Sabaody Archipelago, Grove 1.
This place was originally the most chaotic, lawless zone in the archipelago, a paradise for pirates and bounty hunters, a heaven for slave traders.
But today, it had fallen into a strange, suffocating silence.
The slave auction house, once a goldmine symbolizing underworld power, was now nothing but a massive, smoking, scorched crater.
And at the edge of the crater, those four empty shackles, still sparking with the light of electricity and seastone, stood like four silent tombstones, silently telling all onlookers about the divine judgment that had occurred not long ago.
"Not... not even ashes left..."
A pirate swallowed his saliva, his voice trembling as he looked at the four shackles.
"'Iron Wall' Barricade... a CP0 monster... and Don Dorados's ace 'Trident Claw Trio'... just... gone like that?"
"That fat guy… that monster calling himself Admiral Haiiroyo's subordinate… the Janitor"
An information broker clutched a freshly snapped photo, his face filled with both terror and fanatic excitement.
"He wiped out the Celestial Dragons' elite squad… in less than three minutes!"
This news, as if given wings of lightning, spread throughout the entire Sabaody Archipelago within a single hour!
"Fish-Man Island… is under Haiiroyo's protection!"
"Admiral Haiiroyo is on vacation, and he's in a very bad mood!"
"Anyone who dares lay a finger on Fish-Man Island... no matter who... their fate will be those four shackles!"
This tyrannical proclamation, personally delivered by Rehn, struck the underground forces of Sabaody like a magnitude-12 earthquake.
Slave traders who once dreamed of capturing mermaids felt as though icy deep-sea water had been poured over their heads.
'Are you kidding?!'
'Haiiroyo, the monster who dared extort over 20 billion Berries from a Yonko.'
'Now, just for his vacation, he had openly killed agents of a Celestial Dragon?!'
This was no longer provocation.
This was war.
It was a direct and brutal warning from Haiiroyo to the "gods" of this world, the Celestial Dragons.
No one dared speak.
Everyone realized the sky over Sabaody was about to change.
No… the sky over the entire sea was about to change.
.....
At a certain exclusive, extravagantly luxurious port on Sabaody Archipelago reserved for Celestial Dragons.
Inside a massive, pure-white vessel flying the flag of the World Government.
Saint Jalmack was lying with extreme impatience on his chaise lounge made of gold and ivory.
Under his characteristic glass hood was a face twisted with petulance from waiting.
"Hey... why aren't they back yet?"
His shrill voice echoed in the room. "Didn't I say I wanted pink tails? It's just catching a few fish! Why is it taking so long? That useless Barricade! That fat man Dorados! Are they mocking me?!"
"Saint… Saint Jalmack…"
A CP agent in a black suit knelt trembling, not daring to lift his head.
"Hm?!" Jalmack suddenly sat up. "They're back?! Where are my toys? Bring them to me immediately!"
"N-no… Saint Jalmack… something terrible has happened!"
"Terrible?!" Jalmack's expression instantly twisted. "What could be more important than my toys? Did those lowlife creatures revolt?!"
"It's… Lord Barricade… and Dorados' men…"
The agent's teeth chattered.
"They're… all gone!!"
"…What?!"
Jalmack's shrill voice shot up an octave.
"Gone?! What do you mean gone?! You filthy insect, what nonsense are you saying?!"
"It's... it's true!"
The agent completely broke down, shouting the horrifying intelligence from Grove 1:
"At the Fish-Man Island shopping district… while capturing mermaids… Lord Barricade and the Trident Claw team encountered… a subordinate of Haiiroyo!"
"Haiiroyo?"
Jalmack still had some impression of that name; 'Wasn't he just a "dog of the Marines" that Dorados had mentioned earlier?'
"Yes! That one!!"
The agent's voice shook.
"His subordinate, a fat lightning man who calls himself Ren... on the spot... on the spot he... he... completely..."
"Completely what?! Spit it out, you idiot!"
Jalmack smashed a golden goblet onto the guard's head.
"Completely gone, not even ashes left!!"
The agent finally broke down. With blood streaming down his head, he let out a despairing roar:
"Lord Barricade… was electrocuted by lightning until nothing remained! The Trident Claw members were executed too! Their bodies, no, their shackles were hung at the auction house ruins in Grove 1!"
Jalmack froze.
For the first time, a look of bewilderment appeared on his petulant face.
Barricade...
That "Iron Wall"...
That pride of CP0, the "Shield of the Gods"...
That strongest guard he believed could crush any lower life form...
Gone... not even ashes left?
"A-and…" the guard added shakily, recalling something worse.
"That lightning fat man declared it publicly to all Sabaody…"
"He said Fish-Man Island is Haiiroyo's vacation ground…"
"And anyone who reaches toward it, no matter who, will face his wrath… and end up like those shackles."
BOOM!!!
The words threat and anyone finally detonated inside the mind of the so-called god.
"AAAAAA!!!"
A shriek sharp enough to shatter glass burst from his throat.
He grabbed everything nearby, gold candlesticks, diamond ornaments, rare fruit, and hurled them around.
"A mere… mere… lowlife!!"
"A dog we keep to watch our gates!!"
"He... he... he dares... to kill my men?!"
"He dares... to threaten me?!"
Trembling with rage, he stomped like a child denied a toy, but his fury was deadly.
"Haiiroyo!!"
He grabbed another CP agent by the collar.
"You! Immediately summon the Celestial Guard!"
"Call every 'Divine Executor' (CP0 elites) on our ship!!"
"S-Saint Jalmack… what are you going to do?!"
"What am I going to do?!"
A cruel light gleamed in Jalmack's eyes. "That useless Barricade is dead! So I'll take matters into my own hands!!"
"That damn Haiiroyo, he's vacationing at Fish-Man Island, right?!"
"He's protecting those fish, right?!"
"Good! Very good!!"
He spread his arms like a mad tyrant.
"I will personally go to Fish-Man Island!"
His rage completely overwhelmed any caution.
To him, Renzo's actions were a betrayal of the gods, an insult to world order.
"He killed my men? Then I will crush everything he protects!"
"That lightning fat man, I'll roast him!"
"That Haiiroyo, I'll chain him and make him my mount!!"
Then his face flushed with sick excitement.
"Oh right… since I'm going anyway…"
He licked his lips.
"I heard King Neptune has a giant daughter… what was her name… Shirahoshi?"
"Heh… hehehehe…"
"This time, I'll capture her myself."
"I'll make Haiiroyo watch as the things he protects are crushed… by a god… piece by piece!"
"Depart! Coat the ship! Destination, Fish-Man Island!"
"I… am going hunting!!"
One Hour Later
A far larger and more menacing black warship, bearing the Celestial Dragon hoof crest, descended silently into the deep sea escorted by dozens of CP0 elites and Celestial guards.
Ahead lay the softly glowing giant bubble, Ryugu Kingdom.
Without slowing. Without announcement.
The warship violently tore through the island's entry bubble and slammed into the upper waters like a meteor.
Panic erupted.
"What ship is that?!"
"That flag, it's… a Celestial Dragon!!"
The residents, who had just begun to feel safe under Haiiroyo's protection, were thrown into even deeper despair.
Saint Jalmack had arrived, with elite forces and burning fury.
.....
Deep Within Ryugu Palace, Coral Bath
A natural open-air hot spring surrounded by colorful coral reefs and connected to an undersea volcanic vein. Steam carrying faint sulfur and sea salt drifted like a fairyland.
"Glug…"
Renzo leaned comfortably against the warm jade pool, eyes closed, only his head above the water.
The warm seawater washed away his fatigue… and the irritation of a disturbed vacation.
"Lord Renzo… is the water temperature… satisfactory?"
The voice belonged to Emilia, the eldest mermaid with long sea-blue hair. She and four others stayed timidly on the opposite side, their tails gently swaying in the water, faces still flushed with gratitude and lingering fear.
"Mm."
Renzo didn't even open his eyes.
"L-Lord Renzo… thank you so much! If not for you and Lord Rehn… we… we can't imagine…"
"Quiet."
He cut her off.
"Eh?!" The five mermaids instantly fell silent in fright.
"…Noisy."
"S-sorry!" They immediately covered their mouths, daring not to disturb his vacation any longer.
Giggle…
A light laugh, like silver bells, yet oddly large, was heard.
....
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