.
At this moment, all members of the Nefertari family stood together on the high platform, drawing the attention of the entire nation.
According to procedure, the presiding judge first read out, in detail, the alleged crimes of the royal family.
Afterward, the public was invited to come forward with testimony and accusations.
Once sufficient evidence was gathered, a verdict would be delivered—and punishment carried out accordingly.
However, something unexpected happened.
When the rebels finished listing every charge, not a single person in the crowd stepped forward to accuse Cobra or Vivi.
This trial was fully open and transparent.
Hundreds of thousands of citizens were watching.
Yet no one spoke.
The reputation the royal family retained clearly exceeded everyone's expectations. Cobra's name as a wise and benevolent king was not an empty title.
More importantly, everyone understood the truth.
Cobra and Vivi were not guilty.
The calamity that had engulfed Alabasta had nothing to do with them.
On the contrary, from beginning to end, they had done everything in their power to save the country.
The princess herself had even gone undercover—risking her life to uncover the true mastermind hiding within Alabasta.
What more could anyone possibly demand?
If responsibility was to be assigned, then the royal family were not perpetrators—
They were victims, just like the common people.
Thus, when the royal family stood trial, the citizens not only refused to condemn them, but many even pleaded with the judges to show leniency.
The final verdict, therefore, carried no suspense.
Not guilty.
The royal family was released on the spot.
Moreover, their noble status was not stripped away.
They even retained their hereditary claim to the throne—
Though from this day forward, that throne would no longer carry absolute authority.
…
…
After the Day of Judgment, Alabasta was officially renamed Shurima.
The people of the nation embraced faith in the God of the Black Sun, and a massive Sun Disk Project was launched in the royal capital, intended to draw upon divine power to reverse the desert's deterioration.
At the same time, it was announced that from this day onward:
The nation would be governed by law.
Royal authority would henceforth become symbolic—
Reigning, but no longer ruling.
The monarch would exercise executive authority strictly in accordance with the will of Parliament.
This historic declaration marked Shurima's entry into an entirely new era.
To ensure national stability, the rebels demonstrated remarkable wisdom and restraint.
They moved swiftly to establish a Parliament and a Cabinet, guaranteeing the smooth operation of the state.
The creation of these institutions reflected not only their commitment to democracy and the rule of law, but also their careful consideration of the nation's long-term future.
Notably, the rebels did not purge the old establishment.
Instead, they retained a large number of Alabasta's original officials and implemented a voluntary competitive selection system.
Anyone who believed themselves qualified could step forward and compete.
Through fair and open evaluations, the most capable candidates earned their seats.
Watching these arrangements unfold, Cobra smiled with genuine relief.
He knew—
His choice had been the right one.
These people were not power-hungry opportunists.
They were idealists who truly cared about the nation and wished to see Alabasta—now Shurima—become a better place.
However, due to "health reasons," Cobra made another difficult decision.
Thirty-three days into the first year of Shurima's founding, he announced his abdication.
He declared that his physical condition no longer allowed him to shoulder the burdens of the throne.
Thus, the crown would pass to his only daughter.
Carrying her father's expectations and the people's blessings, the young queen stepped onto the throne of Shurima—beginning her own journey.
Yet Cobra did not retire into obscurity.
On the contrary, after stepping down, he actively entered the political arena and ran for Prime Minister.
To everyone's astonishment—
He won.
Decisively.
???
Wait a moment.
Didn't he abdicate because of poor health?
And now he's Prime Minister?
Compared to being king, the Prime Minister's job was arguably even more exhausting!
Still, when it came to governing the nation, while Cobra might not be a revolutionary genius, his experience was unrivaled.
A Prime Minister did not require extraordinary brilliance—
But the wisdom to navigate laws, balance interests, and make sound decisions.
In this regard, no one in Shurima could match Cobra.
His appointment was entirely legitimate.
After all, how could they bar him simply because he had once been king?
This was a nation founded on equality.
Rejecting him outright would have been hypocrisy.
Left with no choice, the rebel leaders—now members of Parliament—could only swallow the bitter pill.
They knew they had been outmaneuvered.
But rules were rules.
Besides, it was only a term of a few years.
And if Cobra truly overstepped his bounds, Parliament retained the right to remove him.
Interestingly, the citizens reacted with knowing smiles.
No one protested.
Some even felt it was only natural.
Under the joint governance of the new queen and the cabinet, Shurima quickly resumed production.
Order returned.
Prosperity followed.
As for the "earthly executors" who had played key roles in the revolution—
They read the situation clearly and chose to step back at the right moment.
Some spread faith across the land.
Others upheld justice in their own ways, sailing the seas to eradicate evil.
…
…
Thus, this great revolution transformed Shurima into the first constitutional monarchy in history.
The news spread across the world like a tidal wave.
It illuminated a new path for countless nobles and monarchs.
Even rulers who had once contemplated resistance began to waver.
As long as the rebels were not completely annihilated, they were willing to accept this new system—so long as even a sliver of hope remained.
What they feared most was extreme class annihilation—
The kind that uproots an entire class and exterminates it without distinction.
That terror haunted them.
By comparison, constitutional monarchy appeared—
Orderly.
Merciful.
Reasonable.
Indeed—
It was an excellent system.
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