The world convulsed.
From the merchant ports of the West Isles to the storm-wrecked cities of the North Blue, the truth about the Crown of Shadows detonated like a powder keg. What had once been myth — whispered conspiracies and erased chronicles — was now undeniable. Broadcasts of Raizen's revelations swept across the seas, stirring the hearts of the oppressed and igniting rage in the halls of power.
Protests erupted in cities long thought docile. World Government courthouses were defaced. Naval strongholds saw mutiny from within. A dozen different flags bearing Raizen's likeness or sigils of resistance were raised by groups claiming allegiance to the revolution. But not all were united.
Some rebel fleets pillaged in his name. Others declared independence from their sovereigns only to crown themselves tyrants. Old pirate lords, now emboldened, seized the moment to rebrand their greed as liberation. The line between justice and anarchy blurred.
Onboard the Ashwake, Raizen stared at a map cluttered with markers — red for conflict, black for fallen allies, gold for rising factions. The flame of rebellion had been lit, but it now threatened to become a wildfire beyond control.
"We're losing the message," Lyra said, eyes scanning intercepted communiqués. "They're twisting your name into a banner of chaos."
Raizen's jaw clenched. "I didn't do this for chaos. We're trying to build something… better."
"But everyone sees what they want in you," Rook muttered. "To some, you're a savior. To others… an excuse."
News arrived that day of a rebel fleet, flying Raizen's mark, sacking a neutral island. No survivors. No mercy.
Raizen felt the weight settle in his chest. A symbol could inspire — or consume.
That night, he stood alone on the deck beneath a blood-red moon, the world around him changed beyond recognition. Allies fractured. Enemies multiplied. And the people cried out for a leader.
But not all who marched under his flame were righteous. And not all wars were won with truth.
The embers of rebellion were now burning.
And Raizen had to decide whether to fan the flame…or contain it before it destroyed everything.
END OF CHAPTER 1