The island where the Kingdom of Laya is located is a battlefield a little far from the 'Fruit Domain'.
At this time, the war subsided, leaving behind a large number of corpses, including soldiers from Dressrosa and soldiers from the Kingdom of Laya who were only dressed in simple grass-leaf uniforms.
On the battlefield, there was blood everywhere, both dried and undried.
Weapons lay scattered on the ground, covered in dust and blood. The battlefield, still shrouded in smoke, was a scene of utter carnage for anyone who saw it.
"We can't fight like this!"
Inside the Dressrosa army's camp, an officer slammed his fist on the table, "If we keep fighting like this, we won't be able to hold out!"
"Yes, what's going on? These people are resisting far too fiercely!" another officer agreed. "In previous conquests, as long as we demoralized them, they would definitely surrender. But why are these people so tenacious? We haven't destroyed their homes. Apart from the main battlefield, we haven't done anything strange. Could someone have done something and not said anything?"
“Impossible. Everyone knows who we are. King David once said that war is a fair and square war. Just defeat the enemy. There’s no need to do anything despicable,” said the officer who first slammed his fist on the table.
"We're running out of supplies..."
An officer sighed: "Weapons are fine, but food is completely insufficient. Although there is fruit in this place, eating only fruit will demoralize our soldiers."
“That’s true. We’re running out of medicine. The climate here is strange, and there are too many pests and diseases. Some diseases are incurable. The jungle here is even deeper than our ‘Greenbite’ jungle.” Another officer sighed in agreement.
They were the army that had advanced into the Kingdom of Raya in a three-front war. The other two armies had already conquered the target islands and towns, while they were the only ones bogged down in the quagmire of war.
For some reason, the people of the Kingdom of Laya seemed to have a deep-seated hatred for them, fighting them relentlessly, even at the cost of their own lives, determined to drag a Dressrosa soldier down to hell.
That bloody warfare pattern would have led to their long-term rout if King David hadn't accumulated considerable prestige through successive conquests and won the hearts of the army with the title of 'Knight King'.
Even so, with supplies gradually running out, they felt powerless.
If they continue fighting, they will be the ones to lose.
"No need to worry."
At that moment, the tent flap was lifted, and two people walked in.
One of them had a mechanical leg, which made walking slightly uncomfortable. The other was a pink-haired girl in military uniform. Her originally cute appearance now had a touch of heroism due to the war.
"Lord Cyrus, Lady Rebecca," the officers called out as they stood up.
Cyrus was the commander of this conquest and the man they trusted.
Cyrus had already made a name for himself during the reign of King Riku, and many of them knew him.
During his several conquests, Cyrus demonstrated his military prowess, earning the respect of the soldiers who later joined him.
Most importantly, he was related to King David.
Cyrus and the former king Riku Dold were father-in-law and son-in-law. Riku Dold's eldest daughter married Cyrus, while his younger daughter Viola married the current King David, who was David's brother-in-law.
"We've received word that the King will be arriving soon."
Cyrus said to them, “When the king arrives, this war will surely end.”
To be honest, Cyrus didn't want to fight, but David persuaded him with something he said.
"Wouldn't it be better for others to live the same life as Dressrosa? We are not enslaving; we simply want to become a unified whole, so that those who are suffering, those who are oppressed by other evil kings, can become our citizens, equal and free, and enjoy love and passion just like us."
This statement made Cyrus realize that he had a narrow perspective.
The words of Pansa, who seized the throne by force and was famous eight hundred years ago, made Cyrus feel ashamed of himself.
That's what he did too.
The gladiatorial arena in Dressrosa still exists, but there are no more slaves. Gladiators are now free, signed contracts, and enter the arena with their own purposes, whether for fame or money, no longer forced to participate.
The people in the conquered lands were treated no differently than those in Dressrosa. David squandered the legacy left by Doflamingo, absorbing the advanced elements and discarding the backward ones, which is why he was loved.
Because everyone is treated equally.
Even these officers were not all from Dressrosa; some, or even most, came from territories that had been conquered.
Aside from the sugar incident, Cyrus had no ill feelings towards David.
He did everything he said he would do. Even with sugar, he didn't hide anything but openly stated his purpose.
Everything was for the sake of domination.
That upright man, truly like a 'King of Knights,' did what he said.
Even the former King Dold was used by David as a minister without any concern, to manage the country on his behalf, without any worry about a restoration.
This is Dressrosa, a country that has already been restored once, but David doesn't care, because he has a grander ideal—world peace.
For this, even if it means getting stained with blood.
Cyrus admired Cyrus's magnanimity, his talent, and his determination to shoulder everything, and was willing to serve as his vanguard.
"Is the king coming?!"
The officers became excited upon hearing Cyrus's words.
"No, if the King comes and sees our morale so low, he will be disappointed. I can't let the King down!"
The officer who spoke still had the tattoo on his face. He came from an island nation with a primitive tribe in the sea, where they lived a primitive life. But after King David came, he brought civilization and hope, and personally accepted his tribe into becoming a part of the prosperous Dressrosa. He did not look down on them at all because they were 'primitive'.
He even discovered his talent for leadership and promoted himself directly to officer.
The approach of judging people solely by their abilities, regardless of their background, gives many people a sense of hope.
It should be noted that even within their tribes, those who serve as high priests or leaders must have ancestors who had held those positions.
But Wang didn't care at all.
He didn't want to lower his standing in the king's eyes.
"Let's fight another match!"
A fierce glint appeared in the officer's eyes. "I'll lead the charge. Let's fight another battle and push the front line forward!"
"Agreed! I don't want to disappoint Wang either!"
Another officer spoke up, and his words were echoed by several other officers nearby, who all raised their hands.
"Agreed! Let's fight another battle. We, the people of Dressrosa, have conquered so many countries, we will never stop here!"
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