Chapter 23: Shocking! Conqueror's Haki Instant Kill!
Ryugu Palace.
Inside the Great Hall where the victory banquet was being held, a strange atmosphere pervaded the air—a bizarre blend of wild carnival revelry and reverent awe.
The long dining table was piled high with Fish-Man Island's most top-tier delicacies.
Roast sea beast meat wafted a tantalizing aroma, while giant seashells held colorful, trembling gelatin, and cakes were decorated with layers of coral-shaped frosting.
However, at the head of the table—
The plates in front of Garp and Luffy were stacked higher than everyone else's combined.
"Grandpa! This grilled fish is delicious!"
"Mm, it's got too many bones though. Not as convenient as rice crackers."
The conversation between the grandfather and grandson formed a sharp contrast with the surrounding royal ministers, who were acting with extreme caution, moving so lightly they barely made a sound even when raising a glass.
Just then.
The giant Mermaid Princess, Shirahoshi, swam over carefully from her exclusive seat.
Her colossal figure cast a large shadow over the table, yet her movements were as timid as a startled fawn.
She swam to Garp's side, wearing a shy, fearful expression, wanting to say something.
Garp didn't even lift his head.
He casually pulled a bag of rice crackers (senbei) from his pocket and handed it to her.
"Here, kid. Don't be shy. Dig in."
Shirahoshi blinked, looking at the bag of crackers that was smaller than her fingernail. A surprised smile appeared on her face.
She reached out her hand, preparing to accept the bag.
Suddenly, disaster struck!
Whoosh!
A streak of cold light tore through the seawater outside the palace and ripped through the sturdy walls!
Like a bolt of black lightning, it flew with lethal precision toward Shirahoshi's head!
It was a massive axe, wrapped in an ominous aura!
The speed was extreme; the guards inside the hall didn't even have time to raise their weapons.
"It's Vander Decken!"
King Neptune's massive body shot up from the throne, the blood draining from his face.
"Protect Shirahoshi!"
The three princes—Fukaboshi, Ryuboshi, and Manboshi—instantly threw themselves in front of Shirahoshi, their weapons trained on the incoming axe.
But they all knew... they were too late.
However.
The axe suddenly stopped.
Less than three meters from the center of Shirahoshi's forehead, it froze in mid-air.
It hovered there, the blade trembling violently, emitting a buzzing sound of unwillingness, yet it could not advance a single millimeter further.
It was as if it had slammed into an invisible wall.
In the entire Great Hall, everyone's movements froze.
Crunch.
A crisp chewing sound shattered the solidified air.
Garp sat in his original spot, head still down, popping another cracker into his mouth.
He simply grumbled impatiently.
"So noisy."
As the words fell.
An invisible, indescribable, terrifying pressure radiated from his body.
That pressure did not affect a single person inside the Great Hall.
Instead, a streak of black lightning pierced through Ryugu Palace, penetrated through thousands of meters of heavy seawater, and locked onto a specific target far in the distance with absolute precision.
Several kilometers away from Fish-Man Island, on the dilapidated Flying Dutchman.
Vander Decken IX stood at the bow, laughing maniacally at the crystal ball in his hand.
"Bwahahahaha! Princess Shirahoshi! You cannot escape the palm of my hand!"
"Soon! Soon you will be mine!"
His words were barely out of his mouth.
The smile froze on his face.
A terrifying pressure, one that froze the very soul, descended upon him across the vast distance and the crushing weight of the deep sea.
He felt as though his body had been seized by an invisible, gigantic hand. Every inch of his bones, every single cell, screamed under the unbearable burden.
"No... Impossi..."
His eyes suddenly bulged out. Blood seeped simultaneously from the corners of his eyes, his nostrils, and his ears.
"What... is... this..."
He couldn't even finish a complete sentence before his body went rigid.
His eyes rolled back into his head, and he collapsed heavily backward onto the deck.
He had completely lost all signs of life.
Inside the Great Hall of Ryugu Palace.
Clang!
A crisp sound of metal striking stone rang out.
The giant axe that had been hovering in mid-air lost all supporting force and fell straight down onto the polished floor.
Ten years.
The nightmare that had plagued Shirahoshi for ten full years.
The terrifying curse that had clung to her like a maggot in the bone, making her afraid to take a single step out of the Hard-Shell Tower.
Just like that, it vanished.
Shirahoshi stared blankly at the axe on the floor.
Slowly, she shifted her gaze to the old man who was still chewing on his rice crackers.
In her giant eyes, tears began to slide down silently like a bursting dam.
But this time, it wasn't from fear.
"He... What did he do?"
"The axe... why did it fall?"
"Vander Decken... could it be..."
"Impossible! He didn't even move a muscle!"
"Across such a distance of seawater... he just said one sentence... how is that possible?!"
"Did he... kill the demon that has haunted the Princess for ten years?"
Inside the Great Hall, after a moment of deathly silence, a roar of discussion erupted—filled with shock and disbelief.
King Neptune and the three princes stood rooted to the spot, bodies stiff, resembling three stone statues.
Garp finally finished the crackers in his hand. He patted the back of Shirahoshi's mountain-like hand.
"Kid, from now on, go out and play whenever you want."
"Don't keep locking yourself in that broken tower. I don't like seeing children cry."
As his words fell.
King Neptune's towering body slowly sank down.
Seeing this, the three princes immediately knelt on one knee as well.
"Thank you... Thank you for your great kindness, Mr. Garp!"
Neptune's voice trembled violently with emotion.
The entire Ryugu Palace, after a brief moment of stunned silence, thoroughly boiled over with excitement!
The banquet continued.
Or rather, an even crazier banquet began.
Garp and Luffy completely let loose. The food in front of them vanished at a speed visible to the naked eye.
Their appetites were like two bottomless black holes, causing the head chef to nearly faint from exhaustion.
The rest of the Straw Hat crew finally recovered from the ultimate shock and joined the revelry.
(To be Continued)