Clatter, clatter.
Weapons slipped helplessly from the hands of the Fish-Man guards in the Ryugu Palace.
Neptune's mind went completely blank, staring dumbly at the ink-black shadow above as it slowly parted to reveal a single eye—comparable in size to half of Fish-Man Island.
That eye appeared like an unfathomably deep pool, yet it radiated an uncanny brilliance, as if some mysterious light source from within this colossal sea king's body was shining outward, even illuminating the dimmed Fish-Man Island with penetrating clarity!
The entire Fish-Man Island, encased in its bubble, was shaking violently.
The turbulent currents stirred by the colossal sea kings had plunged the nation into an extremely perilous situation.
If they were even slightly careless, a mere twitch from the giant beasts above could cause this tiny country—only five kilometers in diameter—to burst like a soap bubble in an instant!
In the room at the top of the bubble, where the soap bubbles were produced, several soldiers had long been terrified to the point of weakness, their legs giving way as they slumped to the floor, trembling uncontrollably while staring at the enormous eye that loomed over the entire sky above Fish-Man Island.
Suddenly, their expressions shifted dramatically as they spotted a minuscule figure, like a speck of dust compared to the giant eye, darting toward it like a moth to a flame.
"Princess Shirahoshi!"
"This is bad! Quickly, inform King Neptune! It's Princess Shirahoshi! She actually came here! It's dangerous, far too dangerous!"
Shirahoshi had been racing at top speed the entire way, moving faster and faster until even Jinbei couldn't keep up with her pace.
By the time she reached the front of the enormous eye, her dazed expression gradually cleared, becoming lucid.
She slowly extended her hand, wanting to touch the giant eye before her.
"Who are you? You feel so familiar."
Shirahoshi's large eyes blinked repeatedly, and she smiled with curiosity.
The massive shadow covering the sky above Fish-Man Island, which the Fish-Men believed to be a giant sea king, was none other than Caesar, who had set out from Tottoland and arrived here alone, without bringing anyone else.
That arrogant Hancock had been mercilessly left behind on Whole Cake Island, stomping her feet in fury.
Along the way, Caesar had transformed into a colossal Kunpeng, continuously devouring the fish in the sea and converting them into refined blood essence, storing it away.
For some unknown reason, every fish in the deep sea—including the sea kings stretching thousands of meters long—would freeze in place upon encountering Caesar in his Kunpeng form, remaining motionless as he opened his massive mouth and swallowed them whole.
It might have been an illusion, but whenever Caesar consumed these enormous sea kings, he seemed to hear strange, jubilant voices echoing in his heart, as if coming from the very sea kings he had devoured.
Yet, it made no sense. If they were being devoured, any voices he heard should have been filled with despair, rage, and fear.
Why would they be joyful?
As he consumed more sea kings, Caesar felt his Kunpeng form becoming increasingly complete.
It was as if these giant creatures had once been part of his own massive body, and now, by devouring them, he was merely returning to his origins, unifying all paths into one.
Caesar had a vague premonition that if he could devour every sea king in this world, his Kunpeng form would completely break through its current limitations, reaching an unprecedented height.
And when Caesar's eyes fell upon the tiny figure of Shirahoshi, the same sense of familiarity that she felt welled up in his heart as well.
Caesar blinked his large eye, reflecting Shirahoshi's delicate form within his pupil.
"This feeling... Why do I sense that this little mermaid is a different kind of Kunpeng? Does she carry the bloodline of the Kunpeng?"
At this moment, Caesar vaguely realized that this mermaid before him was likely the Ancient weapon of Fish-Man Island that Doflamingo had mentioned—Poseidon.
Although the Celestial Dragons already knew Shirahoshi's identity, they hadn't abducted or imprisoned her, which puzzled Caesar.
Just as Caesar was about to speak, he discovered something astonishing.
He could directly communicate with the mermaid's mind.
The two of them could communicate telepathically without using words!
"Huh? How is this possible?"
Caesar had never experienced this with anyone else.
If it were something like the so-called Observation Haki that allowed one to Listen to the Voices of All Things, it shouldn't be limited to just this mermaid.
"Hey, woman, what's your name?" Caesar immediately tried communicating with the mermaid directly through his mind.
Shirahoshi swayed her pink tail, her large, dewy eyes blinking.
Suddenly, a deep male voice echoed in her mind.
"Hey, woman, what's your name?"
"Who? Who's speaking?" Shirahoshi panicked, looking around, but aside from the enormous creature before her, there was nothing else.
As soon as this thought crossed her mind, Caesar on the other side instantly became aware of Shirahoshi's thoughts.
Immediately, Caesar found it quite amusing.
And so...
"Woman, I am your master. You are the Sea King, and I am the master of the Sea King. Now, call me 'Master.'"
The booming voice reverberated in Shirahoshi's mind, causing her over-ten-meter-tall delicate body to tremble, her dewy eyes revealing a trace of fear.
After a moment, she timidly responded to the voice in her heart.
"Mas... Master."
"Borororo, amusing, truly amusing."
The thunderous laughter echoed in Shirahoshi's mind, making her curiously gaze at the enormous creature before her.
She reached out her fair hand again, wanting to touch the giant eye in front of her.
Suddenly, a powerful hand gripped Shirahoshi's outstretched palm and pulled her close.
"Huh? Huh?"
Large question marks popped up above Shirahoshi's head.
Where did this strange stranger come from?
Where did the giant fish go?
At that moment, everyone on Fish-Man Island was stunned once again, because the colossal creature that had been blocking the sky above had abruptly vanished!
"What happened? Where did that giant Sea King go?" Neptune's eyes were filled with confusion.
In the Fish-Man District, Hatchan rubbed his eyes vigorously.
"Is it an illusion, yo? Am I hallucinating? The giant Sea King is gone!"
Above the bubble of Fish-Man Island, Jinbei had just rushed out when he saw Shirahoshi being held in the arms of a tall, imposing figure.
He froze for a moment.
Although the tall man's face bore some resemblance to Caesar's, it was clear he was a Fish-Man.
His skin was a sleek, streamlined black and gold, perfectly adapted for swift movement in water.
On both sides of his neck were several gill-like slits, gently flapping as they filtered seawater.
His feet and hands had thick webbing between the fingers, and sharp, protruding bone spikes grew at his joints.
"Who are you?"
Jinbei frowned and shouted.For a moment, he thought the other was his own kind.
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