Throne Of Supreme

Chapter 223 Experiment

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Aoki never expected to witness such a "loving" display of familial ties.

"Are you not afraid that I might let him go?" he asked, a hint of mockery in his tone.

Bonar smiled, calm and unbothered. "It doesn't matter. The old man is destined to die anyway. If it's not by my hand, it will be by yours—some random assassin from nowhere."

Harold's face turned a deep shade of red, though it was unclear if it was from indignation or the struggle to breathe.

"How heartless," Aoki remarked, shaking his head. "No wonder you're comfortable selling drugs to your own citizens."

He sighed theatrically. "But I'm a good person, so I won't let you endure the pain of patricide."

Shing!

Without hesitation, Aoki's tail blade sliced across Harold's neck. Blood splattered across Bonar's face as Harold's body crumpled to the ground. His eyes remained locked on his son, filled with anger and regret, before they glazed over completely.

Bonar calmly pulled out a handkerchief and wiped the blood off his face.

"Well," he began nonchalantly, "now that the old man is out of the way, we can have a proper conversation. To be honest, I hold no grudge against you for this. In fact, I should thank you for saving me the trouble."

He gave a slight smile. "We don't have to be enemies. What is it you want? Money? Weapons? Power? Women? Bliss Pills? Name it, and I'll make it happen."

Aoki had to admit, Bonar was quite the character.

"Unfortunately," Aoki replied, his tone turning icy, "the only thing I want is your head."

Bonar's expression darkened.

Aoki continued, "The mission to eliminate the old king and destroy the experimental base isn't complete. And you—you're the one responsible for it all."

Bonar sighed, visibly disappointed. "So, there's no room for negotiation?"

He composed himself, his tone becoming almost respectful. "You're incredibly strong, and I admire that. There's no need for us to fight. Surely, you've realized the connection between us and the Twin Blade Pirates?

"With our backing, they grew from an insignificant crew to one of the most powerful pirate factions in the West Blue. Thanks to our protection, they lived freely—freer than most pirates."

"First," Aoki interjected, "I'm not a pirate. Second..." He tilted his head with curiosity. "You don't seem afraid of me at all."

"Afraid?"

Bonar's body began to shift and swell. His limbs thickened, his fingers sharpened into claws, and his entire form became covered in thick, golden fur. A majestic mane of hair encircled his neck as he towered over Aoki.

"I'll let you in on a secret," Bonar rumbled, his voice deep and resonant. "I'm the strongest in the Ram Kingdom."

"A Devil Fruit user?" Aoki's eyes sparkled with interest.

"That's right," Bonar confirmed, his beastly form exuding confidence. "If you refuse to cooperate, then prepare to die!"

Aoki chuckled, his tone light. "You really do have a narrow perspective, like a frog at the bottom of a well."

In an instant, Aoki's figure vanished.

Bonar froze, scanning the room in alarm. "Where did you go?"

Before he could react further, a sharp gust of wind whooshed behind him.

Boom!

Aoki's fist slammed into the back of Bonar's head with devastating force. Bonar's eyes rolled back as his skull caved in. His massive form crumpled, shrinking back into his human shape as his limp body was sent flying.

Crash!

Bonar's body collided with tables and chairs, the noise echoing through the palace halls.

The guards outside froze, their faces paling at the sound. The leader of the guards acted quickly, kicking the doors open.

Inside, the sight was horrifying. The once-magnificent hall was in ruins, blood pooling across the floor. Harold's lifeless body lay sprawled, his throat slashed open, his dead eyes still brimming with anger and regret.

"Y-Your Majesty!" one guard stammered, his voice trembling.

Panic spread among the guards as they took in the carnage.

---

Elsewhere, Graham sat at his desk, frowning deeply as he read the letter in his hands.

The contents were shocking, his expression growing darker with each line.

"Who sent this?" he asked sharply, his tone brimming with urgency.

Not only did the letter accuse His Majesty and the eldest prince of masterminding the drug epidemic in the kingdom, but it also detailed the officials involved in the drug trafficking network.

It even declared the writer's intent to kill the king and the eldest prince to rid the people of their suffering, warning Graham to prepare for what was coming.

If this letter were to be exposed, even Graham's status and identity would not shield him from the ensuing chaos.

"No matter what, I have to warn His Majesty and the eldest prince immediately!" Graham said, rising to his feet.

He had long harbored suspicions about the kingdom's drug problem, though he never sought to confirm them. Yet, regardless of the truth, he couldn't stand by and let the king and the prince be assassinated.

Graham opened the door, but before he could step outside, a soldier came running toward him, sweat dripping down his face, his breathing labored.

"General, something has happened!" the soldier exclaimed, not even pausing to salute.

Graham's chest tightened as an ominous feeling washed over him. Keeping his voice steady, he said, "Calm down. Speak slowly—what happened?"

The soldier took a deep breath before delivering the news.

"His Majesty has been murdered in his study, and the eldest prince is missing!"

"So fast!" Graham muttered, his expression hardening.

The assassin had already acted, and Graham hadn't even had the chance to warn the king.

Wait.

His mind raced. The timing was too precise. Whoever sent the letter must have calculated Graham's potential response and accounted for it, ensuring their actions were completed before he could intervene.

Shaking off the thought, Graham focused on the present. "Where is the murderer?" he demanded.

The soldier shook his head. "The guards heard a commotion and rushed into the palace, but by the time they arrived, His Majesty was already dead. They found no trace of the murderer.

"As for the eldest prince, he was last seen in the palace, but after the guards entered, he was nowhere to be found."

The soldier's words hinted at suspicion toward the eldest prince, but Graham ignored it.

Based on the circumstances, Bonar might seem like a suspect, but Graham knew better. The true culprit was someone else.

The eldest prince was likely dead as well.

As for why Bonar's body had vanished, Graham had no answers and no desire to investigate further. More pressing matters demanded his attention.

"Gather everyone immediately!" Graham barked.

His priority now was ensuring the safety of the little prince.

---

In the ruins of Barabbio, Aoki's figure emerged silently, a limp, unconscious middle-aged man in his grasp.

Whenever Aoki arrived at a location, he would leave a spatial marker as a precaution—a habit he had cultivated over time.

Now, he had abandoned the eldest prince of the Ram Kingdom here for a reason.

Of course, there was a purpose behind not killing Bonar outright and instead bringing him all this way.

Aoki placed his palm firmly on Bonar's chest.

Moments later, his expression shifted, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes. "The power of a lion!"

His ability, "Devour," didn't allow him to absorb just any kind of power. The compatibility between the target's bloodline and his own determined whether the power could be assimilated.

In Bonar's case, Aoki could sense that the compatibility was very low. Even if he forcefully absorbed the power, the benefits would be negligible.

But Aoki had no intention of truly absorbing Bonar's ability.

Bonar was an ordinary Zoan-type Devil Fruit user, and Aoki had only just reached Level 1 of "Devour," meaning he had one opportunity to imprint a bloodline. Such a rare choice had to be made with the utmost care.

This was merely an experiment—a test to see if a Devil Fruit ability could be considered a form of bloodline power.

The result confirmed Aoki's hypothesis.

Retracting his hand, Aoki smiled faintly.

"This opens up so many possibilities."

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