"If you and that prince knew each other from the start, and this whole thing was just an act, then what's your real goal?" Igaram muttered to himself, piecing it together. "Why push for this meeting? And why rush back so soon... Wait—the child! Queen Titi's scheming with outsiders against Alabasta!"
Igaram's eyes widened in shock. It hit him like a gut punch—this had to be the truth, or damn close to it.
"No, I have to warn King Cobra right away. He's in real danger."
The realization sent ice through his veins. The banquet hall was crawling with threats: Ross, Queen Titi, Gion, and Cobra himself. The king was a sitting duck, defenseless against them.
And with the Terracotta mess fresh in everyone's minds, Cobra had just been reassigned—perfect timing for them to strike.
If anything happened to him, Titi's unborn child would claim the throne. The Nefertari line would end, and Alabasta would fall into new hands.
Igaram shot to his feet, but a sharp sting hit his neck. He staggered, collapsing to the floor.
"Who's there?!" he gasped, clutching his throat and scrambling to rise.
His blood roared in his ears, heart pounding like a war drum—thud-thud, thud-thud!
"This is..."
Realization dawned, twisting his face with bitter regret. He knew exactly how Terracotta had died.
The killer had been hiding in plain sight all along.
But even in her final moments, she'd never glimpsed the assassin's face.
Was this the terror she'd felt? The helplessness?
Igaram's heart seized. Darkness swallowed his vision, and life slipped away.
"They even left a letter. Guess we're the bad guys now," Gion's bat clone murmured, fluttering down beside the note. It scanned the words, then ignited a precise crimson flame that reduced the paper to ash without singeing a single nearby leaf.
She didn't mind the role, though. Back in her Marine days, justice had never been her banner. She'd joined for the power, the discipline—and yeah, to crush the scum she despised. Now, as part of the Jaygarcia Family, bigger stakes meant dirtier hands. Some jobs just had to get done.
"Another body to clean up. Hate this part," Gion sighed. In a blink, she slipped into Igaram's courtyard, dragging the corpses of him and Terracotta.
Minutes later, a modest grave mound rose in the yard. Her clone dispersed into wisps of energy, job done.
---
Back in the banquet hall, Gion's vacant stare sharpened as she refocused.
Sora caught it instantly, shooting her a knowing glance and nodding toward Queen Titi—time to loop her in.
Gion had marked them all earlier: blood traces on Titi, Sora, and Ross. Using the bone-conduction trick she'd refined with him, she whispered the rundown of Igaram's fate straight into their skulls.
Clink!
Titi's teacup slipped from her fingers, shattering on the marble floor.
"Titi? You okay?" Cobra leaned over, worry creasing his brow.
"I'm fine—just clumsy. Sorry about the cup."
She forced a weak smile. It was her favorite, a gift from him that she'd cherished. But now? It meant nothing. Even Igaram's death barely registered—a footnote in the chaos.
"Don't sweat it. I'll get you a new one soon. If you're under the weather, head to bed."
Cobra turned to Ross with an apologetic nod. "Saint Ross, Titi's been off lately. Mind if she rests? Maybe Stella and Sora can check on her."
"Go on," Ross said with a easy grin, but he shot Titi a subtle wink. "Take Stella and Sora—they'll sort out whatever's bothering you."
"No, Cobra—Your Majesty—I'm good. No need to rest."
Titi's lips pressed into a firm line. Dodging this wouldn't change a thing.
She'd chosen her path. Backing down now would make her a coward.
Titi had always worn her heart on her sleeve—fierce in love, brutal in hate.
No more faking it with Cobra. He was kind, gentle, everything a king should be.
But where was that kindness when Ross had cornered her? What could Cobra have done, really?
In this brutal world, empty goodwill was worthless.
Titi met Cobra's eyes steadily, her gaze warming only when it shifted to Ross.
She felt like scum. Cobra gave her respect; Ross just took what he wanted.
Yet here she was, picking the bully. The child played a part, sure—but deeper down, it was the terror she'd endured on Drum Island and in Mary Geoise. The helplessness, the fear of being powerless again.
With Ross—with the Jaygarcia Family—she'd never cower like that.
You're rotten to the core, Titi, she thought with a wry inner sigh. Rallying her resolve, she stepped into the fray as queen, joining Cobra and Ross's tense discussion.
Cobra sensed the shift immediately. Titi seemed... bolder, more alive. He chalked it up to her recovering health, a spark returning to her eyes.
Ross, sharper than most, clocked it right away. Her hidden intent? Crystal clear.
You've decided, then.
He raised his glass to her across the table, downing it in one smooth pull.
To your choice. To you joining the fold.
The message landed perfectly.
Titi's lips curved into a genuine smile. She lifted her own glass and drained it.
This toast? To the life she was leaving behind—and the wild unknown ahead.
—
…
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