"My lord!"
Imu, ever linked to the Hades's machine-spirit, had already received the message in full. Her voice trembled with alarm.
Pirate Star — a distress call!
And yet the signal had lasted for less than a second before being cut off. That could only mean the sender had risked everything, burning their last breath to send the plea, and had almost certainly perished immediately after. The abrupt silence told the story.
From this, it could be deduced that Pirate Star had been struck by a silent, sudden incursion. The enemy must have infiltrated without a sound, disabling most of the early-warning and defense systems before striking all at once — a fatal blow.
If that were true, then the situation on Pirate Star must already be critical. Even if the Hades turned back at once, by the time they arrived it might already be too late.
The importance of Pirate Star to the entire expeditionary fleet — and to Roya himself — was beyond question. Its fall would be unacceptable to anyone.
Even Imu, who had nearly shed all vestiges of human emotion, could not contain her panic in this moment.
Roya raised his hand, his voice calm and commanding:
"Do not panic. Continue with the purge plan."
The words fell, and his form vanished from the throne, slipping directly into the Warp.
Since defeating the Silent King and imprisoning the three Star Gods with the collective will of the Fearless Ones, Roya had wasted no time in unraveling the legacies of these four ancient powers.
At last, persistence bore fruit. By deciphering the Silent King's secret of freely entering and leaving the Warp, Roya broke through the final barrier and grasped the secret of the Star Gods' method of Warp traversal.
He had even taken it further — elevating their technique to the point of bringing one's material body through the Warp itself!
Wreathed in his own psychic perception, shielding his body, Roya slipped into the Warp effortlessly. His spirit projection flared, guiding him instantly toward a familiar point of light.
That point, of course, was Pirate Star.
His ever-strengthening perception spread like a host of tendrils, thrashing through the Warp's tides, creating irresistible propulsion. They drew his physical body, wrapped in psychic shielding, swiftly toward his projection's locus.
It seemed like an eternity passed — and yet, also like the blink of an eye. Roya's spirit jolted, and suddenly he was there, at the seat of his own projection.
His spirit-body blazed more resplendently than ever. With a thought, his psychic power pierced the Warp's barrier, guiding his material form back into reality.
The scene warped before his eyes. The watercolor haze of the Warp dissolved into the hard lines and vivid hues of the material universe.
"&%##…"
As he crossed the boundary, he thought he heard strange whispers.
Perhaps it was nothing but illusion. Yet it felt as though some mocking trickster had leaned close to his ear, murmuring syllables he could not yet comprehend.
The familiar sea breeze struck his face, anchoring his spirit firmly in the material world once more.
Roya's perception spread instantly across the entire planet, laying bare every detail of Pirate Star.
"No external invasion? No violent conflict?"
The results shocked him.
Pirate Star continued its orderly operations. Supplies from every corner were funneled into the imitation Pyramids, refined into alloys as strong as standard bio-metal, and stored in vast depots.
The people lived in peace and prosperity. No Tyranid bio-weapons stalked them; the former pirates had registered as legal adventurers, no longer living by plunder and thus no longer hunted by the World Government.
Even the Star-Spirits had entered dormancy, suppressing consumption to accelerate the accumulation of energy.
Everything was… normal.
"Impossible. Vegapunk and Law would never make such a blunder. Where is the flaw?"
Roya's psychic senses swept the planet again, layer by layer — even probing its molten core.
Yet still, he found nothing.
"The enemy must have detected my Warp return. They've hidden themselves first. Fine. I'll return to Pangaea Castle and draw the serpent from its hole. Let's see what game they're playing."
With that thought, he ceased searching and soared skyward, angling toward the Holy Land of Mary Geoise.
At that very moment, a ripple of psychic energy stirred the horizon. A figure streaked toward him.
"Greetings, Lord Roya!"
It was Law, whom Roya had appointed planetary governor of Pirate Star.
Remarkably, though his strength had lagged behind warriors like Squard due to the burdens of governance, Law had somehow awakened psychic powers without ever experiencing psychic combat.
More astonishing still — he seemed stronger than even Whitebeard or Kaido were now, his power already at the asteroid-class level!
Such a reversal filled Roya not with joy, but dread.
Without hesitation, his psychic perception surged outward, enveloping Law entirely, probing every cell and every particle of energy within his spirit.
Law, oblivious to the scrutiny, smiled with delight.
"My lord, when did you return? I sensed your presence and thought it was an illusion — but it was real!"
Roya gave a slight nod, maintaining the scan as he replied evenly:
"I've just returned. Tell me, how fares Pirate Star?"
Law's face lit with pride.
"All goes well! Doctor Vegapunk has developed a fifth-generation seastone alloy, nearly as strong as ship-hull metal, and mass production is underway. The reverse-engineering of the Pyramid ships progresses swiftly as well. Soon, we will construct a second warship to join your Hades in the expedition!"
The deep scan revealed nothing amiss.
Yet the absence of flaws only deepened Roya's suspicion.
Even with Law's natural gifts as one of the Hidden Name Clan, without the complete Primarch-level transformation of the Star-Spirits, it was utterly impossible for him to awaken psychic power — much less attain such strength — in so short a time.
There was a problem here. One he had not yet uncovered.
After a moment's thought, Roya spoke deliberately:
"The Silent King has been destroyed. Our next goal is to purge the scattered Necron remnants throughout the galaxy."
Law's eyes lit up with joy.
"Excellent! Lord Roya, since you can teleport back, surely you can bring me with you? Please, allow me to fight at your side!
"My elite defense forces and I have recently unlocked new abilities. Our strength has advanced by leaps and bounds. I daresay we're stronger than even Oyagi Whitebeard and the others now!"
Please drop some power stones support me at my
PS: Access the complete/finished chapters/series at Patreon: NanamiTL