In the royal palace of Dressrosa, King Riku was being attended to by his handmaidens, preparing for bed.
The seas had been in an uproar lately, with the news of the Whitebeard Pirates and the Donquixote Pirates causing a massive stir. King Riku worried about what impact this would have on Dressrosa. Tossing and turning in his bed, he found it impossible to sleep.
"Alas, what will become of Dressrosa's future?" he sighed, rising from his bed to gaze at the bright moon outside his window.
"That's simple. Hand Dressrosa over to me, and you won't have to worry anymore."
A voice suddenly cut through the silence of the room, sharp and jarring.
"Who? Who's there?" King Riku asked, his voice tight with tension. He scrambled to where his weapons were kept, a sliver of security returning only when he had a sword in his hand.
"I'm here to bring you peace. What do you say, Your Majesty? Do you want it?"
Vergo's voice seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere at once, distant one moment and near the next.
"Bastard! Show yourself! Stop playing games!" King Riku shouted, gripping the hilt of his sword.
"You foolish man. Parasite String," Vergo's cold voice intoned.
"Your Majesty! Your Majesty, what's wrong?"
Hearing the commotion, guards and handmaidens rushed in to protect their king.
"I'm—" King Riku was about to say he was fine, but he found he couldn't move his body at all.
The guards and handmaidens saw that the king appeared unharmed and let out a collective sigh of relief.
Shlick. The sound of a blade piercing flesh.
The guards were stunned. They watched in horror as King Riku, their king, stabbed one of his own men.
"Your Majesty, what are you doing?" The guards and handmaidens were speechless with shock. It was just one guard, but they didn't dare to question their king, their concern for his safety overriding their anger.
"Run!" King Riku's voice trembled as he shouted at them.
Before they could react, the sword in his hand moved with merciless speed, cutting down several more people in a flash.
"Aaaahhh!"
Piercing screams shattered the quiet night, making it all the more interesting.
"King Riku has gone mad!"
Vergo, with deliberate intent, allowed a few to escape King Riku's grasp.
The royal palace erupted into chaos.
Bathed in the moonlight, King Riku, covered in blood and holding a sword, looked like a bloodthirsty demon.
He made his way to the stables, mounted his prized horse, and with a sharp cry, galloped out of the palace, heading for the citizens of Dressrosa.
The sudden commotion from the palace had woken the common people, who now filled the streets, eager to see what was happening.
As they watched with bated breath, King Riku appeared, riding a white horse and holding a bloody sword, his old face streaked with tears and snot.
"Everyone, run!" Although he couldn't control his body, his will was his own. He desperately tried to warn his people.
But the sight was too bizarre. Seeing their king in such a disheveled state, they didn't heed his warning, instead waiting for him to get closer.
Vergo, hidden in the shadows, controlled the king's every move, his face an emotionless mask.
"Aaaahhh!"
A scream rang out. Since they wouldn't flee, they would be slaughtered.
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"
King Riku cried out, apologizing even as his hands dealt death.
"King Riku is insane! Everyone, run!"
With that shout, the crowd finally scattered in terror. But they were no match for the speed of a horse.
They were quickly overtaken, cut down one by one, their blood pooling on the streets.
While King Riku was on his rampage, the pirates Vergo had released also entered Dressrosa under the cover of darkness.
"Captain, Dressrosa is pretty lively! It's so late, but there's so much going on," a pirate said to his captain.
"Hahaha, isn't lively good? I've had a rough time lately. They'll be perfect for letting off some steam," the captain laughed, his face a mask of greed.
"Captain, just give the order!"
"Those Marines probably won't be here until tomorrow. We've got more than half a day to enjoy ourselves. Let's go, brothers! Time to have some fun!" the captain commanded.
"Time for fun! Hahaha!"
"Here I come, my beauties!"
The group of pirates quickly made their way toward King Riku.
The commotion in the town reached the ears of Kyros and his family in their house among the flower fields.
Their home was far from the royal castle, so they couldn't tell exactly what was happening, but the sight of fire and chaos told them something was terribly wrong.
"Kyros, you have to go help Father! It might be pirates!" Scarlett said to her powerful husband.
"But, Scarlett, what about you and Rebecca?" Though Kyros was worried about his father-in-law, his wife and child were his first priority.
"Go! We'll be fine," Scarlett said, giving him a reassuring look.
"Alright, fine!" Kyros couldn't argue with her. He rushed back into the house, gave the sleeping Rebecca a kiss, and took out his long-unused greatsword, preparing to aid the king.
"Be careful, Kyros!" Scarlett called after him, clasping her hands in prayer. She then quickly picked up the sleeping Rebecca, preparing to find a safe place to hide. She wasn't a fool; she knew their secluded home could be discovered. Her and Rebecca's safety was the most important thing now.
When the pirates arrived on the streets and saw King Riku slaughtering his people, they froze for a moment, surprised to see someone else in their line of work.
"Haha, brothers, let's get to work! If we don't hurry, there'll be nothing left for us!" the captain laughed to his men.
"Hehe, my blade is getting impatient."
"Let's show them what we've got!"
With that, the pirates descended on the crowd like a pack of hungry wolves, seeking their prey.
The beautiful ones they would keep; the ugly ones they would kill. The men they would kill; the women they would have their fun with before killing.
Aboard his horse, King Riku's tears flowed freely. Seeing the pirates' brutality, he recognized them for what they were and assumed they were in league with the one controlling him.
"Aaaahhh! No! Help!"
"Sir, please spare me!"
The citizens had never seen such a bloody scene. The pirates' cruelty left them trembling, begging for their lives.
"It's not that simple! Die!" a pirate yelled, grabbing a kneeling citizen and, ignoring his pleas, plunged his sword into his body.
"Devils! They're devils!"
The citizens screamed and ran.
"Where do you think you're going? Come back here! I'm not done with you yet!"
Meanwhile, King Riku's rampage continued, slaughtering alongside the pirates.
"Aaaahhh!"
The screams were horrifying. King Riku's face was a mask of despair. No matter what, he could not escape the blame for this. And the most tragic part was that he was personally killing the people he loved.
"King Riku has teamed up with the pirates! Everyone, run!"
One person shouted it, and the rumor spread like wildfire.
"Run!"
Tonight, Dressrosa was a living hell, with its king and a band of pirates slaughtering its innocent citizens.
On the royal highlands, Viola, who had eaten the Glare-Glare Fruit, watched in disbelief as her father fought alongside the pirates, her face a mask of horror.
"No... it can't be. Father would never do this," she whispered, her spirit shattered.
"Your Highness, we must go! King Riku has gone mad! He's working with pirates! He's going to destroy Dressrosa!" a loyal servant said, supporting the trembling Viola.
"No... Father would never... I have to go to him," Viola said with determination.
Before her servants could react, she took off running toward her father.
"Your Highness!" The servants had no choice but to follow.
King Riku and the pirates were having a field day. When Kyros arrived, the scene before him was one of utter carnage.
"Your Majesty, you..." Kyros asked, his voice trembling as he held his sword.
Seeing Kyros, a glimmer of hope appeared in the despairing king's eyes. "Kyros! Quick, kill me!" he shouted.
"What are you talking about? This can't be real," Kyros said, unable to accept what he was seeing.
"Kill me!" King Riku repeated, though his hands never stopped their gruesome work.
Kyros looked at the pirates, then back at the king, his mind racing. "Your Majesty, the pirates must be forcing you to do this, right? Don't worry, I'll kill them!"
With that, Kyros charged at the pirates. Having been tortured and abused, they were no match for him. They could bully common folk, but Kyros was a different story.
"Brothers, kill this guy!" the pirate captain shouted, pulling up his pants and looking at Kyros with a sinister expression. He then casually killed the woman who had been under him.
"You bastard!"
Seeing this, Kyros's killing intent flared. He wanted nothing more than to grind the man to dust.
"Kill!"
"Die! Kill him!"
The two began a fierce battle.
Vergo, his work done, released his control over King Riku and quietly departed, leaving the mess behind.
He would come back tomorrow to take over.
A deed done, he brushes his sleeves and leaves, hiding his name and achievements deep within.
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