Chapter 171: Speedrunning Fish-Man Island
"Muchi!"
The other officers cried out, their eyes turning red. They were not just Hody's subordinates, but also childhood friends who had grown up together.
"Get him! Kill him!"
"Avenge Muchi!"
The officers charged forward.
Only Hody Jones didn't move. He stood his ground, coldly watching Jack.
"Eat my hammer, Dosun!"
A Fish-Man named Dosun charged from the left, swinging a massive, horned iron hammer.
Jack took half a step back, precisely dodging the hammer, and then, with a casual grab, he caught his wrist and gave it a gentle twist.
CRACK!
The sound of breaking bone was clearly audible. Dosun had just let out a scream, snot and tears streaming down his face, when Jack snatched the large iron hammer from him and slammed him into the ground, turning him into a pulp.
Then, Jack grabbed Daruma, who had jumped onto his shoulder and was biting him, with one hand, and with the other, he grabbed Zeo, who had turned invisible and was sneaking up behind him.
After slamming the two of them together and knocking them out, he threw them at the number one swordsman of Fish-Man Island, Hyouzou, who was charging at him.
A flash of a blade, and the two unconscious officers were instantly sliced in two.
"Oh my," Hyouzou was taken aback for a moment, a troubled look on his drunken face. "This is really…"
Before he could finish his sentence, Jack's right hand had already clamped down on his neck and snapped it.
In just a few seconds, all the officers of the New Fish-Man Pirates were corpses on the ground.
Only then did Jack turn his gaze to Hody Jones.
"Clap, clap, clap!"
Hody actually started to applaud, a wide smile on his face, as if the dead on the ground were just strangers. "You're good! Very good! Your strength is almost on par with that old geezer, Jinbe! That's what a Fish-Man should be!"
"If a monster like you were to join us, the fame of the New Fish-Man Pirates would spread far and wide even faster! Hey, big guy! Want to join my crew?"
Jack didn't answer. He just looked at him as if he were an idiot.
"So arrogant. It seems I'll have to beat some sense into you first," Hody said, unconcerned, and grinned. "Even in my normal state, I probably can't do much to you. But…"
He took out a few Energy Steroids, ES, and, after eating one, he hesitated for a moment and then stuffed the rest of them into his mouth, sneering. "—now, I'm invincible!!!"
Hody's body instantly swelled, his muscles bulging, his veins popping, his eyes bloodshot, and he exuded a violent aura, like a monster!
BOOM!
He stomped the ground and, with a terrifying speed, he charged at Jack, his fist aimed at his chest!
However…
Slap.
Jack caught his fist with just one hand, his entire body still standing as solid as a rock.
"What?!"
Hody's pupils constricted.
"Is that all you've got…"
Jack looked down at him. "Honestly, you got my hopes up… you've taken all those drugs, and you're still this weak?"
"You!" Hody roared, and he threw another punch!
Jack caught it with one hand again, and then, with a sudden burst of strength—
"CRACK!"
Hody's wrists were instantly crushed!
"AAAAAAAAAH!!!" Hody let out a piercing scream, but before he could react, Jack's knee had already slammed into his stomach!
THUMP!
Hody's body instantly doubled over like a shrimp, and he coughed up a mouthful of blood, flying backward and crashing into the wall!
"Cough… cough, cough…"
Hody struggled to his feet, a look of fear finally in his eyes. "Impossible… one Energy Steroid doubles my strength, and two doubles it again! I just swallowed four of them…"
"Impossible!"
Hody shook his head wildly and, from his coat, he pulled out another handful of Energy Steroids and stuffed them all into his mouth. "It's not enough! I have to be stronger… stronger!!!"
His body swelled again, and his long black hair suddenly turned white. Blood even began to seep from the corners of his eyes, and he looked like a savage demon.
"DIE!!!"
Hody roared and charged again, his aura even more terrifying, a violent shockwave in his wake.
However—
Jack just sidestepped, easily dodging his attack, and then, with a backhand chop, his hand coated in a dark Haki, he struck Hody on the back of the neck!
"Thump!"
Hody's body instantly went rigid, his eyes bulging, and then he collapsed to the ground like a limp rag, completely unconscious.
"..."
Jack looked down at the unconscious Hody and shook his head.
"A clown."
It had been even easier than he had thought. This guy, even after taking all those drugs, was still at this level. If he hadn't taken them, he probably wouldn't have even been a match for the Supernovas he had met in Sabaody.
He raised his foot, about to crush Hody's head, when his gaze was suddenly drawn to a thick book beside him.
It seemed to have fallen from Hody's body. Jack picked it up and casually flipped through it.
A diary?
A villain, and he has a habit like this?
The beginning was just a bunch of crazed ramblings, about ruling the world and killing all the other races.
Jack frowned as he read, but as he flipped to the back, his gaze was suddenly drawn to something, and his expression changed.
He immediately took out his Transponder Snail, but before he could dial, the Transponder Snail that belonged to Hody, which was beside the sofa, began to ring.
Purupurupuru—
Jack thought for a moment and then answered, but he didn't speak.
"Hey, Hody, my man!" a greasy, creepy voice came from the other end. "It's me, Decken! It's been a while! I was just wondering, when are you going to start your plan to overthrow the Neptune Army?"
An accomplice?
Jack raised an eyebrow and turned to look at the Transponder Snail.
…
…
About an hour later, Shane entered the Fish-Man District. Behind him were King Neptune and the Royal Guard, led by the three princes.
Jack was already waiting at the warehouse entrance. When he saw Shane, his eyes lit up, and he went to meet him.
And so, the residents of the Fish-Man District were stunned to see…
The big guy who had just easily wiped out the New Fish-Man Pirates was now standing before the black-haired young man, his head bowed, answering every question with the utmost respect.
"So, you've taken care of all of Hody's officers, not a single one left?"
"Yes, boss."
"And you found his diary, which contains the truth about Queen Otohime's assassination?"
"Yes."
"And you also contacted his accomplice, Vander Decken, and arranged a meeting?"
"Mmm, but that guy is very cautious. He's not willing to enter Fish-Man Island. He's set the meeting place somewhere outside the island. I've already marked it on the sea chart."
"Whoa, not bad, Jack!"
Shane slapped him on the arm. "Your first solo mission, and you did such a great job!"
Finally getting praise from Boss Shane, Jack scratched his head and grinned, all traces of the intimidating presence from before gone.
This kid…
The more Shane looked at him, the more satisfied he was. You really can't judge a book by its cover. Jack may be straightforward, but his mind was actually quite sharp.
After all this time with him, seeing the world, he had, just like Kuina, gradually grown into an officer who could stand on his own.
As for his tendency to lose his head in a fight and just charge in…
That probably couldn't be helped.
…
And on the other side, Neptune, who had also been following, had now finished reading the diary that Jack had given him.
"So… so that's how it was…"
Neptune's hands were trembling, his voice low and shaky. "Otohime's death… it was all because of this bastard…"
Hody seemed to be very proud of the perfect execution of his plan back then, and he had written down the entire process in his diary in great detail.
Not only had he planned the assassination and stolen the treasure from the Tamatebako, but he had also deliberately framed a human to incite the Fish-Man Island residents' animosity toward humans.
All of Queen Otohime's years of hard work had been for nothing.
Even though Neptune and the three princes had inherited the queen's will and had been speaking out on Fish-Man Island for years, the hatred of the island's residents toward humans was still very strong.
Otohime…
Neptune took a deep breath, forcing down the grief and anger in his heart. He turned to the three princes and said in a low voice, "Wake Hody up."
The three princes were already seething with rage. They immediately went forward.
The eldest prince, Fukaboshi, grabbed the unconscious Hody, and the other two princes each punched him in the chest.
"Cough… cough, cough!"
The searing pain in his chest made Hody cough violently, and he slowly opened his eyes.
When he saw Neptune and the three princes standing before him, his pupils constricted, but then a savage grin appeared on his face. "Heh… isn't it our 'Sea God' King? What brings you out of the Ryugu Palace today, and to my territory?"
Neptune stared at him coldly. "Hody Jones, do you admit that you planned the assassination of Otohime?"
"It seems you know a lot… at this point, even if I don't admit it, you probably wouldn't believe me, would you?"
Hody licked the blood from the corner of his mouth and sneered. "It was me! So what if I killed her?! That crazy woman, going on about 'letting everyone see the real sun again' and 'living in peace with humans,' she was a disgrace to the Fish-Men and the Merfolk! By killing her, I was just carrying out heaven's will!"
"You bastard!"
"How dare you insult our mother!"
The third prince, Manboshi, roared and, with all his might, he punched him to the ground.
"That tickles!"
Hody fell to the ground, but he just laughed even more wildly. "What? You hate me so much, but that's all the strength you can muster? As expected, you weak royal family are not fit to rule Fish-Man Island! Only a powerhouse like me can lead the Fish-Man race to conquer the world!"
You're a powerhouse now?
You're really putting on an act, aren't you?
Jack, watching from a distance, couldn't take it anymore. He said indignantly, "That guy's smile is so disgusting. I should have just killed him on the spot."
"Then we wouldn't have been able to confront him in person. We're outsiders. A diary alone wouldn't have been enough to completely convince Neptune and the others,"
Shane said, shaking his head. Ever since Queen Otohime's death, the situation on Fish-Man Island had been very complicated. As a human, he couldn't have even attacked them before Hody's official rebellion.
Luckily, Jack was a Fish-Man and didn't have as many scruples. He had stumbled upon them and had even found important evidence in Hody's lair…
Things had suddenly become much simpler.
In that sense, Jack was a real lucky charm.
…
Neptune closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, his gaze was calm. "Hody Jones, you have committed the crimes of regicide, inciting rebellion, and colluding with a foreign enemy. In the name of the king of the Ryugu Kingdom, I sentence you to death, to be carried out immediately."
Hody's face changed, but then he laughed wildly. "Hahaha! Come on! Kill me! My will has already spread throughout the Fish-Man District! As long as my comrades are still oppressed and bullied by humans, and have to eke out a miserable existence in this sunless place, there will be countless others who will inherit my will! You will never be able to—"
Before he could finish his sentence, the eldest prince, Fukaboshi, had already drawn his trident and, without hesitation, had pierced Hody's heart.
Hody's eyes widened, and blood poured from his mouth. He collapsed to the ground, lifeless.
This scene, in Shane's eyes, was a little surprising.
He had thought that Neptune's handling of the matter would be like in the original manga, and that at most, Hody would be thrown in prison for life.
But he had been so decisive.
Of course.
In his youth, Neptune had also been known for his fiery, impulsive nature, the "Great Knight" who had drunk with Whitebeard.
It was only after he had married Otohime that he had been influenced by his wife's gentle and kind nature and had gradually mellowed.
The Neptune of today had not yet completely become the burdened, crisis-ridden old man of six years later.
Hody's lack of remorse for the assassination, and his open insults to Otohime, had undoubtedly touched a raw nerve.
"..."
Neptune looked at Hody's corpse, silent for a long time, and then he let out a long sigh. He turned and bowed deeply to Shane. "Lord Shane, thank you and your subordinate for revealing the truth and allowing Otohime… to finally rest in peace."
The three princes, who were standing behind him, their eyes full of tears, also kneeled on one knee before Shane.
Shane quickly helped them up. "It was nothing. If you want to thank someone, thank Jack. Also, about Vander Decken…"
Neptune's gaze grew cold, and he said in a low voice, "That villain who has been threatening Shirahoshi, I will not let him go either. Since he has taken the bait, I will personally lead the troops to completely eradicate him!"
Shane nodded. "Jack, you go with them, just in case."
"Yes, boss!"
…
If Hody Jones, with the help of the Energy Steroids, had at least some strength, then Vander Decken had none at all and was just an annoying pervert who relied on his Mark-Mark Fruit.
With his location locked down and an ambush in place, he had no chance of fighting back.
Shane had only just returned to the Ryugu Palace when Neptune and Jack also returned.
The three princes had specially taken the trussed-up Vander Decken and had beaten him to a pulp in front of the Hard-Shell Tower, making him wail and beg for mercy before Shirahoshi, and then they had taken him to the prison.
Was this to help their sister overcome her years of fear and trauma?
Shane watched, amused, and in full agreement. If Nami and Nojiko had had a similar experience, he would have done the same.
"Lord Shane, not only did you reveal the truth about Otohime's murder, but you also completely dealt with the menace of Vander Decken. These are two great kindnesses, and the Ryugu Kingdom will never forget them."
Neptune once again, with the three princes, expressed his gratitude to Shane and strongly requested to host another banquet of the highest standard tonight, to entertain the entire Curtain Call crew.
This kind of enthusiasm was really hard to refuse.
And thinking that his two sisters had never been to the Ryugu Palace, and that perhaps they could even become friends with Shirahoshi, Shane agreed.
The eldest prince, Fukaboshi, with his two younger brothers, personally went to various parts of Fish-Man Island to welcome the crew. Soon, Kuina, Smoker, Zeff, and the others had all arrived at the Ryugu Palace.
Nami and Robin were the last to arrive. The latter's archaeological journey seemed to have been very fruitful, and there was a small smile on her lips, and she was in a good mood. But Nami's eyes were a little dazed, like a puppet.
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