Chapter 103

The momentary lull on one side of the celebration caught the attention of the King and Queen of the Ryugu Kingdom, Neptune and Otohime. They were completely taken aback by the open display of respect and affection towards a young human teenager from over a dozen fishmen.

From their raised platform, they could clearly see that the fishmen seemed to hold the young teen in reverence. This intrigued the monarchs, as the tension between humans and fishmen had been escalating daily since the execution of Roger.

Just a week prior, a group of pirates had managed to kidnap more than a dozen young mermaids, causing a significant commotion in the palace. The relatives of the kidnapped mermaids had created an uproar, demanding the palace's help to rescue their family members.

However, even as the monarch of Fishman Island, Neptune felt helpless. His army was already stretched thin, trying to keep the incoming pirates in check, maintaining order in the lawless area, and dealing with internal turmoil. But now, the scene before him brought a wide smile to Neptune's face.

"Husband, do you know what's happening down there?" The soft, ethereal voice of Otohime chimed in Neptune's ears. Beside him sat his loving wife, cradling their newborn son. As someone who passionately wanted to bring peace between humans and fishmen, she was very interested in understanding what was going on below.

"Minister, can you find out what exactly is happening? If possible, please invite them and the human teen to the platform," King Neptune requested, turning towards a seahorse fishman standing sentinel next to him. The minister quickly acknowledged the orders and moved to uncover the source of the commotion.

Within a few minutes, the minister returned with a detailed account of what had transpired. Both King Neptune and Queen Otohime were shocked beyond belief to learn that humans had risked their lives to save mermaids from one of the most dangerous pirate crews out there. Originally, Neptune had no idea that the abduction a week prior had been carried out by the Big Mom Pirates.

As Neptune and Otohime contemplated inviting the humans and hosting them in the palace after the celebration, a resounding boom shook the entire central plaza. My observation haki spread out, and I immediately zeroed in on the perpetrators. They were planning to use the chaos to target the royal family. My mind raced—this was the best opportunity to befriend the royal family.

"Keep him safe until I get back," I instructed Katakuri, indicating Smoker, and then flickered towards the platform. Doffy also saw my reaction and moved towards the platform where the royal family was. Panic surged through the plaza as more explosions reverberated throughout. The Ryugu Kingdom soldiers quickly moved to restore order.

"Minister, get down there and help them out. Take the guards with you," Otohime ordered, seeing that many civilians were getting trampled in the chaos.

"But... that will leave fewer people to guard you, Highness," the Minister of the Right exclaimed. He did not want to leave the side of the King and Queen and was already making preparations to evacuate the royal family safely.

Just then, a figure appeared right above Otohime, attempting to subdue her. The Minister of the Right moved to intercept. "Busoshoku Koka," the assailant declared, clad in armament haki, and punched out. The seahorse fishman immediately drew his cutlass, infusing it with haki, but the difference in strength was evident. With a resounding boom, the minister was sent flying through the air.

"Hahahaha, finally a royal mermaid!" the assailant bellowed, ensuring everyone in the plaza heard him. The CP0 agent aimed to mask this as a kidnapping attempt for the mermaid of the highest status.

Meanwhile, Doffy had intercepted one of the CP0 agents and engaged in combat. The battle quickly escalated, with both fighters proving formidable.

"It's you. Why are you here on Fishman Island?" The CP0 leader, whom I intercepted, roared as he instantly identified me. Two other CP0 agents immediately surrounded me, knowing they couldn't handle me alone. Keeping me restrained was their only choice.

"You guys aren't pirates, are you?" I chuckled, my observation haki easily picking up the subtle differences. The assailants were too well-trained and disciplined to be mere pirates. The strength of the people leading the attacks was not ordinary. If there were such a pirate crew, they should have been famous.

The CP0 leader's eyes narrowed, but he didn't respond. I smirked, realizing I had hit a nerve. "So, the World Government is getting desperate, sending its dogs to Fishman Island under the guise of pirates."

Ignoring my taunt, the CP0 leader signaled the agents to attack. "Capture the royal family and eliminate any witnesses," he ordered coldly.

As the agents lunged at me, I activated my armament haki, deflecting their attacks with ease. The plaza erupted into chaos, with civilians scrambling for cover and soldiers clashing with disguised CP0 agents.

From the corner of my eye, I saw Doffy tangling with his opponent, a fierce grin on his face. "Doffy, protect the royal family!" I shouted, blocking another attack.

"Already on it, little brother!" Doffy responded, his flames blazing through the air with deadly precision.

On the platform, just as the CP0 agent sent the Fishmen Minister flying, he marked Otohime again. But in that moment, a massive trident, clad in haki, aimed straight for his chest, poised to skewer him. It was none other than King Neptune himself who took action. As a formidable fighter in his own right, Neptune attacked with precision and power. The CP0 agent instinctively crossed his arms, clad them in armament haki, and took a defensive stance, shouting, "Tekkai!"

"Boom!" The trident landed squarely on the agent, sending him crashing to the ground. But just then, another CP0 agent appeared on Neptune's flank, aiming to deliver a fatal blow to his side.

"Yaki Mochi!!" Suddenly, a powerful projectile attack was launched at the agent, who was about to sneak attack King Neptune. The CP0 agent deflected the attack, but in the next moment, a tall human appeared before him, launching a devastating punch. The CP0 agent immediately recognized the attacker: it was Charlotte Katakuri, the top cadre of the Big Mom Pirates. Katakuri hadn't initially intended to help, but he instinctively moved to assist Ross.

"You, why are the Big Mom Pirates getting involved in the matters of Fishman Island?" The CP0 agent roared as he clashed ferociously with Katakuri, exchanging blow for blow.

Katakuri's eyes narrowed. "I am not here for you. But if you threaten the people I am with, you threaten me." His voice was cold, and each punch he threw was backed by tremendous force. The CP0 agent grunted, trying to keep up with Katakuri's relentless assault.

On the platform, King Neptune stood protectively in front of Otohime, his trident poised for the next strike. Otohime clutched their newborn son tightly, her eyes wide but resolute. "Neptune, be careful!" she called out, her voice filled with concern.

Despite the chaos, the royal family remained calm. Queen Otohime, her resolve unshaken, gathered the children around her, her eyes scanning the battlefield. "We must protect our people," she said to the Minister of the Left, who was already relaying orders, and nodded in agreement.

"Everyone, to the palace!" Neptune commanded, his powerful voice cutting through the noise.

The soldiers formed a protective circle around the royal family, slowly moving them towards the palace. As I fought off the CP0 agents, I could see the determination in their eyes. They wouldn't stop until they completed their mission.

I was already holding four CP0 agents in check. The civilians around me made me hesitate to use devastating lightning attacks, as that would surely harm the Fishmen, but Doffy, on the other side, was not holding back. His blue flames danced around the CP0 agent he was fighting, putting his opponent at a significant disadvantage.

"Roar!" With a deafening roar, the CP0 agent fighting Doffy transformed into a hybrid flaming cat.

"Oh, an ancient Zoan!" I exclaimed, my blade slicing through the air, almost beheading a CP0 agent who managed to retreat at the last possible second.

As the seconds passed, the clash in the plaza intensified. The Fishmen had also taken up arms, fighting the other CP agents. The CP0 agents were the main force, but they were being pinned down by myself, Doffy, and Katakuri, leaving only a single agent for Neptune to deal with. Neptune, with the help of the seahorse Fishman, was holding his own against the CP0 agent.

"You bastard! Do you want Fishman Island to be completely destroyed?" The CP0 agent, who had transformed into a hellcivet, snarled at Doffy. If not for these brats from the Donquixote family intervening, they would already have the royal family under custody.

"We will hold him back! Go ahead and capture the royal family!" the CP0 leader commanded, turning to one of the three CP0 agents I managed to keep in check.

My observation haki foresaw the CP0 agent's attempt to escape. He was the Ishi Ishi no Mi's current user, planning to assimilate himself into the plaza and escape, but I wasn't going to give him the opportunity.

I flickered right in front of him before he could sink into the ground.

"Ittoryu Iai: Death's Sonata!!!" Sandai Kitetsu tore through the air at blinding speeds, leaving an afterimage. The heaviness of the blade and the speed seemed to warp the space itself. Even before the CP0 agent realized what had happened, a thin line appeared across his neck, sealing his fate.

I immediately moved to intercept the remaining three CP0 agents, who had no idea what had just happened. This is what happens when there's an overwhelming difference in observation haki and speed. One moment, the CP0 agent was ready to sneak away, and the next moment, a headless corpse of their colleague lay on the ground.

Doffy and his opponent continued their fierce battle, with the ancient Zoan's flames clashing against Doffy's blue flames. "You're strong; I'll give you that," Doffy taunted, his flaming whips weaving a deadly dance around the CP0 agent.

Katakuri, meanwhile, was engaged in a brutal clash with another CP0 agent. His mochi abilities, combined with his advanced observation haki made him a formidable opponent. "You won't touch them," Katakuri growled, his eyes cold and focused.

The CP0 agents, despite their training and discipline, were struggling against the unexpected resistance. "This isn't how it was supposed to go. If this keeps up, the elder may intervene personally," one of them muttered, eyes darting around in search of a way to execute their mission.

"Die! You pirate scum!" The Fishman leader I had helped earlier roared as he cut down a CP agent. The tide was shifting as more Fishmen started attacking the assailants. Although there were nearly a hundred pirates, only the ones being held back by me and my party seemed formidable; the rest were something they could handle.

"Majestic Flame Destroyer!!!" Doffy roared, unleashing a massive wave of blue flames towards the hell civet. Although it had the ability to create its own flames, they were inferior to the blue flames. Orange and blue flames clashed, but just as the hell civet was about to launch a counterattack, its observation haki flared. Tearing through the burning flames, Doffy, clad in armament haki, his hand morphed into a blue blade, lunged forward at dazzling speed.

"Hell Stab!!" The blade tore through the opponent's defenses and pierced deeply into the chest. If not for the civet's reflexes, the blade would have skewered through the heart of the CP0 agent. The opponent immediately created some distance, reverting back to hybrid form, and the wound, despite looking gruesome, started healing.

"Tch, you damn Zoans, always healing up," Doffy yelled in frustration and envy. He always wanted a physique like those Zoan users, always picking themselves up despite how fatal the injuries seemed.

"You sure are lucky to have a cat model. I don't think you would have reacted if it was any other Zoan," Doffy chuckled while preparing himself for the next attack. The CP0 agent, drenched in sweat, knew the bastard was right. If not for the cat model fruit's natural reflexes, his heart would have been skewered.

Katakuri, still engaged in his fierce battle, called out, "Keep the pressure on! We can't let them regroup!" His mochi abilities were a blur, overwhelming his opponent with rapid, powerful attacks. He had completely forgotten that he was a villain too and was acting like a valiant defender.

In the center of the plaza, the battle raged on. Fishmen soldiers, civilians, and warriors from the slums fought side by side against the intruders. King Neptune, his trident in a blur of motion, fought valiantly with the seahorse Fishman by his side. The CP0 agent facing them was skilled, but Neptune's fury and determination made him a formidable opponent.