BANG! BANG! BANG!
"Ah! Damn lowlifes! I want you all to… WAH!", A series of gunshots, along with Rosward's screams, suddenly rang out within the palace.
At this moment, the entire palace fell into silence.
Even Neptune and Qope tacitly stopped their fight and looked in Rosward's direction.
Only to see Rosward had already been shot at least dozens of times, lying in a pool of blood.
And beside him, were five Ammo Knights aiming their guns at him.
The situation was already very clear, Rosward's death was the work of the Ammo Knights.
"NEPTUNE, ARE YOU INSANE?", Qope's eyes suddenly widened, yelling in shocked fury.
Even if they were too much. He still never imagined Neptune would dare to kill a Celestial Dragon.
"Who exactly is insane?", Neptune gritted his teeth, his eyes also filled with fury.
He had never given the order to kill Rosward, even if things escalated, he still wouldn't dare kill a Celestial Dragon on the spot.
But this act was carried out by the Ammo Knights, and it was for the sake of defending him and Ryugu Kingdom. He couldn't possibly throw his own men under the bus.
If he really did that, the hearts of the people of Fish-Man Island would scatter.
"Fish-Man Island, I guess you all don't want to live anymore. Just wait for the Buster Call to flatten you!"
Qope quickly flashed to Rosward's side, and after confirming Rosward no longer had a pulse, the terror on his face was impossible to conceal.
Rosward was dead, not just Fish-Man Island would be buried with him, he himself would die too.
"Rosward was not killed by me," Neptune quickly reacted, hurriedly shouting, "All personnel heed my command, capture all enemies on sight. Kill without mercy!"
Now if this matter was to be resolved, Rosward's death had to be labeled as an accident.
And to achieve that, the first step was to eliminate Qope and the others completely.
"Damn it, you really are insane," Qope also realized Neptune's goal. While cursing nonstop, his body didn't slow, rushing to escape.
But by this time, it was already too late.
Neptune's massive figure had already blocked his path.
In terms of strength, Neptune was far superior.
And Ryugu Kingdom was his home field.
Thud!
The gates of Ryugu Kingdom closed, this chaos was entering its second act.
———
[Fish-Man District]
"What? Not only did Neptune kill Rosward, but he's also planning to kill all CP0 and the female mermaids who participated in the queen selection?", Rosse exclaimed in surprise.
Beside him, Otohime's willow-like brows slightly furrowed.
'This isn't according to their plan. Why would Neptune turn out like this, is he really that deranged?'
"What happened at Ryugu Kingdom?", Jinbe, who had just returned, heard Rosse's voice and trembled all over.
Rosward. He'd heard that name too, that Celestial Dragon who had come to Fish-Man Island two days ago.
"Jinbe, I need to borrow the strength of the Fish-Man District," Rosse took a deep breath, his whole being filled with seriousness, "Celestial Dragon Rosward was killed, on Neptune's orders. And now, he wants to kill CP0 and everyone who knows the truth, to cover it up."
"Impossible, why would King Neptune do that?", Jinbe's small round eyes widened, unable to believe such a thing happened.
He knew today was the queen consort selection day, but he never thought Neptune would kill all the female mermaids who participated.
"Current situation is still unclear. We only know Rosward demanded the new queen consort from Neptune, and then conflict broke out, resulting in Rosward's death," Rosse said calmly.
"This Rosward…", Otohime's face revealed a strange look. She finally understood why Neptune had gone mad.
Two queen consorts snatched in a row, no wonder. If it had been her, she'd probably have gone crazy too.
And adding in the fact that among the Ammo Knights, there were people who had been influenced by her special power, such a result wasn't surprising.
But…
"Saint Rosse, please help save those innocent people," Otohime bowed slightly, her tone filled with seriousness.
Those female mermaids participating in the selection weren't even part of their plan. Now that they were implicated, Otohime felt some responsibility. [T/N: Tf?]
"I'll handle this matter properly," Rosse gave Otohime a reassuring look, his eyes turning serious as he looked at Jinbe, "The World Government currently doesn't have enough personnel on Fish-Man Island. Jinbe, I'll give you an opportunity, bring your men, and come with me to Ryugu Kingdom."
"Afterwards, I'll grant you the status of CP0. Anyone who follows, if they want to become Marines, they can. If they want to join the World Government, that's fine too. They can also join the Sea God Army on New Fish-Man Island."
Things were still going according to script. Rosse was just surprised by Neptune's cooperation, but didn't actually feel any urgency.
Saying this to Jinbe was simply to push the flow, getting Jinbe and the fishmen involved.
If they dared join in capturing Neptune, there would be no turning back.
Such fishmen, no matter their intentions, could be trusted in the short term.
"I'll gather my men now! How many can I bring?", Jinbe also realized the gravity of the situation. A Celestial Dragon had died on Fish-Man Island. If this wasn't handled properly, the whole island was doomed.
Even though they already had another Celestial Dragon's protection and wouldn't be implicated, still, Fish-Man Island was their home.
"The more the better, you have five minutes."
"No problem!", Jinbe decisively agreed and hurried off to gather men.
"Will this cause an even bigger riot?", Otohime felt a little uneasy. The plan had been hers, but now there were unexpected variables. As a first-timer, she was still a little nervous.
"It's no problem. As long as I'm on Fish-Man Island, this place won't fall into chaos," Rosse pulled Otohime into his arms, his face still calm.
To him, this really wasn't a big deal. Worst case scenario, thousands of female mermaids might be implicated, and their rescue might be a bit late.
But with Qope and the others' strength, they should be able to hold out a bit longer.
Even if Neptune wanted to execute those mermaids to cover the truth, it wouldn't happen that quickly.
"Can we contact Neptune in advance?", Otohime pressed her lips together, her expression filled with plea.
She was actually very clever. If they contacted Neptune now, regardless of the result, the innocent mermaids might live.
But she also worried it would affect their plan, which is why she asked.
"If it affects the plan, would you still insist?", Rosse didn't answer. He just returned the question.
Otohime gently bit her shell-like teeth, hesitated slightly, but finally sighed and said, "I will seek justice for those innocent people."
These words were, in fact, her decision, to give up on saving those female mermaids. All for the sake of saving even more people.
"Since you have this resolve, let's depart first. No need for a Den Den Mushi call. Just the two of us, let's go," Rosse smiled at the corner of his lips.
Now that Otohime had given him the answer he wanted, how could he bear to disappoint her?
Hearing that, Otohime looked at Rosse in great surprise.
With almost no hesitation, she hugged Rosse tightly and said with solemn sincerity, "Thank you, Saint Rosse!"
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