Chapter 263: The Speech Incident (Part 2)!
"So… the true culprit was none other than Hody Jones!!"
With that heavy yet resolute declaration, King Neptune finally brought the decade-long mystery to an end.
BOOM—!!
Although the plaza had remained as quiet as possible during the king's speech, the impact of this earth-shattering revelation was simply too overwhelming. An uncontrollable storm of shock swept through the crowd.
Low gasps, sharp inhales, and disbelieving murmurs merged into a deafening buzz.
Countless people widened their eyes in stunned disbelief, mouths hanging open as they struggled to piece together the shattered truth before them.
Even though King Neptune had not presented the full chain of evidence publicly, nearly ninety-nine percent of the citizens chose to believe him without hesitation after the initial shock faded.
The reason was simple.
Queen Otohime had been Neptune's beloved wife—the mother of the three princes and Princess Shirahoshi.
No one could believe that a husband and father would tarnish the name of his deceased wife with such a cruel lie.
And as for Hody Jones?
He had already been exposed as a criminal who colluded with human pirates, attempted to overthrow the kingdom, and stained his hands with the blood of his own people.
There was simply no comparison between the two in terms of credibility or motive.
"Ahem!"
Neptune cleared his throat, pulling the crowd back from their chaotic thoughts.
His expression turned solemn once more as his amplified voice echoed throughout the plaza.
"Now… for the second matter!"
Turning slightly, he raised a hand toward the stage entrance and loudly announced:
"Please welcome… the representatives of the Straw Hat Pirates—the saviors of Fish-Man Island!!"
The moment his words fell—
"STRAW HAT LUFFY—!!!"
"HEROES!!!"
"LONG LIVE THE STRAW HATS—!!!"
Thunderous cheers exploded like a tidal wave that had been suppressed for far too long, sweeping across the entire plaza.
Camera flashes erupted wildly once again, forming a sea of dazzling light.
And right in the middle of that overwhelming uproar—
SWISH!
A golden blur shot onto the stage faster than the eye could follow, instantly seizing the microphone before anyone else could react.
Sanji stood there with one hand casually tucked into his trouser pocket while the other brushed back his blond hair.
A self-proclaimed "mature and charming" smile spread across his face.
Lowering his voice into what he believed was a suave, magnetic tone, he spoke into the microphone.
"Good evening, everyone. I'm Sanji, the cook of the Straw Hat Pirates."
He paused slightly, his gaze subtly drifting toward the mermaid ladies seated near the front rows, all watching him with curiosity and gratitude.
The smile on his face deepened.
"After yesterday's events, I'm sure many of you—especially the beautiful ladies present here—have heard at least a little about my… humble deeds."
"For many years now, I have devoted myself to the way of the gentleman. My dream is to become a true knight—one who protects women and upholds justice!"
At that moment, Sanji caught sight of even more beautiful mermaids farther back in the crowd.
His tone instantly grew more passionate—overflowing with righteous fervor.
"So please, rest assured! I, Sanji, will protect this beautiful island with my life! I will defend its peace and happiness…"
"…especially all of you lovely mermaid ladies, as radiant and precious as pearls of the deep sea!!"
Down below, in the Straw Hats' seating area—
Watching Sanji desperately trying to look cool while somehow radiating overwhelming loser energy at the same time…
Zoro's fists cracked loudly.
Veins bulged across his forehead.
Meanwhile, Usopp, Chopper, and the others twitched nervously, watching in growing horror, afraid Sanji was about to say something catastrophic.
"Hahaha! Is Sanji giving a speech? This is hilarious!!"
At that painfully awkward moment, a carefree laugh suddenly broke the tension.
A silver blur flashed by—
Luffy had somehow already returned to his reserved seat, lounging comfortably with one arm draped over the chair back as he watched Sanji with great interest.
Clearly, he was enjoying the show.
No one knew that their captain had deliberately skipped most of breakfast and timed his arrival perfectly just to avoid giving a speech himself—a task he considered more troublesome than fighting.
Nami still had a faint blush lingering on her face, as though she had just finished exercising.
She shot Luffy an annoyed glare before gracefully—though slightly stiffly—taking her seat beside him.
Meanwhile, on stage, Sanji had become completely immersed in his own "Knight's Declaration."
His emotions soared higher and higher.
"In short, my time here on Fish-Man Island has felt like a dream I never want to wake up from!"
Spreading his arms dramatically as if embracing the entire plaza, he continued:
"So if any beautiful mermaid ladies here ever encounter difficulties in the future—whether it's fixing plumbing, chasing away troublesome creeps, or simply enjoying a meal that warms your soul…"
"Please, do not hesitate to call upon me!"
He bowed elegantly with a flawless gentleman's salute.
"What I do best… is dedicating everything I have to caring for, protecting, and pleasing every beautiful lady!"
Seeing the atmosphere perfectly built up, a sharp gleam flashed through Sanji's eyes.
It was time to establish "connections"!
He suddenly leaned toward the microphone and rapidly shouted:
"My personal Den Den Mushi number is—3838-09438—"
"MMMPH—!!!"
Before he could finish reciting the number, two pale yet terrifyingly powerful hands shot out from behind him like lightning.
One clamped over his mouth.
The other grabbed him by the collar.
In one smooth motion, Robin executed a perfect shoulder throw and hurled Sanji off the stage like discarded trash.
BOOM!!
Sanji crashed onto the ground below in a perfect starfish pose, kicking up a cloud of dust.
SHING—!
A cold flash of steel appeared instantly.
Zoro had already leapt from his seat, the blade of Sandai Kitetsu pressed firmly against Sanji's throat with terrifying killing intent.
His gaze was cold enough to freeze a Sea King solid.
Through gritted teeth, he growled:
"You damn pervert… you're DEAD!!!"
"Zoro! Calm down! Please calm down!!"
Usopp and Chopper panicked, one grabbing his waist while the other clung desperately to his leg.
"If Sanji dies, who's gonna cook for us?! We'll starve to death!!"
"Yeah, Zoro! Sanji just got carried away! He didn't mean it!"
Chopper cried tearfully.
"LET GO OF ME!!"
Veins throbbed violently on Zoro's forehead as murderous rage practically poured out of him.
"I'm killing this idiot cook today for disgracing our entire crew!! Nobody stop me!!"
Robin merely smiled gently at Luffy as though absolutely nothing had happened.
"HAHAHAHA!!!"
"So this is what an Emperor crew is like?! They're way more fun than I expected!!"
"Seriously! I thought they'd all be terrifying and intimidating like Whitebeard!"
"That cook is hilarious!"
"And that swordsman is scary… but kinda handsome!"
Sanji's utterly unpredictable and overwhelmingly personal "speech" unexpectedly swept away much of the heavy atmosphere left behind by the revelation surrounding Queen Otohime.
In the eyes of the citizens, the Straw Hat Pirates—who had once seemed like distant, untouchable figures cloaked in the mysterious aura of saviors and Emperors of the Sea—suddenly became vivid, approachable…
…and even a little ridiculous in an oddly lovable way.
The solemn atmosphere of the plaza completely dissolved.
In its place came waves of warm laughter and cheerful amusement, like sunlight piercing through the deep sea and illuminating every corner of Fish-Man Island.
And so, this important ceremony concerning the island's history and future gradually came to an end amidst an unexpected storm of life, noise, and laughter.
Meanwhile…
Far above Fish-Man Island, within the pitch-black abyss 10,000 meters beneath the sea—
An unimaginably enormous ancient ship floated silently in the eternal darkness like a slumbering primordial beast.
Its sheer size rivaled that of an island itself.
Ancient chains thicker than dragons coiled around its weathered hull alongside massive overgrowths of seaweed, radiating the decay and desolation of centuries gone by.
This was the legendary ark—
Noah.
"HAHAHAHA!! Shirahoshi!! My beloved Shirahoshi!!"
A twisted, hysterical laugh shattered the silence of the deep.
A decrepit ship resembling a drifting ghost vessel slowly approached Noah's colossal hull.
Standing aboard it was Vander Decken IX.
His bloodshot eyes locked obsessively onto the glowing silhouette of Fish-Man Island in the distance, protected by its massive bubble membrane.
It was as though he could already see the figure he longed for.
"Now… NOW is the moment our unbreakable love shall be tested!!"
"My dear Shirahoshi! You are the one treasure the deep sea bestowed upon me! The bride fate chose for me! We are destined to love one another!!"
His tone suddenly became dark and deranged, overflowing with destructive obsession.
"That's why… you can belong only to me—Vander Decken IX!!"
"There are only two endings for you now…"
He paused.
The last traces of false tenderness vanished entirely from his eyes, leaving behind nothing but pure madness.
"Either you join me forever in the eternal sanctuary of love…"
"…or you perish alongside your cowardly father and this hypocritical kingdom beneath Noah's impact!!"
"This… is my final declaration of love to you!!"
After finishing his manic monologue, Vander Decken abruptly turned around.
With solemn resolve, he pressed his right hand against Noah's ancient hull—cold, rough, and covered in rust and barnacles.
HUMMM…
A deep rumble echoed faintly from within the giant ark itself.
Then—
The colossal vessel, which had slept for centuries like an immovable mountain…
began to move.
Massive chains groaned like the breathing of a giant beast.
Violent currents erupted as seawater was displaced by the ship's unimaginable bulk.
Noah—the ark once meant to carry an ancient promise—
had now transformed into a falling meteor aimed directly at Fish-Man Island.
And it was accelerating toward the fragile bubble-enclosed light below.
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