Chapter 183: The Foolish Older Brother
"Don't move… You'll die."
John's eerie voice echoed. The Ryugu King froze mid-charge.
He knew—if he rushed forward recklessly, the Queen would lose all value as a hostage. These humans were ruthless. The moment he made a move, they'd kill her. He couldn't let that happen.
"What do you want?"
It was a foolish question—but he asked it anyway.
Clang. John unsheathed his twin blades, his gaze cold and sharp. "What else? I came here to kill you."
The King's eyes narrowed. Realizing John's intent, he immediately shouted, "Soldiers! Notify everyone on the island—evacuate to the deep sea now! Hurry!"
Heh. John chuckled, then turned to Sanlong and the others. "Go take care of the soldiers. If the mermaids escape, all that wealth will be gone."
"Understood!" Sanlong and the others responded in unison and dashed off to hunt the soldiers.
But the soldiers didn't leave. Instead, they stood still, their faces filled with solemn determination.
"Your Majesty, we're strong—we can help!" said the lead soldier.
They couldn't abandon their king and run. Not like this.
But their devotion was met with fury.
"Are you defying my order?! Go inform everyone to evacuate Fish-Man Island, now!" the King bellowed.
"But…" the lead soldier began, only to stop as the King suddenly charged him and—
Boom!—punched him hundreds of meters into the air.
"If you won't obey orders, are the rest of you planning to disobey me too?!" he shouted, eyes blazing.
The soldiers froze.
He'd never seemed so terrifying before.
They had always thought their loyalty was a form of love. But now, in the face of Fish-Man Island's potential destruction, their hesitation only made him furious.
If he didn't need them to deliver the order, he might've killed them all on the spot.
"Yes, Your Majesty!" they finally shouted, and dispersed immediately to carry out the command.
As they passed the rubble where the first soldier had landed, they saw his trembling hand barely poking through the debris—and quickened their pace.
Seeing this, John and the others froze. They stared at the fallen soldier and sensed—he was already dead.
Their expressions turned grim.
He was… a king worthy of the title. And a ruthless one.
"Don't worry. I'm not running," the Ryugu King said, turning calmly toward John.
He had no intention of fleeing. He couldn't leave his wife behind.
All he could do now was ensure his people's escape. If he died and they remained, they'd become slaves to these humans. That, he could never allow.
"You guys go too," John told Mike and the others. "Keep chasing down the palace guards."
"Yes, Lord John," they replied and darted past the King.
He didn't stop them—he couldn't. John's eyes never left him.
"I have to say, Ryugu King… I admire your ruthlessness and pride," John said with a raised eyebrow. "A man like you—shouldn't we be working together? It's just 100 mermaids a year."
This bastard… The King's fists clenched, veins bulging.
"There's no need for more words. I will never work with you. Don't even dream of it," he replied coldly.
"Shame. Then die," John snapped, rushing forward with his blades.
The King met him head-on, fists hardened with Armament Haki.
Clang, clang…! The fight erupted instantly. Fist and blade clashed, carving deep trenches in the ground with every exchange.
Even John couldn't take him down quickly. The King's strength as a Vice Admiral candidate, combined with the Fish-Men's tough bodies, kept the battle in a stalemate.
…
Meanwhile, at the Shell Tower in Ryugu Palace, Neptune stood stunned before the open gate.
The massive room inside was empty.
"No… Akatsuki wouldn't be caught. She's too smart… She must have escaped early. Yes, that must be it…" he murmured, trying to convince himself.
"I have to find her!" he shouted a moment later, regaining composure and beginning his search through the palace.
The place was already crawling with pirates fighting the guards.
Neptune struck without hesitation, grabbing a pirate captain.
"Speak! Did you capture a beautiful red-haired whale mermaid about ten meters tall?!" he demanded.
"A ten-meter mermaid?! That must be the one with the 20 billion bounty—the mermaid princess!" the pirate's eyes gleamed with greed, thinking only of the reward, not his life.
This bastard…
Neptune snarled and swept him away with his trident, bones crunching in the process.
He continued his rampage, interrogating every pirate he found. Battle erupted all over the palace.
…
Elsewhere, in a remote corner near the bottom of Fish-Man Island, two contrasting figures stood before the palace's protective bubble.
The smaller one was the golden-haired mermaid who had delivered food to Princess Akatsuki earlier.
"Thank goodness the Queen gave me the Shell Tower's key in time… or we'd be captured by those pirates," she said, trembling, her small eyes locked on the tall figure beside her, seeking reassurance.
…
Silence.
"Shouldn't we go help the Prince, Princess Akatsuki?" the little mermaid asked hesitantly, folding her hands nervously. "It sounds like he's still fighting."
Finally, the red-haired Princess Akatsuki turned.
She had a stunning face, full lips, and large, expressive eyes like blooming peach blossoms—just as beautiful as Ellis.
But her expression was flat, emotionless. "Ignore my foolish brother. This isn't the time for brotherly affection," she said calmly, then turned back to tinkering with a coral shell.
"…" The golden-haired mermaid fell silent.
Moments later, Akatsuki finished adjusting the coral device and inserted it into the bubble. A passage opened.
Seeing her companion still looking toward the center of the palace, Akatsuki said, "Let's go, Shouji. Didn't you say the strong enemy passed Prince Neptune and went toward Father's location?"
"The ones left behind are weak. My foolish brother can handle them. If we go, we'll only increase the risk."
"What matters now is Father. If he defeats that powerful human, the crisis ends. Otherwise, all our efforts will be for nothing."
Once again, Shouji was stunned by how calmly she spoke of such dire matters—still not used to it, even after ten years.
"…Alright," she sighed. But then added, "But, Princess, we can't get too close later. Those humans have strong Observation Haki—they'll detect us."
"I know. No need to fuss. Let's go," Akatsuki replied coolly, diving into the tunnel.
"Wait for me, Princess!" Shouji pouted and hurried after her.
…
Swoosh. After a while, they arrived above Fish-Man Island, floating via protective bubbles.
"Over there, Princess! The King is by that coral reef!" Shouji pointed.
"I see it," Akatsuki replied.
"…." Shouji was silent again.
Judging from the visible shockwaves below, it was obvious. But hearing it in that deadpan tone was just strange.
"Shouji, can you sense my mother?" Akatsuki asked.
"Let me try…" Shouji focused her Observation Haki. "She's near the King. Her aura… is weak."
"She's in danger." Akatsuki immediately headed in that direction.
"Wait for me, Princess!" Shouji chased after her, but her tiny body couldn't keep up.
Soon, Akatsuki hovered above the Queen—without descending.
She was rational. Going down now would only make her another hostage, burdening her father further.
She had realized this the moment her mother was captured.
"So this is the top-tier power of the New World… Even Father is being overwhelmed. If nothing changes, he'll lose in a few days—and Fish-Man Island will be ruled by this human," she observed, analyzing the situation as she watched John below.
If nothing unexpected happened, John would indeed take over Fish-Man Island for a time. But fate had other plans.
From below, a hulking man in a nurse's uniform, with a bushy beard, looked up and locked eyes on Akatsuki's floating figure.
His gaze sharpened.
He pulled out a photo, compared it, and trembled slightly at the match.
"That's the 20 billion bounty mermaid princess, huh… Hehehe…"
(END CHAPTER)
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