Fish-Man Island, Ryugu Palace, Main Banquet Hall.
After the chaos of Vander Decken IX's "trash buffet" incident and Princess Shirahoshi's ear-shattering cries of gratitude, the great hall had finally, under King Neptune's "maximum efficiency" orders, returned to its proper luxury and calm.
The floor shone spotless. Fine incense and the sweet aroma of desserts filled the air once again.
Five, now six, with Princess Shirahoshi joining, beautiful mermaid guides softly sang ancient soothing ballads.
A floating sofa sat in the center of the hall.
Renzo lay wrapped in a sea-rabbit fur blanket, half-asleep, enjoying this rare "divine nap."
Monet knelt beside him, holding a silver fork, ready at any moment to offer freshly cut Deep-Sea Pearl Jelly.
At another table nearby, Kizaru leisurely drank bubble cocoa milk, enjoying the mermaid song and dance while chatting lazily with a nervous King Neptune beside him.
"My my King Neptune~."
Kizaru held his cup. "The desserts on your Fish-Man Island are truly incredible~. I'm starting to understand that old hag's feelings."
"Ah… hahaha… Admiral, you flatter us," Neptune replied awkwardly, wiping sweat.
He now looked at these two Admirals as if they were two active volcanoes that could erupt at any moment.
Especially that Haiiroyo lying down asleep; he still hadn't figured out whether this lord's protection was the beginning of salvation or the prelude to another kind of disaster.
Everything seemed so peaceful, so decadent.
However, this perfect picture of vacation was torn apart by a sudden, urgent flash of lightning!
ZZZAP!!!!!
A piercing thunderclap exploded!
BOOM!!
The huge, newly repaired coral door of the banquet hall was... once again... smashed open!
A round, gray figure, wreathed in arcs of electricity, shot in like a bolt, leaving a long, scorched black trail on the polished floor.
Finally, with a THUD, in an extremely standard prostrating pose, he slammed heavily to the ground before Renzo's floating sofa.
"LORD RENZO!!!"
Rehn's roar, filled with extreme anger and a sense of being offended, resounded throughout the entire Ryugu Palace!
This sudden loud noise cut the singing short.
Princess Shirahoshi was so startled she let out a "Waa" and shrank back into her bubble.
Kizaru spilled cocoa milk all over the table from the cup he was holding.
King Neptune's trident clattered to the floor with a "clang."
And Renzo...
His face, utterly relaxed from enjoyment, instantly darkened.
"Rehn."
An icy voice, devoid of any emotion, came from the sofa.
"What... are you doing?"
"This subordinate deserves death!!"
Rehn snapped his head up. His fat face was now flushed the color of liver due to anger, his small eyes bloodshot and filled with killing intent!
He ignored Renzo's waking irritation, because what he was about to report was ten thousand times more serious.
"Lord Renzo!"
His voice trembled, not from fear, but fury.
"Following your instructions, I inspected the Mermaid Café using my 'Divine Observation'… and discovered four sneaking bastards!"
"They… they… they dared…"
He shook so hard he could barely speak.
"They were plotting to kidnap several mermaids and smuggle them back to Sabaody… as tribute… to the Celestial Dragons!!!"
BOOM!!!
The words Celestial Dragons struck King Neptune and the princes like lightning.
"W-What?!"
Neptune leapt to his feet, his face draining of all color.
'Celestial Dragons?!'
'Kidnap mermaids?!'
The memory of Queen Otohime's death, the tragedy ten years ago, countless shadows flooded his mind.
"How dare they… how dare they!"
Within the hall, all the fish-man and mermaid guards, upon hearing that word, also revealed expressions mixed with fear, hatred, and anger!
"Maa~."
The smile finally vanished from Kizaru's face.
Kizaru's smile finally faded. Behind his glasses flashed a trace of caution.
"Celestial Dragons… that's quite the hornet's nest you've uncovered~."
Everyone was shaken.
Celestial Dragons!
Celestial Dragons, the world's "gods."
Descendants of the creators.
Beings before whom even a Marine Admiral must kneel!
Not to mention kidnapping a few mermaids, even if they sank Fish-Man Island, Neptune wouldn't have the right to resist.
For a moment, the entire hall fell into a despair even more absolute than during Vander Decken's explosion!
Everyone's gaze involuntarily turned to the one man... who was still "sitting."
The admiral who had just declared he would protect Fish-Man Island, Haiiroyo.
They wanted to see how this monster, who challenged Yonkos, would react to the true rulers of the world.
However, Renzo's reaction left everyone... petrified once more.
Renzo's reaction…
…froze everyone again.
"Oh."
He responded casually.
He didn't even sit up.
He merely shifted to a more comfortable position and extended a hand toward Monet, who stood trembling.
She quickly placed a seashell mille-feuille at his lips.
Crunch.
Renzo took a leisurely bite, the crispy pastry and sweet cream mixing in his mouth.
He chewed calmly and asked in a tone as casual as discussing the weather:
"Rehn."
"At your service, Lord Renzo!"
"Those four pieces of trash…"
"…handled yet?"
"Eh?" Rehn was taken aback. "Report! No! The moment they mentioned Celestial Dragons, I realized the severity and didn't act without permission. I only electrocuted and tied them outside!"
"Oh?" Renzo sounded mildly displeased.
"You didn't kill them?"
"I… didn't dare act without orders…"
Rehn's voice trailed off.
"L-Lord Renzo!!"
Neptune suddenly found his voice and collapsed to his knees, crying.
"You mustn't! They are Celestial Dragon agents!"
"If you kill them… Mary Geoise… the Five Elders… they will send a Buster Call! Fish-Man Island will be destroyed!"
He begged desperately.
He would rather be extorted for a hundred thousand tons of desserts than have Renzo provoke the Celestial Dragons.
That wasn't protection.
That was dragging the entire island to its grave.
Renzo frowned at the noise and finally sat upright.
He didn't look at Neptune.
He looked at Kizaru.
"Kizaru."
"I'm here~."
Kizaru shrugged.
"Renzo-kun, I should remind you. Neptune isn't joking. Even we cannot casually challenge the Celestial Dragons' authority~."
Renzo interrupted calmly.
"I'm asking you, at Sabaody Archipelago, Grove 1… that slave auction house…"
"Is it still operating?"
"Huh?" Kizaru blinked.
"I remember," Renzo said, "their signature item… is mermaids, isn't it?"
"…Maa~, yes… that's correct."
Kizaru's expression turned strange.
Renzo chuckled coldly.
"How interesting."
"A bunch of useless creatures living atop the Red Line who even need bubbles to breathe…"
"They run auctions and pay high prices to buy my tour guides."
"And now they send people into my territory… to steal my desserts?"
He stood up. His gray justice coat fluttered without wind.
A far heavier, more oppressive gray aura than Rehn's lightning filled the hall.
"Neptune."
"Y-Yes!"
"You're noisy."
Neptune fell silent instantly.
"Rehn."
"At your command, Lord Renzo!!"
Renzo spoke coldly, like a final verdict:
"Those four pieces of trash…"
"Execute them all."
Neptune's eyes widened in absolute terror.
"And the bodies…"
Renzo's expression showed deep irritation.
"Throw them back to Sabaody."
"Hang them at the entrance of the Grove 1 auction house."
"Make sure everyone sees clearly."
He paused, then added in a cold voice that echoed through the hall:
"Tell those 'gods'…"
"My vacation… has been ruined."
.......
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