In a dilapidated tavern in the slums.
"Hahaha! That old fool Livord has finally been overthrown by us! Brothers, this is a huge step for our Revolutionary Army towards freedom!"
Samgo raised a goblet filled with the most expensive liquor in the tavern. He mimicked the nobles, swirling the glass, then drained its contents.
He smacked his lips. To be honest, he couldn't taste anything particularly good about the wine. It was fragrant, but had an astringent taste.
Yet, he still felt that this bottle of premium wine, costing five hundred thousand Berries, tasted excellent. The taste of success and money intoxicated him.
"Hahaha, Boss! This means we're even closer to controlling this country!"
"That's right! Then, brothers, we'll also be able to live on Noble Island, and even in the Golden Palace!"
"Since that little girl Nero went out to become a Pirate, this vast Nicuss Empire needs a talent like you, Boss, to help manage it!"
"How can someone who can only fight be fit to be an Emperor? For a country to develop well, it needs someone like Boss to lead it."
"Only a man like Boss is the true hero of Nicuss!"
The others in the tavern also raised their dirty oak mugs, drinking inferior rum, and flattering Samgo.
A cacophony of noise, the clinking of glasses against tables, the smell of sweat mixed with liquor and roasted meat.
This was an environment where an outsider would instantly suffocate, yet the revelers showed no discomfort, as if everyone was numbed by alcohol.
"Hahahahaha! It's all your praise that I have the honor of standing here. The strength of one person is minuscule, but our combined strength is infinite."
Samgo had an upright face, with rugged features and thick eyebrows. His deep voice possessed a unique sense of power.
He poured another glass of premium wine into his single table's goblet, raised it high, and pointed his index finger at everyone.
"I have never considered myself a hero, but you, my friends! You are the true heroes!"
"This toast is to you, brave warriors, great heroes! I will remember the glory of each and every one of you!"
With that, Samgo drained the wine in his glass, then inverted it, not a single drop spilling, to show his sincerity.
"Oh!!!" xN
The atmosphere instantly reached its peak. Cheers and enthusiastic applause erupted, and the others, moved, made various promises, praising Samgo even more.
However, Samgo, as the protagonist, did not continue the revelry. Carrying the half-empty bottle of wine, Samgo quietly slipped out the back door.
Exhaling a cold breath, Samgo shook his slightly tipsy head and walked towards the coast.
"And you, my friends, are the true heroes!... Haha, hahahaha!!" He laughed mockingly, his upright face twisted into a cunning expression of a small-minded man who had gotten his way.
"Dismiss the Emperor? A bunch of idiots! The strongest in Nicuss is the Emperor. With such a luxurious lifestyle, how much could that woman care about ordinary people?"
"Fools who can't see the situation, if it weren't for my treasures needing time to be transferred, would I have stayed with you until now?"
Samgo fumbled in his pocket for a white den den mushi, casually tossing it around.
"Victory? Grand Duke Livord is dead. Nero will come back no matter what. In the New World, some people still don't understand the power of a top-tier Great Pirate."
"These idiots must have been too well-protected, right?" He sneered, then chugged the rest of the wine.
"Forget it, I've already made enough money. Next, I'll take a World Government ship to the East Blue and become a wealthy man. In the sea where the Pirate King died, the Marine's crackdown must be much stronger than elsewhere."
He forcefully smashed the empty wine bottle on the ground. Samgo's steps became lighter. Pushing aside the branches in front, he could see the azure coastline.
In just twenty minutes, he could reach his escape boat and, through the World Government's contact, successfully leave here.
But he stopped. In front of him was indeed the familiar coastline, but there was also a continuous line of soldiers.
Samgo swallowed. Besides the soldiers, he also saw rows of countless gallows. This was not the style of those nobles. The only explanation was... Nero had returned!
His hands and feet instantly turned cold, and his slightly tipsy brain became completely sober. Samgo immediately realized the gravity of the situation.
Trembling, he retreated backward. The concealment of the bushes and trees gave him a sense of security.
He held the den den mushi to his face, his fingers mechanically dialing. The den den mushi began to ring, and its not-so-loud sound made Samgo nervously muffle it.
Boruru boruru... Boruru!
After a long minute, the den den mushi stopped ringing. No one answered on the other end.
Samgo instantly realized something, but he refused to believe it. He dialed again, not believing his bad luck.
Boruru boruru... Boruru!
The result was still the same. Samgo's tears and snot flowed, but he held back from making a sound, continuing to dial.
For half an hour, Samgo repeated the same operation, finally having to accept the reality: he had been abandoned.
Those despicable guys from the World Government had used him and then discarded him.
"Bastards! Are you crazy? I know you're behind all of this! If that woman Nero finds out, this debt will definitely be on your heads!"
Samgo retreated deeper into the woods, cursing softly. He didn't understand why this was happening.
One could only say he had misjudged his own value. To Nero and the World Government, he wasn't important and couldn't affect the overall situation.
Ever since Nero landed on Raftel, the World Government's attitude towards her made peaceful coexistence impossible.
It's just that Nicuss, in terms of both geographical location and military strength, was not weak. Before Nero started causing trouble, they could only subtly use some small tricks to test her bottom line.
It was an idle move made out of boredom, whether it succeeded or not was irrelevant.
"Damn it! Damn it!" Samgo's face was grim: "At this point, I can only use the old method. I can only hope Nero is a good Emperor who cares for her people."
The law not punishing the masses is indeed a helpless reality. As long as enough people do something, those in power have no choice but to weigh the pros and cons.
Samgo clearly knew this was his last resort. If necessary, he might not even be able to keep his treasures. Expulsion from the country should be his best outcome.
Between life and death, he had no choice but to take a gamble. The last gamble made him the leader of the Nicuss Revolutionary Army, so this time...
If it really went smoothly, looking on the bright side, he might even be recruited and become a noble, which would be just as good.
Samgo's heart pounded. The pessimistic facts were suppressed by beautiful fantasies. He regained his usual steady demeanor and walked back towards the tavern.
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