Karandi Kingdom (Please Read On!!)

"The Karandi Kingdom has been invaded by pirates, and 500 soldiers have been taken captive..."

Beiyuan Heng read the contents of the confidential report and listened to Spandine's instructions.

"This is a mission specially assigned by the World Government. You must complete it swiftly and cleanly!"

Spandine rose to his feet, slamming both hands onto the desk before him, his tone stern.

"Beiyuan Heng and Lucci, the two of you are the strongest. You will carry out this mission."

On the deck, Beiyuan Heng practiced swordsmanship while thinking about what had happened not long ago.

Five hundred soldiers being captured by pirates was indeed a major incident in the first half of the Grand Line.

"Running into me is your lucky break..."

Beiyuan Heng thought to himself.

Originally, Lucci would have labeled those five hundred soldiers "weak failures" and killed them all.

But since Beiyuan Heng was here, killing them would be far too wasteful.

Besides, he would not do that.

He was not like Lucci, who had been indoctrinated with the World Government's ideology of "Absolute Justice" ever since he was old enough to understand.

Since he had come to the world of One Piece, it would be ridiculous if he did not kill a few Celestial Dragons.

"Sir, we've reached the Karandi Kingdom." A soldier aboard the ship pointed toward the distant land. "Not long ago, a group called the Iron Hook Pirates came here to plunder. They captured 500 soldiers and demanded that the king abdicate so they could become the new rulers."

Lucci sneered after hearing this. "A bunch of weak failures. As soldiers, they should bear the responsibility of protecting their kingdom."

"Since they surrendered to evil pirates and plunged their kingdom into danger, they no longer deserve to live."

The soldier aboard the ship trembled all over at Lucci's cruel words.

He was a soldier of the Karandi Kingdom, sent to seek aid from the World Government.

Why had the World Government sent such a terrifying person? Could he really be considered a World Government official?

"This guy is talking nonsense." Beiyuan Heng patted the soldier on the shoulder, signaling him to relax. "Don't worry. Those soldiers will definitely return safely."

"Hmph, such naïve thinking."

Lucci snorted and retorted, "Justice will not yield to evil."

Beiyuan Heng ignored him and merely said, "Lucci, I'm the commander."

Karandi Kingdom Palace.

The king and his ministers were discussing countermeasures.

A minister said, "Your Majesty, if we gather the royal guard and the remaining soldiers, taking down those pirates will be no trouble at all!"

Hearing this, the king instead turned serious. "That may defeat those pirates, but the captured soldiers are also my people. I cannot ignore whether they live or die!"

Just as the king and his ministers argued without end, a soldier hurried in from outside.

"The World Government's envoys have arrived!"

Everyone in the palace turned their eyes toward the entrance of the main hall.

Two youths walked in.

"What is this? Why did the World Government send two children?"

"Is the World Government mocking us?"

The atmosphere in the hall had already been tense to the extreme.

When everyone saw that the arrivals were merely two teenage boys, doubt and disappointment instantly surged through the room.

"The World Government... sent only you two children?" The king clenched his scepter, his voice full of disbelief. "Five hundred soldiers of my kingdom are in peril. You... what can you possibly do?"

A minister beside him stepped forward directly, his expression grim. "This is no joke! Those Iron Hook Pirates have mortars. Even our kingdom's soldiers can barely withstand them. Are you two boys here to throw your lives away?"

Lucci did not even glance at them. His tone was indifferent, yet filled with bone-chilling cruelty. "Soldiers who surrender without a fight do not deserve to be rescued."

The entire hall fell deathly silent at those words.

The king's expression changed drastically. "Y-You... what did you say? They are my people!"

"My people?"

Lucci sneered, lightly stamping his foot as an invisible pressure suddenly burst forth.

"As soldiers, they were easily captured by pirates, destabilized the nation, and burdened the kingdom. If they remain alive, they will only become a burden to justice."

He raised his eyes and swept his gaze over the king and ministers. Everyone touched by that gaze felt as though they had been targeted by a venomous snake. Their entire bodies turned cold, and even breathing became difficult.

"My mission is not to save people."

"It is to cleanse."

"To wipe out the pirates, along with those useless soldiers."

Only then did the king and ministers realize that this youth was no ordinary child.

He was a blade of the World Government!

The king shuddered, shocked and furious. "How could the World Government have an envoy like you?!"

At that moment, a hand gently rested on Lucci's shoulder.

The force was light, yet it instantly dispelled the chill Lucci had brought.

Beiyuan Heng stepped forward and stood at Lucci's side. There was not a trace of hostility on his face, only a reassuring gentleness.

He did not deliberately release any power, yet an aura of approachability and trust naturally radiated from him. It was his trait, [Basking in Spring Breeze].

Simply by standing there, everyone's taut nerves involuntarily relaxed.

Their fear faded, their agitation calmed, and even their breathing became much smoother.

"Your Majesty, there is no need to panic."

Beiyuan Heng's voice was calm, yet it carried clearly through the hall. "That is only Lucci's opinion. It does not represent me, nor does it represent the outcome of this mission."

He slightly turned his head toward Lucci, his tone calm but beyond dispute:

"I told you, I am the commander.

"The soldiers will be saved, the pirates will be eliminated, the kingdom will be stabilized, and the people will live."

Lucci frowned and was about to argue when Beiyuan Heng merely cast him a casual glance.

In that instant, Lucci remembered how Beiyuan Heng had defeated him not long ago.

Lucci gave a soft snort and said nothing more.

Inside the hall, however, the king and ministers were deeply shaken.

They did not know how strong these two boys were, but they could clearly feel that oppressive force.

Lucci, who had just pressured them to the point of suffocation, had actually restrained his sharpness after a light suppression from Beiyuan Heng.

Beiyuan Heng looked back at the king, his smile gentle and his tone resolute. "Rest assured, Your Majesty. I will bring back all five hundred soldiers, not one missing."

"I will utterly crush the Iron Hook Pirates."

His words contained no ornate rhetoric, yet they carried a power that made people instinctively believe him.

The king looked at the gentle yet composed youth before him, then at the icy Lucci beside him, and made his decision in an instant.

He took a deep breath and gave Beiyuan Heng a solemn bow.

"...Then everything is in your hands!"

The ministers also lowered their heads, their contempt completely gone.

At last, they understood. Of these two youths, one was the government's ruthless weapon, while the other was a powerful man who carried warmth.

And the one who could truly save the Karandi Kingdom was the gentle yet immensely strong Beiyuan Heng.