Chapter 281: Blood at Gyoncorde! The Princes' Defeat and the Pirate Ship from the Heavens
Gyoncorde Plaza.
This vast plaza, which had witnessed countless historical ups and downs of Fish-Man Island, was now occupied by an army of one hundred thousand from the New Fish-Man Pirates, secretly assembled by Hody Jones.
Looking across, the plaza was densely packed with hideous rebels wielding sharp blades, resembling a black ocean surging with endless killing intent.
In the very center of the plaza, atop the towering execution platform, the unconscious Luffy was being held tightly to a massive crucifix by heavy, cold Sea Stone chains.
Several Den Den Mushis were distributed around the plaza, capturing this shocking scene.
Through their signals, the image was broadcast continuously to the entire Fish-Man Island and even to various parts of the world.
Just as Hody, brandishing his trident, was preparing to flaunt his power before his army of one hundred thousand...
...the sound of rushing water suddenly echoed from the waterways surrounding the plaza.
The three princes of Fish-Man Island—Prince Fukaboshi, Prince Ryuboshi, and Prince Manboshi—acting on the urgent orders of their father, King Neptune, arrived in haste with ten thousand fully armed elites of the Neptune Army, intending to rescue Straw Hat Luffy before the execution.
However, when the three princes burst from the waterways and saw the boundless rebel formation that looked like a black sea, an uncontrollable tremor of fear surged in their hearts.
They never imagined that Hody Jones's power had grown to such an extent.
To think that so many compatriots, blinded by hatred, had abandoned the royal family to join the ranks of these extremists!
Seeing the absolute numerical disparity of ten to one, the second prince, Prince Ryuboshi, and the third prince, Prince Manboshi, gritted their teeth as large beads of cold sweat rolled down their foreheads.
They turned their heads and suggested to their eldest brother with trembling voices:
"Brother! There are just too many enemies!"
"Charging in like this is suicide. We should wait for Father's main reinforcements!"
But the eldest prince, Prince Fukaboshi, suddenly gripped his heavy golden trident tightly.
He looked up, his eyes filled with a resolve that defied death, and roared out:
"Ah! We absolutely cannot retreat!"
"We are the witnesses to our Mother's will!"
"Our army consists of the finest warriors of Fish-Man Island!"
"To protect this country, charge with me!"
Accompanied by Prince Fukaboshi's sky-shaking roar, the ten thousand Neptune Army elites cast aside their fear and, like a sharp dagger, plunged fiercely into the black ranks of the hundred-thousand-strong army.
The two armies instantly erupted into an unprecedentedly tragic collision at Gyoncorde Plaza.
The ear-piercing clanging of weapons, the dull thuds of hand-to-hand combat, and the screams of agony intertwined, as the shouts of battle shook the heavens and earth.
However, the course of the war did not yield a miracle despite the bravery of the royal army.
Faced with Hody, who had consumed a large amount of Energy Steroids, causing his strength to go completely berserk and his heart to turn ruthless...
...and under the overwhelming wave of the hundred thousand New Fish-Man Pirates whose momentum was at its peak, the Neptune Army's defensive line began to crumble and retreat.
Even though the three princes fought with all their might, weaving through enemy lines with their weapons, they were ultimately overwhelmed by the sheer numbers.
After a bloody struggle, the elite formation of the Neptune Army was completely broken and scattered.
Their stamina exhausted, the three princes were eventually severely wounded under the combined assault of Hody and the steroid-enhanced officers.
They collapsed, covered in blood, into the pools of crimson staining the ground.
Looking down at the fallen royalty at his feet, Hody threw his head back and let out a wild, unbridled laugh:
"Hahahaha! Perfect timing!"
"Since you've delivered yourselves to my doorstep, I'll take you all!"
He waved his hand and gave a cold command: "Drag these three bothersome pieces of trash up there!"
Several ferocious Fishman lackeys immediately stepped forward and, like dragging dead dogs, hauled the heavily injured and unconscious princes onto the high execution platform.
They used chains to hang them on the crosses, side-by-side with Luffy.
Through the broadcast of the Den Den Mushis, civilians across the entire island saw this scene clearly on the giant screens.
Watching the princes they had always revered hanging on the execution platform like lambs to the slaughter...
...the last shred of hope in the people's hearts was completely shattered, and the entire Fish-Man Island instantly plunged into deep despair.
...
Meanwhile, inside Ryugu Palace.
Seeing his three proudest sons defeated, captured, and hanging bloodied on crosses through the giant screen in the center of the hall, King Neptune was struck with grief.
The old king's eyes were bloodshot as he roared, grabbed his golden trident, and prepared to rush out of the palace regardless of the cost.
"Your Majesty! Please stay calm!"
Knight of the Sea Jinbe was quick to react, spreading his wide arms to block the king who had completely lost his reason.
With a solemn expression, Jinbe emphasized to Neptune the absolute necessity of the 'Hero Script' he had previously discussed with Tatsuya.
"Rushing there now will only play into Hody's trap!"
"Currently, the misunderstanding of humans by the civilians of Fish-Man Island has reached its peak."
"If only we Fishmen solve this ourselves, the seeds of hatred will still take root and sprout."
"The only way now is for humans to appear as a surprise force from the heavens and defeat Hody in front of the hundred thousand."
"Only by letting them become the heroes who save this country can we completely sever the chain of hatred that has entwined Fish-Man Island and humans for hundreds of years!"
Listening to Jinbe's heartfelt words, King Neptune closed his eyes in pain, and the hand holding his weapon slumped powerlessly.
In the corner of the hall, Princess Shirahoshi looked at her battered brothers on the screen, her massive body trembling violently from heartache and fear.
But this time, she didn't hide behind a pillow and cry as she had in the past.
She bit her red lips and used her giant hands to forcefully wipe the tears from her cheeks.
Shirahoshi took a deep breath, turned around, and bowed deeply to Tatsuya and the Straw Hat crew standing nearby.
"I beg of you all!"
"Please save my brothers and Lord Luffy!"
"Shirahoshi... Shirahoshi will definitely not run away this time. Shirahoshi is going to the plaza with you!"
The members of the Straw Hat crew all showed knowing smiles.
"Ah! Isn't that a given!"
...
Returning once again to Gyoncorde Plaza.
Hody Jones arrogantly stepped on the head of the heavily injured eldest prince, Prince Fukaboshi.
Facing the main broadcasting Den Den Mushi, he let out a hair-raising, hysterical laugh.
He spread his arms wide and loudly announced the end of the old era to the entire island, and indeed, the whole world:
"The old Ryugu Kingdom has been completely annihilated!"
"From today on, Fish-Man Island will become the territory of my New Fish-Man Pirates' supreme empire!"
Then, Hody turned toward Luffy, who was locked in Sea Stone.
He suddenly raised his heavy, massive execution blade and placed the cold, shimmering edge cruelly against Luffy's neck.
Mad ambition flickered in Hody's eyes, and his voice carried to every corner of the plaza through the loudspeakers:
"Compatriots of Fish-Man Island! Look closely!"
"This is one of those 'rising stars' among humans who are praised to the heavens, the so-called Worst Generation, 'Straw Hat Luffy'!"
"Today, I will use his filthy blood to offer a sacrifice for our Fishman race's humiliated history of being oppressed and enslaved by humans!"
"After executing him, we will officially march into the New World!"
"We will drag all those self-important human nobles down into the deep sea and make them beg for mercy at our feet!"
Hody raised his empty left fist high and roared toward the sky:
"The New World!"
"The New World!!"
"Cheer for the New World that belongs to our Fishman race!!"
"OHHH—!!!"
One hundred thousand Fishman rebels, their emotions completely ignited, simultaneously raised their weapons and erupted in a fanatical cheer that seemed ready to overturn the entire deep sea.
Sensing this fanatical power, Hody's gaze turned fierce, and killing intent burst forth.
He gripped the hilt with both hands and raised the heavy execution blade high above his head.
He intended to decapitate Luffy and the three princes with a single stroke under the despairing gaze of the island's civilians, beginning his reign with blood.
Just at the critical moment when the cold, gleaming execution blade was about to fall mercilessly...
...above the plaza...
...the light of the 'Sunlight Tree Eve' that usually filtered through the deep sea suddenly dimmed without warning.
A colossal shadow, like a solar eclipse, instantly shrouded the entire sky over Gyoncorde Plaza.
Noticing the anomaly overhead, Hody's downward swing abruptly stopped. He and the hundred-thousand-strong army below all looked up in bewilderment toward the heights.
There, in the deep seawater, a massive pirate ship with a sunflower-lion figurehead—the 'thousand sunny'—actually soared directly from the heights into the airspace of Gyoncorde Plaza!
"What is that thing?!"
"It's a ship! A pirate ship is falling from the sky!"
Amidst the terrified screams of the hundred thousand soldiers...
"BOOM—!!!"
...there was a deafening, terrifying roar.
The massive thousand sunny, carrying violent kinetic energy, crashed heavily into the most densely packed central area of the army.
The hard coral plaza was smashed into a large crater, and the terrifying impact of the fall instantly whipped up a violent, peerless blast of wind and air pressure.
Hundreds of surrounding Fishman rebels who failed to dodge were sent flying into the air like ragdolls by the air pressure before they could even scream.
As the dust and rubble gradually cleared, the majestic silhouette of the thousand sunny was revealed before everyone.
On the broad deck of the thousand sunny, the Straw Hat crew was already standing ready.
Zoro drew the famous swords at his waist, holding the Wado Ichimonji in his mouth, staring at the enemy army below with a fierce, Shura-like expression.
Sanji lifted his leather shoe, coolly crushing his finished cigarette against the sole, and exhaled a puff of white smoke.
Robin's expression was cold and elegant as she crossed her arms gracefully over her chest, flower petals dancing around her.
Nami woke up the still-napping little thundercloud 'Futo,' and purple electrical sparks crackled on her Weather Stick.
Franky joined his forearms together, striking his signature pose.
Usopp pulled back his massive slingshot, his gaze as sharp as a hawk's.
Chopper held the sparking 'Lassoo' tightly in his arms, the muzzle accurately aimed at the army ahead.
Brook had also drawn his soul-chilling Soul Solid sword, ready to harvest souls at any moment.
And at the very front of everyone...
...Tatsuya placed one foot dominantly on the ship's railing. Clay rested steadily on his shoulder, spreading his night-like wings and letting out a long cry.
He still wore that smiling expression, but his voice echoed across the plaza like a thunderclap:
"Luffy!"
"You've been sleeping for so long..."
"Isn't it about time you woke up!"
Loving Book So Far Check Out 80+ Advanced Chapters At Pa Treon:
patreon.com/FicTonic1