Boom… Boom…
Flas surged upward, swallowing the ceiling in an instant. Beneath the feet of the Big Mom Pirates, who had been discussing matters inside the VIP council chamber, a violent explosion erupted without warning. The blast spread rapidly, engulfing Charlotte Katakuri and the others in a raging inferno.
On the opposite side, King Neptune and his sons reacted just in ti. They retreated dozens of ters away, barely escaping the core of the explosion. Shock filled their faces as they stared at the burning chamber, then panic quickly followed.
"Hurry, find out what happened!"
"Call a doctor, quickly, there are injured!"
A powerful gust swept through the room, scattering the flas. Katakuri stood at the center, trident in hand, his expression dark and unreadable. The sudden attack had left most of the Big Mom Pirates with no chance to react.
The explosions continued for over ten seconds. When the smoke cleared, more than half of the hundred pirates present were either dead or severely injured. Only Katakuri remained completely unhard. Amande and Pekoms, even with Armant Haki, were left in a battered and disheveled state.
Flampe had wandered away earlier while playing. Unfortunately, the explosion detonated directly beneath her. She suffered the worst injuries, her small body covered in blood as she lay unconscious.
Katakuri looked down at his sister. The fury within him surged violently, barely contained. Traces of Conqueror's Haki leaked out uncontrollably, pressing down on everyone nearby. Even so, his voice remained low and steady as he spoke.
"King Neptune, you need to give an explanation."
Neptune clenched his fists, his face filled with frustration.
"This has nothing to do with Fish-Man Island."
The words sounded weak even to his own ears. The council chamber had not been used for over a month, and inspections had clearly been neglected. The fact that such a large amount of explosives had been planted beneath the floor was a grave failure.
Before he could explain further, the sharp clash of steel rang out from the corridor outside. Katakuri's gaze shifted instantly toward both exits.
The doors burst open.
A group of Fishn in Royal Guard uniforms rushed in and opened fire without hesitation.
Leading them was the very captain who had been in charge of security monts ago.
"For the future of Fish-Man Island!"
"Die, you lowly humans! You dare dream of enslaving noble Fishn!"
Gunfire echoed continuously.
Bullets tore through several mbers of the Big Mom Pirates. So of the attackers were skilled enough to coat their shots with Armant Haki, making them far more lethal.
Neptune's heart sank at the sight. His own guards had turned their weapons on their guests. This was not just betrayal, it was the destruction of Fish-Man Island's future.
"Stop! All of you, stop at once!"
His voice was drowned out by gunfire.
Amande moved first. Her blade flashed, slicing cleanly through the Fishn blocking the front. Their bodies split at the waist in an instant.
The force of her attack extended beyond them, cutting through the structure itself. The building tilted dangerously as beams snapped and the roof began to collapse.
The pirates retaliated without restraint.
At that mont, it no longer mattered who had attacked first. To them, every Fishman present was an enemy.
The natural strength of the Fishman race far exceeded that of humans, but against the Big Mom Pirates, they stood no chance. Even a single detachnt of such a crew was enough to overwhelm the island's forces.
Neptune's eyes turned bloodshot.
"Fukaboshi, Ryuboshi, Manboshi, go and mobilize the Royal Guard at once! Minister, contact Jinbe. Only he can stabilize this situation!"
As his sons rushed off, Neptune turned his anger toward the guard captain. He grabbed him with both hands, lifting him effortlessly.
"Why, Pompey? Why would you do this?"
The captain struggled in his grip.
Before Neptune could press further, a sharp pain pierced his chest.
He looked down.
A blade had run straight through his body.
Then another.
And another.
Blood spilled as multiple weapons struck him from behind.
His strength faded rapidly, and he collapsed to the ground.
A voice reached his ears, cold and unfamiliar.
"Big Brother sends his regards, King Neptune. You are the sinner of Fish-Man Island."
Imdiately, shouts erupted from all directions.
"The Big Mom Pirates killed the King!"
"They want to destroy Fish-Man Island and enslave us all!"
"Kill the humans!"
The chaos escalated beyond control.
Katakuri stopped tending to Flampe. Her injuries were severe. If she was not taken back to the ship imdiately, she would not survive.
His sharp eyes swept across the battlefield.
Sothing was wrong.
Neptune's death, the sudden betrayal, the timing of the attack, none of it felt natural. This was not the act of a reckless king. There was clearly soone manipulating events from the shadows.
But the arriving Fishn saw only one thing, their king lying dead and their comrades being slaughtered. Rage consud them, and they charged into battle without hesitation.
Against a foreign enemy, their unity was absolute.
Katakuri remained indifferent.
He neither knew nor cared about the internal struggles of Fish-Man Island. The identity of the mastermind did not matter at this mont.
What mattered was completing the mission and ensuring his family's survival.
His voice cut through the chaos.
"Move out. Don't let them block our path."
He paused briefly before adding,
"If they are not dead, leave them. Do not waste ti."
The pirates grew even more ruthless.
Holding Flampe in one arm, Katakuri extended his other. It transford into sticky mochi, reshaping rapidly.
"Unstoppable Mochi Bullets."
His arm hardened with Armant Haki and took the form of a weapon. A barrage of mochi bullets fired continuously, tearing through the advancing Fishn.
The attack swept forward like a storm, clearing the battlefield in an instant.
At the sa ti, Fukaboshi, Ryuboshi, and Manboshi arrived with the island's army.
They froze upon witnessing the scene.
If they joined the attack, they risked playing directly into the mastermind's plan. If they held back, their people would continue to die.
"Save Father first."
That decision ca quickly.
Elsewhere, at a distance.
Hody Jones watched everything unfold, a twisted smile spreading across his face. His presence alone made the surrounding Fishn uneasy.
Many of them had not wanted this. They had only followed under pressure.
Hody's laughter echoed harshly.
"That's right. Those who abandon the pride of Fish-Man Island are not my comrades."
A voice suddenly sounded from behind.
"If Fishn are not your comrades, then what are you? Just a savage shark?"
Hody's expression froze.
He turned slowly, anger rising within him.
Standing there was a human, calmly observing him.
"There's still a human here," Hody sneered. "Kill him."
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