Chapter 428 - 267

AI Model: gemini-3.0-flashChapter 268: "Sea King" Shirahoshi!"What do we do now?! The Ark of Covenant has been blown to bits by that reckless brat's punch!!"A Sea King resembling an ancient Mosasaurus let out a dull roar, churning the surrounding seawater into undercurrents."What else can we do?! Shut up, you brainless idiot!"Another giant oarfish Sea King lashed the water with its whip-like body."Didn't you see what's swirling around that kid?! White flame clouds! That's the symbol of Awakening... the sign of inheriting that bastard Joy Boy's power and will!""Believe it or not, if you dare show even a hint of hostility or make a move...""...our old bones will be turned into fish paste at the bottom of the sea today!""Gurarara... Old Oarfish is right."A steadier, older voice, sounding like the movement of undersea mountains, rang out.The speaker was the largest Sea King, shaped like a giant turtle.It slowly turned its head, which was as vast as a deep valley, its gaze piercing through the massive double-layered bubble membrane of Fish-Man Island to land precisely on the plaza.It settled on the young girl who was looking up, her long pink hair swaying slightly in the water, her beautiful face filled with visible worry and anxiety."Moreover...""Haven't you felt it? That boy... his relationship with our 'King' seems... quite extraordinary."Hearing this, the other giant Sea Kings turned their lake-sized pupils in unison, their gazes also piercing the bubble membrane to focus on Shirahoshi.They could clearly sense that the Mermaid Princess's entire attention and heart were currently tied to the figure of that tiny human outside.That pure worry and concern could not be faked.For a moment, these deep-sea overlords, capable of easily toppling small nations, fell into a strange silence and awkwardness.Fight? They probably couldn't win, and he seemed to have a deep connection with the 'King.'Don't fight? The Ark of Covenant is gone; there has to be some sort of explanation, right?On the other side, Luffy, at the center of the vacuum field, stood with his arms crossed, leisurely listening to these giant Sea Kings' uninhibited conversation.His brow twitched slightly, and a playful smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth.'Interesting... thinking I can't understand "fish talk," so they're openly discussing how to deal with me right in front of my face?''If I didn't see that you big dummies are Shirahoshi's subordinates...''Just based on what you said, I'd have scattered your ashes by now!!!'..."Our King... please come and talk with us."A grand, ancient, yet incredibly gentle and respectful voice flowed silently into Shirahoshi's mind."Huh?!"Shirahoshi's delicate body trembled slightly, a look of confusion appearing in her emerald-blue eyes.She instinctively looked around, but only saw the still-unconscious citizens and companions nearby, and the solemn profiles of Zoro and the others in the distance."Don't look around, Princess Shirahoshi... we're talking to you.""Our King, please come up here.""Don't worry, they... cannot hear these words."One respectful voice after another, with different tones and emotions, rang out in her mind, as if several invisible ancient sages were whispering to her at once.Shirahoshi bit her soft lip, her long eyelashes fluttering anxiously.She looked up, her gaze shifting between the colossal shadows in the deep sea that resembled moving mountains and the tiny yet incredibly solid figure floating alone in front of her with his back turned.Ultimately, her absolute trust in Master Luffy and an instinctive calling from deep within her heart made her reach a decision.Taking a deep breath, her massive pink tail fin swayed gracefully and firmly as she swam lightly and swiftly toward the sea where Luffy was... arriving at the same height as the giant Sea Kings."O King... it is a pleasure to speak with you again. It has been ten years, hasn't it? Look at you, you have grown so beautiful."The Sea King shaped like a giant turtle with a coral crown transmitted thoughts filled with the endless tenderness and relief of a grandfather."Um... my name is Shirahoshi."Shirahoshi responded somewhat timidly yet courageously to this strange communication."Why... do you keep calling me 'King'?""Because that is your innate identity and destiny, Princess Shirahoshi."Another Sea King, shaped like a giant whale with a steady voice, explained."Every few hundred years, the 'King' who rules the sea reappears in the form of a Mermaid Princess.""And you, Princess Shirahoshi, are the 'King' our era has been waiting for.""You are one of the Three Ancient Weapons passed down through ancient history, possessing the power to change the world—""'Poseidon', the Sea King.""You were born with the supreme authority to command and communicate with all Sea Kings!!"Shirahoshi listened blankly, the massive amount of information making it hard for her to process for a moment, her emerald-blue eyes filled with confusion and disbelief.She was clearly... clearly just an ordinary girl who had been trapped in a tower for ten years, crybaby and cowardly, called 'Crybaby-hoshi' by Master Luffy.How could she suddenly become a legendary Ancient Weapon? The 'King' of these deep-sea behemoths who were like deities?"This power and identity might be hard to accept at first,"The oldest turtle Sea King seemed to sense her confusion, its thoughts becoming more persuasive and guided by wisdom."But please believe that this power... might be of immeasurable help to the one by your side.""Help... Master Luffy?"Shirahoshi instinctively tilted her head slightly, stealing a glance at Luffy, who was standing beside her with his arms crossed and a speechless expression.Thinking that she might be able to help him and no longer be a burden needing protection... the fear and resistance in the young girl's heart brought by her identity as 'Poseidon' began to strangely loosen and melt.A pure, reliant smile involuntarily bloomed on her exquisite face."I... I will work hard to accept it, to learn!!" she responded firmly."Speaking of which, O King..."A slightly lively and teasing thought chimed in, coming from a Sea King with a long, winding body like a mythical oarfish."Are you... in love with that human boy?""In-In love with... Master Luffy?!!"This blunt question was like a deep-sea bomb, instantly making Shirahoshi's mind go blank.Immediately after, a startling red blush spread from her fair neck to the tips of her ears, finally engulfing her entire delicate face.Flustered, her massive tail fin became too stiff with embarrassment to move.——BOOM!!!!!Just as Shirahoshi was about to evaporate from shame and the oarfish Sea King was feeling smug about its 'witty' question, a loud explosion suddenly erupted!On the island-sized head of that giant oarfish, a red, swollen lump as big as a small hill appeared without warning!Its long body stiffened before it began spinning uncontrollably, countless stars appearing in its huge eyes, clearly having been struck by a sudden heavy blow and falling into a state of severe dizziness!"You bunch of bastard seaweed-heads—!!"Luffy's roar exploded in the vacuum like a thunderclap.He retracted his fist, wisps of white air still lingering on his knuckles.His mouth twitched, and a vein seemed to throb at his temple as he roared at the giant Sea Kings who were instantly 'dumbfounded.'"Don't go corrupting 'Crybaby-hoshi' here!!"The air instantly froze.The lake-like pupils of the giant Sea Kings went wide in unison, filled with disbelief and belated horror.An ice-cold chill shot from their tailbones straight to the tops of their heads!"S-So... you can hear us talk?!!"So... those private conversations about 'reckless brat,' 'turning him into fish paste,' and 'teasing the King's feelings'... were all heard by this terrifying human boy without missing a word?!This wasn't a private conversation... this was dancing on the grave of the King of Hell!!"That... that's impossible!"The giant eel Sea King's voice turned shrill with fear."The last human who could clearly understand our communication... was twenty years ago!!"...Luffy landed lightly back on the ground, the blazing white flame clouds and silver-white lightning around him quickly receding and vanishing like a tide.His signature white hair turned black and smooth again, and the carefree, bright smile returned to his face.He looked around at the citizens lying scattered across the plaza like mowed wheat and said with a grin."Shishishi! Why did everyone faint!!""Hey! You idiot rubber Captain!!"Sanji took a deep drag of the cigarette between his fingers, trying to calm his still racing heart, cold sweat still lingering on his forehead."Don't just release your Conqueror's Haki at full power so recklessly! You bastard, are you trying to take us out along with them?!"For Sanji, who had yet to awaken Conqueror's Haki, facing Luffy's terrifying Haki—which was off the charts after being boosted by the nika form—even the aftershocks were enough to make him feel an overwhelming pressure as if facing an abyss; it was a completely different level of power."Shishi, sorry, sorry!"Luffy scratched the back of his head without much sincerity, looking at the 'field of corpses' before him and showing a rare expression of embarrassment."Sometimes... when the power surges up, it's a bit hard to control!"He wasn't entirely making excuses.Conqueror's Haki was the most special of the three types, the most dependent on talent and spirit, and the hardest to control precisely.Even "Red Hair" Shanks, hailed as the 'pinnacle of Haoshoku' with mastery reaching perfection, would inevitably cause collateral damage when going all out.And Luffy's own top-tier Haoshoku potential, after the awakening and enhancement of the Sun God nika fruit, had reached a terrifying level that even he hadn't fully grasped—one that could be described as'sky-shattering.'When it erupted at full power, the difficulty of perfectly containing it without harming innocents was easy to imagine.'As expected...'Luffy sighed silently in his heart, a trace of solemnity known only to himself passing beneath his playful smile.'To truly master this power at will like the legendary Joy Boy... there is still a long way to go.'"Hey, hey... you monsters..."A weak but resentful voice came from the side.Trafalgar Law was sitting slumped on the ground without any sense of decorum, leaning against a broken coral pillar with his kikoku sword across his knees.His face was pale, his bangs soaked with sweat, and his legs were still trembling uncontrollably.He glanced at straw hat-ya and his core officers, who were chatting and laughing as if they had just finished a warm-up exercise.Then he looked at his own pathetic state, and thought about the terrifying Haki that had swept the whole island and almost taken him out too... Law silently and forcefully rolled his eyes, turning his face away, really not wanting to look at these non-human guys anymore."Comparing yourself to others will only drive you crazy!!"