90 Preparing the final act

Riku Doldo III. POV

'Today's night is beautiful'

On the grand balcony of my former palace, I was admiring the vast night sky. The full moon shone bright enough for me to perfectly see the flowers I once viewed with my wife and daughters a long time ago.

'How long has it been since we all came together here...'

A small sting like pain in my chest reminded me the happy family gatherings are a thing of the past. From back then, when things were easier. My greatest worry was having too much paperwork and not being able to spent my time with my adorable daughters. Now however, my wife and my first born daughter Scarlett have both passed away and I only have Viola and Rebecca left... and even that is thanks to 'that person'.

Suddenly appearing in this country and doing however he pleases, the captain of the Jackson-Pirates and his crew drove away the Donquixote-Pirates without even the need for a fight, yet instead of claiming the country, they searched and gathered the hated former royal family's members. His response to my questioning gaze when we met as well as his answers to my doubts were all very simple:

"I have no interest in being a king. Pirate Captain is a full-time job and fits me much better anyways. So you do it instead of me."

"What do you mean you can't do it? As the former King you are not only the most suited candidate but also the only legitimate candidate."

"Incompetence? Failure? Sorry but I missed how that are any of my problems. If you did wrong in the past you just have to make it right this time."

*chuckle*

Thinking back to how carefree and laid back his attitude was forced a small laughter out of me. Though it was interrupted shortly after by the arrival of someone.

"...Your Majesty. The meeting will soon start."

A small toy soldier. Apparently he is my son in law and the father of Rebecca. The man Scarlett chose to love, even forfeiting her title as a princess. Kyros the legendary gladiator. Someone who stood loyally with my family only to be forgotten by the world.

"...Kyros."

How could 'that man' know someone, who was forgotten by the everyone, even his own daughter. A question that I was asking myself every time I see this small toy soldier. Without a doubt he is someone who suffered the most all this time while protecting his daughter who didn't remember him.

A few days ago I asked him regarding that but Kyros dismissed the matter saying ' what is some pain for the safety and company of my only daughter'.

"...Let's go."

During the afternoon hours, 'The lightning beast Enel' invited me to a meeting that, according to his captains words, will decide the next and final act of this 'little play'.

It didn't take us long to arrive at the hall, in which this meeting will take place. Going through the grand looking dark doors I entered like I used to as the king, though it felt like a facade at this point. There, everyone else who would be participating, were sitting at a long table, leaving the head seat for me.

Sitting down on my chair, I started eyeing the others. Only 3 members from the Jackson-Pirates were present. The sharp shooter Van Augur, the archaeologist Nico Robin, and the strange talking polar bear Bepo.

Next to them were the representatives of the dwarves. The princess with her father and her knight.

"...And they are?"

On the other site were 3 strange figures in long cloaks with hoods covering their faces. Naturally they garnered my curiosity so I asked about them but when they removed their hoods I regret asking.

The one hooded person seemingly leading the other 2 was someone famous, or rather infamous among those with the 'privilege' of being able to visit the holy city. The purple hair, and those special glasses belonged to Bello Betty, one of the revolutionary army's 4 supreme commanders.

'Just what did I get myself into...'

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(AN: Lol you didn't think I would reveal the content of the meeting now, did you? *smirks*)

3rd Person POV

*Clang*BOOOM*Swish*Shatter*BOOM*

While the meeting was taking place in the royal palace, two figures were facing off outside the cities of Dressrosa. Under the moon's silvery light, they moved faster then the wind, while swinging their swords at each other.

The wind pressure from their movement generated violent storms that blew away boulders and uprooted trees. Had they fought in a city, a catastrophe would have been the consequence.

Suddenly light flashed and a huge sword slash flew cutting apart the air while rushing at the taller figure. The figure, a tall man with a unique tone of blonde, swung his cutlass and deflected the sword flash, which in turn split the ground in two, it landed on.

"... That was pretty close. You sure you aren't trying to kill me?"

Coming to a momentary stop, the man in question, Jackson, asked in a relaxed manner. There was no visible sign of exhaustion, not even a drop of sweat unlike his opponent.

The moons silvery light revealed the second figure to be a young woman, with dark blue hair, barely reaching her shoulders. Her tank top and leggings showed the defined muscles in her arms, the perfect abs and trained tights.

"Would you be killed even if that were the case?"

"Of course not. Did I accidentally hit your head or something?"

"..."

Unlike Jackson, Kuina had scratches and cuts as well as some bruises from their sparring match just now but she didn't get discouraged by that. Because every time they had a sparring like this, she would force him to go all out, using haki and even the rokushiki to it's fullest.

"Hey Kuina. I want to test something out so use 'that' with you full power."

!

A strange request. Or so she would have thought if she wasn't already well acquainted with him for years.

Trusting in her captains cockroach like ability to survive no matter what she readied her katana and took a stance. Starting from her hands, up the handle and then the blade. It turned black under the cover of her armament haki.

Soon a reddish flame-like energy started to radiate from her and the katana. The advanced principle of armament haki, making it flow according to her control was applied.

Seeing her serious stance and demeanor, Jackson too got serious and held his left hand up while holding his sword in his right hand just in case his defense gets broken.

*Chiriririrriri*

Soon light red lightning started to dance around the dark blade of Kuina's Katana. A pressure descended in the area forcing away everything and everyone that had a will to live. Raising her sword above her head with both hands she unleashed her strongest move, a technique that Jackson taught her.

"Black Getsuga Tenshou!"

Taking a step forward while swinging down her sword in a fluid motion, she unleashed a gigantic dark sword slash. It's size was enough to cover one's sight completely as it advances on it's path to destroy whatever was in front of it.

The shining darkness surrounded by crackling red lightning caused violent wind storms as is tore through the air.

"Rho Aias!"

On the other side Jackson called out his newest ability. Green lines started to shine as they run down his outstretched left hand. In front of him a huge lotus with 7 petals bloomed. The pinkish light it was made of illuminated the area around him as if to contrast the vicious black and red of the nearing sword slash.

With a low humming sound, 7 semi transparent barriers appeared in front of the lotus, blocking the destructive force of Kuina's Black Getsuga Tenshou.

*BOOOOOOM!*

At the moment of collision an ear piercing explosion sound spread throughout the plains they were training at, followed by an earth shaking shock wave that spread throughout the field they were fighting on. For a breath's worth of time the darkness of the night was pushed back, fully revealing the shattered and destroyed earth around them.

*Shatter*

With the breaking of the first barrier the light subsided and darkness returned.

*Shatter*

Again another protective barrier was broken by the violent mass of destructive energy in form of a flying slash attack,

*Shatter*

*Shatter*

After a short resistance two more layers of protection were destroyed and Jackson started to wonder whether he should counter it now.

*Shatter*

The fifth barrier broke before the Black Getsuga Tenshou finally stopped and dispersed into black and red light particles.

"Whew! That was closer then I thought."

Jackson admitted that he underestimated Kuina this time. Truth be told Jackson far surpassed her in haki and physical attributes but her swordsmanship mastery was higher than his. In her life she only lost to Sabo back then when they met and to Shiki's Gorilla a bit later, not counting sparring matches like this one.

"What the?!"

Suddenly hearing her surprised voice, he looked back at Kuina, who was staring at him wide eyed.

"Y- You ate a devil fruit?!"

It was the logical misunderstanding she should have after witnessing 'Rho Aias' but how could Jackson explain to her that it was a gift from a god who greatly wronged HIM, a high ranking member of the 'thicc tights save lives' cult.

In the end he decided not to explain anything and just told her 'no' before walking off leaving behind a perplexed and slightly annoyed Kuina.

(AN: Hey! It is kinda relaxing to write once in a while so yeah here I am. Does Kuina have conquerors haki?! Yeah but don't worry now I am done with adding conqueror's haki. Just thought that since she and Sabo are the strongest after Jackson she should have it as well. She will need it in the future so don't get triggered by it please. *insert triggered meme* Though there was no real progress to the story in this chapter I am mostly done with setting things up for when Sabo and Law return with the Donquixote pirate commanders... in case you forgot they went out to lure doflamingo into attacking them and bring him and his family to dressrosa. Hope you enjoy reading and if you do just leave a comment and/or some memes)