บท 16: Chapter 16 Heartache
"Heh, checkmate." Arch said before moving his rook to A1. "T-This game is illogical and stupid." Hancock replied as she realised she had been defeated yet again. "What can I say, am I just too talented or are you just lacking aptitude?" Arch questioned with a mocking expression.
"That's the funniest joke I've ever heard, for a so called "genius" your Haki is worse than even the 10 year old children on Amazon Lily!" Hancock sneered, and thus ensued another back and forth argument between the two of them.
Alonso who was on the side watching this couldn't help but sweat wiping his forehead with a cloth. 'The King, calm and composed the man who solved the food crisis which plagued us for 7 years in less than a week is bickering like a little kid.' Alonso thought with a sigh the sight of these 2 arguing had been a common occurrence over the past week.
A lot and simultaneously a little had happened during this period of time. The exchange program had been going well so far, although none of the soldiers had learnt haki as of yet they were beginning to understand the concept, while the Kuja on the other hand were getting more and more accustomed to the outside world.
For Ugo on the other hand, things weren't so easy. He had been forced to become their general knowledge teacher after the events on the Perfume Yuda and his days were without rest.
The Mera Mera no mi had been secured in the treasury, while Vinci D. Leonardo's discoveries had been placed in the secret room which used to house the Byakko devil fruit. Although the Mera Mera no mi was extremely important Arch believed that the knowledge contained in Leonardo's journals was much greater in value, besides who would break into the treasury?
At the same time Arch was currently having a dilemma. 'Who do I give the devil fruits to.' This question had plagued his mind for some time now. 'In reality there aren't too many people I can think of, the only possibilities are generally Apollo, Alonso, father or I could host a competition within the army for a fruit?' Arch pondered but he soon shook his head.
A competition was too risky cause he wouldn't know the person who obtained the fruit well enough, while his father was too old to consume a fruit and battle in general, in fact Arch hadn't seen his old man since he consumed the Byakko fruit.
That only left Apollo and Alonso as choices, which was actually perfect considering there were only 2 fruits left. 'Thing is though the Mera and frankly the Leaf fruits would be wastes on Apollo, his combat style is too direct, it would be like giving a lion a shotgun, what's a lion gonna do with a shotgun? Kill itself?' Arch continued his mental debate.
On the side Hancock was still mumbling incessantly about something but Arch wasn't in the mood at the moment. They had already had tea at this point and their games of chess had long wrapped up.
"Alonso could I talk with you privately?" Arch asked rising from his seat. "Of course your Majesty." He replied before they moved to the side away from Hancock. She was stunned seeing this. 'So you're just going to ignore me huh?' She thought before getting up from her seat and walking away.
"What do you need?" Alonso asked bowing lightly. "Nothing really, I just need to know your thought on devil fruits." Arch replied nonchalantly. "....In my humble opinion devil fruits are truly powerful items which can grant the consumer powerful abilities, naturally I believe they're an important asset for the Kingdom." Alonso noted, Arch nodded in response.
"How would you feel about consuming one?" Arch asked, after all he wasn't going to give a devil fruit to someone who was unwilling. "I would be honored, but if I may be so bold, it depends on the devil fruit after all I've heard of extremely useless ones such as those which allow you to change clothes, or turn yourself into a jacket." Alonso replied as he shivered at the thought.
'What buffoon would lose their ability to swim just to be able to turn into a jacket.' Alonso shook his head at the idea. "Don't worry I know what you're thinking. Currently we have 2 devil fruits the Leaf Leaf fruit and the Mera Mera no mi, they work like this.........." Arch explained as Alonso paid attention with an interested expression.
"I see, these fruits do indeed sound interesting, although the Mera does indeed sound more powerful I think the Leaf Leaf Fruit would be better suited for me seeing as the destructive capabilities of the Mera would be a hindrance rather than an advantage for me." Alonso decided, hearing this Arch was quite relieved.
'So that means we have another devil fruit user.' Arch sighed before going to the treasure room along with Alonso and just as Arch reached the treasury his face froze.
"Yo Arch!" Achilles said as he waved at Arch, but Arch wasn't paying attention to that. "M-My Mera!" He cried as he fell to his knees, from where he was standing he saw the opened chest and the half eaten Mera Mera no mi.
"What's a Mera? Well anyway look what I can do Arch!" Achilles exclaimed before shooting a fireball into the air, seeing this something in Arch snapped. "ACHILLES!!!!!!!!!!!!" He screamed before dashing towards his youngest brother and punching him on the head.
But as his fist made contact, it just shot through leaving Achilles' flame like head behind. "Woah this so cool!" Achilles continued piercing knife after knife into Arch's heart. 'All that effort, 500 million Beris gone, gone to a 5 year old, this is even worse than when Luffy ate Shank's Gomu Gomu no mi.' Arch felt like throwing himself into the ocean at this point in time.
Alonso on the other hand just stood at the side awkwardly. "Prince Achilles, please exit the treasury before you accidentally destroy something." Alonso said trying to mitigate the situation. Hearing this Achilles simply nodded.
"I need to go show Arthur this, bye Arch!" He ran off happily while Arch began to bang his head on the wall. "Alonso, bring me the guards who were meant to be guarding the treasury." Arch commanded as he head butted the wall.
"Yes your Majesty." He replied before exiting the throne room. 'This is possibly the greatest tragedy of my life.' Arch continued banging his head on the wall.
Eventually Alonso came back with the guards responsible and Arch took his rage out on them. "You two are fired! Not only that but since you're such "good" guards you're to be sent to mandatory military service. NOW!" Arch demanded, the guards shivering in fear.
For them this was a better outcome as some Kingdoms would have just executed them for their incompetence.
'Ever since I've become King, its just one irritating incident after another, I guess its true what they say, heavy is the head that wears the crown, but I don't even have a fucking crown!' Arch thought as he sat in his courtyard.
The only silver lining to Arch's predicament is now someone had eaten the Mera so he didn't have to bother finding someone to consume it. 'I swear if Achilles still insists on training the sword, I will personally decapitate him.'
'But for that I'll haki.' Arch thought before going to find someone, albeit reluctantly. "Oh what do you need from this Empress?" Hancock asked as Arch entered her room. "Teach me haki." Arch muttered as they locked eyes.
"Sure but on one condition. You have to call me beautiful." She said with a mocking expression on her face. "Then no deal." Arch couldn't be bothered with her antics at the moment. "Alright then, see yourself out."
Arch was shocked hearing this, but just decided to walk out the room. 'If it worked once it should work twice no?' He pondered as he walked further and further away but no sound came from Hancock's room.
Just as Arch turned around to go back, Hancock's door opened. "Haa, I'll teach you." She declared, but she couldn't hide the expression of annoyance on her face. "Thank you." Arch replied, for once this woman actually acted like a decent human being.
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