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Marine Headquarters, Marineford.
"According to an ancient legend, a Mermaid Princess capable of summoning Sea Kings emerges every few centuries, heralding profound changes to the world."
"This sacred secret is jealously guarded by Fish-Man Island royalty, traditionally passed down orally from the reigning king to his successor before abdication."
In his spacious office, Jinbe spoke with a hint of wistful nostalgia: "However, an incident occurred when Princess Shirahoshi was only six years old. This incident led Neptune to confide his suspicions in me."
"Shirahoshi at six?"
Staff Officer Tsuru flipped through some documents, suddenly connecting the dots: "The day Queen Otohime was assassinated, wasn't it? I recall Donquixote Mjosgard was also present."
"Precisely!"
Jinbe nodded: "Initially, Neptune dismissed the legend as mere folklore. For centuries, no Mermaid Princess had displayed such power, so even he harbored doubts."
"But that day, witnessing Sea Kings converging from every direction, Neptune realized the legend was true! His own daughter was the Ancient Weapon— Poseidon, the 'Sea King'!"
"Ah, I understand now..."
Kizaru stroked his chin thoughtfully: "That incident caused quite a stir. Even I heard whispers of it. No wonder Orrick learned of Princess Shirahoshi's existence."
Yet, with Shirahoshi's identity as an Ancient Weapon confirmed, a heavy air settled over the office. Unease permeated the atmosphere.
The ability to command Sea Kings!
They are the most formidable creatures in the world, without exception!
They were massive in size, diverse in species, long-lived, and fiercely aggressive.
Moreover, they possess remarkable intelligence, making them the most dreaded creatures for sailors on the open seas.
Forget pirates— even the World Government pales in comparison to the countless Sea Kings.
The Government's dominion extends only over the ocean's surface, scattered islands, and their inhabitants. Yet, the total area of these islands is less than one-tenth of the world's vast ocean.
The remaining nine-tenths of the sea, along with its uncharted depths, belong to the Sea Kings— a force truly capable of wreaking havoc upon the world!
As the group fell into contemplative silence, Rowen suddenly broke the stillness.
"What about the Tamatebako? What's within it?"
Jinbe had mentioned two possibilities earlier. One had been clarified, leaving the other unexplained.
Hearing this, Jinbe was momentarily taken aback, unsure why Rowen would still be curious about the Tamatebako under the current circumstances.
But he quickly responded: "It's widely rumored that the Tamatebako, a national treasure of Fish-Man Island, contains a treasure valuable enough to buy the world. In reality..."
"Pfft!!!"
The sound of someone spitting water drew everyone's attention.
"Sorry… sorry," The person stammered, trying to suppress laughter. "It's just that the description sounded oddly familiar. I couldn't help it… pfft, hahahahaha!!!"
The one who could act so casually in a meeting room wasn't necessarily Garp— it could also be Sengoku, who had grown increasingly carefree since stepping down from his position.
The shocking events on Fish-Man Island were of grave importance, prompting Akainu to summon all core high-ranking officials of the Marines to discuss countermeasures. Even Zephyr, who had been retired in the Assassination Force, was included. As the Inspector-General of the headquarters, Sengoku was naturally present as well.
As for why it was Sengoku causing a scene…
That's because Garp was, once again, shamelessly sleeping in the Fleet Admiral's office!!!
"I didn't call you here to laugh at us, old man!"
Akainu shot Sengoku a glare, his frustration evident as he surveyed the room full of veteran officers.
Garp was asleep, Sengoku was laughing uncontrollably, and Zephyr—the only one who seemed to be paying attention out of respect for Rowen—was staring blankly, lost in thought.
Calling them here for a meeting was practically a historic blunder, far beyond a simple misstep!
Suppressing his irritation, Akainu turned to Jinbe and gestured for him to continue.
"Uh… right."
Jinbe paused, his earlier train of thought disrupted. He decided to get straight to the point: "The true treasure inside the Tamatebako is a type of Energy Steroid that stimulates human potential. Its effects are similar to the Marines' Thunder-Lightning Stimulation Device, but it relies on drug stimulation and is uncontrollable."
"In the short term, it can grant immense power, but excessive use leads to horrific consequences. It was Fish-Man Island's last resort in the face of national destruction. Due to improper handling, its existence was leaked, leading to rumors that exaggerated it into some priceless treasure."
"In terms of actual value, it's not even worth as much as a piece of Seastone."
"Everything has its cause and effect… no power comes without a price, and one must pay the corresponding cost."
Rowen nodded silently: "Thunder-Lightning Stimulation Device are slow but safe. Vegapunk has researched drug stimulation experiments—they're fast-acting but come at the cost of life force… Based on this alone, I don't think it's worth Orrick personally intervening."
"Moreover, they didn't even get the chance to use this Energy Steroid before being completely wiped out. I think we can raise our assessment of Orrick's strength by another level."
Staff Officer Tsuru, as always, cut straight to the point: "Although the information is scarce, it's confirmed that he's not a Logia ability user, yet he managed to kill over 100,000 Fish-Men simultaneously."
Determining the time of death from corpses isn't difficult, but when the number of simultaneous deaths reaches the staggering figure of "100,000," an inexplicable chill crawls up one's spine, making one's scalp tingle.
As Logia ability users known for their attack range, whether it's Rowen, Aokiji, Kizaru, or Akainu, all of them possess the ability to kill 100,000 people in one move.
In a previous Marine extermination battle, Rowen's "Drums of Heaven" turned a hundred-mile radius into a thunderous wasteland! Tens of thousands of pirates perished in a matter of seconds, and the sea surface was gouged out, taking a long time to heal.
But to have them all die at the exact same moment, down to the second, is a different matter altogether.
"If we don't figure out what ability he possesses, gentlemen…"
Tsuru's expression was grave as she spoke: "I recommend that, aside from Rowen, everyone else should prioritize avoidance."
Rowen: "…"
So my life means nothing to you, huh?!
…
New World, Thunder God Island ruins.
After the battle for the Fleet Admiral position, Thunder God Island had been reduced to a living hell. The left half was a frozen wasteland, while the right half was a blazing inferno.
Purple-white lightning as thick as water buckets occasionally struck from the sky, and the temperature difference caused violent sea currents, making it impossible for ships to approach.
Yet, in the center of this island, nestled in a mountain hollow, stood a villa.
The principle of hiding in plain sight applies everywhere. Even Rowen hadn't expected Orrick to be bold enough to appear on Thunder God Island, which the Marines had inspected not long ago.
At this moment, sitting on the second floor of the villa, Orrick fiddled with the Tamatebako in his hand, his expression one of dissatisfaction.
"Tch, they got to it first after all."
"Since Jinbe was quickly taken away, it's likely that Princess Shirahoshi's identity as an Ancient Weapon has already come to the attention of the Gorōsei (Five Elder Stars). What a hassle!"
"Hmm, but Orrick Sama, why did you go to such lengths to kidnap her?"
Sugar sat on a chair, swinging her little legs, tilting her head, and asking with childlike curiosity: "That kid doesn't seem to be able to control her abilities yet, right?"
Their massacre on Fish-Man Island only made Shirahoshi cry. If it weren't for the emotional shock of seeing her older brother and father die before her eyes, which summoned the Sea Kings, they would have doubted the accuracy of the information.
Fortunately, they managed to confirm her true identity in the end, or else Shirahoshi's fate would have been far worse than being frozen.
"And even if she could control it, she probably wouldn't listen to you."
"You're just a kid yourself… well, that's not important."
Orrick looked at Sugar helplessly, feeling exhausted by her shifting between childlike and mature behavior.
Then, he narrowed his eyes slightly.
"Let me ask you, Sugar. Do you think explosives need to be controlled when they detonate?"
"Probably, right?"
Sugar said while chewing on a piece of candy: "Otherwise, wouldn't you blow yourself up?"
"But what if I just want them to explode?"
Sugar fell silent upon hearing this. After a moment, her innocent face twisted into a sinister grin, like a motionless doll on a bookshelf in a dim, decaying forest cabin suddenly turning its head to give you a wicked smile, terrifying beyond words.
"As expected of Orrick-sama, I see now!"
The point isn't who the explosion will harm, but whether the explosion will happen at all!
By controlling Shirahoshi, Orrick holds a trump card that he can play at any time.
"Let's go, Sugar. It's time to have a chat with the Gorōsei (Five Elder Stars)."
"What about the plan? Aren't we continuing it?!"
"Of course we are. I'm just moving some steps forward… Don't underestimate that monster, the Soryu (Azure Dragon). He must have prepared thoroughly."
(End of Chapter)