Episode 6 of *Chief of War* opens with Kamehameha and his companions surveying the charred remains of their food stores. Ka’iana, ever the pragmatist, believes that Keoua should be dealt with swiftly and decisively. However, Ka’ahumanu holds a different view. She thinks she can persuade Keoua to join their cause without resorting to violence, and Kupuohi, Ka’iana’s wife, echoes her sentiment.
Ka’iana, though, is skeptical, seeing such optimism as misplaced given Keoua’s reputation for bloodlust. Nevertheless, Kamehameha chooses to place his trust in the women’s judgment. Ka’iana, lacking such faith, decides to rely on his firearms and his newfound allies—the paleskins, particularly the English, who seem to have their own interests vested in maintaining this burgeoning trade alliance and thus are likely to support their cause.
Meanwhile, Tony is busy instructing the natives in the art of gun handling, as preparations for the impending confrontation intensify. The tense meeting with Keoua proceeds, with Kupuohi expressing her belief that a union between Keoua and Kamehameha could unite the fractured kingdoms, fulfilling the prophecy that foretells a time of unity and strength.
The meeting, however, does not go as hoped. Keoua remains steadfast in his refusal to ally with Kamehameha, at least not anytime soon. As the encounter draws to a close, tensions flare when Ka’iana, feeling his loyalty questioned, brandishes a gun in a thinly veiled threat against Keoua.
On the island of O’ahu, King Kahekili is gearing up for another offensive, but doubts linger among his ranks. Prince Kupule emerges as a far more suitable candidate to lead them into the future, blending strength with intelligence and strategic foresight. Yet, Kupule is reluctant to betray his father, even as he disagrees with Kahekili’s bellicose tendencies.
Kupule decides to confront his father nonetheless, cautioning him against tarnishing the royal legacy and undoing all they have built together. Kahekili, while agreeing on the importance of preserving Maui’s purity, adheres to a vastly different approach. In a shocking display of ruthlessness, he has the conspiring Chiefs of Maui bound and left exposed on a pole as a warning.
Upon witnessing this, Kupule takes drastic action, killing one of the chiefs to stifle any doubts that might seep into the King’s mind and further fuel his destructive path.
Interestingly, Kahekili might just get his heart's desire when Keoua, lured by the promise of seizing the island for himself, is persuaded to set sail across the treacherous seas and ally with his very foe. Naturally, in his fervent quest to slay Kamehameha and reclaim what he deems rightfully his, Keoua would unwittingly be handing victory to King Kahekili on a silver platter.
Keoua, desperate for warriors to bolster his crusade, vows that in return for their aid, the Kingdom shall be united, and Hawai’i shall never again raise its spear against Kahekili, so long as peace reigns supreme for them all. Kahekili, feigning agreement to these terms, privately savors the possibilities with a sly grin, his lips curling in anticipation.
He then commands Kapule to enlist the services of Opunui, the notorious merchant of chaos. Opunui is no ordinary man; he is a madman, a warrior of unparalleled ferocity, with a burning desire to see Keoua fall and to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat right from under him. As Kahekili philosophizes, "Chaos, my friend, is the crucible in which the harmony of rule is forged."
