Poseidon... what is Poseidon?
Shirahoshi bit her finger and asked with a cute, puzzled expression. Although she was the princess of Fish-Man Island, she had never heard the legend of Poseidon. Adrian knew this was because King Neptune had deliberately kept the truth hidden to protect her from malicious people. After all, Poseidon's identity was far too shocking.
In contrast to Shirahoshi's reaction, the moment Shiryu and the others heard that Shirahoshi was Poseidon, they froze in place, mouths agape. Even Bullet looked stunned.
Poseidon? One of the three Ancient Weapons?
The legend said that a mermaid princess would have the ability to communicate and command the Sea Kings, making her the true ruler of all the world's oceans. She would possess the terrifying power to either save or destroy the world.
But this sweet, naive, and tearful mermaid princess… she didn't look like she could destroy anything. Was Poseidon's style really this… kawaii?
Though Shiryu and the others found this hard to believe, no one dared to question Adrian's words. They trusted that what their captain said was true. The dread that had been hanging over them instantly vanished. A fleet of nearly a hundred ships? No problem. As long as Poseidon unleashed her power, they'd be gone in minutes.
But Captain, your swagger is off the charts. The women around you are all legendary figures, one after another.
Spoiler: And now you've got two of the "Three Beauties of the World." Is the last one already pre-ordered?
Adrian patiently explained the origins of Poseidon to Shirahoshi, then pointed to the warships covering the sea.
"Shirahoshi, don't worry. Slowly try to awaken the long-sealed power in your blood. Let this world remember the name of Poseidon again!"
"Mhm!" A determined look flashed in Shirahoshi's eyes. She calmed herself, doing her best to feel the ancient, mysterious thrumming within her.
'Someone, please help me. I don't want anything to happen to Lord Adrian…'
Invisible ripples of water, unnoticed by Shirahoshi herself, began to spread from her body and out into the deep sea.
'I think I heard Princess Shirahoshi's call!'
'Yes, although it's very faint, I felt it too.'
'Has our king finally awakened?'
'This is great…'
'It seems she needs our help?'
On the dark seafloor, giant eyes slowly opened, all turning in the direction the ripples came from. They belonged to a group of monstrous Sea Kings, whose heads were the size of Fish-Man Island. Even the smallest among them exceeded 1,000 meters in length. They were the undisputed apex predators of the sea.
Now, their King was calling them.
Boom! The ocean began to churn violently, setting off immense whirlpools.
"Hancock, Shirahoshi is concentrating. Please, don't let anyone disturb her."
Adrian didn't rush Shirahoshi. Even though she had shown faint signs of awakening before, it would take time for this unrivaled ancient power to fully emerge.
"Lord Adrian, please be rest assured. Unless they step over my dead body, no one will disrupt your plans… Ah!" the Empress said seriously.
Before she could finish, Adrian hastily pinched her chin. He slowly pulled her beautiful face closer, a warm, fragrant breath washing over him.
"Woman, listen to me," Adrian said, his dark eyes fixed on her. "As long as I'm here, no one in this world can ever hurt you."
"Ah!… I… I'm about to suffocate…"
The Empress instantly collapsed into his arms, weak and powerless. She gazed up at the man she revered like a god, her beautiful eyes filled with adoration and fascination.
'Lord Adrian is protecting me? What should I do? It's suddenly hard to breathe. My heart feels like it's about to leap out of my throat…'
The Empress held her hot cheeks as her mind became uncontrollably filled with their intimate moments.
"Alright, everyone prepare for battle."
Adrian gently pushed the Empress away and walked to the front alone. Facing the dense barrage of cannon fire, he declared with an unwavering voice, "For Dressrosa!"
"For Dressrosa!" A deafening roar erupted behind him, forming an atmosphere of unparalleled loyalty.
An aura exploded instantly. An imperial pressure, the Conqueror's Haki, loomed. A visible golden ripple formed in the air, not only shattering all the incoming shells but also crushing the massive fleet of the World Government.
In the blink of an eye, tens of thousands of soldiers on the front line of warships fainted in terror, as if like harvested wheat.
"You scumbag, you think you're the only one who knows Conqueror's?!"
On a warship, Doflamingo, who had joined the fleet to witness Adrian's defeat, released his own Conqueror's Haki with a furious glare, attempting to challenge him.
But reality was cruel. His Haki was suppressed instantly, unable to even spread beyond the small circle around him. It didn't even cover the entire ship he was on, let alone match Adrian's.
"Damn it… Ugh!" The enraged Doflamingo spat out a mouthful of blood.
"He's truly terrifying. I haven't seen him for a few days, and that kid's Conqueror's Haki seems to have gotten much stronger~~" Kizaru raised his hand to block the residual force, a look of fear on his face. Although he had wanted to find an opportunity to kill Adrian, the man's growth rate intimidated him.
How is he getting so strong so fast?
"Hmph!" Akainu snorted but didn't refute. He, too, had felt a dangerous aura from the blast that made him uneasy.
"Ice Age!" Aokiji was more pragmatic. As the battle officially began, he jumped into the air, instantly freezing the vast sea connecting the coasts.
"Kill…"
Countless members of the World Government and the Marines jumped onto the ice and charged toward Dressrosa with loud battle cries.
"Warriors! This is the critical moment to defend our country!"
"Take up your weapons! For our homeland, and for King Adrian, launch a brave and fearless charge against the enemy!"
Betty jumped to a high place, waving her battle flag. The invisible fluctuations from her "Pump-Pump Fruit" swept out, stimulating the potential of the humans around her.
"For King Adrian!"
"Charge!"
A mixed army of nearly 30,000 warriors from Fish-Man Island, the Dwarf Race, Sky Island, Amazon Lily, and all the secondary forces of Dressrosa. Under the effects of the Pump_Pump Fruit, these ordinary warriors erupted with a terrifying combat power far surpassing their normal abilities. This time, Adrian's side was ready for a full-scale war.
"Oh, Miss, after your encouragement, these soldiers have exploded with terrifying power~~"
A brilliant light shot across the sky. Kizaru, who had spotted the secret, appeared directly behind Betty. "But I'm sorry, I can't let you continue~~"
Betty didn't even turn around, ignoring Kizaru completely. She knew Adrian would protect her. As expected, just as Kizaru's fingertips flashed with a dazzling laser, Adrian's cold voice sounded behind him.
"Kizaru, didn't Blackbeard hurt you last time? I guess you don't have a long memory!"