"Renault, looks like we've run into an old friend," Hancock teased, glancing at the Marine warship stationed not far from the palace entrance.
"They certainly moved fast." Renault gave it a cursory glance before looking away. The Navy coming here now was obviously to force Jinbe to fight in the Paramount War against Whitebeard. However, they were destined to return empty-handed this time.
Inside the palace, the tension continued to escalate.
"Jinbe, are you truly refusing the summons?!" Doberman gritted his teeth, his eyes bloodshot with rage.
"Correct. I refuse!" Jinbe looked Doberman in the eye, his rugged face filled with resolve.
"Guards!!" Doberman bellowed. Two Marine soldiers behind him stepped forward, intending to restrain Jinbe.
Neptune hurriedly intervened. "Wait a moment, things haven't come to that yet."
The princes also pleaded for Jinbe: "While Boss Jinbe hasn't agreed to your terms, is there really a need to throw him into Impel Down?"
"Indeed, surely the crime doesn't warrant such a thing!"
Impel Down was known as the "Great Underwater Prison," an iron fortress. In history, no criminal sent there had ever come out alive. If Jinbe was locked away, he would never see the light of day again. The other Ryugu ministers joined in the pleas, keeping their postures incredibly low. As Doberman said, if even Jinbe was imprisoned, the future of Fish-Man Island would be grim.
"I gave him a chance. He was the one who threw it away," Doberman snorted, his attitude unyielding. "Jinbe, you'd best not think about resisting. Otherwise, you know the consequences."
Jinbe's face was dark, but he said nothing. He knew exactly what the consequences were. If he surrendered now, the Navy would only target him. If he fought back, even if he could drive Doberman away, the Navy would settle the score later. Not only him, but the entire island would be implicated.
"Rest assured. This old man will not resist." A resigned Jinbe held out his hands, waiting for the shackles.
"Take him!"
The two Marine soldiers stepped forward with the Sea Prism Stone cuffs. However, just as they lifted their feet, two bolts of silver lightning struck from above. The two men collapsed instantly, dead before they hit the floor.
"Neptune, you're looking for death!!"
Doberman immediately drew the long sword at his waist. He assumed Neptune had made a desperate move to keep Jinbe from being taken. Neptune was utterly bewildered. He threw his hands up—what did this have to do with him? If he had the courage to kill Marines, he wouldn't have been wasting his breath playing nice with Doberman in the first place.
"It wasn't us."
The princes also waved their hands frantically. If Doberman misunderstood this, the Navy would slaughter everyone on the island.
Just then, voices came from outside.
"Halt! You cannot enter!!" "You—"
BAM!
The palace doors were kicked open with brutal force. Hancock slowly lowered her long, beautiful leg. Renault and his companions stepped into the hall. The massive commotion drew everyone's attention.
"Who are you?! Get out now!" the eldest prince barked coldly. Did they not see how chaotic it already was?
At that moment, he hadn't noticed that Doberman, who had been shouting just seconds ago, was now frozen in place. The hand holding his sword was trembling slightly.
Jinbe and Neptune looked at the young-looking man in front and subconsciously swallowed. They recognized him. The man who had been a ghost for decades, the World Government's Public Enemy Number One: Renault!
"Hey, we're talking to you! Leave immediately!!"
Seeing Renault and his group ignore their warnings, the princes reached for their weapons.
"Stop! Everyone, stop right now!!!"
Neptune, having finally reacted, was terrified. His voice jumped several octaves. These brats—he told them to read the news more often, but they never listened. If they provoked Renault, Fish-Man Island would be wiped off the map.
The princes, seeing Neptune so panicked and noticing the abnormal expressions on Doberman and Jinbe, realized something was wrong and stopped. They retreated behind their father, eyeing the three newcomers with confusion.
"It was quite lively just a moment ago, wasn't it?"
Seeing the hall fall silent, Renault spoke with a light laugh. "I wondered who the Navy sent to Fish-Man Island. So, it was you, Doberman."
Hearing Renault call him by name, Doberman's pupils shrank, and cold sweat broke out on his forehead. Damn it, I've never even met Renault. How does he know my name?
"Renault... what... what do you want?!" Doberman gritted his teeth, his face full of dread.
"Renault? That name sounds so familiar. I think I've seen it somewhere." "Me too. Renault... Renault?" "Holy crap, that Renault!!"
The princes finally remembered. Years ago, they had seen Renault's bounty poster. They had only glanced at it briefly back then and hadn't thought much of it.
"You... you're that Renault?!" Prince Ryuboshi pointed a trembling finger at Renault in horror before quickly pulling it back, realizing how improper it was.
The princes looked at each other, their faces filled with the relief of a narrow escape. Thank goodness Neptune stopped them; otherwise, they'd be lying on the floor like those Marine soldiers. Thanks to the Navy's propaganda, in their minds, Renault was a monster even more ferocious than Rocks D. Xebec or Roger. It was only because of his eccentric behavior and tendency to vanish after a crime that his name wasn't as widely known among the youth.
They never expected him to walk right into Ryugu Palace.
"Renault, I am warning you, this place is very close to Marine Headquarters. Do not act recklessly. Otherwise..."
"Otherwise what?!"
Renault cut Doberman off mid-sentence. He slaughtered Celestial Dragons like dogs; did Doberman really think threatening him with the Navy would work? It was peak stupidity.
"Jinbe! If you help me take down Renault, I can speak to the Fleet Admiral for you regarding Ace!"
Doberman, knowing how ruthless Renault was, abandoned all delusions. He knew he was no match for him; his only hope was to team up with Jinbe. Only then would there be a glimmer of hope to leave alive.
Jinbe glanced at Doberman as if he were an idiot. He wasn't a fool—why would he provoke a man the World Government was terrified of? In the next second, the entire island might be slaughtered.
"Apologies. This old man cannot agree to that."
"You bastards!!" Doberman, left with no retreat, began to curse. Pirates were pirates; you could never count on them for anything.
"I'm here to talk business with Neptune. I have no interest in wasting time with you," Renault said as he naturally found a seat. Then, he gave the order:
"Kill him."
Shakky and Hancock moved instantly, flashing in front of Doberman with cold glints in their eyes.
"Frost-Bitten Fangs!!" A blast of freezing air erupted, surging toward Doberman.
Doberman didn't dare to be careless. He condensed Haki over his body while coating his sword. With a violent swing, the sword light shot out, splitting the pillar of frost in two.
"Perfume Femur!!" Hancock seized the opening, teleporting behind Doberman and launching a kick.
"Damn it!!" Unable to react in time, Doberman could only place his sword in front of him to block.
Crack... crack...
The kick landed. His arms and the long sword were instantly turned to stone, the petrification spreading rapidly across his entire body.
"Die!!" Shakky's eyes turned cold as she delivered a final blow to the petrified Doberman, ending his life right then and there.
In an instant, an elite Marine Vice Admiral was dead.
The gaze of everyone in the hall shifted to Hancock and Shakky. No one expected these two beautiful women to be so terrifyingly powerful. Even Doberman couldn't last a single move against them.
Neptune frowned. Although they weren't the ones who did it, an elite Vice Admiral dying in Fish-Man Island was going to be a major headache.
"Alright, now that no one is bothering us, let's talk business."
Seeing the awkward atmosphere, Renault broke the silence. Neptune took a deep breath and stepped forward, asking with confusion, "Renault, what exactly do you want here?!"
He couldn't fathom why Renault would come to him. First, this was their first meeting. Second, they had never offended him.
"I'm here to help you."
Renault smiled at Neptune's confused expression. But to Neptune and the ministers, that smile felt like being dropped into a glacier; everyone shivered. A pirate helping us? I wouldn't believe that even if I were beaten to death.
Before Neptune could speak, Renault continued: "To show my sincerity, I've already handled Vander Decken IX for you."
"Vander Decken?!" "You killed Vander Decken?! How is that poss—" The eldest prince cried out in shock.
Vander Decken IX was a problem they hadn't been able to solve for eight years. But then, remembering Renault's strength, he swallowed his words. The women around Renault killed Vice Admirals like they were chopping vegetables; killing Vander Decken was obviously nothing to them.
"If that's true, then it's wonderful. Shirahoshi won't have to live in that terrible place anymore." "Yes, that hidden threat is finally gone." "If the citizens hear this news, they'll be overjoyed."
Neptune was a king who loved his people, and the people loved him in return. They had always felt deep pity for Princess Shirahoshi's situation. If the villainous Decken was dead, the whole kingdom would celebrate.
"However..." While they were happy, they also harbored deep suspicions. Their knowledge of Renault was limited to Marine reports: cruel, evil, and dangerous. They didn't quite believe his claims. Besides, they had no relationship with Renault; why would he help them for no reason?
Renault didn't mind their doubt. He was here because he wanted something. But what he wanted was actually Fish-Man Island's biggest problem. Claiming he was here to solve their problems wasn't technically a lie.
"If you don't believe me, you can have Shirahoshi come to the hall now and see if those attacks still happen," Renault said confidently.
Neptune hesitated for a moment before ordering someone to bring Shirahoshi. To be safe, he specifically asked Jinbe to accompany her. With Jinbe's protection, an axe or two wouldn't be able to hurt her.
Why did he do it? Did he dare not to? Fish-Man Island was currently like meat on Renault's chopping block. As long as the request wasn't too outrageous, he wouldn't defy him. He didn't want to bring calamity upon his people.
In the midst of the anxious waiting, Princess Shirahoshi arrived at the hall with Jinbe. Renault looked over. Whether in terms of aura or beauty, she was top-tier. Her gentle, timid appearance made one want to protect her—or tease her. The only slight drawback was her massive size.
Having lived in the Shell Tower for years, Shirahoshi was incredibly shy seeing so many people in the palace, especially those she didn't recognize. She kept her head down throughout, not daring to look at the stranger, Renault.
"Jinbe, well?!" Neptune asked impatiently.
Under everyone's expectant gazes, Jinbe gave a firm nod.Jinbe was extremely vigilant as he escorted Princess Shirahoshi out of the Shell Tower. He was ready to strike at any moment, but the usual barrage did not come—no flying axes, no soaring swords. They reached the Ryugu Palace hall without a single incident.
"It's actually true! This is wonderful!!"
"Shirahoshi, you're safe now!!"
Neptune and the princes breathed a massive sigh of relief, their hearts filled with pure joy. Regardless of Renault's ultimate goal, he had genuinely freed Shirahoshi from her crisis. She would no longer have to live in the dim, cramped Shell Tower; she could breathe the open air and live as a truly free person.
"Huh? What are you all talking about?" Shirahoshi asked softly as she saw her father and brothers weeping with joy.
Jinbe immediately explained everything that had happened. Shirahoshi's eyes widened with delight, and she cast a shy glance toward Renault.
"Shirahoshi, hurry and thank our benefactor," Neptune urged.
"Ah?!"
"Oh, yes."
Overwhelmed by the sudden joy, Shirahoshi was momentarily flustered. Under Neptune's encouraging gaze, she carefully picked up a glass of water from the table and walked toward Renault. With her head bowed, she spoke in a small, weak voice.
"Lord... Lord Renault, thank you for saving me. I... I'll toast you with water instead of wine... please... please accept this glass..."
Due to living in isolation for so long, Shirahoshi was unaccustomed to interacting with strangers. Her eyes darted away, and her voice grew smaller and smaller until it was barely a whisper. Had Renault not been standing so close, he wouldn't have heard her at all.
Seeing that Renault hadn't spoken yet, Shirahoshi's face turned bright red, and she lowered her head so far it nearly touched her chest. This was all so sudden; she was completely unprepared.
Renault couldn't help but tease her. "Am I really that scary-looking?"
Shirahoshi looked up slightly, stealing a cautious glance at Renault, and shook her head like a rattle. "No, Lord Renault is... isn't scary. I'm just... just a little nervous."
Beyond the nerves, she was happy. Happy in a way she couldn't describe. She simply lacked the words to express her immense gratitude toward him.
"I'm not going to eat you. Be a bit bolder in the future," Renault said with a light laugh.
Shirahoshi's lips trembled as she mustered all her courage and said earnestly, "I... I will work hard to be brave."
"I believe you," Renault nodded, responding with equal sincerity.
"Yes!"
Receiving his acknowledgment, Shirahoshi's eyes curved into crescent moons as she gave a firm nod. Her innocent and pure demeanor was truly captivating. Renault had many women around him, each with their own charm—the bold Linlin, the mature Robin, the sweet Nami, the seductive Hancock—but seeing Shirahoshi was a different kind of exquisite experience.
I must maintain a good relationship with the Fish-men! This was the only thought in Renault's mind at that moment, and it was unshakeable.
Neptune and the princes watched this scene with gratified expressions. It had been a long time since they had seen Shirahoshi smile so happily. Inexplicably, their favor toward Renault grew, and much of their wariness vanished.
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