Chapter 417: Shirahoshi's Mission!
Ben Beckman was left bewildered by Shirahoshi's straightforward, almost childlike honesty.
For a moment, he even forgot why he had come. Shirahoshi herself would never lie—but Ryuunosuke certainly could. It was entirely possible she was repeating something he had told her to say. That uncertainty gnawed at Beckman.
He needed to test her further.
"Princess Shirahoshi," Beckman asked carefully, "are you here alone?"
Shirahoshi puffed out her cheeks. "No! There's a little cutie with me. Mr. Ben Beckman, do you have any more questions? I still have work to do! This is my first mission since joining the Brother Ryuunosuke's crew, and I hope you won't interfere."
Her tone carried a hint of frustration. With Shirahoshi, every emotion was written plainly across her face. She hid nothing.
That was exactly what made Beckman uneasy. Anyone else—liar or schemer—he could read in an instant. But with Shirahoshi, her guileless nature left him unsure of what was real.
"Partner, huh?" Beckman chuckled, masking his caution with a smile. "If Princess Shirahoshi has a partner on this mission, why not introduce me? Perhaps we could even spar a little."
Shirahoshi blinked, then nodded happily. "Really? Alright, I'll show you. Your Majesty Sterley, Princess Sivir, I'll return to the palace later. Lord Ryuunosuke left me new instructions."
With that, she turned and headed for the coastline, Beckman following reluctantly.
The shoreline was deserted. Beckman frowned. Had he been tricked?
The thought left him faintly embarrassed. If the "smartest man in the world," the right hand of Red-Haired Shanks, had truly been outwitted by Shirahoshi of all people… he'd never live it down.
"Princess Shirahoshi," he said cautiously, "where is your companion?"
"Kun!" Shirahoshi cupped her hands around her mouth and shouted out to the sea. "Come out! Someone wants to play with you!"
The ocean heaved. A shadow surged beneath the waves.
"Boom…"
Water exploded upward as a colossal figure rose from the depths. Beckman's eyes widened as a massive Kun Sea King surfaced, its vast body dwarfing even the tallest cliffs.
A chill ran down his spine. Sea Kings were terrors of the deep—rulers of the ocean that even the mightiest pirates feared. And this one… it wasn't an ordinary Sea King. This was an island-class behemoth, large enough to level the entire Goa Kingdom in hours.
Even for Beckman, defeating such a creature alone would be no easy task. Failure was very possible.
"Kun, you stay here and play with Mr. Beckman," Shirahoshi instructed cheerfully. "Be good! I have Lord Ryuunosuke's mission to finish."
And with that, she turned and left.
"Shirahoshi—!" Beckman tried to call after her, but it was too late.
The Kun's eyes locked onto him, and the sea itself answered. Great torrents of water condensed into projectiles and launched like arrows. To the Sea King, it was play. To Beckman, it was a storm of destruction.
"Damn it…" He drew his pistol, Armament Haki coating his bullets, and fired into the incoming barrage.
"Bang Bang—!"
The shots struck—but not even a scratch marked the Kun's hide. Beckman grimaced. Even with his Haki, his bullets couldn't pierce the beast's natural armor.
A Sea King of this caliber… was untouchable.
While Beckman was forced into a deadly "game" with Kun, Shirahoshi returned to Foosha Village. Sterley and his wife escorted her under heavy guard to Mount Colubo, where the Dadan family lay hidden in the forested hills.
Standing before the gates, Shirahoshi called politely, "Miss Dadan, Lord Ryuunosuke sent me to see you."
The doors creaked open, and Dadan herself stepped out.
"Princess Shirahoshi! Come inside. I already know why you're here—old Garp warned me in advance," Dadan said gruffly.
"Thank you very much," Shirahoshi replied with a polite bow.
"This way. We'd better talk underground." Dadan led her into the basement, where she unlocked a massive hidden door. A wave of energy rolled out, thick with life force.
Shirahoshi gasped. As a Sea Princess with the power to sense the ocean's will, she could feel it—an ancient, primal aura.
Descending into the chamber, her eyes widened. Dozens of gleaming crystals shimmered in the torchlight. Among them stood a single emerald stone, shining brighter than the rest.
"The Infinity Green Stone…" she whispered in awe.
Dadan crossed her arms. "I've been guarding this place for years, but even I don't know what these stones really are. If it wasn't for Garp roping me into this…" She grumbled, shaking her head.
Shirahoshi carefully took out her Dragon Hunting Order. Channeling her power, she relayed the discovery directly to her captain.
Aboard the Ship of Gods, Ryuunosuke was casually watching his dashboard, where his reputation points ticked steadily upward. As expected, the announcement of Pluto's search had thrown the world into chaos.
Then his Dragon Hunting Order glowed.
"Hm?" He lifted it, brows raising. "Shirahoshi? What's wrong?"
Reading her message, his expression shifted. According to the mission he had given her, Shirahoshi should have already secured the Infinity Stones quietly. Why contact him now?
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