Inside the Ryugu Palace.
Neptune and his wife Otohime, Scopper Gaban, Tiger, and Jinbe—all five of them wore grave expressions.
Neptune's voice trembled. "Is the calamity truly coming? Shirley's predictions have never been wrong!"
"It seems we still underestimated the severity of the situation!"
Gaban's face was also grim. "That's right, disaster always follows wherever that guy Roa goes!"
"I just wonder what demands he made that Neptune, you are so set on refusing!"
Although Shirley's predictions are a hundred percent accurate, she doesn't know the exact time they will happen and can only see a fragment, ignorant of the cause and effect.
This time was no exception. She only saw Neptune refusing someone, which then brought calamity.
As for exactly when and what demand was refused, she did not see.
"So what should we do now?"
Queen Otohime asked somewhat flustered. "Can I go and talk to that man named Roa? Maybe I can convince him to give up on harming this country!"
"Impossible!"
Gaban shook his head with some helplessness. "When it comes to harming the world, that guy has an unbreakable resolve."
"In any case, let's proceed with the plan we just discussed. We still can't be sure of Roa's true purpose for coming to Fish-Man Island."
He looked at Jinbe and Tiger. "It's more likely he's here for the Deep Sea Logistics Company, or even for the entire Fish-Man Island!"
"Jinbe, Tiger,"
Gaban said seriously, "You two need to get moving too. Control the spread of Shirley's prediction and don't let panic spread throughout Fish-Man Island!"
"As for the calamity itself—"
The number three figure of the Roger Pirates took a deep breath. "I wonder if I can handle it!"
"Mister Gaban!" (x4)
Neptune and his wife, and the brothers Tiger and Jinbe, were all moved.
This country originally had no connection to Mister Gaban.
"Hahahaha! Are you touched by me?"
Gaban laughed loudly. "I've lived on this island for so many years, after all!"
"I have a wife and kids here. It's no exaggeration to call Fish-Man Island my second home. Of course, I have to fight for it!"
"Alright, everyone, let's get moving!"
Right now, even if they wanted to find reinforcements, it would be too late.
They could only brace themselves and push forward!
"Understood!"
In the gigantic underwater cavern where Fish-Man Island is located.
The corpses of several Sea Kings floated quietly, their blood spreading everywhere.
"Honestly, being too entangled becomes a bit annoying."
Roa spoke with slight helplessness. "Don't come again. After all, you will be one of the forces I can use in the future."
Wouldn't it be a huge waste for them to be slaughtered for nothing, providing no dark aura in return?
But it was fine now.
There was light in the dark deep sea.
Ahead, appearing under the light, was Fish-Man Island.
"Full speed ahead!"
Roa commanded cheerfully. "Finally, we're here!"
The King of the Monsters, holding the submarine and speeding through the deep sea, immediately increased his pace.
The seawater was directly squeezed away by the immense force, leaving a long white trail in the deep sea.
Ahead was Fish-Man Island.
Roa controlled Typhon to carry the submarine directly toward Ryugu Palace above Fish-Man Island.
He should first get his hands on the little Princess Shirahoshi.
Even if her ability hasn't awakened yet, the ability to communicate with the Sea Kings is enough to allow him to control the Sea Kings through Shirahoshi.
I have them cornered!
Thus, the guards of Ryugu Palace witnessed a terrifying scene.
"What is that?"
At first, the guards only saw a black dot rapidly approaching in the dim deep sea outside the giant bubble that enveloped Ryugu Palace.
The black dot grew larger at a visible speed.
Soon, in less than half a minute, the monster had burst through the water!
It was a giant creature with a hundred heads, a body covered in feathers, and it was clutching a large steel ship in its massive arms.
"What is that!!"
Just as their screams erupted, the giant beast, still holding the steel ship, plunged straight through the bubble and smashed heavily onto the plaza outside Ryugu Palace.
"Waaaah!!"
The guards hastily scrambled for cover.
Accompanied by a whistling wind, the monster landed heavily on the ground. The mere impact caused the entire gigantic Ryugu Palace to tremble.
The blast of wind it generated blew the surrounding guards away, and some unlucky ones were even directly blown out of Ryugu Palace, plummeting toward Fish-Man Island below.
Inside Ryugu Palace.
Gaban, who was conversing with Neptune and his wife, suddenly turned his head.
"He arrived even faster than expected!"
Gaban took a deep breath, turning back to look at the somewhat panicked faces of Neptune and Otohime. "Don't panic! If both of you lose your composure, who will Shirahoshi rely on!"
The couple exchanged glances, then nodded heavily in unison.
"Alright!"
Just as Mister Gaban said, they could only grit their teeth and push forward!
"Now, Neptune, Otohime, old friends, bring out your acting skills!"
Gaban quickly led Neptune and his wife out of the palace.
On the small plaza outside Ryugu Palace, the giant beast, having left two deep footprints, carefully placed the submarine it was holding onto the ground. Then, it dissipated into smoke before the horrified eyes of the surviving guards.
Next, the hatch at the top of the submarine opened, and a handsome, refreshing young man leaped out.
"Oh! It's been a while, Ryugu Palace."
Roa looked at the magnificent palace before him with interest.
Honestly, it wasn't much different from when he first came here, though some parts had been slightly repaired.
Judging by this, Neptune was quite frugal.
Roa knew that Fish-Man Island's Deep Sea Logistics Company had been immensely profitable over the years, earning a lot of money from the World Government.
But seeing that the palace hadn't even been expanded, Neptune was indeed a king who cared for his people.
Thunder flashed from the hatch behind him. Enel materialized behind Roa.
Then came King and Bege.
Roa had only brought these three executives.
"Who are you people!!"
The guards, who had struggled to get up from the ground, timidly challenged Roa. "Why are you here!"
Roa ignored them, only looking at the gate of Ryugu Palace in surprise. "What a coincidence? Or are you truly waiting for me here?"
About a few seconds later, three figures rushed out from the gate of Ryugu Palace.
"Who is causing trouble here!"
His hair was turning white, his forehead creased with many wrinkles, but he still sassily wore small sunglasses, a floral shirt, and shorts, like a man going on vacation to a tropical beach. This man rushed out first from the gate, wielding a large axe.
"It's truly been a long time, Mr. Gaban,"
Roa jumped down from the submarine with interest, smiling as he greeted the newcomer.
He was also polite enough to look past Gaban to the two people following him, greeting them as well. "Neptune, too. It must be over two decades since we last met, right? And is this Queen Otohime? Nice to meet you."
"Roa—"
Neptune's face was stiff, his pupils trembling.
Even Gaban, who glanced at him out of the corner of his eye, praised him internally for his good acting.
In reality, it wasn't acting.
The moment he saw Roa, Neptune couldn't help but feel terrified.
Fear didn't need to be acted; it arose from the depths of his heart.
This young man, who looked only sixteen or seventeen, was undoubtedly the most terrifying pirate in the world. The pirate alliance he commanded was currently fighting the World Government! The West Blue and the North Blue were already in chaos because of his actions!
And now, this man was bringing disaster to Fish-Man Island!
Neptune wasn't the only one with excellent acting skills. Queen Otohime's face was also stiff and pale, her eyes wide to the extreme, almost popping out. She looked completely like a dead fish.
"Oh, that doesn't seem very polite."
Roa tilted his head slightly. "Is this how the locals are? I greeted you properly."
"Hahahaha! It's Roa, after all!"
Gaban immediately smiled broadly and stepped forward, subconsciously tucking the axe behind his back. "Long time no see! Why did you suddenly come here? Also, don't mind them. You know what your reputation is like now. It's only normal for Neptune and his wife to be startled."
"Is that so?"
Roa looked at Neptune and Otohime with interest, then focused his gaze on Gaban. Then, his mouth curved into a smile. "Speaking of which, Mr. Gaban, why are you on Fish-Man Island?"
"Hahahaha, that's naturally because I'm a missionary of love! The beautiful mermaid girls of Fish-Man Island need me to save them!"
Gaban replied with a cheerful smile.
"Hmm! Indeed!"
Roa nodded in deep agreement. "Fish-Man Island is indeed a great place, and the mermaid girls are extraordinarily beautiful. If I hadn't offended someone recently and needed to disappear for a while, I would want to settle down on Fish-Man Island."
"Offended someone?"
Gaban raised an eyebrow slightly. "Is there anyone left that a guy like you would be wary of now?"
The fact that this guy could still wreak havoc on the high seas indicated that Roger was ultimately defeated by him.
Possessing the strength to defeat Roger twenty-five years ago, and having been refining himself for so many years since, Gaban dared not imagine how strong this guy was now.
After all, Roa was only sixteen back then, just entering his period of rapid growth, not a middle-aged man whose strength had peaked and was difficult to break through further!
And it wasn't just his personal strength; this guy had also gathered monsters like the Golden Lion and Kaido around him.
Apart from the—hmm?
Gaban's expression suddenly changed.
"I just caused a ruckus in Marijoa,"
Roa said casually. "That guy Imu is very angry. I can't beat that guy yet, so I can only temporarily avoid his sharp edge."
"..."
Gaban's expression was astonished. "You said Imu. Have you already fought that guy?"
"Yes, he's strong like a monster."
Roa nodded gently. "It might take a few more years to defeat the King of the World."
A few more years?
Gaban secretly gritted his teeth. Is he joking?
However, was this guy already able to cause a ruckus in Marijoa and leave without a scratch?
It was at this moment.
"What exactly, what exactly do you want to do to Fish-Man Island!!"
A desperate scream suddenly erupted. Queen Otohime of the Ryugu Kingdom looked at Roa with red eyes. Her slender body was trembling, but at this moment, she bravely questioned Roa.
"Huh?"
Roa couldn't help but look at Queen Otohime again, instantly understanding. "Are you peeking into my mind? That's quite annoying."
The mermaid queen's slender body stumbled backward.
He wants to kill me!
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, don't mind her, don't mind her,"
Gaban cursed inwardly and quickly stepped between Roa and the couple, his face full of heavy smiles. "Otohime is a natural Observation Haki user. She can sense the emotions in others' hearts, but that's all it is!"
So, what kind of emotions did this guy Roa carry when he came to Fish-Man Island?
"Speaking of which,"
Based on the principle of returning a favor, Roa also began to probe the emotions of these three people. Then, he discovered something very interesting.
"You all seem very nervous? What are you nervous about?"
Neptune and Otohime's expressions changed slightly.
Gaban's heart tightened, but he forced a bitter, helpless smile onto his face. "Again, do you have no idea about your current reputation?"
"That's not right,"
Roa looked at Gaban deeply. "You seem to be trying to deceive me, what is it you want to deceive me about?"
"..."
Gaban's pupils shrank suddenly.
Is my acting that bad? No, I haven't even started acting yet!
Neptune and Otohime also looked pale.
"Well, forget it,"
While their hearts were pounding with tension, Roa suddenly broke into a smile. "It doesn't matter. I don't care."
"Not caring is good, not caring is good."
Gaban let out a long sigh of relief. Roa's pressure on him was too immense.
He didn't care about his own life, but if Roa were truly angered, with his terrifying ability, destroying Fish-Man Island would take just a flip of his hand!
"I'll be direct."
Roa said candidly. "I have two purposes for coming here. First, I need a Fish-Man army. The war with the World Government will be long, and having a deep-sea force will be much more convenient."
"What?"
Just the first purpose was enough to make Neptune's face change drastically.
Then.
"Second,"
Roa looked towards a certain spot in the palace, his gaze seemingly passing through the heavy walls to the princess hidden in the deepest part of the royal palace.
"Hand Shirahoshi over to me."
"..."
Cold sweat instantly seeped out of Gaban's forehead.
He really came for Shirahoshi!
"No! Absolutely not!"
Neptune gnashed his teeth and spoke. "Shirahoshi is my daughter! How can I hand her over to you!"
"Hmm?"
Roa looked at him in surprise. "Did you misunderstand something, Neptune? I wasn't asking for your opinion."
"Wait, Roa!"
Gaban quickly intervened. "Shirahoshi is just an ordinary mermaid princess. Capturing her serves no purpose for you!"
Hearing this, Roa's gaze shifted back to Gaban. He smiled. "Oh, so that's what you were trying to deceive me about? Gaban, you already know that Shirahoshi is Poseidon, the Sea King?"
Already?
Gaban's composure nearly cracked instantly.
He knows!
How could he know!
Shirahoshi's ability only just awakened today!
"Did you get something wrong, Roa?"
Gaban tried one last time. "How could Shirahoshi be—"
"There it goes again!"
Roa cut him off directly. "I already said that being too entangled looks bad!"
Outside the giant bubble, one huge Sea King after another gathered. They practically surrounded the entire Ryugu Palace.
Sea Kings!
Gaban's heart skipped a beat.
He didn't just kill a few Sea Kings on the way, did he?
Did these Sea Kings actively gather to stop Roa?
I see! The abnormal reaction of the Sea Kings actually alerted Roa?
Gaban was cursing inwardly. You wanted to protect your King, but you ended up doing more harm than good!
"Get lost, all of you!"
Roa swore irritably. "If you interfere again, I'll slaughter your King!"
Visibly, the previously eager Sea Kings instantly became fearful and retreated backward.
"..."
Gaban's pupils narrowed.
What did he just see?
Roa was communicating with the Sea Kings?
"Well,"
Noticing Gaban's shock, Roa smiled. "The ability to hear the Voice of All Things—even Roger didn't reach my level, did he?"
Sure enough, this monster has completely surpassed Roger's level from back then during these twenty-five years!
This is bad!
What should I do now?
Should I fight?
But if I fight, Fish-Man Island—
Should I give up resisting?
Allow Shirahoshi to fall into Roa's hands?
Roa clearly saw Gaban's painful struggle. He chuckled softly. "Your struggle is meaningless, Mr. Gaban. After all, you can't decide anything."
"Enel."
"Yes, Boss!"
Enel's body instantly turned into lightning and shot straight into Ryugu Palace.
At that moment, Gaban's body moved instinctively, wanting to stop Enel. He knew this lightning man was heading for Shirahoshi.
But.
A black shadow flashed forward.
Clang!
With a loud noise, a violent gust of wind blew Queen Otohime flying. Neptune quickly embraced his delicate wife.
"You..."
Gaban, who stumbled back a few steps, looked at the man who had repelled him with a single strike, his eyes filled with disbelief.
"Your era ended long ago."
King stood calmly with his blade. "Scopper Gaban, don't get in the way."
Has the kid who followed Roa back then already surpassed me?
Gaban secretly gritted his teeth.
This is it. We're finished!
"Roa-sama!!"
At this point, Neptune bowed repeatedly to Roa, almost begging. "Please spare Shirahoshi! She is just a child! Moreover, your power is already so astonishing. The strength of our Fish-Man Island is insignificant and cannot help you! Please show mercy! Have you forgotten? I even treated you to a meal!"
"Hmm, indeed,"
Roa nodded in agreement again. "I was quite satisfied with that meal in Ryugu Palace back then."
A sliver of hope appeared in Neptune's eyes.
"People say a drop of kindness should be repaid with a gushing spring. How about this,"
Roa smiled. "I'll treat Shirahoshi to a meal every day from now on, a feast. The Fish-Man army's food will also be plentiful. Are you satisfied now?"
"..."
Neptune's face was rigid.
He finally realized what kind of person Roa truly was.
Unwillingness and fear brewed within his heart.
Then, it transformed into rage.
If he couldn't even protect his own people and his own daughter, what kind of King was he?
"Roa!!"
Neptune roared, gritting his teeth. "Don't go too far! If all else fails, we will destroy the bubble surrounding Fish-Man Island! We'll let this country be completely enveloped by seawater! We'll bury you in the deep sea!"
"Neptune!!"
Gaban turned back in shock.
Is it now?
Is this the exact moment Shirley foresaw in her prediction?
"Is that so?"
Roa smiled. "Then let me see how the deep sea devours me."
Sharp horns twisted and grew from his head.
Accompanied by a snap of his fingers.
Boom!!
Below, the seawater outside the gigantic bubble surrounding Fish-Man Island suddenly began to riot.
A massive whirlpool current suddenly formed, directly penetrating the huge bubble surrounding Fish-Man Island and rushing into the island's interior.
Then, heaven-shaking giant waves began to crush down on the entire Fish-Man Island.
Although Fish-Men and merfolk can survive in the deep sea, they were just as tiny as dust when faced with monumental waves surging from all directions.
Calamity Has Arrived!
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