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 Victor.
"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 Victor 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 clima-tact.
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...
...Victor 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!"Chapter 282: The Quality of a King! Conqueror's Haki Clears the Field
At Gyoncorde Plaza.
Facing Victor, who stood at the ship's prow looking down and delivering a merciless taunt, Hody Jones was so enraged that the veins on his forehead throbbed visibly.
Gritting his teeth, he absolutely refused to believe that these humans who had fallen from the sky could breach the ironclad defense of the 100,000-strong army below and rescue anyone right under his nose.
Hody hesitated no longer. He brandished the large sword in his hand and pointed it at the thousand sunny, roaring:
"You humans and your cheap tricks! Don't think a single broken ship can change anything!
"Executioners! Cut off the heads of Straw Hat and these three princes immediately!"
Upon receiving their leader's cruel command, the four hideous-looking Fishman executioners on the execution platform raised their heavy, sharp blades without hesitation, aimed at the backs of Luffy and the three princes' necks, and swung down!
At this critical moment.
Victor, standing at the ship's prow, focused the faint purple ripple with concentric circles in his right eye socket. A strange glint flashed in his deep pupils.
A soft, strange *whoosh* sound.
The space on the execution platform seemed to be violently twisted by a pair of invisible giant hands, instantly contorting in a bizarre manner.
The executioners' blades whistled through the air as they came down heavily, landing with a deafening metallic *clang*.
However, when they looked closely, they were horrified to find that Luffy and the three princes, who had been chained to the crosses with Sea Stone, had vanished into thin air in an instant.
What they had struck were several massive undersea rocks covered in seaweed!
And at the same time, on the spacious deck of the Thousand Sunny.
Luffy and the three severely wounded, unconscious princes, along with the chains binding them, now lay perfectly intact before the ship's doctor, Chopper.
Witnessing this unbelievable scene, like a spatial magic trick, the 100,000-strong army in the plaza below and the island's civilians watching the live broadcast via screens couldn't comprehend what had just happened.
Everyone, as if seeing a ghost in broad daylight, collectively gasped in shock.
Chopper immediately opened his medical kit and deftly stepped forward to administer emergency bandaging and stop the bleeding for the gravely injured princes.
But Luffy, lying beside them, presented a completely different picture.
Having been soaked in seawater for far too long, he was now lying on the deck, fast asleep and snoring loudly.
A glistening snot bubble even hung from his nose, rhythmically inflating and deflating with each breath.
Looking down at the dense, menacing army of 100,000 staring at them, then at their utterly carefree Captain.
Nami was furious. She rushed forward, shaking Luffy's neck wildly and shouting at him to wake up.
Usopp also crouched nearby, his hands moving like blurs as he *slap-slap-slapped* Luffy's elastic rubber cheeks, trying to force him awake.
Watching their futile efforts, Sanji, who had just lit a cigarette, sighed helplessly.
He turned and walked back to the kitchen, returning shortly with a huge serving tray.
On the tray was a massive, specially prepared piece of roast meat, freshly cooked, sizzling with oil, and emitting a lethally tempting aroma.
Sanji placed the tray directly under Luffy's nose.
A miracle occurred.
Luffy's nose twitched violently twice in the air. His tightly shut eyes instantly flew open, shooting out two beams of sharp light.
Without even getting up, he opened his mouth with lightning speed and, in one *gulp*, swallowed the entire piece of roast meat—bones and all—which was larger than his entire body.
"Shishishishi! Delicious meat! I'm alive again!"
Luffy sprang up like a coiled spring, instantly revitalized.
He energetically patted his now-bulging belly and let out a contented sigh:
"Ah! I slept so well!!"
"Huh? Why is everyone looking at me?"
Faced with their Captain, who was commenting on his sleep quality while a formidable enemy loomed, the Straw Hat Pirates collectively developed sweat drops on their foreheads, utterly speechless.
Seeing Luffy fully awake, Hody Jones below, though still shaken by the spatial magic Victor had just performed,
quickly reconsidered. After all, he had a fully armed Fishman army of 100,000.
No matter how strong they were, they would eventually run out of stamina.
Relying on this absolute numerical advantage, he regained his arrogant, ugly demeanor.
Pointing his trident at Luffy on the thousand sunny, he roared loudly:
"Straw Hat! So what if your companions saved you!"
"Faced with this army of 100,000, you few humans are doomed today!"
"I, Hody Jones, am the man destined to become the Pirate King and rule this world!"
Hearing the words "Pirate King," Luffy, who had been patting his belly and grinning on the deck, suddenly froze.
He lowered his head slightly. The clarity in his eyes vanished in an instant, replaced by an incredibly sharp and serious intensity.
"Pirate King?"
Luffy pressed one hand onto the Straw Hat on his head and took a step forward from the ship's prow.
The moment his foot landed, a terrifying aura capable of shaking heaven and earth, like a slumbering dragon awakening, erupted from his seemingly slender body!
"I'm the man who will become the Pirate King!"
*BOOM—!*
A wave of Conqueror's Haki, so dense it was nearly tangible, exploded from Luffy like an invisible black storm, instantly roaring across the entirety of Gyoncorde Plaza!
The air seemed to solidify at that moment. An oppressive weight made everyone present feel breathless.
Even the surrounding seawater, flooding the area, trembled and groaned under this kingly pressure.
"Urgh..."
*Thud! Thud!*
The soldiers of the New Fish-Man Pirates, who just a second ago had been brandishing their weapons and screaming to tear the humans to pieces,
couldn't withstand this supreme, kingly aura for even a single second.
Their eyes rolled back instantly, foam spewed from their mouths, and without any chance to struggle, they fell backward in waves, like wheat being reaped by a Shinigami's scythe.
The sounds of weapons clattering to the ground and bodies hitting the floor with dull thuds merged into one.
Within mere seconds, a full 50,000 enemy troops had completely lost consciousness, lying limp in heaps across every corner of the plaza.
The civilians of Fish-Man Island watching this scene through the imaging Den Den Mushis were first struck dumb with shock, plunging the entire island into a ten-second, pin-drop silence.
Then, from Mermaid Cove to Coral Hill, earth-shattering exclamations erupted, soaring into the sky:
"My god... what just happened?!"
"With just a look, he instantly took down 50,000 soldiers!"
"This is a Captain of the Worst Generation?! This is a true monster!"
On the thousand sunny, Usopp's jaw dropped so hard it hit the deck with a *clack*, his eyeballs nearly popping out of their sockets:
"Hey, hey... you've got to be kidding me?"
"Half of a 100,000-strong army, taken out with just a glare?!"
"What kind of hellish training did Luffy go through these past two years?!"
Chopper's eyes sparkled with admiration. Clutching his head with his hooves, he bounced excitedly on the deck, exclaiming:
"Luffy is so cool!"
Brook placed a hand on his chest, remarking with exaggerated flair:
"Yo ho ho ho, that aura just now nearly stopped my heart from beating."
"Oh, I almost forgot, I'm a skeleton. I don't have a heart to begin with."
Nami tightly covered her mouth with both hands, her beautiful eyes wide with disbelief.
She was excitedly hugging Victor's arm, shaking it back and forth.
Zoro rested one hand on the hilt of his sword at his waist. Looking at the straw-hatted figure ahead, the corner of his mouth slowly curled into a bloodthirsty, proud smile:
"Hmph. If he didn't have at least that much skill, he'd have to hand over the Captain's position."
Meanwhile, Victor, while soothing Nami, watched Luffy's gradually broadening, reliable back with a smile.
In the center of the plaza, Hody Jones watched his proud army of 100,000 inexplicably halved in an instant.
His legs trembled uncontrollably, and cold sweat poured down his forehead like a waterfall.
But he quickly clenched his teeth hard, trying to mask the overwhelming fear churning inside him.
He pulled out another handful of red Energy Steroids from his pocket, crammed them into his mouth, and chewed frantically, attempting to drown his fear with madness:
"Don't be afraid!"
"Don't be fooled by their bluffs! We still have 50,000 men!"
"They're no match for us in the water!"
"All troops, charge! Tear that ship apart!"
Facing the remaining 50,000 enemy soldiers, who, though fearful, were still prepared to charge under the drug's influence,
Luffy clenched his fists, his knuckles cracking with crisp sounds.
His eyes blazed like torches. That familiar, confident, and wild grin spread across his face as he issued his usual battle cry:
"Everyone! Let's go cause a ruckus!"
"Yeah!!"
The entire Straw Hat crew responded with a thunderous roar, each face lighting up with excited, battle-hungry smiles.
They drew their respective weapons and leapt down from the high deck of the thousand sunny, diving straight into the remaining 50,000-strong Fishman army below!Chapter 283: The Queen's Dying Wish! A Tearful Speech and a Fired-Up Captain
Facing the remaining 50,000 New Fish-Man Pirates army in the plaza.
The Straw Hat Pirates unreservedly displayed the shocking results of their two years of hellish training to the entire world.
The heavily armored troops in the enemy's front row attempted to block the assault with a formation of thick steel shields, but Zoro let out a disdainful sneer.
He crossed his two swords, biting his wado ichimonji in his mouth, and charged into the enemy formation like a Shura.
"Three Sword Style: Black Rope: Great Dragon Twister!" The sharp sword energy instantly erupted, effortlessly slicing through the sturdy steel shields as if they were tofu.
Not only that, the sword energy also triggered a continuously raging black sword energy tornado, sweeping hundreds of Fishmen screaming into the sky, unable to fall for a long time.
Mid-air, Sanji performed
Like precisely guided flaming meteors, he weaved through the enemy formation, bombing everything in his path, leaving behind boiling seawater and scorched earth filled with wails.
Franky transformed into a steel beast, rampaging through the enemy crowd, unleashing various heavy armaments without restraint.
Usopp pulled back his giant slingshot, firing peculiar plants like
Chopper unhesitatingly ate a Rumble Ball, transforming into his massive Fur Reinforcement monster form.
A powerful push of his palm sent dozens of Fishmen flying like fallen leaves.
Nami stood in a safe zone behind the battlefield, a smile playing on her lips.
She pulled out a lightning ball filled with high-voltage electricity from her bodice and fed it directly to the already drooling Futo beside her.
After a full meal, Futo's body instantly swelled several times, his entire body flashing with dazzling and violent purple lightning.
With a sudden pointing of Nami's clima-tact, Futo let out a roar.
A deafening
A terrifying, thick lightning net wove into a deadly lightning pool, instantly clearing out a large area of enemies.
Robin stood elegantly, her hands crossed in front of her chest.
As flower petals fluttered,
Two giant legs instantly condensed in mid-air, mercilessly trampling through the dense crowd of Fishmen, erupting with roars.
On the other side of the battlefield, Princess Shirahoshi also followed everyone to the plaza.
Although faced with such a bloody and tragic scene, she was still trembling with fear.
But she took a deep breath, forcing down the fear in her heart.
She swayed her pink fish tail, her massive body slowly moving, and actually took the initiative to approach the Den Den Mushi that was globally broadcasting to the entire island.
Through the broadcast screen, the common people of Fish-Man Island saw the legendary cowardly princess, who had been imprisoned in Hard-Shell Tower for ten years, now appearing alone in the brutal center of the battlefield, and they all let out incredible gasps of surprise.
However, when truly facing the camera and the gaze of countless eyes, Shirahoshi's hard-won courage instantly deflated.
She opened her mouth, stammered for a long time, her mind blank, completely unable to utter a complete sentence.
A strong sense of frustration welled up in her heart.
Finally, she annoyedly and shamefully covered her flushed face with her huge hands, tears uncontrollably dripping down.
"Wuwuwu! I just got carried away and came over!"
"I don't even know what to say! Wuwuwu!"
"Shirahoshi!!"
Just at this heartbreaking moment, three blood-soaked figures, supporting each other, stumbled to her side.
It was the three princes who had just been rescued—Prince Fukaboshi, Prince Ryuboshi, and Prince Manboshi.
"Be brave, Shirahoshi!"
Prince Fukaboshi spat out a mouthful of blood, his eyes incredibly bright.
"You can do it, we're all here with you!"
Prince Ryuboshi and Prince Manboshi also offered words of encouragement.
"Brothers..." Seeing her severely injured brothers still smiling and encouraging her, Shirahoshi's heart trembled.
With her brothers' encouragement, Shirahoshi's eyes gradually shed their timidity, becoming unprecedentedly firm.
She remembered her mother, who had sacrificed her life for peace, and her aging father.
She absolutely could not disappoint her father, mother, and brothers, and even more so, she could not disappoint Lord Victor, who had given her courage.
She lowered her hands, though tears still streamed uncontrollably from her eyes.
But her clear voice, amplified by the sound equipment, spread clearly and powerfully to every corner of Fish-Man Island:
"Everyone...please listen to me!"
"I've always been a useless coward..."
"For the past ten years, even though I was the princess of Fish-Man Island, I only dared to hide in Hard-Shell Tower and cry, pretending not to see the suffering of everyone..."
"I'm sorry! I'm truly sorry!"
"But...but my mother, Queen Otohime, once taught me not to hate! To bravely embrace the true sun!"
"I didn't understand before, and I was always afraid...until today, when the Straw Hat Pirates broke my cage..."
"Even though they are humans, even though they have no blood relation to us, they are willing to fight here to protect us!"
Shirahoshi clutched the clothes on her chest, using all her might, her voice piercing through the entire Fish-Man Island:
"They are not terrifying enemies! They are friends who bring hope!
"This is our home too!
"Even humans are fighting for the future of Fish-Man Island, how can we just hide behind and watch them?"
"Please, everyone, step forward!"
"Don't let hatred blind your eyes anymore, join this battle to protect our homeland!
"This is absolutely not just the business of a few Straw Hat members, this is Fish-Man Island for all of us!!!"
This speech, filled with tears yet utterly sincere, was like a warm ray of sunshine, instantly shattering the long-standing fear and estrangement towards humans in the hearts of Fish-Man Island's common people.
Outside the plaza, countless common people had tears in their eyes, their blood boiling in their chests.
They all picked up their crude household weapons, their roars merging into a single chorus:
"Her Royal Highness is right! We must defend Fish-Man Island!"
"Let's fight these damn rebels!"
"Fish-Man Island will be protected by us!"
The crowd roared, surging towards the battlefield in the plaza like a bursting tide, without hesitation.
Luffy, who was enthusiastically throwing punches in the center of the battlefield, keenly heard Shirahoshi's speech.
He pressed his Straw Hat down, a smile of extreme excitement slowly forming on his lips.
Luffy felt his entire body's blood screaming:
"Hehehe!"
"Ah! I'm all fired up!!"
Meanwhile, in Ryugu Palace, King Neptune watched his daughter on the screen, no longer weak, bravely rallying the entire island.
Tears streamed down his aged cheeks like a waterfall:
"Shirahoshi...my brave daughter!
"Wuwuwu..."
"Otohime...do you see this...?"
At this moment, the old king seemed to see the magnificent shadow of Queen Otohime, who had traveled everywhere for peace, shining brightly, on Shirahoshi's massive body.
In stark contrast was Hody Jones.
Seeing his brutal rule, which he had meticulously built for years and tried to maintain through fear, completely dismantled by Shirahoshi's few short words.
Hody completely descended into hysterical madness.
"Don't get too carried away!! You troublesome woman!
"I will utterly tear apart Otohime's hypocritical peace!"
Hody, his bloodshot eyes red, secretly blew a specially made whistle, controlling over a dozen massive, ferocious deep-sea sea beasts.
These terrifying giant beasts let out deafening roars, madly charging towards the Thousand Sunny, Princess Shirahoshi, and the three heavily injured princes!
Facing this group of giant beasts rushing towards them like Mount Tai, Victor, standing in front, had a detached look in his eyes.
A terrifying gravitational force, capable of distorting space, instantly erupted from his palm.
"Almighty Push: Crushing Kill."
Accompanying Victor's cold whisper, the dozen massive giant sea beasts instantly froze in mid-air.
Immediately after, they seemed to be firmly grasped by invisible giant hands of a god.
Amidst the sound of bones shattering, these sea beasts were instantly crushed into mangled, bloody spheres.
They were then casually thrown into the nearby ruins by Victor, as if discarding trash.
This brutal and visually impactful scene terrified the surrounding Fishman thugs who were trying to sneak attack in the chaos, sending them scrambling away in fear.
The three princes, meanwhile, looked at the black figure with faces full of gratitude.
"Lord Victor!"
Shirahoshi clasped her hands together, her eyes filled with adoration as she looked at the figure in front, like a guardian deity.
Watching his proud army of 100,000 quickly disintegrate like chickens and dogs before a mere ten humans.
Now, even his strongest sea beasts were instantly killed by the opponent, Hody Jones's fragile psychological defense completely collapsed.
Driven by despair and madness, he desperately pulled out all the remaining
The violent drug effect, dozens of times beyond his body's tolerance limit, instantly triggered the most severe side effects.
Hody let out a spine-chilling, mournful scream, looking up at the sky.
Under everyone's gaze, his entire head of black hair instantly faded, turning a lifeless snowy white.
His muscles began to swell uncontrollably and wildly, bulging to a grotesque extent that threatened to burst his skin.
In just a few seconds, Hody completely transformed into a white-haired monster who had lost all reason, with only the most primitive killing instinct and extreme hatred remaining in his mind.
White-haired Hody's speed and strength increased hundreds of times.
His blood-red eyes spun wildly in their sockets, finally locking onto Shirahoshi.
He focused all his resentment on this princess, who represented Queen Otohime's ideals of peace.
Only one thought remained in his twisted subconscious:
As long as he killed her, Fish-Man Island's damned hope for peace would be completely severed!
Hody suddenly grabbed a large mass of heavy seawater with one hand, using the terrifying grip strength generated by his grotesquely swollen arm to furiously compress the seawater.
"Shark Dart!"
The water bullet, compressed to its extreme, tore open a bloody path through the crowd like a heavy armor-piercing cannon.
With a harsh, piercing sonic boom, the water bullet, at a speed difficult for the naked eye to catch, shot directly towards Princess Shirahoshi, who was behind Victor.
Just as Victor was about to intercept, Luffy, from a distance on the battlefield, suddenly shouted:
"Victor! That guy is my prey!"
Before his words even finished, Luffy instantly activated Gear Second.
His entire skin turned red due to the accelerated blood flow, and hot white steam rose from his body.
Luffy stomped hard on the ground, which instantly collapsed, and he crossed half the wide plaza as if teleporting, directly blocking between Hody and Shirahoshi.
"Gum-Gum Jet Pistol!"
Luffy's right arm was instantly covered in pitch-black advanced Armament Haki, and he punched out, unyielding, against the incredibly powerful water bullet!
Fist met water, and Luffy forcibly blasted Hody's deadly water bullet directly in mid-air!
The violent air currents mixed with water vapor swept outwards, directly overturning all surrounding obstacles.
Luffy, steaming hot, straightened his body.
He slowly raised his head, his eyes hidden in the shadow of his Straw Hat, sharp as blades, locking onto the completely monstrous, white-haired Hody before him.
The Captain of the Straw Hat Pirates versus the Leader of the New Fish-Man Pirates.
The final battle, concerning the fate of Fish-Man Island, between two Captains representing different beliefs and paths.
At this moment, it officially erupted!Chapter 284: Crushing Haki! The Dead End of a Madman and the Sky-Blocking noah
"Don't be so... arrogant!"
Facing Luffy, who stood before Shirahoshi like a great mountain, the completely crazed, white-haired Hody let out a shrill, inhuman roar.
Under the wild overdraw of excessive Steroid drugs, his grotesquely swollen muscles erupted with terrifying power once again.
Hody's underwater movement speed instantly broke his previous limits, his entire form turning into countless white afterimages.
He swung the heavy trident in his hand, soaked in deadly venom, stirring up violent undercurrents as he attempted to tear the human wearing the Straw Hat before him into pieces from all directions.
However, facing this dazzling, lethal, and desperate assault, Luffy simply stood still, making no effort to deliberately track Hody's movements.
Over the past two years, "Pluton" Rayleigh had conducted hellishly strict training for him on that island infested with ferocious beasts.
Now, Luffy's Observation Haki had already been honed to perfection.
In his field of perception, Hody's seemingly lightning-fast attack trajectory, every muscle contraction, and even the subtle changes in the water flow, were as clear as a slow-motion movie scene.
"Whoosh! Swish!"
The poisoned blade grazed his clothing, the water ripples turning into blades that sliced through the air.
Luffy simply tilted his head, turned his body, or took a light half-step back with composure.
He dodged Hody's deadly attacks, which were like a violent storm, as easily as if he were taking a leisurely stroll.
"Too slow."
Luffy's gaze suddenly sharpened, his carelessness vanishing.
His right arm snapped back, and a layer of high-level Armament Haki, radiating a cold, hard metallic luster, instantly covered the surface of his skin.
Seeing Luffy's counterattack, Hody let out a beast-like roar, actually opening his bloody mouth filled with sharp teeth and launching a suicidal bite, viciously snapping at Luffy's Haki-covered arm.
"Gum-Gum — Fire Fist Gun!"
Facing Hody's crazed bite, Luffy had no intention of dodging.
He let out a low shout, and his right arm, charged to its limit, blasted out like a heavy cannon from its chamber!
"Crack — Boom!"
This heavy punch, filled with Luffy's rage and the fruits of two years of training, not only unhesitatingly met Hody's teeth—which were strong enough to crush steel—shattering them instantly.
Furthermore, under the friction of extreme speed and the collision of Haki, it ignited a dazzling flame that burned fiercely even in the deep sea!
The violent flames instantly engulfed Hody's upper body.
Accompanied by a dull, explosive roar, Hody's massive, deformed body was sent flying backward like a meteor, plowing a long, scorched trench into the hard ground of the plaza.
Seeing their Captain gain the upper hand with such absolute, crushing dominance, the Straw Hat crew's morale soared, and excited smiles appeared on their faces.
"Everyone, push hard! Clear out the rest of the small fry!"
Zoro and Sanji took the lead.
Leading the high-spirited Neptune Army soldiers, they began the final sweep of the New Fish-Man Pirates members, who had long since collapsed.
Meanwhile, a chaotic yet incredibly firm sound of footsteps came from the streets around the plaza.
It was the tens of thousands of Fish-Man Island civilians, inspired by Princess Shirahoshi's tearful speech!
They had not received professional military training, and most held simple weapons like shovels, fishing nets, and kitchen knives.
But at this moment, there was no longer fear or prejudice toward humans in their eyes.
This crowd of ordinary people, like a broken levee, flooded into Gyoncorde Plaza.
They did not retreat in the slightest, but bravely charged forward to fight side-by-side with the Neptune Army soldiers.
Countless civilians converged into an insurmountable human wall, surrounding the scattered and resisting New Fish-Man Pirates members.
"Drop your weapons! Get out of our country!" The roar of the civilians converged into a sea.
Hody's reign of terror, which he had tried to establish through violence and fear, was shattered in this moment by the awakening of the people of Fish-Man Island.
...
Somewhere in the deep sea of Gyoncorde Plaza.
Vander Decken IX, who had been hiding in the shadows and watching everything like a sewer rat, was staring fixedly at the screen through the Den Den Mushi broadcast in his hand.
He saw Shirahoshi's public speech, no longer cowardly but full of courage.
He saw the group of terrifyingly strong human pirates beside her.
And he saw the firmness and light in Shirahoshi's eyes that he would never be able to reach.
In that instant, a bottomless despair welled up in Decken's heart.
He finally realized clearly that Princess Shirahoshi, whom he had coveted for ten whole years, would never belong to him, no matter how many weapons he threw.
This extreme distortion of unrequited desire, combined with his long-term pathological, paranoid love, completely transformed into a madness that wanted to destroy everything the moment his hope was shattered.
Decken's strange, four-legged body trembled violently in the dark cabin.
He clawed at his hair, his bloodshot eyes bulging, and let out a chilling, shrill, and manic laugh:
"Hee hee hee hee..."
"Shirahoshi! My Shirahoshi!"
"Since I am destined never to have you in this life, then let the entire Fish-Man Island, along with those hateful humans, be buried with you!!!"
...
Gyoncorde Plaza.
Just as Luffy slowly retracted his steaming right fist, preparing to step forward and deliver the final blow to Hody, who lay dying in the ruins, an unexpected change occurred.
Above the plaza, the sunlight that had originally spilled down through the "Sunlight Tree Eve" suddenly dimmed without warning.
At first, people thought it was just a huge cloud blocking the light.
But just a few seconds later, a massive, suffocating shadow enveloped the entire Gyoncorde Plaza and even the surrounding buildings!
Feeling the terrifying pressure from above, everyone on the battlefield—whether the Straw Hat, the Neptune Army, the civilians, or the remaining rebels—all stopped what they were doing in shock and slowly looked up at the sky.
When they saw the true form of that shadow, everyone's breathing stopped completely at that moment.
In the deep blue, ten-thousand-meter-deep sea above Fish-Man Island, a super ancient giant ship—the "noah"—several times larger than the entire Gyoncorde Plaza and the size of half an island, was like a deep-sea beast awakening.
It was violently breaking through layers of hard currents, falling straight down toward the center of the plaza, where Princess Shirahoshi was located!
That was the final madness unleashed by Vander Decken in his utter despair.
Hody, beaten until he was vomiting blood and charred all over, lay in the ruins.
When he struggled to open his eyes and saw the noah falling at high speed in the sky, he was stunned for a moment.
Then, he burst into laughter even more maniacal than Decken's:
"Hahahaha! Cough, cough... noah! It's actually the noah! Fantastic! Let's all die together!"
Although Hody had fallen into madness, a trace of cunning remained in his mind.
He knew the characteristics of the Mato Mato no Mi well: once Decken, the ability user, was killed by someone else or fainted from severe injury and lost consciousness, the tracking ability of the Mato Mato no Mi would instantly fail.
The noah, having lost the guidance of the Devil Fruit ability, would completely become a piece of gargantuan scrap metal.
Under the terrifying gravitational acceleration of the deep sea, this ship, the size of half an island, would directly smash into Fish-Man Island below without any control, completely wiping out every living thing here!
To ensure the absolute destruction of Fish-Man Island and to complete his ultimate revenge, Hody struggled to crawl out of the ruins.
Ignoring his shattered bones, he dove directly into the nearby backflowing deep sea.
He wanted to use his last bit of strength to swim toward the falling noah.
He wanted to kill that incompetent Decken with his own hands and turn the noah into the guillotine that would destroy Fish-Man Island!
"Don't even think about running!"
Seeing Hody attempting to flee the battlefield, Luffy keenly sensed his intention.
He roared and immediately prepared to rush into the water to pursue him.
But as a Devil Fruit user, he would immediately lose all his strength upon coming into contact with a large amount of seawater.
Just at this critical moment,
"Brother Luffy, step on this!"
the deep voice of Knight of the Sea Jinbe rang out nearby.
Seeing him quickly weave seals in the seawater, using the unique techniques of the Fish-Man race and deep-sea coral, he instantly created a tough and huge transparent bubble film, precisely and tightly wrapping Luffy's entire body inside.
With this magical bubble that could isolate seawater and provide oxygen, Luffy did not hesitate.
He exerted force with his legs, stepping on the bottom edge of the bubble, and using the bubble's buoyancy and his own jumping power, he sped toward the sky-blocking noah above.
On the plaza, everyone stared blankly at the sky, watching the massive noah bring its cataclysmic shadow closer and closer to the bubble dome protecting Fish-Man Island.
The violent water pressure had already caused the bubble dome to begin dangerously twisting.
A feeling called "despair" spread rapidly among the crowd like a plague.
The entire island instantly fell into unprecedented, massive panic.Chapter 285: Majestic Attire: Susanoo! Blood-soaked Elephant Gun
On the broad deck of the rapidly falling noah, Hody Jones, who had arrived first, made the most cold-blooded decision to ensure the absolute destruction of Fish-Man Island.
Without hesitation, he raised the trident in his hand, which was coated in lethal venom, and ruthlessly stabbed it into the abdomen of his ally, Vander Decken IX.
"Squelch!"
With a scream from Decken, he fell to the ground heavily wounded and completely lost consciousness.
The eerie tracking and pulling ability of the Mato Mato no Mi was declared void at that very moment.
Losing the traction support of the Devil Fruit ability, the ancient giant ship that was originally intended to be a homing missile turned completely into a terrifying meteorite.
Under the influence of the deep sea's incredible gravity, noah smashed straight down toward Fish-Man Island below with an even more terrifying acceleration and a whistle that threatened to destroy everything.
"Crash!"
Just then, Luffy, protected by a transparent bubble membrane created by Jinbe, charged onto noah's deck like a cannonball.
Standing on the broken wooden planks, he looked at Hody, who was laughing maniacally ahead, his eyes cold to the extreme.
Facing this stubborn madman, Luffy didn't need to say anything at all.
He directly activated Gear Second, hot white steam rising from his body, and his fists were instantly covered in pitch-black Armament Haki.
A one-sided beating without any suspense immediately unfolded on the deck.
No matter how many red energy steroids Hody swallowed, or how deformed his muscles bulged.
Before a true king, his prideful strength appeared so pale and powerless; he could only become a pathetic punching bag being crushed one-sidedly.
"Why! Why!"
Covered in blood, Hody was beaten back repeatedly.
He stared with bloodshot eyes full of disbelief and roared in despair:
"How can you be so strong!"
"Straw Hat!!"
Luffy didn't answer; his right arm stretched back violently, and his giant fist, wrapped in Haki, was like an indestructible heavy hammer.
"Gum-Gum Elephant Gun!"
This heavy punch, full of fury, landed squarely on Hody's face, completely crushing all resistance from the leader of the New Fish-Man Pirates.
With the muffled sound of bones shattering, Hody's eyes rolled back, and he collapsed onto the deck like a pile of mud, completely losing consciousness.
However, although Hody was defeated, noah's fall did not stop.
Below on Gyoncorde Plaza.
Feeling the shadow of death drawing closer overhead, Victor stood on the parched ground with a grim expression.
Without hesitation, he raised both hands, his fingers flying as he quickly formed complex hand seals.
Then, he slammed one hand into the void before him and growled, "Stupid fox, come out and help me!"
"Poof!"
A huge cloud of white smoke exploded in the deep sea.
"Hmph!"
"You only call this old man out when there's such backbreaking trouble!"
"Stop ordering me around!"
Boom!
With a violent roar that shook the entire deep sea,
A Nine-Tailed Demon Fox, as massive as a towering mountain and burning with orange-red Chakra, appeared out of thin air!
Nine massive tails danced wildly in the seawater, churning the surrounding undercurrents.
Then, in the eyes of Victor standing atop the Nine-Tails, the ripples of the light purple Rinnegan spun rapidly.
A vast and immense purple Chakra soared into the sky. The materialized purple Susanoo armor, as if alive, spread rapidly along the Nine-Tails' fur, perfectly covering its massive body in an instant.
Majestic Attire: Susanoo!
The crimson beast clad in purple armor roared to the heavens and suddenly soared into the sky.
Facing the falling noah, the Nine-Tails reached out with its giant purple-armored hands and instantly unfurled nine incredibly thick steel-like tails behind it.
Using all ten fingers along with the nine tails that were like pillars supporting the sky, it forcefully held up the massive bottom of the crazily falling noah from below.
"Creeeak!!!"
The two incredible behemoths collided violently in the deep sea.
The sound of immense friction, the crushing of wood, and the collision of energy echoed through the skies.
However, even as powerful as the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox clad in Susanoo armor was,
Catching such a massive, island-sized ship with incredible acceleration in the deep sea still proved to be beyond its strength.
Under noah's unrivaled pressure, the Nine-Tails' body began to sink bit by bit.
Even the purple Susanoo armor, known for its absolute defense, began to fail under the pressure, and hairline cracks appeared.
Victor grit his teeth, the veins on his forehead bulging.
Enduring the immense pressure from above like Mount Tai pressing down, he looked up and shouted:
"Hey! Luffy!"
Luffy, standing on noah's deck, clearly heard Victor's shout.
He ran to the side of the ship and looked down, only to see the purple armored demon below desperately holding up the giant ship's hull.
And further down in the plaza were the civilians of Fish-Man Island who had placed all their hopes on them.
Luffy took a deep breath of oxygen, his eyes becoming determined and crazed.
Without hesitation, he put his thumb in his mouth, bit through the skin, and forcefully blew all the air from his lungs into his bones—"Gear Third!"
With an explosive sound, Luffy's arms instantly swelled into giant arms like those of an ancient giant.
Then, pitch-black and cold Armament Haki poured out without reservation, completely wrapping around those giant arms.
His whole body's muscles were tensed to the limit, and his veins bulged high.
"Aaaaahhh!!"
Luffy roared desperately.
He swung those pitch-black giant arms frantically, unleashing his strongest gatling move without holding back. "Gum-Gum Elephant Gatling!"
The sky full of black giant fists was like a violent storm, carrying a terrifying power to destroy everything as they smashed heavily onto noah's broad deck.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!" Each punch fell with an earth-shattering roar, with sawdust and broken keel fragments flying everywhere in the seawater.
Under such an overloaded and frenzied attack, the wounds on Luffy's arms began to tear open, and blood mixed with sweat flew everywhere, staining the bubble membrane surrounding him red.
But he still did not stop.
He wanted to completely smash this giant ship into fragments before noah could crush Victor and Fish-Man Island!
Down in the plaza, the members of the Straw Hat Pirates looked up at the shocking scene in the sky.
Watching their Captain and Vice Captain fighting for their lives in the sky, a deep sense of frustration and powerlessness welled up in everyone's hearts.
In this desperate situation of the deep sea, facing such an island-sized falling object,
Even though they possessed decent martial strength, their power at this moment could not reach that distant height.
Zoro grit his teeth hard, gripping the hilt of the sword at his waist with such force that the veins on the back of his hand bulged.
Sanji's face was as grim as water; he took a deep drag of his cigarette and exhaled a thick cloud of smoke.
Robin and Nami involuntarily clasped their hands together, the two women looking up at the two men fighting a bloody battle in the sky with eyes full of worry.
In the center of the plaza.
Princess Shirahoshi looked up.
She clearly saw the majestic crimson beast summoned by Lord Victor constantly sinking in pain under the heavy pressure.
She also clearly saw Lord Luffy frantically hammering at that indestructible giant ship, regardless of his own safety, to protect them.
At this moment, Shirahoshi's heart felt as if it were being squeezed hard by an invisible hand, making it painful to breathe.
They are clearly humans!
Yet they are risking their lives to this extent for Fish-Man Island!
"Lord Luffy! Lord Victor!!"
Shirahoshi folded her hands in front of her chest and tightly closed her giant eyes.
Hot tears gushed out like a river breaking a dam. Using all her strength, she let out a heart-wrenching cry toward the deep sea.