Chapter 257: Chaos at Ryugu Palace!
Inside the banquet hall of Ryugu Palace…
The dull, violent impacts echoed through the thick coral walls, cutting sharply through the lingering atmosphere of the feast.
The already tense hall—still shaken by Madam Shyarly's prophecy—was instantly thrown into further turmoil.
King Neptune's massive body jolted.
He listened carefully, confusion first flashing across his stern face.
"That direction is… the Hard-Shell Tower?!"
He abruptly rose to his feet.
Beside the throne, the golden trident vibrated faintly, as though responding to its master's fury.
The pain and rage buried deep within his heart for the past ten years erupted like an undersea volcano.
His voice dropped into a thunderous growl.
"Is it that damned Vander Decken again?!"
That name was like a poisoned barb lodged in Neptune's heart.
As the man responsible for robbing his daughter of ten years of sunlight and forcing her to miss her own mother's final moments, Neptune had personally led the Ryugu Kingdom army countless times in search of him.
He longed to drag Vander Decken out from hiding and impale him upon a deep-sea pillar with his own trident.
But the sea was far too vast.
And Vander Decken's ghost ship was as elusive as a phantom.
Time and time again, he slipped through the Ryugu Kingdom's encirclements like an eel, leaving Neptune's towering fury with nowhere to vent.
Only helplessness and resentment remained.
At that moment, concern for Shirahoshi instantly overwhelmed every other thought—including Shyarly's prophecy.
Her safety came first.
His sharp gaze immediately locked onto his subordinate below.
"The Minister of the Right!"
Neptune's urgent command thundered through the hall.
"Take the Royal Guards and head to the Hard-Shell Tower immediately! No matter the cost, ensure Princess Shirahoshi's absolute safety!"
The seahorse Minister of the Right straightened immediately.
"At once, Your Majesty!"
"REPORT—!!!"
A palace guard stumbled into the hall in panic, his face deathly pale.
"Y-Your Majesty! Hody Jones has arrived with the main forces of the New Fish-Man Pirates!"
"They're riding giant sea beasts and advancing on Ryugu Palace! They're declaring their intention to seize the palace!"
The guard's voice trembled from panic as even worse news followed.
"Not only that—large numbers of radical fish-men from Fish-Man District, along with human pirate subordinates under their command, are causing riots across the island!"
"They're attacking soldiers and shops throughout Fish-Man Island!"
"The entire island has descended into chaos!"
"What?! That bastard Hody actually chose now?!"
Jinbe abruptly stood up.
His broad face darkened instantly, his eyes sharp as blades.
More than anyone else present, he understood the extremism and destructive nature of Hody Jones and his followers.
At the same time, outside Ryugu Palace…
The deep ocean waters darkened beneath a massive shadow.
A monstrous sea beast the size of a mountain slowly rose upward.
Standing upon its broad back were the elite members of the New Fish-Man Pirates, packed together like a black tide.
Weapons in hand, eyes burning with fanaticism, they looked like demons emerging from the abyss.
At the forefront stood Hody Jones.
Perched atop the giant manta ray's head, his crimson eyes gazed up at the magnificent Ryugu Palace above.
A twisted grin spread across his face.
"Listen up, all of you—!!"
"Today marks the day Fish-Man Island casts aside weakness and unites under one will!"
"All fish-men must stand beneath true power!"
He raised his crimson trident high, pointing it toward the dazzling palace above.
"Those pathetic humans who can barely survive on land—and can't even breathe underwater—were born to be ruled and enslaved by us fish-men!"
He paused deliberately before raising his voice into a frenzied roar.
"Even so-called 'Emperors of the Sea' are nothing but prey within the deep ocean we rule!"
"The history written by weak royalty and human lies…"
The smile on Hody's face grew increasingly twisted and savage.
"Today, we'll rewrite it all with strength!!"
"OOOOOOOH—!!!"
The pirates beneath him erupted into deafening cheers.
The massive manta ray let out a deep roar as it carried this tide of rebellion toward Ryugu Palace's protective barrier.
Back inside Ryugu Palace, the atmosphere had grown unbearably heavy.
"Damn it… why now of all times?!"
Jinbe's expression shifted repeatedly as anger, concern, and responsibility clashed within him.
After a long silence, he stepped forward and bowed slightly toward Neptune.
"Your Majesty Neptune, the situation is critical. Please open the external communication and transmission channels."
"Allow me… to negotiate with Hody first and attempt to—"
Tap. Tap. Tap.
Steady footsteps interrupted him.
Accompanying them was a familiar female voice filled with urgency and gentleness.
"L-Lord Luffy… please wait for me!"
Everyone's attention immediately shifted toward the entrance.
Luffy walked in first.
His steps were casual, yet carried an invisible pressure.
And behind him—
The gigantic figure appearing at the doorway made everyone freeze in shock.
Princess Shirahoshi.
She carefully swam into the hall, her beautiful pink tail swaying nervously behind her.
Her face carried anxiety…
But also an unmistakable hint of excitement from stepping outside for the very first time.
"Shirahoshi?! Y-You… you left the tower?!"
Neptune leapt to his feet.
His massive frame stirred the surrounding waters as shock and instinctive worry filled his voice.
"I brought her out," Luffy answered matter-of-factly.
"Luffy!"
Another figure suddenly rushed forward like a bird returning home.
Uta threw herself directly into Luffy's arms, tightly wrapping her arms around his neck and burying her face into his shoulder as if reassuring herself he was truly there.
Luffy blinked slightly before gently patting her trembling back.
"I'm fine."
He spoke softly, holding her shoulders and easing her slightly away from him.
Uta pouted reluctantly but met Luffy's calm, steady gaze.
In the end, she obediently loosened her grip and quietly stepped to his side.
Only then did Luffy lift his head.
The brim of his straw hat shadowed part of his expression as his gaze swept across the hall before settling on King Neptune.
"Open them."
His voice wasn't loud.
Yet every word carried undeniable authority.
"Open Ryugu Palace's defensive gates and communication channels."
"Let them come in."
"…?!"
Jinbe's heart skipped violently.
He saw something familiar within Luffy's eyes.
The same cold fury that appeared whenever someone threatened his friends or trampled on something important to him.
An intense sense of unease gripped him instantly.
"Wait, Luffy!"
Jinbe hurried forward, standing between Luffy and Neptune.
"You can't directly fight Hody! He's a fish-man, and you're a human!"
"At a time like this, your involvement will be endlessly magnified! It'll completely worsen the already fragile relationship between humans and fish-men!"
"You'll become the primary target of every radical fish-man on the island! The bridge of peace Queen Otohime and Fisher Tiger tried so hard to build could collapse because of this conflict!"
He spoke earnestly, trying desperately to explain the complexity of the situation.
"To the merfolk, you're a hero. But to many fish-men consumed by hatred, your identity as a human is already a sin!"
"It'll place you in an impossible position on Fish-Man Island!"
His fists tightened.
Pain and determination flashed through his eyes.
"I can't just stand by and watch the road they built with their lives be destroyed!"
"Jinbe."
Luffy interrupted calmly.
His black eyes were deep and steady as he looked directly at the veteran helmsman.
"Don't start lecturing me about complicated stuff I don't understand."
He took a step forward.
An invisible pressure quietly spread through the hall.
"If you want to stop me…"
He paused.
Then spoke flatly, each word carrying tremendous weight.
"Try it."
—SHING!
At that exact moment, the crisp sound of a blade leaving its sheath rang out from a corner of the hall.
Crimson-gold sparks crackled along the cursed blade Kitetsu, radiating dangerous intent.
Zoro was fully awake now.
Leaning against the wall, his right eye open, he wore a savage grin as his sharp gaze swept toward Jinbe.
"Oi, Jinbe… don't use all that troublesome 'logic' to interfere with our captain's decisions."
Jinbe trembled slightly, as though a bucket of icy water had been poured over him.
Conflicting emotions surged within his chest.
That's right…
Before anything else, he was now the Straw Hat Pirates' helmsman—"Knight of the Sea" Jinbe.
Questioning his captain's decision was not his place.
After a long moment, he slowly exhaled, as if releasing every worry and hesitation from his heart.
Then he looked up once more.
His gaze had become steady again.
"In that case… Luffy."
"Can you leave Hody Jones to me?"
"Hm?"
Luffy blinked in surprise.
Then the coldness vanished from his face like melting snow beneath sunlight.
A huge grin spread across his face as he slapped Jinbe heavily on the shoulder.
"You should've said that sooner, Jinbe!"
"That guy's all yours!"
He laughed carefree, as though the tense confrontation moments ago had never happened.
"Just don't disappoint me!"
Meanwhile, King Neptune stood nearby with his giant hand awkwardly frozen in midair.
Watching the situation spiral completely beyond his control—and realizing he had somehow gone from ruler to spectator—his mind turned blank.
"…???"
So apparently…
I'm just a decorative mascot king sitting here for atmosphere now?!
I can't even get a word in?!
◇ BONUS & SUPPORT ◇
◇ 1 bonus chapter for every 10 reviews — drop a comment!
◇ 1 bonus chapter for every 100 Power Stones.
◇ Read 70 chapters ahead on P@treon → /Chakraflow789