novelnext Chapter 161 Death and Another Mastermind
Chapter 161 Death and Another Mastermind
Chapter 161 Death and Another Mastermind
Bai Yu's eyes turned cold, and with a slight twist of his wrist, Hody's body instantly lost its balance and was violently thrown out, crashing heavily into the seashell statue in the center of the square. The statue shattered instantly, sending shards of stone flying everywhere.
Hody struggled to stand up, but his body was wracked with pain. Although the enhancement effects of the drug were still present, Bai Yu's attack had severely damaged his bones and internal organs.
He lay on the ground, coughing up mouthfuls of blood, his face turning from crimson to deathly pale, but the madness in his eyes remained. He raised his head, staring intently at Bai Yu, and roared, "No—impossible—how could I lose to you—I am a powerful member of the fish-man race—I will take revenge—I will enslave humanity—"
Bai Yu walked step by step to Hody, looking down at him with a cold, unwavering gaze. His Sharingan eyes were devoid of emotion, and his tone was as icy as winter: "Your hatred, your arrogance, your racism are nothing but self-deception. Your so-called power is worthless in the face of absolute strength. It's a pity. Some of your ideas are correct. If you had enough strength, the Fish-Men would be better off under your protection. It's a real shame that you don't have enough strength. Your strength is not enough to match your ambition."
As soon as he finished speaking, Bai Yu raised his foot and gently stepped on Hody's chest. The immense force made it impossible for Hody to breathe instantly, and he spat out another mouthful of blood. His body convulsed violently, and the madness in his eyes gradually faded, replaced by deep despair.
He looked into Bai Yu's scarlet Sharingan eyes and was filled with fear. He finally realized that there was a world of difference between him and Bai Yu. His revenge and his ambition were nothing but a ridiculous farce.
"You—what kind of person are you? Humans are so complicated—" Hody's voice was so weak it was almost inaudible, his eyes filled with resentment and fear.
Bai Yu didn't answer him, but slightly increased the pressure under his feet. Hody let out a final painful groan, completely lost consciousness, and his body slumped to the ground. The enhancement effect of the drug gradually faded, and his figure returned to its original form, except that his face was as pale as paper and his breath was weak, like a candle flickering in the wind.
The square was deathly silent, save for the heavy breathing of the crowd and the flowing light and shadow of the Sun Tree Eve.
Queen Otohime stood there, looking at Hody lying on the ground, her eyes filled with heartache and helplessness, tears silently streaming down her face. She knew that Hody's tragedy was caused by hatred, and she had to continue on her journey, carrying the hopes of her people, to realize that dream of peace.
Artoria sheathed her holy sword and walked to Bai Yu's side, her golden eyes full of praise: "Well done, Bai Yu. Fortunately, you were there. You prevented this potential tragedy."
Bai Yu nodded slightly, withdrew his foot, and the crimson color of his Sharingan slowly faded, returning to its normal appearance.
He looked at the petition book that Queen Otohime was holding tightly in her arms on the high platform, then at the crowd in the square who were gradually calming down and whose eyes were filled with renewed hope, and said softly, "Peace is never something that can be achieved through compromise, but rather something that can be protected by strength. Before the emergence of top-tier powerhouses, Fishman Island will indeed need to compromise to gain benefits —"
Queen Otohime wiped away her tears, walked up to Shiraha, and bowed deeply once more. Her long golden hair cascaded down her back, and her voice was filled with gratitude: "Shiraha-kun, thank you. Thank you for protecting our hope once again. I promise you that no matter how great the difficulties we face in the future, I will persevere and lead my people out of the deep sea to stand in the sunlight and achieve true peace and freedom."
King Neptune stepped forward, bowed deeply to Bai Yu, and said in a deep voice, "Mr. Bai Yu, I am deeply grateful. From now on, Fishman Island will be your friend. Whatever your needs, we will do our best to help you."
Bai Yu slightly raised his hand, gesturing for them to stand up, and then his gaze swept across the square once more: "No need for formalities. Before I leave, I will deal with that ability user who threatened your daughter."
"Huh? There are other people besides Hody Jones??"
Neptune was instantly flustered.
Hody Jones's body had completely stopped moving, and his chest was no longer rising and falling.
The deathly silence in the square had not yet completely dissipated when King Neptune's exclamation shattered the tranquility.
He abruptly raised his head, his solemn expression instantly replaced by panic. His hands unconsciously clenched the hem of his clothes, his gaze fixed on Uchiha Shiraha, his voice filled with barely concealed anxiety: "Mr. Shiraha, you—what did you say? Someone else threatened Shirahoshi? That's impossible! Hody has already been subdued by you. Within Fishman Island, besides him, who else would dare to lay a hand on my daughter?"
Princess White Star hid behind King Neptune. Her eyes, which had calmed down slightly after Hody's defeat, were now filled with fear again. Her slender fingers gripped her father's sleeve tightly, and her body trembled slightly.
The three princes also looked wary, their gazes sweeping cautiously across the square as if trying to find the hidden threat among the crowd.
Queen Otohime stopped wiping away her tears, her eyes filled with doubt and worry. She looked at Shiraha and asked softly, "Shiraha-kun, is what you're saying true? Hody is determined to overthrow my peace ideals and seek revenge. I always thought that the person who threatened Shirahoshi just now was him—"
Bai Yu slowly turned around, his gaze sweeping over the panicked faces of the crowd. His expression remained calm, and he spoke softly to Neptune in a calm yet resolute tone: "Hody's target has never been White Star. His obsession is revenge, to overthrow your peace proposals, and to enslave humanity. To him, White Star is nothing more than a pawn to disturb your minds and restrain your power. The one who is truly threatening White Star with the anchor and trying to use her abilities to achieve his own goals is someone else."
"Shirahoshi's abilities? Someone else is involved?"
After a moment's thought, Neptune said, "Implement street control; everyone must leave this dangerous area."
After the unrelated people left, King Neptune's voice trembled. He took a sudden step forward, grabbed Bai Yu's arm, and said urgently, "Mr. Bai Yu, please tell me, who is that person? Where is he? Bai Xing—she can't be hurt!"
"Don't worry, that person won't dare to make any rash moves for the time being."
Bai Yu gently withdrew his arm, his gaze fixed on a certain direction in the deep sea, activating his sensory abilities.
"His Observation Haki is quite impressive. He's been secretly observing Fishman Island from this far away. Hody Jones's chaos is exactly what he wants. He wants to reap the benefits while we and Hody are both exhausted before he kidnaps Shirahoshi. If Hody Jones hadn't made a move, he wouldn't be in such a hurry."
Upon hearing this, Artoria's golden eyes instantly sharpened, and the holy sword in her hand once again glowed with a faint golden light. Her aura became even more chilling. She looked at Bai Yu and said in a deep voice, "Bai Yu, let's go find him now. Bai Xing is so cute. We can't let him hurt Bai Xing, nor can we let him disrupt the peace of Fishman Island."
"Um."
Bai Yu nodded slightly: "We have the historian Robin, so we know about Princess Shirahoshi's special circumstances. So, besides you, who else could possibly know about Shirahoshi's special circumstances?"
"Vander Decken IX?!" King Neptune's expression changed drastically, his eyes filled with shock and lingering fear.
"He's a descendant of Vander Decken, the mermaid who ate the Target-Target Fruit! I never imagined he had a lineage of legends about the Sea King passed down from his ancestors. I sent people to drive him off Fish-Man Island, but I never expected he would stay so long and secretly orchestrate all of this!"
Queen Otohime's face also turned pale. She remembered that when Shirahoshi activated her power, Vander Decken IX was indeed present. A chill ran down her spine: "So—so the anchor that mysteriously appeared near Shirahoshi's palace was really his doing. I thought it was Hody's men. I was too careless."
"Without further ado, I'll go with Artoria to deal with him first. You all stay here for now."
Without another word, Bai Yu flashed and headed towards the deep-sea undercurrents. His black robes fluttered gently in the water, and he moved so fast that he was left as a blur.
Upon seeing this, King Neptune immediately wanted to go with Shiraha, but was stopped by Queen Otohime.
"Your Majesty, you cannot go."
Queen Otohime grasped his hand, her eyes filled with determination: "You are the king of Fishman Island. You have just evacuated the people. Now you need to stay here to stabilize the people's hearts and appease them. Shiraha-kun and Miss Artoria are both strong. They will definitely be able to subdue Vander Decken. We will just wait for them to return here."
King Neptune looked at Queen Otohime's resolute eyes, then at the timid Shirahoshi behind him, and finally nodded heavily, saying in a deep voice, "Alright, I'll stay here."
After speaking, Neptune looked in the direction Bai Yu had left and silently prayed, "Mr. Bai Yu, Miss Artoria, please come back safely, and please protect Fishman Island!"
Bai Yu and Artoria had already disappeared into the deep sea, speeding towards the dark current area. Just as Bai Yu had said, the dark current area was dimly lit, with rapid currents and huge reefs scattered in the sea. Whirlpools spun constantly, making a howling sound, like a giant mouth ready to devour anything that approached.
Fortunately, the bubble suit that Bai Yu was wearing was of good quality.
"He's right ahead."
Bai Yu stopped and looked at a huge black reef not far away. Vander Decken IX's aura was cold and greedy, with a nauseating malice. Unlike Hody's violence, Vander Decken's aura was more sinister and cunning.
Artoria stopped, gripped her holy sword tightly, her golden eyes fixed on the black reef, and said coldly, "Come out. We've found you. Stop hiding."
Artoria's voice echoed in the darkness, while the pressure of the holy sword caused the surrounding water to tremble slightly.
A moment later, a chilling laugh came from behind the rocks, followed by the slow emergence of a hunched, ugly man. His skin was a sickly yellow, his hair was disheveled, and a hat covered most of his face, revealing only a pair of sinister eyes filled with greed and madness.
He is Vander Decken, a user of the Target-Target Fruit, who can use any object as a target and throw it accurately, hitting the target no matter how far away.
"Hahaha—I didn't expect you guys to find out."
Vander Decken IX licked his lips, his gaze greedily sweeping over Artoria before settling on Bai Yu, a hint of apprehension flashing in his eyes.
"Uchiha Shiraha, Artoria—I never expected you two to interfere in the Fishman Island affair. That idiot Hody Jones actually chose to make his move at this time."
"You secretly threatened Princess Shirahoshi with the anchor, coveting her abilities and wanting to use her to achieve your own ambitions. Today, we are here to deal with you."
The air pressure around Bai Yu dropped again, and a powerful sense of oppression swept towards Vander Deiken, causing Vander Deiken's body to tremble slightly.
Vander Decken's apprehension deepened, but it was quickly replaced by greed and madness. He pointed abruptly at Bai Yu and Artoria and shouted, "Deal with me? What do you know? I've been waiting for this day for many years. Bai Xing was destined to be my wife!"
"Wishful thinking!" Artoria roared, her figure flashing as she charged towards Vander Decken, her holy sword raised high: "The good deserve protection."
The holy sword, accompanied by a whistling wind, slashed fiercely at Van der Deiken, with enough force to split the massive reef in two.
A flicker of panic crossed Vanderdeken's eyes. He quickly dodged to the side, simultaneously hurling an arrow at Artoria.
Artoria felt that this guy's combat power was too weak. She paused, turned around abruptly, and gently blocked with her holy sword.
The arrow was deflected by the holy sword and slammed heavily onto a reef, shattering it instantly and sending fragments flying.
"You've got some skills."
Van der Deiken used countless pebbles, debris, and cannonballs as targets, hurling them continuously at Bai Yu and Artoria.
"Since that's the case, then I'll show you what I'm capable of!"
Countless debris and shells rained down like a storm, densely packed and obscuring the entire field of vision.
Bai Yu's eyes turned cold.
"Earth Release - Earthflow Wall!"
"Impossible!" Van der Deiken's eyes were filled with disbelief. He had not expected Bai Yu to be so powerful.
Then Vander Decken saw Uchiha Shiraha's Sharingan, and everything went black before his eyes. Countless terrifying images flashed through his mind. He seemed to see himself being devoured by Shirahoshi's Sea King power and torn apart by countless Sea Kings. He also seemed to see himself being defeated by Shiraha and Artoria and suffering endless torment. His heart was filled with fear and despair.