Chapter 182: The Big Shot Arrives
Mike and the others were growing desperate—but the Ryugu King knew nothing of their thoughts. All he knew was that he had to eliminate these pirates. Among those who came, these three were the strongest—the rest weren't worth worrying about.
He stepped forward, eyes locked on Monk Sanlong and the others, his aura tightening.
"Another one of those attacks… this is bad!" Monk Sanlong focused all his energy, on full alert.
Dodging wasn't an option. He could feel the Ryugu King's attention fixed almost entirely on him. If he made any sudden move, he'd be the first to get hit.
Rather than flee, he decided to go all in—and hopefully buy a little more time.
Step, step. Kaine Iron Hoof and Mike moved beside Sanlong, one on each side, no more than two meters away.
Neither planned to sneak away. Anyone who tried would instantly become the target.
"Fish-Man Karate – Piercing Wave!"
Just as Mike and Kaine stepped into position, the Ryugu King growled and launched another devastating punch.
A shockwave faster than any of his previous attacks roared toward them.
"War Trample!"
"Dual Blade Style – Blossoms of February!"
"One Staff Pierces the Sky!"
Faced with life-or-death, the three unleashed their strongest techniques: an invisible force wave, a flower-blooming sword slash, and a staff-shaped shockwave all erupted toward the Ryugu King's attack.
Boom! Crack! The Piercing Wave shattered their combined assault in an instant and continued its deadly path forward.
"Is this the end…?" The three whispered, eyes bulging, filled with a desperate thirst for life.
As they closed their eyes to accept death, a figure suddenly dropped from the sky. With a downward slash from his right hand, he stood between them and the attack.
Clang! A sharp blade cry split the air as a blue slash cleaved right through the King's shockwave.
The shockwave split in two, rushing past Mike and the others, smashing into distant coral reefs and kicking up clouds of dust.
"Did it hit?"
"No, I think someone fell from the sky and blocked it."
"Is that reinforcements?!"
The Ryugu soldiers watching murmured as the battlefield grew hazy with debris.
"Looks like I arrived a little late," the swordsman said softly, sheathing his blade.
Behind him, only Mike, Kaine, and Sanlong remained—the rest of the pirate captains were dead.
"No, you're right on time, Lord John," the trio said, eyes lighting up with excitement.
He chuckled. The newcomer was none other than Captain John, the greedy pirate who had once served under the Rocks Pirates. Somehow, he'd joined Mike's operation and become the so-called "big shot" Mike had referred to.
Only three left, huh? John glanced at them. He had intentionally arrived late to see who among them was worth keeping.
Looks like some of them are, he thought to himself.
He acknowledged their strength, and didn't mind Mike or Kaine's underhandedness. Pirates only needed to survive—that was enough.
Sanlong, in particular, impressed him. With proper cultivation, he might even reach Vice Admiral candidate level.
"Captain John of the New World—why are you here?" the Ryugu King asked warily. Ever since John appeared and blocked his attack, the King knew he was in trouble.
Step by step, John approached until he stood ten meters from the King.
"For wealth," John replied with a smile.
He recalled the first time he'd heard that mermaids from Fish-Man Island could be sold for up to a billion berries. From that moment, he'd dreamed of conquering the island and turning it into a never-ending source of fortune.
Back then, he was still part of the Rocks Pirates and dared not make a move. Otherwise, Fish-Man Island would have belonged to Rocks, not him.
But now that Rocks was gone, and the crew disbanded, he could finally act.
Then came the news of the mermaid princess's bounty—and pirates rallying to invade. He jumped at the chance to partner with Mike and took over the whole plan using his strength.
"Wealth?" The Ryugu King was stunned.
To one of the New World's top pirates, wealth should've been meaningless. That John had come here for it… was unexpected.
"That's right. Don't you think Fish-Man Island is like a golden mountain that endlessly produces treasure?" John said with greedy eyes.
"What do you mean?" the King asked, confused.
John laughed and extended his hand. "Ryugu King, how about we cooperate? Provide me with 100 young female mermaids each year. I'll handle the rest and give you a 20% cut of the profits. How about it?"
The King's eyes bulged. He now understood—and instantly launched into the air, firing a punch filled with a compressed shockwave.
"Heh. Guess you're not interested."
John didn't underestimate him. His eyes narrowed, right leg shifting forward as he drew both swords to his waist and then slashed forward.
"Dual Blade Style – Twin Moon Slash!" he called out.
A massive twin-slash wave surged forward to meet the King's shockwave.
Clang! The collision created a fierce wind blast. The air sparked and hissed as invisible lightning danced around them. Neither side backed down.
"So this is what a real top-tier battle looks like… We're not even in the same league," Sanlong said, standing behind John, feeling the pressure firsthand.
"Yeah… Only monsters like this can compete with Blue Demon or Whitebeard in the New World," Mike muttered, already planning to pledge allegiance to John.
When they first entered the New World, the Rocks Pirates reigned supreme. None of them wanted to play second fiddle, and they had never truly submitted.
That was because they'd never seen the horror of a true top-tier fighter firsthand.
Unless they ran into Whitebeard or Blue Demon, monsters like that wouldn't bother chasing them. They'd always fought opponents on their level.
But John was the first true admiral-level warrior they'd ever witnessed—and he was terrifying.
They weren't wrong. Even after unleashing his ultimate technique, the King's shockwave was cleanly split by John's slash, which then barreled toward him.
Too fast to dodge. The Ryugu King could only raise his Armament Haki in defense.
Clang! Even the weakened slash sent the King flying—BOOM!—as he crashed into the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.
"Your Majesty!!!"
The Ryugu soldiers panicked and rushed to his aid.
Clang-clang! John sheathed his swords and walked slowly toward the fallen King. Mike and the others followed.
Drip… drip… Blood trickled from the King's chest. He stood up.
The wound was long but shallow. Still, it bled. His Haki and technique had been pierced—proof of John's terrifying strength.
If that blow hadn't been weakened…
"I could've died…"
"Your Majesty, you're hurt!"
"Get a doctor!"
The soldiers ran over, panicking at the blood.
"No. Step back. This isn't a place for you," the King waved them off.
"But, Your Majesty…"
"That's an order," the King roared.
"Yes!" The soldiers instinctively obeyed, pausing before slowly retreating.
"So, Ryugu King, you see our power. Want to work with me now?" John said, extending his hand again. "With endless wealth, we could conquer the New World together."
Hearing this shameless proposal again, the King glared fiercely.
Words couldn't express his rage.
"Still not convinced? Was it the number—100 too many?" John asked casually.
Behind him, Mike and the others scowled. That wasn't the issue at all.
The King growled, "I will never abandon my people. You can give up. We'll just hide deeper underwater. You'll never reach us, human!"
John chuckled. "Aren't you curious why I waited until now to act? I've been on Fish-Man Island for quite a while."
"What do you mean? Don't tell me—" the King froze, eyes darting toward Ryugu Palace, face paling in horror. The gate to the palace had been opened.
"You…" he began, but was cut off by a soldier rushing over.
"Your Majesty! The palace has been breached! Prince Neptune sent me to inform you!" the soldier gasped.
"…" The King fell silent. Now you tell me.
"Your Majesty?" the soldier was confused—his reaction was nothing like Prince Neptune's.
"You're dismissed," the King said quietly.
"Yes, sir." Still puzzled, the soldier left to regroup with the others.
Once alone, the King's expression darkened. "Don't tell me… you captured…!"
"That's right," John said, waving behind him. "Bring her out!"
From the back, an eight-meter-tall whale-type mermaid was dragged forward.
She had a slender figure, soft features, flowing white hair… She would have been the very image of gentleness—if not for the blood covering her body, the chains binding her, and the pirates dragging her like cargo.
It was the Queen. She had clearly fought back fiercely before being captured. Now unconscious and battered, she was dragged through the dirt toward him.
"You filthy human… How dare you…!" the Ryugu King roared in fury, charging toward his wife.
(END CHAPTER)
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