Why learn anything else when you can follow the ways of the Celestial Dragons?
The culprit was King Ulen Stei of the Kingdom of Iren.
A tyrannical, cruel, and greedy ruler.
No wonder he dared to rob the Golden Lion. He valued wealth over his own life.
The remaining residents of the town learned that the pirates were distributing food.
They hesitated at first but soon gathered before Charlotte and the others, opening their doors cautiously.
The townspeople were pale and emaciated, their bodies resembling skeletons wrapped in skin.
They received the food calmly, their movements subdued, as if fearing punishment for accepting kindness.
When they finally ate, the taste of hard-earned sustenance overwhelmed them. They choked on their food, tears streaming down their sunken cheeks.
This was a kingdom drowned in chaos, cruelty, and oppression. Here, civilians lived lives worse than death.
Bodies hung in the streets, a gruesome warning to any who dared rebel.
An elderly man, frail and trembling, approached Charlotte, then suddenly knelt before him, sobbing.
"Sir Pirate, please save us!"
As he fell to his knees, the others followed, bowing their heads, crying in desperation.
Charlotte stared at them, momentarily stunned.
This was the first time he had seen people begging pirates for salvation.
Of course, Luffy didn't count—he was an anomaly.
Charlotte exhaled and nodded.
His mission was to eliminate the tyrant king of Iren, and saving the people aligned with that goal.
He had harbored some reluctance, but seeing the suffering of the people, that hesitation faded.
This was justice by another name—removing a plague from the land.
After leaving behind a generous supply of food, Charlotte and his crew set off once more, heading directly for the capital.
The Capital of Iren
Upon arrival, Charlotte was taken aback by what he saw.
The towns leading to the capital were in ruins—lifeless, ravaged by war and neglect.
Yet, the capital itself was a stark contrast.
Luxurious buildings lined the streets, with clusters of vibrant flowers decorating pristine courtyards.
The roads were immaculate, not a scrap of filth in sight. Shops stood in perfect order, their exteriors well-maintained.
White walls and blue roofs adorned the houses, giving the city an almost picturesque charm.
At the heart of the capital stood an opulent palace. Its grand entrance, an archway soaring fifteen meters high, bore a gilded inscription: "Great and Holy King of Iren."
Charlotte's eyes narrowed.
A king who cared nothing for his people yet reveled in luxury.
And then—he recognized something.
The architecture, the color scheme, the overwhelming sense of superiority...
In a flash, realization struck him.
This was a poor imitation of the Holy Land, Mary Geoise.
Before he could act, a massive figure appeared—a man bound in iron chains, pulling a lavish carriage like a beast of burden.
A slave.
Charlotte's expression darkened.
"Why not imitate something good? Why follow the ways of the Celestial Dragons?"
The Celestial Dragons were universally despised, yet undeniably powerful.
For 800 years, they had ruled the world, proving that while many of them were fools, the true elites among them were dangerous.
This was why Charlotte preferred to keep a low profile.
After eight centuries of control, who knew what trump cards they still held?
The people along the street knelt humbly as the carriage passed.
It seemed no matter where one went, there were nobles like this—disgusting, arrogant parasites.
"Do they truly believe themselves to be Celestial Dragons?"
Such people had no right to exist.
But this was nothing new.
The Celestial Dragons called themselves gods of this world, and their influence inspired even lesser nobility to mimic their cruelty.
"Who the hell are you? How dare you look directly at a noble?!"
Charlotte's gaze shifted to the carriage. The one barking at him was a butler, dressed in extravagant garb, eyes filled with contempt.
Charlotte's lips curled into a cold smile.
"Go in and destroy them."
The Heberfeller Pirates had been waiting for this moment. Without hesitation, they charged forward.
"You dare bark at my boss?" Beta roared.
With a single punch, the butler and the carriage were obliterated.
Chaos erupted.
Screams filled the streets as nobles fled, tripping over themselves in terror.
Barrett stepped forward and tore off the slave's collar, setting the man free.
Charlotte didn't stop him. His Observation Haki had already told him—the collar was just an ordinary iron shackle, not the explosive kind used by the Celestial Dragons.
His expression remained grim.
Celestial Dragon slave collars were far more insidious.
Once locked on, escape was nearly impossible.
The only way to remove one without a key was through advanced Armament Haki—Internal Destruction.
But Charlotte had yet to reach that level.
He clenched his fist.
Now was not the time to dwell on that.
The battle intensified.
A flood of royal guards surged toward them, but they were outmatched.
Charlotte's crew had been meticulously trained under his command.
Many of them had mastered at least one or two techniques from Rokushiki—the Six Powers. Against such skill, the enemy was nothing more than fodder.
Beta and Barrett cut through the guards with brutal efficiency.
Wails of pain echoed through the streets.
Despite the carnage, the Heberfeller Pirates adhered to their own code.
They slaughtered only the oppressors—never the innocent.
Charlotte ignored the bloodshed and walked straight toward the palace.
The Fall of King Ulen Stei
"Your Majesty, it's terrible! Pirates have breached the city! Our forces have been crushed!"
The trembling soldier's report sent the nobles into a panic.
"Damn it! Worthless fools! Why do I even keep you around?!"
A furious voice roared through the throne room.
King Ulen Stei stood at the center, his bloated form quaking with rage.
His hair was disheveled, his face twisted in desperation.
CRACK!
The massive palace doors split open.
Light poured into the hall as the doors shattered into pieces.
Charlotte strode in.
"Filthy pirates! We are a kingdom on the path to joining the World Government! How dare you—?!"
King Ulen Stei's bellowing was cut short as Charlotte tilted his head, picking his ear with disinterest.
"I'm a member of the Sky Pirates. Captain Shiki has issued a kill order for you. You have no chance of survival."
He had no intention of invoking the Heberfeller name here.
This was Shiki's business.
And besides—"on the path to joining" wasn't the same as "already a member."
A crucial difference.
Charlotte didn't waste words.
He drew Shiyu, his blade gleaming.
With a single slash, the king's head rolled to the floor.
His lifeless eyes remained frozen in shock.
"Your reign of terror ends here."
The remaining nobles collapsed, trembling.
Charlotte swept his gaze over them, unimpressed.
"How did this collection of trash ever think they could challenge Golden Lion Shiki?"
Perhaps they had been emboldened by the World Government's backing.
Not that it mattered.
Shiki had already decided their fate.
Charlotte turned away.
Whatever foolish schemes had led to this moment—it was no longer his concern.