High above the battlefield, Mainz hovered in the sky, looking down at the dense crowd with a gentle smile. His presence alone pressed against the soldiers below. Waves of Conqueror's Haki flowed from him, heavy but carefully controlled. He suppressed their fighting spirit without knocking anyone unconscious, a precise balance that shattered whatever courage the Kraken forces had managed to cling to.
This was Mainz's strategic value. One measured burst of his Haki transformed the battlefield more effectively than a thousand commands.
Bathed in sunlight, he announced, "I am Prince Kateroj von Mainz of the Tirisfal Kingdom, successor to the throne. I declare that the Tirisfal Kingdom has won this war. To avoid further casualties, the war between both sides ends here."
His voice carried across the island, and the entire battlefield froze. The conflict had ended before steel even clashed, although in truth the Tirisfal Kingdom's war had already been fought and won elsewhere.
For most, the declaration arrived like cool rain after a long drought. Many soldiers of the Kraken Kingdom were conscripts pressed into service through violence. They were exhausted, resentful of the Levinsky royal family, and entirely powerless to resist.
Even more moved were the millions of slave soldiers. They had marched believing they would die here, cannon fodder with barely a sliver of hope. The Kraken Kingdom's system left them no choice. If they retreated, artillery behind them would fire. If they advanced, at least they had a faint chance of survival. A tiny portion could earn their freedom through extraordinary merit, but the odds were cruel.
They had already accepted a future of endless battles until death claimed them. Mainz's proclamation cracked that fate apart.
Mainz continued in a warm tone. "I now invite Wilhelm, King of the Tirisfal Kingdom, to speak. His words will determine the fate of Kanosfa Island and the future of all Kraken citizens."
When Mainz appeared, the broadcast had shifted, projecting the entire island's view to him. The matter with the Nightfall Pirates was finished. What came next was the most important issue of all: the relationship between the Kraken Kingdom and the Tirisfal Kingdom.
Kraken citizens across the island grew tense. Their nation had clearly lost, both on the field and at home. Mainz's phrasing implied their future now rested in the hands of the victor. Would their fate be mercy or punishment?
They held their breath as the image changed.
A man appeared on the screen, seated with calm majesty. From the backdrop, it was clear he sat inside a grand palace. In the Palace of Ease, King Wilhelm rested in his elegant chair. A video Den Den Mushi faced him, transmitting his words to all of Kanosfa Island.
"Welcome home, my people."
The first sentence alone struck like thunder.
"For more than a century, Kanosfa Island has been torn apart, ever since the Kraken Kingdom seceded from the Tirisfal Kingdom. War overshadowed this land for generations."
He paused, his gaze steady.
"But starting today, Kanosfa Island will be unified again, and war will end."
Wilhelm gave a single nod. "That is all."
The screen faded to black.
For a moment, the world stood silent.
The first line, Welcome home, my people, swept away a century of fear and uncertainty. It declared without hesitation that the citizens of the Kraken Kingdom were being accepted, not punished. The island's unification felt natural, as if battle and division had been illusions that dissipated with a few words.
The cheers began softly, then surged. "Long live Kanosfa Island! Long live the Tirisfal Kingdom!"
They came from both sides of the once-fractured land.
Teach watched the screen fade and let out a satisfied laugh. "Impressive king. Just a handful of words and he dissolves the hatred of two nations."
Redyat appeared beside him, smiling. "Of course. My uncle's political instincts are unmatched."
They stood shoulder to shoulder. Teach extended his hand. "Marshall D. Teach, Captain of the Nightfall Pirates. Welcome aboard."
It was the moment everything became official.
Redyat grasped his hand. "Barolich Redyat."
Teach blinked. "So that's your name."
"My original surname is no longer mine to use. I'll carry his instead as I sail forward," Redyat said with a relaxed smile.
Teach chuckled. "Not bad at all. I'm looking forward to what comes next, my First Mate. And everything here is settled, right?"
Redyat nodded. "All preparations were made beforehand. From here on out, we sail on the same ship."
The other officers gathered around them. Hidden reporters narrowed their eyes at Redyat's place beside Teach, recognizing his elevated status. Their cameras clicked rapidly.
Teach turned to Baccarat. "Tell me when we should leave."
Her role in the war had been subtle but essential, guiding events through the mysterious influence of her ability. Teach trusted her intuition.
Baccarat smiled, brushing her red hair aside. "Alright, Captain. I still have a little luck left."
She drew ten coins from her pocket, tossing them skyward. "The number of coins that land heads up will be the number of days until we depart."
The coins clattered across the ground.
Three landed face up.
Teach nodded. "Three days. Just in time."
Far down the road, crew members of the Nightfall Pirates approached with crates, boxes, cloth bags, and overflowing treasures. Gold coins jingled like tiny bells as they walked. Some fell onto the road, and those carrying less stooped to pick up every stray piece. Not a single coin would be wasted.
They had emptied the Kraken Kingdom's treasury. Every palace had been stripped bare. Wealth accumulated for a century of war was now theirs.
Nelson stared in awe. "Captain, there's too much treasure. Are we really carrying all this to the coast?"
Teach grinned. "Redyat will handle it."
He could not store it himself. The crushing force of his dark space would damage everything, and only Jones remained inside, still alive but weakening. Nelson lacked the physical capacity to manage the load. That left only Redyat.
Redyat raised a hand. Shadows unfurled from his feet like a spreading tide. They swept beneath the mountain of treasure and opened wide. In an instant, the wealth vanished into his shadow space.
Teach nodded. "Good. We leave in three mornings. We'll get supplies from the Tirisfal Kingdom. As for the treasures, store them on the ship. Paintings or calligraphy we don't want, we sell for Berries."
The Nightfall Pirates departed. The future of the Kraken Kingdom now lay in the hands of the Tirisfal Kingdom's administrators. Their army had already begun marching in. Reorganizing such a vast land would be a monumental task. Officials, factories, supply lines, economic networks, new governance structures. But the preparations had been made. The Black Palm Merchant Guild had already been absorbed, giving the Tirisfal Kingdom control of most internal industries. With that foundation, large scale chaos was unlikely.
Any lingering resistance lacked the strength or numbers to make a difference.
As the Nightfall Pirates walked through the capital, crowds parted in fear and awe. People hid, cleared the roads, and watched from a distance. Their gazes lingered longest on Teach. It was the look one gave a storm. Fear, fascination, and helpless respect.
The crew enjoyed it. They were pirates, after all. Fear was part of their identity. Treasure and freedom were the rest.
And today, they had gained both.
Not even the boldest reporter dared follow them. Anyone foolish enough to try would end up dead.
No one questioned it. Everyone knew.
The Nightfall Pirates had finished their business on Kanosfa Island, and nothing in this kingdom would ever be the same again.