"This is bad!" Neptune and Rosen, seeing Shirahoshi in this state, were both utterly horrified. They both knew that this kind of emotional distress could very likely summon giant Sea Kings.
Moreover, Sea Kings of a size exceeding five thousand meters. If it were just one or two, an Admiral-level combatant could handle them. But what was more terrifying was that these colossal creatures possessed intelligence far surpassing that of humans. They stood at the apex of all marine life, their numbers unknown, and whether they possessed special abilities also remained a mystery.
What Rosen did know was that every Sea King summoned by Shirahoshi possessed the power to easily destroy an island. They lurked in the vicinity of Fishman Island's waters, perhaps in abyssal depths unknown to anyone.
If ordinary ships passed by and these creatures remained still, most would simply mistake them for undersea mountains.
"Law, treat her first. Alleviate her suffering. Her constitution is rather special. The poison gas might be mutually repelling and conflicting with some power within her body."
"Boss." Robin was somewhat worried. She knew Shirahoshi's true identity, having extensively studied the Poneglyphs, but she did not know what exactly was happening to Shirahoshi now.
"Understood. Operating Room... Amputate..." Under Law's direction, Shirahoshi floated up. Although her consciousness was unclear, the pain in her brow was still evident. A ripple of intangible energy, like an invisible wave, emanated from her body and spread outward, centered on Fishman Island.
But just as Law began to dismember Shirahoshi, the entirety of Fishman Island suddenly darkened, as if the entire sky had been blotted out by some gargantuan creatures.
Rosen and the others looked up, and many nearly had heart attacks from fright. Above Fishman Island, outside the bubble membrane, the heads of four or five colossal creatures had materialized. These heads alone completely obscured the sky above the entire island.
People looking up from inside or outside Fishman Island saw only the heads of giant Sea Kings dominating the whole sky above. It was truly terrifying.
"Giant Sea Kings?!" Enel and the others were also startled. He had never been to the Calm Belt, and even in the Calm Belt, one would not necessarily see so many giant Sea Kings at once. Some Sea Kings were not even as massive as these.
This size... five thousand meters? Rosen estimated that some among them might well exceed ten thousand meters. How heavy would the tail of a ten-thousand-meter Sea King be? A single swing could likely pulverize an entire town or send it flying.
Great size often symbolizes great power.
"What is going on? Why would giant Sea Kings come to Fishman Island, and in such numbers?"
"I don't know, but it seems similar events have happened before."
The fishmen of Fishman Island, just rescued, were once again plunged into despair. Although they could communicate with fish, these giant creatures—even if communication were possible—would hardly heed such ant-like beings before them.
Except for their sovereign.
"Is our sovereign alright?" one Sea King asked another, though no one could understand their words. They were far too ancient.
"She seems to have been poisoned. She must have summoned us unconsciously."
"Are there enemies?"
"A few suspects, but probably not. It seems they are trying to save our sovereign now. Oh, it's the power of that fruit. I seem to have some recollection..." a Sea King with sharp fangs remarked calmly.
"What is our sovereign's will then? By our reckoning, the time should be about right. She will soon adapt to and master her power."
"Her earlier conveyed will was to protect Fishman Island."
"Hmm~ Poison gas? There's poison gas on the island? That suits my taste. Leave it to me." A serpent-like giant Sea King broke through the bubble membrane. Its head, massive as a mountain peak, descended upon Ryugu Palace, causing seawater to cascade in with a rushing roar.
"That won't do. It will destroy Fishman Island." The fanged Sea King drew in a deep breath and then, astonishingly, exhaled a gigantic air bubble from its mouth, connecting the serpentine Sea King to the bubble membrane. This halted the influx of seawater.
"My god! How can such terrifying creatures exist near Fishman Island? Fishman Island is doomed! Completely doomed!" Not a few pirates, seeing half of the serpentine Sea King's body enter Fishman Island, scrambled over one another, fleeing the area in utter terror.
Even Rosen felt a twinge of tension. These giant Sea Kings exerted an immense pressure upon him. Was this the power of Poseidon, the Sea King, unleashed unconsciously and uncontrollably?
If one could truly command a vast host of such creatures, Rosen felt that even he might not last long in a direct confrontation. This was a power equivalent to Pluton, capable of destroying the world. Truly fearsome.
The patients in Ryugu Palace and King Neptune were also filled with terror. Even Neptune, though aware that this was Shirahoshi's power, did not know whether the beings she had unconsciously summoned might inadvertently destroy Fishman Island.
No one was free from tension. Indeed, many fishmen of Fishman Island, weakened by poison and overwhelmed by terror, fainted in droves.
Enel and the others were on high alert as if facing a formidable enemy. Enel's body began to crackle with lightning, and Robin gradually transformed into her demonic form.
"Sister Robin, so cool!" Natalie was instantly smitten. Ah, a Devil Fruit... she really wanted one.
Some crew members, witnessing Robin enter this demonic state for the first time, were filled with curiosity. So their vice-captain had been concealing such power. It felt incredibly oppressive.
"Wait for now." Rosen did not believe the Sea Kings would destroy Fishman Island. Shirahoshi, no matter her will, would never do such a thing.
"What on earth is happening?! Does Fishman Island suffer attacks from giant Sea Kings?" Baron Tamago was equally bewildered.
If such attacks occurred, how had Fishman Island remained unscathed until now? It seemed necessary, upon their return, to thoroughly investigate the history of Fishman Island.
Sure enough, the serpentine Sea King did not attack the fishmen nor destroy Fishman Island. Instead, it opened its cavernous maw and began drawing something from the air with a sibilant hiss.
Then Rosen and the others witnessed the green-gold mist blanketing the entire island flow like a returning tide, streaming into the Sea King's mouth as if returning to its source.
"It's clearing the toxins from the air above Fishman Island? But the air itself isn't being sucked dry. How is it doing that?" Robin was astonished. Did these giant Sea Kings possess special abilities?
It did not seem impossible. After all, some of them had lived for eons. Even the most ordinary creature, over such immense spans of time, might learn some extraordinary techniques.
"Protecting Fishman Island, are they? These creatures possess high intelligence."
With the green-gold mist no longer shrouding Fishman Island, the serpentine Sea King glanced at the dismembered Shirahoshi with concern. It seemed inclined to approach and do something, but was halted. "That's enough. Do not prematurely stimulate our sovereign's awakening. Let her awaken naturally and master her power gradually. For now, there appears to be no immediate danger."
"Shall we depart then?"
"We shall depart. After all, that day will come soon enough. Time holds little meaning for us." The serpentine Sea King slowly withdrew from Fishman Island, and the bubble membrane resealed itself.
The giant Sea Kings gradually dispersed, and everyone exhaled a collective sigh of relief, as if a great weight had been lifted.
"Is the poison gone from Fishman Island?" Neptune looked at Fishman Island, now restored to clarity, and for a moment, tears of emotion welled in his aged eyes. Fishman Island had nearly been destroyed under his watch.
Although they had been desperately focused on saving people and hadn't yet considered the aftermath, even if they had succeeded in rescuing everyone, had the poison gas remained uncleared, Fishman Island would have been rendered a lifeless wasteland. He, Neptune, would have become an eternal sinner.
(End of Chapter)