Chapter 693: SFDI - 693
In the pirate world, Giants are the strongest among human races, but the world’s strongest race is actually the Sea Kings.
As their name suggests, they are the true rulers of the sea.
Most of the sea creatures Drake and his companions encountered earlier were actually sea beasts, in no way comparable to true Sea Kings.
Judging by size alone, a sea beast around a hundred meters long is already considered enormous. But for Sea Kings, that’s merely small.
The colossal Sea Kings that inhabit the waters around Fish-Man Island are each over five thousand meters long, their bodies comparable to islands.
Such behemoths can stir up gales and tsunamis just by turning over, their power immeasurable.
Their immense size represents unparalleled pure strength, and more crucially, these creatures possess intelligence comparable to humans.
And the Sea Kings have a common "king"—the Mermaid Princess, born among the Merfolk.
Born at a fated time, the Mermaid Princess possesses the ability to communicate with and command Sea Kings. This power is in no way inferior to the battleships Pluton, capable of destroying an island with a single shot, or the mysterious Uranus.
Therefore, the Mermaid Princess is regarded as being on par with the other two Ancient Weapons, holding the title of Sea King Poseidon.
And the current Sea King is Neptune’s youngest daughter, Shirahoshi.
However, according to the Sea Kings and historical texts, the Mermaid Princess requires a "guide" to grow and fulfill her destiny.
And that person is currently training on an island arranged by Rayleigh, while Shirahoshi is still a timid, crybaby little girl.
Who would have imagined that the Sea King, named after a god and possessing the power to destroy the world, is a girl so kind she would even forgive her enemies?
That’s right. When Hody Jones assassinated Queen Otohime, Shirahoshi’s pet shark witnessed it, and Shirahoshi learned the identity of the culprit.
But precisely because she didn’t want Hody Jones to be consumed by hatred, she kept this secret for years.
Setting aside the fact that Hody Jones himself is a scumbag who deserves no forgiveness, his actions severely undermined Queen Otohime’s dream of coexistence between humans and Fish-Men.
But Shirahoshi was just a six-year-old girl at the time. Although she couldn’t fully comprehend everything, her ability to suppress her emotions and keep a secret for so many years is remarkable.
She’s not the type to demand kindness from others like a saint, so Drake has a good impression of her.
Neptune, who had gone out, returned quickly. The Hard-Shell Tower he specially built should have protected Shirahoshi from Vander Decken’s thrown weapon.
With such an incident, it’s clear everyone has lost the mood for a banquet. Fortunately, everyone was mostly full.
Drake thought Neptune would say nothing, but to his surprise, as they were leaving, Neptune called out to Drake.
"Could I trouble you to accompany me somewhere?"
Curious, Drake nodded and followed Neptune. After leaving Ryugu Castle, they boarded a whale and flew towards a southeastern corner of Fish-Man Island.
Neptune remained silent throughout the journey, and Drake didn’t pry. After all, once they reached their destination, Neptune would say whatever he needed to say.
Thus, in silence, the two of them and the whale arrived at a special place.
Looking up, Drake saw numerous dilapidated ships here. The more fragile sails on these broken ships were thoroughly rotted, and even the wooden planks were in disrepair, covered in various parasitic organisms.
Besides countless shipwrecks, a large number of corals of various colors grew here. The corals, having grown for an unknown duration, were magnificent, forming a coral forest on the seabed.
Thanks to the sunlight transmitted by the Sun Tree Eve, the corals here grew in beautiful forms.
And within this sea forest, the most abundant creatures were various fish, with whales being particularly numerous.
Whales are animals that appear in pursuit of rich oceans. Drake immediately spotted several types of whales swimming in this area, forming a vibrant scene together with the coral forest.
Drake guessed where they were. This was the Sea Forest, known as the Ship Graveyard.
Entering Fish-Man Island from the sea is actually very dangerous. Most ships sink due to various accidents after submerging.
The sunken ships are then pushed by ocean currents, eventually ending up here.
The whale stopped, and Neptune led Drake to a location.
It was a stele, topped with a statue of a chess queen. This was likely the tombstone of Queen Otohime, Neptune’s wife.
Neptune caressed the tombstone and said, "Otohime, I haven’t visited you in a long time. Don’t worry, the children are all well and have grown up.
Although there are still many troubles, I will resolve them and ensure no one harms them.
And your dream, I’m sorry, I haven’t achieved it. But I’m still trying, and I will definitely achieve it one day!"
Drake leaned closer, took out a wine bottle from his ring, and said, "Would you like a drink?"
Neptune smiled, and the two sat before the tombstone, each picking up a wine cup.
Drake said, "So, you brought me here because you have something to say, right?"
Neptune said, "Yes, I promised my wife that I would take good care of our children, but I haven’t even done that well!
Although it’s for their protection, I could only confine my most beloved daughter to that small place...!"
Neptune’s lips trembled, and the veins on the back of his hand, gripping the wine cup, bulged, showing his emotional turmoil.
Drake said, "It’s all because of Vander Decken! That guy is truly disgusting."
Neptune looked at Drake and said, "So, I want to commission you. Please help my daughter gain her freedom!"
Drake extended his wine cup and said, "Let’s be clear beforehand, our fees are very high!"
Neptune handed Drake his cup, clinked it, and said, "For my daughter’s freedom, I can give you anything from Ryugu Castle’s treasure vault!"
Drake drank the wine in his cup in one gulp and said, "No need to be so dramatic. Dealing with a few cowardly rats hiding in the shadows doesn’t require such a high price."
.....
Drake didn’t know that his target for this job had already rendezvoused with another group.
Vander Decken IX sat on the sofa, looking at the throng of people opposite him.
"You are the New Fish-Man Pirates, right? You said you wanted to cooperate, so let’s discuss what exactly you intend to do!"
A burly man stood up, revealing his ferocious square face and a mouth full of sharp teeth.
"Of course, it’s to bring punishment upon humanity! And to achieve that, we must first eliminate the obstacles."
Vander Decken asked doubtfully, "Obstacles?"
"Naturally, we mean the weak Neptune family. They, who foolishly seek coexistence with humans, are the biggest obstacle!"
Hearing Hody Jones’s decisive answer, Vander Decken thought of Neptune blocking his pursuit of Shirahoshi. He grinned sinisterly and said, "Then we can indeed cooperate, but all I want is Princess Shirahoshi!"
Hody Jones gave a sinister smile and said, "Then it’s settled. The New Fish-Man Pirates and the Flying Pirates are now allied!"
As the hands of the two villains clasped, an alliance aimed at overthrowing Ryugu Kingdom was formed.
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