Chapter 18: Upheaval on Fish-Man Island
Ryugu Palace, The Royal Kitchen.
A group of Fish-Man chefs stood trembling, shaking like leaves in a gale.
Right in front of them, an old man wearing a loud floral shirt was annihilating the exquisite pastries they had painstakingly prepared at a truly terrifying speed.
"Give me one of everything."
"Hurry up. I'm starving."
Two simple sentences, yet they carried more weight than a direct command from King Neptune himself.
The chefs didn't dare delay for a second. They hauled out every top-tier ingredient in the warehouse, their hands and feet moving in a blur to keep up with the demand.
Coral Puffs, Seaweed Cake, Shell Macarons...
The moment a plate of exquisite pastries was brought out, a hand would snatch it away. Then, with a loud CRUNCH, it would vanish into the void.
Outside the kitchen, the distant roar of cannon fire and the screams of citizens could be faintly heard.
But in here, the only sound was the crisp, rhythmic crunching of rice crackers and pastries by that old man.
Ryugu Palace, The Grand Hall.
The atmosphere was heavy. The Straw Hat crew found themselves surrounded, with hundreds of royal guards pointing tridents at them.
Luffy twisted his neck, clearly growing impatient. He leaned in close to Zoro, lowering his voice.
"Oi, Zoro. It's boring in here. Wanna sneak out and go on an adventure?"
Zoro kept his hand resting on the hilt of his sword, offering no reply.
Sanji's body, however, suddenly jolted.
He smelled it. A fragrance blending supreme ingredients and exotic spices was wafting from somewhere within the palace.
"Th... This is the scent of the legendary Dream Marine Beast Tenderloin!"
He instantly burst into flames of passion.
In the next second, Luffy's figure turned into a blur, dashing straight toward the source of the aroma.
"Halt! Straw Hat!"
Prince Fukaboshi immediately led his men in pursuit.
The Grand Hall instantly descended into chaos.
Amidst the confusion, Luffy bobbed and weaved, easily shaking off his pursuers before crashing headfirst into a magnificent tower.
The Hard-Shell Tower.
He looked around curiously.
Then, he saw a bed of enormous proportions.
And on that bed, hiding under the covers and trembling in fear, was a figure even larger than the Thousand Sunny.
Gyoncorde Plaza.
The plaza had been transformed into a sea of fire.
The officers of the New Fish-Man Pirates, fueled by the Energy Steroids, had mutated into berserk monsters. They tore through the Ryugu Palace Army's defensive lines with terrifying ease.
A newly awakened Hody Jones stood at the highest point of the plaza, arms spread wide, basking in the fear and wailing rising from below.
"Do you see this, Neptune?!"
"Your soft, weak reign ends today!"
He suddenly clenched his fist. Aiming at a sturdy building dozens of meters away, he punched the empty air, launching a shockwave of water.
BOOM!
A terrifying impact force erupted instantly.
The solid building collapsed as if struck by a heavy cannon shell, kicking up a massive cloud of dust and debris.
Inside Ryugu Palace, Prince Fukaboshi, watching the scene unfold via a visual Den Den Mushi, nearly dropped the sword in his hand.
"How is this possible?!"
"The power of a single Energy Steroid shouldn't reach this level!"
"He... He's not just an ordinary Fish-Man anymore!"
"Father! Our army can't stop him!"
"That guy... That guy is a monster!"
Neptune watched the arrogant figure on the screen, his massive frame trembling slightly.
Back in the plaza, Hody grabbed a broadcasting Den Den Mushi and let out a maniacal laugh that echoed across the entire island.
"Jahahaha! Do you think my power comes merely from a few pills?"
His voice reached every corner of Fish-Man Island.
"Wrong!"
"This was bestowed upon me by 'That Person'! It is a power capable of overturning this rotten world!"
"Starting today! I, Hody Jones, am the one and only King of Fish-Man Island!"
This declaration exploded like a bomb in the hearts of the people.
'That Person'?
Who is that?
Panic, fueled by this massive question, spread wildly across the island.
Whether it was Hody, or the missing Garp, they had both become swords of Damocles hanging over the heads of every Fish-Man.
Destruction seemed inevitable.
_______
Outside the Ryugu Palace Kitchen.
Garp let out a loud burp.
At his feet, the empty plates had piled up to form a small mountain.
"Taste was alright, but the portions were too small."
He stood up, patted his belly, and muttered.
"Didn't even count as an appetizer."
The distant sounds of cannon fire and Hody's wild laughter were, to him, nothing more than post-meal entertainment.
Just then.
At a hidden port on Fish-Man Island, a Navy warship bearing no flags or insignia slipped through the bubble coating silently, like a ghost.
It docked at the shore.
Ryugu Palace, The Grand Hall.
The massive doors were pushed open without a sound.
A squad of figures dressed in pure white suits, their faces hidden behind cold masks, marched in with perfectly synchronized steps.
The man in the lead radiated an aura that caused the temperature in the hall to drop several degrees.
"You are..."
Neptune's voice was laced with caution.
The masked man did not answer. Instead, he flashed a badge representing the highest authority of the World Government.
"CP0."
Three characters that caused Neptune's pupils to contract violently.
"By order of the World Government."
The masked man's voice was devoid of emotion. "We have come to arrest the world-class criminal, Monkey D. Garp."
"As a form of assistance, we will also clear away the rebellious trash for your kingdom."
Neptune was completely stunned.
The direct enforcement unit of the World Government, the strongest shield of the Celestial Dragons—they were here!
"CP0?"
"They're here to catch that old man?"
"Wonderful! We're saved!"
"Wait, no! How did they know Garp was here?"
"What is actually going on?"
The ministers in the hall shifted from initial shock to immense confusion and unease.
___________
Meanwhile.
In the shadows of Gyoncorde Plaza.
Another member of CP0 had found Hody Jones, who was currently reveling in his victory.
"Hody Jones."
"Government dogs? Did you come here to die?"
Hody looked at him with disdain.
The CP0 agent handed him a Den Den Mushi.
"A trade."
"Help us capture Garp, and once it is done, Fish-Man Island is yours."
From the Den Den Mushi, a raspy voice spoke.
Hody Jones paused for a moment, then burst into even more arrogant laughter.
"Jahahaha!"
"Mere Garp? Just an old man eliminated by the era!"
"Deal!"
"Once I'm done with Ryugu Palace, I'll tear that old geezer's bones apart and send them to you!"
He hung up the Den Den Mushi, completely unaware that he was nothing more than a pawn on a chessboard.
This coup, launched by him, had been a carefully designed hunt from the very beginning.
The entire Fish-Man Island had been turned into a massive trap.
And all the bait—whether it was the Straw Hat crew or Hody Jones himself—was already in position.
All to lure out the true target of their hunt: the sleeping beast.
_____________
Outside the Kitchen.
Garp stretched his body, his joints popping in a loud, rhythmic series of cracks.
He glanced toward the direction of Gyoncorde Plaza, then looked toward the direction of Ryugu Palace.
A dangerous grin pulled across his face.
"Appetizers are done."
"Time for... the main course."
(To be Continued)