather ordered the extermination of the traitor's entire clan. No matter how the man begged, no matter how many contributions he had made to the country, no matter how he tried to reason or appeal to emotion, King Kather did not spare him.
Because the single crime of harming the princess was enough to bury all his merits.
On the day the nation was unified, a grand banquet was held across the island. All the people, no matter where they were, took part, because their island had finally become one. They no longer had to live in the misery of war.
"Thank you," King Kather said at the banquet, bowing deeply to Roger. Roger did not refuse, because he knew there was no way to refuse that gratitude.
"I hope you treat the people of this island well. If I come back someday and find their lives are still bad, you should know what will happen to you."
"Don't worry. I'll treat the people of this island like my own children," King Kather promised, but even as he spoke, beads of sweat the size of beans kept dripping down his face. Just now, he had felt terrifying pressure from Roger, and the easygoing image he had of him vanished in an instant.
"Good." Roger patted his shoulder as encouragement, and also as a hope that he would become a great king in the future.
This was the first time in two months that the Roger Pirates had all gathered together again. Even in the solemn royal palace, nothing could suppress the lively atmosphere they brought.
"Thank you." Princess Kather Lin walked up to Shirakawa, raised her wine glass, and spoke to him.
Today, Kather Lin wore an extremely gorgeous dress. Wherever she went, she became the center of attention.
"No need." Shirakawa had heard her say that countless times already. One more didn't change anything.
"Damn, Shirakawa really has insane luck with women." A pirate complained to his companion, probably jealous seeing how close Kather Lin was to Shirakawa.
"Haha. If you had Shirakawa's face, no, if you were even half as handsome as him, your 'peach blossoms' would be endless too."
"Hahahaha." At that, everyone around them burst into loud laughter.
"Like you aren't jealous too," the mocked pirate snapped back.
That shut them up instantly. Saying they weren't jealous would be a lie.
Sure, pirates didn't need pretty faces, but if they could have one, who would refuse? After all, most pirates chased two things, wealth and women.
With a handsome face, you wouldn't have to worry about beauties at all, just like Shirakawa right now.
But Shirakawa wasn't as happy as the others imagined. Kather Lin's questions kept pressing him harder and harder.
"You really don't plan to stay?" Shirakawa didn't even know how many times she'd asked him already.
"I've already said it. This isn't where my ambition lies. Give it up."
"Can't you think about me for once?" These past few days, Kather Lin had tried to bury her feelings for Shirakawa, but the moment she learned he was leaving, she couldn't hold it down anymore. It burst out completely.
"I'm sorry. Maybe we're just fated to meet, not fated to be together."
Even though he couldn't bear to see her tears, Shirakawa still refused firmly. He couldn't give her even the slightest illusion.
Shirakawa never said the rejection outright, but the meaning was already clear. It was no different from refusing her to her face.
Kather Lin ran off crying. Shirakawa wanted to call her back and comfort her, but in the end, he stopped himself.
"Tsk. Scumbag." The pirates who had been watching Shirakawa the whole time spat without hesitation when they saw Kather Lin run away in tears.
In their minds, they had already filled in a tragic love story.
Shirakawa had played with the princess's feelings, seduced her, then refused to take responsibility. For the sake of his dream, he abandoned his wife and child.
If Shirakawa knew what they were imagining, he would have punched them on the spot. That story was ridiculous. Besides, where would he even get a daughter?
King Kather, who had been watching his daughter, could only sigh helplessly. He wanted his daughter to find happiness, but now it seemed impossible.
And he really did approve of Shirakawa as well.
"You really had the heart to refuse her?" Rayleigh walked over to Shirakawa, as if trying to give him some guidance.
"Even if I don't have the heart, so what? We're not suitable in the end. Besides, I don't like her. It was her one sided wish from the start. I'm not a scumbag."
"Then why are you standing here feeling miserable? Crocodile tears?"
"It's just… my heart doesn't feel right."
Rayleigh sneered. "In the end, you still have feelings for that little girl."
"I'm telling you, once feelings grow, you have to suppress them. You can't let them take root and sprout. Don't give up a whole forest for one tree."
"Sounds like you're the real scumbag. If your wife heard you say that, what would happen to you?"
"What wife do I have?"
"Did I remember wrong? I recall there's a woman on Sabaody Archipelago who's been unable to forget you. Or is it you who can't forget her?"
"How do you know?" Rayleigh shouted in shock, then looked around to see if anyone was eavesdropping.
"Heh heh. Secret. Not telling you." With that, Shirakawa walked away.
Behind him, Rayleigh called out in flustered fury, "I'm telling you, you little brat, you can't go spreading that around!"
"Relax. I'm not done living yet."
Shirakawa knew that if he let that information slip, what awaited him would be Rayleigh's endless torment.
/-\
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