Chapter 333: Shirahoshi's Choice, the Giant Army!
"The Zodiac... Neck Gold Dragon?"
Hearing Loki's words, Neptune only felt even more bewildered.
From a moment ago, the things happening in front of him were completely incomprehensible to him—Loki suddenly appeared near Fish-Man Island. He was clearly an ability user, yet under the influence of that starlight, he didn't fear seawater, and even claimed to be Shirahoshi's friend.
And now, he even said he was a member of 'The Zodiac'.
"Mm, it's troublesome to explain. I'll let that guy Uma or my mother explain it to you later."
"In short, King Neptune, you only need to understand... we are here to help Fish-Man Island."
Loki waved his hand—he was never one good at explaining, and most of the time he couldn't even be bothered to explain.
"Put down that thing in your hand."
As he spoke, his gaze fell upon the 'Wrath of the Sea' in Neptune's hand.
He didn't know about the existence of the Energy Steroid, but from Neptune's expression and actions just now, he could judge—it had to be some kind of trump card with immense side effects, highly likely even requiring one's life as the price to use.
The action Neptune took just now, unhesitatingly preparing to swallow it to protect Fish-Man Island, had already earned Loki's approval for this old friend of his father.
"Mighty King, this country still needs you."
Loki said in a deep voice.
Exactly when his words reached this point.
Rumble!
From the murky currents in the distance, roaring Conqueror's Haki surged forth. A magnificent slash tore through the ocean currents, scattering the lingering shockwave sphere, and struck Loki across the midsection.
"Oh!?"
The exaggerated power and speed of that slash drew an involuntary shout of excitement from Loki.
He waved slightly behind him: "Lightning!"
BOOM!
As the words fell, the giant hammer had already flown back in reverse and landed in his hand.
"Primordial World!"
Loki raised his hand and lifted the hammer, unleashing frost and lightning in this deep sea to meet that slash.
But...
"Hm!?"
Just a moment later, Loki's eyes beneath the bandages abruptly widened.
An unbelievable expression appeared on Loki's face. The frost and lightning he unleashed collapsed the instant they met that slash—the Conqueror's Haki swirling on that slash and another pitch-black power yawned like an abyss, swallowing his power completely.
A moment later, Loki's figure was blasted into the distant seabed by the slash.
The slash's momentum didn't wane, directly cleaving through the seabed, and from within the seabed, crimson magma rose up with fiery light.
"Loki!"
Seeing this scene, Neptune let out an exclamation of alarm.
Although up until now he still couldn't quite understand why Loki appeared, or the other party's faction.
But he could at least judge that Loki was currently an absolute ally, so he was naturally worried right now.
But a moment later.
BOOM!
From that magma, a hand reached out.
The magma flowed along his body, illuminating the pitch-black scales and that even more expanded physique.
Wings flapping, the half-dragon half-human Loki flew up.
In his hand, a squirrel's head was growing out of the handle of Lightning, continuously blowing at the flames burning on its tail.
And on Loki's body, the fierce winds and lightning, the flames and frost still swirling around him even in the deep sea, made him look even more like a true God of War.
Seeing Loki emerge from the magma bathed in fire, Neptune breathed a sigh of relief, but at the same time couldn't help but marvel inwardly.
He knew Harald was very strong, but he didn't expect the other party's son to also be this strong.
But then again.
For the current Fish-Man Island, the stronger Loki was, the better, naturally.
"Hoo..."
And right now, Loki exhaled a deep breath.
"It really is just like that guy Uma said, the guy who came this time is the spokesperson for the 'Abyss'."
As he spoke, he looked at his abdomen.
There, even with the defensive power of the Nidhogg Fruit combined with his terrifying physical toughness as an Ancient Giant and Uranus, a scar still appeared.
On that scar, pitch-black power circulated, making Loki's physique as a Mythical Zoan ability user unable to recover quickly.
Until...
VMMM!
Loki picked up Lightning and gently tapped his abdomen with the hammer.
Source Energy of Lineage Factor surged, cancelling out that pitch-black power.
Then, that wound finally began to heal rapidly.
"He's a guy who has mastered Divine Power... mm, no, according to Uma, that kind of power should be called Source Energy of Lineage Factor."
Loki muttered, his gaze looking at the figure slowly stepping out from the ocean waves in the distance.
That man cleaving the waves and returning to Loki's sight was naturally Shamrock.
His body similarly bore the hideous wounds caused by Loki's strike just now, but just like Loki—with every step he took, the injuries on his body recovered at a speed visible to the naked eye.
"Abyssal Contract, plus Source Energy of Lineage Factor..."
Loki murmured, and then a hint of a smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.
"Just what I wanted."
"Before, my body was occupied by that guy Teach, and later I couldn't find an opportunity to fight that guy Uma again. My hands have been itching for ages."
As he spoke, he tightened his grip on Lightning in his hand—as Elbaf's strongest warrior, he thirsted for fierce battles.
But as one of the Ancient Weapons, 'Uranus', possessing the physique of an Ancient Giant, while also wielding the Mythical Zoan weapon 'Lightning', and simultaneously being the user of the Nidhogg Fruit... looking at the entire sea, one could hardly find a few existences that could be called 'opponents' for Loki.
The Zodiac members counted as opponents, but he clearly couldn't find any suitable reason to fight them right now.
And Shamrock in front of him would clearly be a qualified opponent.
"King Neptune, return to Fish-Man Island immediately—leave this guy to me to deal with."
His deep voice entered Neptune's ears.
"By the way... the Zodiac 'Uma' asked me to tell you, Shirahoshi is with him and is currently preparing to execute a plan."
"Wait, what on earth are you talking about!?"
Hearing Loki's words, Neptune, whose heart was originally extremely tense due to this battle, immediately widened his eyes.
"The Zodiac Uma? Shirahoshi is with him? Did he abduct my daughter!?"
Especially upon hearing the last sentence, the doting father Neptune glared in anger, blowing his beard.
"'Abducted' isn't quite right — that guy Duke Ponpon made the choice herself in order to save the people of Fish-Man Island."
Hearing this, Loki grinned: "Now it only depends on whether you, as a father, are willing to cooperate with her."
"You..."
Hearing this, Neptune gritted his teeth and roared: "Speak clearly!"
"There's no time for that."
Loki looked at Shamrock, who had already raised his rapier again in the distance: "When fighting a guy of this level, I don't have time to worry about others."
"..."
Neptune looked at the massive power once again converging in Shamrock's hand, gritted his teeth, and still pursued the question: "You say Shirahoshi made the choice herself, to save Fish-Man Island?"
"Honest to goodness."
"..."
Hearing this, Neptune couldn't help but think of his daughter.
That gentle and cowardly daughter, yet very much like her mother.
Just as he had said before.
She was the Princess of Fish-Man Island.
She was Fish-Man Island's 'Poseidon'.
One day, she would become the hero of Fish-Man Island.
So...
"What do you need me to do!?"
Neptune didn't hesitate and responded.
Even though he was currently completely ignorant about Loki, about The Zodiac, and about the entire plan.
But he believed in his daughter, just as he believed in himself.
"I heard you are the most valiant 'Great Knight' of Fish-Man Island, the 'God of War' of the Fish-Man race commanding military formations—since that's the case, immediately return to Fish-Man Island now and lead the army to suppress all the Fish-Men subjected to Black Transmutation Control."
Loki responded like this, and then swung Lightning.
BOOM!
A violent tide instantly sent Neptune flying, sending him tumbling back through the dome of Ryugu Palace.
And Neptune, who finally managed to stabilize his figure, looked at Loki carrying Lightning and charging towards Shamrock, and let out a low shout: "Army? Suppress all transformed Fish-Men?"
No matter how gifted a commander he was, was he supposed to command thin air?
But exactly while he was cursing angrily in his heart like this.
VMMM!
Neptune then saw another burst of starlight emerging in this deep sea, in this sea area covered by the light of the Sunlight Tree Eve.
It instantly covered the chaotic Fish-Man Island.
Then...
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Heavy footsteps sounded.
"Ho, this is 'Black Transmutation Control'?"
"They look completely like monsters."
"The strength of the Fish-Men has actually been enhanced... not bad, they are opponents worth fighting."
"Hey hey, Heroic Spirits, come out a bit less. Haven't had a proper fight in ages — hands are itching something fierce. Don't let it end too quickly."
"That's a dangerous thing to say. Mr. Uma said that people subjected to Black Transmutation Control can still be saved as far as The Zodiac is concerned. Go easy on them — don't beat them to death."
Accompanied by such words, majestic, mountain-like figures strode out from the curtain of starlight.
They wore armor, held weapons, and all carried that faint starlight on their bodies.
Those were exactly...
"Giants!?"
Fish-Men who still retained their consciousness let out exclamations of alarm, such as the female tuna Fish-Man who was previously being hunted down by her own husband—already covered in bruises, she saw a Giant swing a massive shield and send her husband flying with a single blow.
"Are they Giant warriors of Elbaf!?"
"Why would they come to Fish-Man Island?"
"Are they here to help us?"
The surviving, untransformed Fish-Men let out such exclamations.
At the same time, Neptune was already staring blankly.
"Hey, Neptune."
But while he was staring blankly, a voice came from beside him.
He looked down warily, and then saw a white-haired old man holding twin axes.
"...Gaban?"
He widened his eyes in disbelief, clearly having already recognized the other party—the Pirate King Roger's right-hand man, 'Mountain Swallower' Gaban.
Roger and Neptune were naturally old acquaintances.
"What are you..."
It's just that right now, he noticed Gaban's body was also surrounded by starlight.
"Ah, it's a long story."
Hearing the inquiry from an old friend, Gaban also scratched his head.
"For now, just think of it as — I've joined The Zodiac's faction along with the Giants and my wife and child, and am here to help you this time."
Speaking of this, he also looked at Neptune very seriously: "In short, we need you to issue commands to direct the army to suppress all the transformed Fish-Men now, while also gathering the surviving Fish-Men, and having them head to..."
He said a location in a low voice.
"Have all the Fish-Men go to that place?"
Hearing this, Neptune frowned tightly: "And then?"
Gaban smiled mysteriously.
"And then, we only need to wait for the descent of the 'Stars'."
"Elbaf... the Giant race indeed hasn't gone extinct."
Exactly while Gaban sought out Neptune and began discussing the subsequent plan.
On the other side, Shamrock, holding 'Seven Sins' high in his hand, had also already seen the Giant warrior army appearing on Fish-Man Island.
His expression was gloomy, but right now he clearly had no time to worry about them.
Because his gaze and all his attention had to be used to deal with Loki in front of him.
"'Uranus', Ratatoskr, Nidhogg — so they were hidden in Elbaf all along... your race is truly a race that rebels against God!"
He said in a deep voice, his words carrying a chill.
Just as mentioned before.
As the sole God's Knight who received Imu's blessing and had now almost become His spokesperson.
Shamrock knew many things.
He could tell at a glance that the power of 'Uranus' on Loki, as well as the special fruit combination of the 'Nidhogg Fruit' and the 'Ratatoskr Fruit', and could even immediately guess—over a long period of time in the past, they must have always been controlled by Elbaf.
And without a doubt.
Whether it was those two Mythical Zoan fruits that could manipulate Source Energy of Lineage Factor, or the power of Uranus, they were all crucial parts of Joy Boy and Davy Jones' plan to overthrow Imu, and were precisely what Imu detested most.
"Has your Giant race completely surrendered to 'The Zodiac'?"
Especially after realizing this point, Shamrock directly felt Lord Imu's anger and trepidation through the power of the contract.
Uranus obtaining the power of 'Nidhogg' and 'Ratatoskr' was inherently a very bad signal.
And for such a guy to join The Zodiac was an even greater threat to Imu.
So...
"Besides destroying Fish-Man Island and the Sunlight Tree Eve, I also have to kill you here."
Shamrock's blade pointed at Loki.
"If you can do it."
Hearing this, Loki stuck out his tongue: "I actually don't mind."
As the words fell.
The figures of the two charged towards each other.
BOOM!
The giant hammer and the rapier collided, and a terrifying shockwave instantly resounded through the sea once again.
(End of Chapter)
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