The scale of the victory stunned the citizens of the Christi Kingdom.
In a single day, the Christi Kingdom had conquered three kingdoms with overwhelming ease.
Along the advance of the army, city after city surrendered without resistance. Faced with the massive forces of the Christi Kingdom, most garrisons simply laid down their weapons.
Soon, more information arrived from inside the three conquered kingdoms.
After the war began, chaos had already erupted across their capitals. Royal families had been assassinated. Key ministers had been eliminated.
And according to the official reports, the ones responsible were the Nightfall Pirates.
In reality, a large portion of those assassinations had been carried out by the Christi Kingdom's own hidden agents. However, such matters were never meant to be exposed to the public.
Naturally, the credit and the blame were both placed on the Nightfall Pirates.
This was not about shifting responsibility.
Instead, it greatly increased the reputation of the Nightfall Pirates.
The story spreading among the people was simple: the Nightfall Pirates had personally shattered the ruling structures of the three kingdoms, throwing them into chaos and allowing the Christi Kingdom to reclaim its lost territory.
Because of that, the Christi Kingdom successfully reunited Saint Louis Island.
The reputation of the Nightfall Pirates rose rapidly within the Christi Kingdom.
For many citizens, one fact became clear.
The Nightfall Pirates were not enemies.
They were allies.
Still, a question remained in many minds.
Why would such a powerful pirate crew help the Christi Kingdom?
What agreement existed between them?
The answer came quickly.
In less than a single day, the Christi Kingdom's army completely occupied the territories of the three kingdoms.
Many years ago, when those three kingdoms first separated from the Christi Kingdom, the eastern regions of Saint Louis Island had been remote and underdeveloped.
At the time, the heart of the kingdom lay in the west, where the royal capital stood in the west-central region of the island.
However, after the split, the newly formed kingdoms experienced rapid growth.
Under the constant pressure of facing a powerful neighbor like the Christi Kingdom, their economies and populations developed quickly.
But now, that development had only become a stepping stone.
Everything they built had been taken over by the reunited Christi Kingdom.
Within the palace of the Christi Kingdom, the high officials were in extremely good spirits.
The great purge had ended.
The army had entered the three kingdoms.
The transition of power had gone almost perfectly.
If things continued at this pace, the kingdom could restore full administrative order in less than a month.
Early the next morning, news spread that the King would once again address the public through a live broadcast.
Because of the events of the previous day, citizens woke early and gathered in front of the large public screens.
The streets were unusually lively.
People already suspected what the broadcast would be about.
The Nightfall Pirates.
Some residents had even seen members of the pirate crew inside the royal capital Gretel, and some were rumored to be inside the royal palace itself.
At exactly eight o'clock in the morning, the broadcast began.
The large screens lit up.
The image of King Merlot appeared before the citizens.
The moment his figure appeared, cheers erupted across the kingdom.
The people were still excited from yesterday's almost unbelievable victory.
Not only had the war been won with ease, but the long-held dream of unifying Saint Louis Island had finally been achieved.
For generations, that dream had existed in the hearts of the Christi Kingdom's citizens.
King Merlot's prestige also played a major role.
His personal reputation was extremely high, and the Christi royal family had accumulated authority through generations of rule.
"Ahem."
Standing before the palace, King Merlot cleared his throat lightly into the microphone.
Instantly, the cheering crowds fell silent.
Across Saint Louis Island, streets that had been filled with noise became quiet enough that one could almost hear people breathing.
Even residents in the eastern territories, who had belonged to the former three kingdoms just one day earlier, listened attentively.
Although the new administration had not yet fully stabilized, the Christi Kingdom had already established control over most of the island.
With the army stationed across the territories, there was little chance of major unrest.
For ordinary citizens, the change in rulers did not affect daily life very much.
Their king had changed.
That was all.
In fact, many residents felt relieved.
With the island reunited, there would no longer be wars between the kingdoms.
A stronger Christi Kingdom could better protect everyone.
For ordinary people, such expectations were simple.
Now they only wanted to hear what their King would say.
"We are all people of Saint Louis Island."
King Merlot's first sentence immediately drew everyone together under a single identity.
In an instant, the previous division between nations was erased.
This was the art of leadership and language.
"I am pleased to see Saint Louis Island reunited," the King continued.
"And for this achievement, I offer my congratulations to all the people of Saint Louis Island."
Cheers erupted again across the island.
Even the residents who had once belonged to the three kingdoms joined in.
After all, they were all people of the same island.
"However," King Merlot continued, raising his hand slightly, "we must also speak of the true heroes of this war."
Many listeners immediately became alert.
Everyone knew who he meant.
The Nightfall Pirates.
Although most citizens had not witnessed their actions within the three kingdoms, the power of Marshall D. Teach, the Dark Emperor, had been broadcast across the entire nation.
His Conqueror's Haki had defeated more than one million soldiers with a single wave of pressure.
He had personally executed the alliance commander with terrifying ease.
The scene had left an unforgettable impression on everyone.
The broadcast screen suddenly shifted.
Gasps spread across the crowds.
Standing before the palace were the core members of the Nightfall Pirates.
Many citizens already recognized them.
After the Sageros Sea fell under the control of the Nightfall Pirates, the Christi Kingdom had paid close attention to all information related to them.
Now those figures stood directly inside the royal palace.
An idea slowly formed in the minds of many observers.
"From today onward," King Merlot announced clearly, "Saint Louis Island will raise the flag of the Nightfall Pirates and accept their protection."
His words echoed across the island.
The announcement shocked many listeners.
Yet it was not completely unexpected.
In the New World, it was common for kingdoms to place themselves under the protection of powerful pirate crews.
Without such protection, countless pirate groups could swarm a nation and destroy it within a short time.
However, raising a pirate flag meant something deeper.
It meant the kingdom officially became territory under that pirate crew.
Only a small number of people immediately realized the significance of that detail.
King Merlot stepped forward.
He walked toward the Nightfall Pirates.
At the front of the group stood three towering figures.
In the center was Marshall D. Teach.
To his left stood Redyat.
To his right stood Ares.
King Merlot descended several steps from the palace entrance until he stood directly before them.
Facing them, he deliberately stood on lower ground.
"Mr. Teach. Mr. Redyat. Mr. Ares."
He raised his head slightly while speaking.
Although King Merlot was already tall by normal standards, Teach and Redyat both stood well over three meters in height.
Ares was even more monstrous.
His body reached nearly nine meters tall, towering even above figures such as Kaido and Big Mom.
Standing before them felt like standing before giants.
Teach and Redyat concealed their aura perfectly.
Ares, however, made no attempt to hide his presence.
His enormous body radiated a terrifying aura like that of a war god.
Even knowing that Ares was essentially a transformed monster rather than a human, King Merlot maintained his composure.
The fact that he could suppress his fear so well was impressive.
Through the cameras, the citizens of the Christi Kingdom saw the three leaders clearly.
They could feel it even through the screen.
Teach's overwhelming dominance.
Redyat's cold arrogance.
Ares' savage brutality.
These were not things they deliberately displayed.
It was simply their natural presence.
"As the King of the Christi Kingdom," King Merlot declared, "and on behalf of the people of the Christi Kingdom, as well as the residents of the entire Sageros Sea…"
"I hereby grant you the title of Overlord."
"Dark Overlord."
"Shadow Overlord."
"Blood War Overlord."
"I sincerely hope that you will accept."
As he spoke, King Merlot bowed his head slightly.
Before the eyes of the entire nation.
This gesture clearly demonstrated the difference in status between the two sides.
The title itself carried enormous meaning.
An Overlord was someone who dominated everything.
Through this declaration, Teach and his companions became the recognized rulers not only of Saint Louis Island but also of the entire Sageros Sea.
Normally, a king could only grant noble titles such as Duke.
But this title was something different.
It represented recognition from all the people of Saint Louis Island.
At that moment, many citizens finally understood.
The ruler of their land had changed.
Power had shifted from King Merlot to the Nightfall Pirates.
To the Dark Emperor, Marshall D. Teach.
Some residents in the eastern regions felt bewildered.
Within a single day, the sky above them had changed twice.
What would happen to their kingdom now?
What would happen to King Merlot and the royal family?
What would their own future look like?
Many intelligent observers quietly waited for the next development.
After witnessing the terrifying power of the Nightfall Pirates, no one was foolish enough to oppose them openly.
And these decisions were being announced by their own King.
"Then we accept, King Merlot."
Teach smiled faintly and nodded.
Redyat and Ares also nodded.
From this day forward, they carried new titles.
Dark Overlord.
Shadow Overlord.
Blood War Overlord.
For now the titles applied mainly within the Sageros Sea.
But Teach knew that one day those names would spread across the entire world.
Teach's response reassured many thoughtful observers.
He had still addressed Merlot as "King."
This meant that King Merlot would remain the ruler of the Christi Kingdom.
Many citizens had feared that Merlot might abdicate and become a pirate himself.
Such situations existed elsewhere in the New World, but they often ended in disaster.
A pirate king ruling a country usually led to chaos.
Fortunately, that did not seem to be the case here.
King Merlot continued.
"It has also been decided that the kingdom will establish a new position beneath the King."
"The position of Supreme Executive Officer."
"This officer will form a cabinet responsible for handling major affairs of the kingdom. Decisions will be made through a voting system within the cabinet."
"The King will remain the leader of the kingdom, holding supervisory authority and the power to veto unreasonable decisions."
As he spoke, his gaze shifted toward someone standing behind Teach.
"Mr. Mostima will serve as the first Supreme Executive Officer."
Mostima stepped forward with a gentle smile and bowed.
"Yes, Your Majesty."
This announcement caused another wave of discussion.
State power would now be managed by the cabinet led by Mostima, known as the "Wisdom Angel."
Although the King retained supervisory authority, most administrative power would be handled by the new government structure.
For many citizens, this arrangement offered some reassurance.
Their King still remained part of the system.
Soon after, the broadcast concluded.
Before the end, Teach personally made a promise.
Members of the Nightfall Pirates would not interfere with the daily lives of the kingdom's citizens.
Anyone who violated that rule would be severely punished.
The Dark Emperor's words eased many fears.
For the time being, Teach planned to restrict access to Saint Louis Island.
Only the core crew, high-ranking officers, and elite forces of the Nightfall Pirates would be allowed to enter.
Most newly recruited pirates would remain elsewhere in the Sageros Sea.
Pirates were difficult to control.
Allowing them to roam freely could easily cause trouble.
For the citizens of the Christi Kingdom, adapting to the rule of the Nightfall Pirates would take time.
And within the kingdom itself, the newly formed cabinet still had an enormous amount of work ahead.