New Shining Star |『 Male Reader 』• One Piece

Page 42: A New Era for the Minks

"The time is the Great Pirate Era!"

"Countless pirates fight desperately for the One Piece, the great treasure left behind by Gold Roger, the Pirate King."

"Y/n L/n, a young man whose body can transform into a buffalo after eating the Ox Ox Fruit Model Water Buffalo, also takes the sea to become the Pirate King."

"As Y/n and his friends overcome numerous adventures, the World Government is less and less able to ignore their existence."

"The crew, on its way to the New World, will speed along the Grand Line again today!"

*Tap*

*Tap*

The sound of footsteps echoed softly through the grand halls of the palace. Fuyuto, Fuyune, Zhenli, and Fu Xuan walked in a tight formation behind Emperor Huidi and Empress Mingzhi, their steps measured as they followed the royal couple deeper into the heart of the mansion.

The air felt cooler as they descended, the light dimming with every step they took into the underground levels stretching far beneath the grandeur of the palace above. None of them spoke, the weight of the situation pressing on their shoulders as they descended into the unknown.

Zhenli glanced around curiously as they moved farther down the stone stairwell. The walls grew darker and more foreboding. He furrowed his brow, the silence drawing his thoughts inward. "I didn't know the Zhenshi family had an underground under the mansion," he said, breaking the stillness.

His voice echoed off the stone walls, the revelation surprising even him as the dim torches along the walls flickered in the drafty corridor. Fuyune glanced at her brother, who nodded slowly, his mind turning over all the tales he read.

"If I remember correctly..." he began as he pieced together the history. "Before you took over, the Gaia Kingdom didn't have leaders who valued peace and unity the way you both do," said Fuyuto as he glanced toward the dimly lit stairwell ahead as they continued their descent.

"They probably needed these cells to keep order, especially when power was more about control and dominance," added Fuyuto, looking at Mingzhi, who nodded. "This part of the palace hasn't been used for quite some time," she explained softly. "It was once where prisoners of war were detained," Mingzhi trialled off as her hand lingered on the walls.

"Long before the peace Huidi and I established, these cells housed those who fought against the kingdom, back when power was maintained through force and fear," she confirmed Fuyuto's guess, making the young minks nod.

Huidi, walking just ahead of them, glanced over his shoulder, his eyes settling on Fuyuto with an approving smile. "I am truly impressed, Fuyuto," he said, his tone filled with a quiet sense of pride.

"Few would take the time to learn so much about a tribe other than their own," said the emperor, making Fuyuto chuckle. He shrugged lightly as he met Huidi's gaze. "I try to know as much as I can," he replied calmly, though there was a note of pride in it.