Savage roars rose one after another. The deep sea churned violently, and Fish-Man Island shook without pause.
The sudden upheaval stunned everyone.
The seawater surged. The island trembled.
"What is happening?" Otohime's face changed drastically. A bad feeling welled up inside her.
"Waaah… Mama, I'm scared!" Three-year-old Shirahoshi burst into tears, shrinking behind Otohime with her clear blue eyes already wet.
"Don't be afraid. Mother will protect you," Otohime said softly, taking Shirahoshi's hand and soothing her with all the warmth she could muster.
"This pressure is identical to the Sea Kings we ran into earlier—only on a far larger scale. A beast tide this size doesn't happen naturally. The one behind all this has finally made a move." Ren Kuro's mind sharpened, and he quickly reached the conclusion.
"Queen Otohime, for safety's sake, please stay here with Princess Shirahoshi. My companions and I will handle this crisis." Ren Kuro gave Shirahoshi a long look before hurrying away with Yachiru.
He understood perfectly well that a berserk swarm like this would never appear for no reason.
This was almost certainly a plot aimed at Poseidon.
Fish-Man District
"It's too terrifying… the whole sea has gone mad!"
"What's happening? Has disaster struck?"
"Run! Hurry!"
Across every corner of Fish-Man Island, fish-men and merfolk panicked and fled in all directions. The sudden catastrophe made them think a natural calamity had descended.
And yet—
where could they run?
When some fish-men reached the guiding harbor and tried to flee the island, what they saw beyond the membrane made their eyes nearly burst from their sockets.
"I… I'm not seeing things, am I?!"
They looked up in uncontrollable horror, their throats locking shut.
Outside the membrane—
there were hundreds of colossal Sea Kings.
They ringed Fish-Man Island so densely that the island seemed completely sealed off.
Every last one of them stared with bloodshot crimson eyes. Their rows of jagged teeth looked capable of ripping apart anything in existence. Rage and bloodlust rolled off them in waves, and their gaze was fixed on the harbor and the fish-men below.
At that instant, everyone felt the same illusion—
as though death itself were staring back at them.
Even with the double membrane between them, the violent aura given off by the Sea Kings pierced into their bodies like icy needles. The terror reached straight into the soul and would never leave their nightmares.
The fish-men, long accustomed to life in the deep sea, could barely keep themselves together.
The passing pirates and merchants were not so fortunate.
Many of them collapsed on trembling legs, never having witnessed anything this terrifying.
At the highest point of Ryugu Palace
King Neptune stared at the membrane outside in disbelief, speaking in a low voice as if trying to convince himself.
"What exactly is going on? For all these years, the Sea Kings of the deep have always coexisted peacefully with Fish-Man Island. They've never once launched an attack on it…"
Then his expression shifted.
"Could it be… because of that?"
A heavy unease settled over him. Faced with a swarm this enormous, Fish-Man Island was facing a crisis unlike anything in its history.
If the Sea Kings tore through the membrane—
Fish-Man Island would sink.
"I already told you. This is because of the E.S. drug. The one behind all this is likely trying to lure out Poseidon!" Ren Kuro's voice sounded from behind him.
"You… you know about Poseidon?" Neptune's pupils shrank.
"If I'm not mistaken, the power sleeping inside Princess Shirahoshi hasn't awakened yet, has it?" As Ren Kuro passed by him, he lowered his voice deliberately.
Neptune stared at him for a long moment.
Then, after a long silence, he gave a heavy nod.
"In that case, doesn't that make the truth obvious?" Ren Kuro snapped his fingers and smiled coldly. "They used the E.S. drug to trigger the Sea Kings' rampage, then drove them toward Fish-Man Island. In the chaos, they intend to expose Poseidon—and then seize her."
He looked up, his gaze passing over one colossal Sea King after another.
"Their real goal is to obtain that power—the power that could destroy the world."
"Damn it… who is behind this?" Neptune gritted out through clenched teeth.
"I can't say for certain," Ren Kuro said evenly, "but this almost certainly has something to do with the World Government. The only thing that could truly threaten their rule is one of the Ancient Weapons."
"The World Government…" Neptune's expression darkened. "Ever since Otohime began promoting the 'Ten Thousand Signatures Petition,' perhaps the World Government—and the Celestial Dragons—have seen Fish-Man Island as a thorn in their side."
He let out a weak sigh.
"To think Fish-Man Island would face such a disaster…"
He could not stop this catastrophe.
"Don't worry too much. Even if I have no special ties to Fish-Man Island, I won't stand by and do nothing for Tiger's sake."
Ren Kuro's lips lifted slightly.
"Since the one behind this intends to use the crisis to force out Shirahoshi's sleeping power, I have no intention of letting them succeed."
"King Neptune."
"Wait here."
"This crisis will end soon."
The instant those words fell, Ren Kuro's figure vanished.
A moment later, he and his companions appeared at the very edge of Fish-Man Island.
At the island's outer boundary
"Well now… if all those big fellows ram into us at once, the whole island's going to be flooded," Gin said, smiling as though he were merely commenting on the weather despite the countless blood-red eyes fixed on them.
"To avoid any accidents, we have to act now." Byakuya drew his Zanpakutō, his expression as cold as ever.
"I can freeze the sea around us. Leave the rest to you." Hitsugaya lifted his head, his tone calm but resolute.
"Hah! Let me crush these beasts to dust with my Reiatsu!" Kenpachi roared in excitement.
Ren Kuro appeared, looked once over the companions at his side, and gave the order.
"Everyone—move."
"Wipe them out."
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