"So it's the renowned Mr. Ulquiorra! My admiration for you is like a never-ending river!"
Contrary to his usual behavior, the king quickly stepped down from his throne and approached Sifa with a fawning Cifer.
"That's right! Our country warmly welcomes your arrival; it's an honor to have you here!"
The minister paused for a moment before quickly continuing, as if they hadn't been discussing how to deal with Cifer and the others at all.
"You're quite adaptable."
As a king, to be able to completely abandon all pretense of dignity before a conflict even begins—this is the first time Cifer has ever seen such a person.
"Look at what you're saying, Minister! Go and have the finest banquet prepared to welcome our friends!"
"Yes!"
The minister left in a hurry, and Cifer and the others did not pay any attention.
It would be a waste not to eat food that's been given away for free.
Then, while waiting, they dismissed the people in the main hall who could barely stand, and began a formal conversation.
"Tell me, how did the Qing Kingdom perish?"
Nolan made her intentions clear. She couldn't believe that Basena could destroy the Qing Kingdom in just one or two months.
Even though the country had put up a fierce resistance for quite some time before I left, led by the Security Officer, I was still in the process.
Now I'm being told that after she left, the war lasted only a little over a month from start to finish, and then the Qing Kingdom was destroyed?
"Wars between these countries are a matter of life and death, but I haven't harmed the native inhabitants of the Qing Kingdom!"
The king was vague, seemingly unwilling to reveal the reason for the destruction of the Qing Kingdom.
He also stood on the moral high ground, attempting to absolve himself of the role of the instigator of the war, and made no mention of the exploitation of the Qing Kingdom.
"What about the Security Officer of the former Qing Kingdom? Did you also kill members of the royal family?"
Nolan didn't give him any face and immediately threw out two other questions.
"This... is a national secret. It's not appropriate for you to ask so bluntly!"
The king's face darkened, and he turned his gaze to Cifer, knowing that this was the real big shot.
"Don't look at me, just answer whatever she asks."
"If you mispronounce a word, you'll miss a part of your body."
The chefs had already started serving the dishes when Cifer's words startled them so much that they almost dropped the dishes.
Fortunately, Bonney snatched the plate before it even reached the table, which relieved the chef, who quickly left.
"Commoners toil themselves to survive, while kings like you live in luxury without lifting a finger. How wonderful!"
Looking at the extremely luxurious palace and the various delicacies served up as if they were free, Robin felt a little displeased.
The royal palace in Alabasta is extremely simple.
The difference between a wise ruler and Tyrant is as vast as the chasm between heaven and earth.
"Murderers and arsonists wear golden belts, while those who repair bridges and roads leave no trace of their bodies; such is the way of the world."
"Cifer, you... are you actually so cultured?"
Cifer blurted out, which surprised her.
"Yay~ Hahaha~ As the Captain of the Gods, one must naturally be proficient in all aspects."
Enel chewed on the apple he had painstakingly snatched from Bonney's hand and burst into laughter.
The king now realized that there was no possibility of making peace with this group of people; they were there to take his life!
"Minister, where have you been?!"
The king shouted, and the only response he received was the sound of orderly footsteps.
He looked up and saw that the minister was standing next to a tall man, with a group of very burly men behind him.
"Didn't you want to know who killed the Security Officer and the royal family member of the Qing Kingdom? It was him, my ace!"
The king seemed to have found his backbone, and his tone became slightly firmer.
"I advise you to leave quickly, otherwise if a fight breaks out, the huge bounty you worked so hard to get will go to me."
The tall man remained expressionless, and his words seemed to be made as if he were considering the well-being of Cifer and the others.
"Then let me ask you, did you kill the Security Officer from the Qing Kingdom?"
Nolan rested her chin on her hand, looking at him with her legs crossed.
"Of course, although he is very strong, he is no match for me. Would you like to give him a try?"
The man's tone was tinged with disdain, as if killing the Qing Kingdom Security Officer was a trivial matter to him.
"Then this young lady will test just how capable you really are."
"Rise!"
Nolan flicked his little finger, and the roof of the entire palace was lifted, exposing everyone to the sunlight.
"This ability is..."
The tall man was clearly surprised by Nolan's abilities, and seemed to remember something.
At the same time, the buildings that were floating in the air began to break apart and rebuild into giant spikes, hanging above everyone.
"A mere trick, yet you dare to show off your meager skills before an expert!"
"I advise you not to be ungrateful!"
The tall man leaped up, kicking away all the stone spikes in the air. After landing, he even clapped his hands in a show of respect, which drew applause from the crowd behind him.
"The Bounty is so high, but it seems it's not all that great after all!"
The man's face appeared calm, but the rise and fall of his chest betrayed his unease.
"Great! Keep it up!"
"Apocalypse - Union!"
Nolan wasn't impressed by his actions; with a flick of his fingers, the ground collapsed.
The floating stones and clods of earth quickly closed in, enveloping all the men, leaving only their flushed heads exposed.
"Spare me... spare me! My bones are about to break!"
To the king's surprise, the man was easily subdued and kept begging for mercy.
"What are you doing? You can even kill the Security Officer of the Qing Kingdom, how could you possibly lose to such a little girl!"
The king began to panic. They were his trump card, yet they had been trapped in just two moves. Was he doomed?
"I don't think your mediocre skills are enough to kill the Qing Kingdom's Security Officer."
Nolan scoffed at their claims.
She had seen that person in action before. Even without knowing his true strength, based on what she had seen, it was absolutely impossible for such a small fry to handle him.
"I'm so sorry, I lied!"
As the soil and rocks on his body contracted, the man felt the pressure increasing, and finally shouted out the truth.
He was an assassin hired by the king, and he had always been successful. Indeed, more than half a year ago, the king sent him to deal with the Security Officer of the Qing Kingdom during the war.
He originally thought that the Security Officer of the Qing Kingdom was similar to that of Basena, just an ordinary person who was slightly stronger, but he did not expect that the other party was terrifyingly strong.
Just by secretly watching the man make his move, he had already given up the idea of being his enemy.
He couldn't even imagine how Basena had won the initial battle.
Just as he was contemplating defection, he suddenly realized that the Security Officer seemed to have disappeared!
Basena Kingdom then informed them that the Qing Kingdom had surrendered and was willing to become a vassal state of Basena, only asking that their titles and privileges be preserved.
As the man who "restrained the enemy's Security Officer," he was allowed to enter the capital of the Qing Kingdom first to accept the surrender of the royal family.
But when he arrived at the palace, he found it in complete disarray; the royal family had been slaughtered and the Security Officer was nowhere to be found.
He keenly sensed that this was his chance to make a name for himself, so he burned the palace to the ground and announced that he had killed the royal family and the Security Officer.
From then on, the Qing Kingdom dared not speak of resistance again.
He also gained great fame, and within just a few days of his intervention, he had captured the prestige of a country, making the area a forbidden zone for many criminals.
He doesn't even need to make a move; just by standing there, as long as he remains calm, his opponents will naturally panic.
This trick worked for him time and time again.
Unfortunately, we ran into a brick wall today.
"You bastard..."
Enraged, the king pulled out his pistol, intending to shoot the traitor who had deceived him.
"It's not your turn yet!"
As Nolan made his move, the ground beneath the king's feet was also lifted up, enveloping him.
"So, it's possible that the Security Officer killed the royal family?"
Robin pondered, the timeline was too coincidental.
"If you want to know, just find him."
"Don't tell me you didn't investigate that person's whereabouts!"
Lucci slowly stepped forward and stepped on the man's face.
If Lucci hadn't confirmed that the other party had already left, he wouldn't believe that such a weak and incompetent person would dare to be so arrogant.
"I'll talk... I'll talk!"
"I spent a lot of money investigating, and someone said he left the island the day after the Qing Kingdom surrendered!"
The man felt like his facial bones were about to be crushed, and he spoke up anxiously.
"Hmm? There's more!"
Lucci is still putting in the effort.
"Later, someone said that he went to a place called Twin Snake Island in the West Blue and worked as a bodyguard in a casino there!"