302. Arrival

Bonus 13

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A profound sense of coldness, darkness, and solitude pervades the depths of this ocean. The harsh living conditions and formidable pressure make it nearly impossible for creatures to thrive in such an environment.

Suddenly, a massive island ship pierces through the darkness, intruding into this secluded realm of life. It boasts sleek silver-white curves, resembling a majestic and fierce beast. An invisible force surrounds the ship, resisting any attempt for it to advance, despite the surging darkness.

Crash-! ! !

As the tide fluctuates, two enormous scarlet eyes emerge in the darkness, catching the attention of all the Marines on board. The madness within those eyes, driven by the desire to choose and consume, sends shivers down the spines of the Marines, akin to being drenched in ice-cold water in the heart of winter. A chilling fear grips their hearts.

This creature...

"Hey hey hey!! What's going on here!!"

"It's a sea king, a colossal creature said to inhabit the deep sea in legends—"

"Kraken!!!"

Finally, prompted by others, the Marine recalls the legend.

[In the boundless darkness of the deep sea, a sea king hundreds of meters tall slumbers. Whenever a ship passes by and disrupts its rest, it promptly demolishes the vessel to bits. No one has ever managed to survive.]

Roar--! ! !

A profound roar echoed, and numerous shipwrecks surfaced with the current, casting a colossal shadow over the Ryu-Sen.

Through the isolated seawater, the Marines could distinctly observe each suction cup of the massive octopus and sea monster. The giant lantern-like eyes emitted a menacing scarlet glow, instilling terror in all the Marines.

"Brother Atlas..."

Smoker briskly approached the ship's bow, standing alongside Atlas, gazing intently at the descending giant sea monster.

"Don't fret, carry on with your duties."

Atlas' expression remained unwavering as he commanded without turning back.

With his rooster talisman leading the way, the Marine on the ship merely had to adjust the direction based on the compass. As for the sea king, the Kraken...

Buzz—! ! !

A horrifying force erupted, causing the lifeless seawater above to instantly churn. Numerous undercurrents surged, and the oppressive pressure resembled a golden mountain unleashing a jade pillar, hurtling towards the Kraken! ! !

Ouch——! ! !

The Kraken's pupils abruptly contracted, shrinking to the size of a needle tip, and its massive body trembled uncontrollably. Its thick arms began to quiver involuntarily, creating waves of small vortices.

Yet, the vicinity of the Ryu-Sen appeared untouched, like a paradise unaffected by the Kraken's turmoil.

Evidently, Atlas' rooster talisman was once again proving its efficacy.

Gululu~~~

Before any Marine could utter an exclamation, the colossal form of the Kraken suddenly ceased its struggles, weakly descending into the abyss below, ultimately vanishing from sight without a sound.

Thus far, no one has successfully delved into the deepest depths of the seabed. Even the Fish-Men Island rests merely 10,000 meters below the sea's surface, still not reaching the ocean's deepest point.

Even a colossal body like the Kraken is merely a drop in the ocean compared to the vastness of this sea.

Gradually, with the passage of time, the distance between Hakuryu and the Fish-Men Island diminished.

...

Within the Ryugu Palace.

Princess Otohime sat wearily in a plush chair. On the opposite side of the expansive conference table stood the towering Great Knight of the Sea, Neptune.

"Otohime—"

Neptune gazed at the disheartened yet resilient Otohime with eyes filled with a sense of helplessness.

"You haven't lost hope, have you?"

Despite her daily running between Ryugu Palace and the square, the number of signatures in the petition box continues to dwindle instead of growing. It's evident that many inhabitants of the Fish-Men Island have lost faith in the future envisioned by Otohime.

"...Shut up!!!"

Otohime suddenly erupted, tears streaming down her face.

"We!!"

"We can only thrive underwater!! We can only exist in the expansive and limitless sea... living within the depths of the dark and endless seabed."

"Why must we confine ourselves to a place like this? Is it solely because of the feeble sunlight and air?"

"On land, there's brighter sunshine! A broader sky!"

Princess Otohime abruptly rose, her slender hands slamming onto the conference table as she scowled.

"Why do our children sneak off to Sabaody Park? There are undoubtedly more splendid places in the world! There's clearly nowhere unreachable!"

"You'll only devise some rationalizations to convince yourself and then surrender, won't you?!"

"Can you summon the courage befitting the King of the Fish-Men Island and pursue your desires? Even if the obstacles ahead are fellow human beings, can't we confront them together?"

With that last sentence, Otohime practically roared.

As the princess of the Fish-Men Island, she is obligated to always present a dignified and refined demeanor in public, as she represents the image of Neptune and the royal family. However, in front of her husband, she can freely release all her pent-up emotions without holding back, without the need to maintain her supposed regality as a princess.

"Otohime..."

A fleeting expression of distress crossed Neptune's face.

Similar to the other inhabitants of the Fish-Men Island, Neptune harbored persistent doubts about engaging with humans. He maintained a silent stance, neither endorsing nor opposing Princess Otohime's aspirations.

However, he hadn't anticipated that his usually confident and cheerful wife would be carrying such a burdensome weight.

"I assure you, I will wholeheartedly support your dreams from now on!"

Neptune asserted with determination, making a firm promise to Otohime.

"Really? If that's the case, the future for the children of the Fish-Men Island might see a little change!"

Princess Otohime chuckled through tears, circled the chair, and approached Neptune slowly.

Neptune sensed something and extended his massive palm, placing it on Otohime's face with a smile, tenderly caressing his wife.

For a brief moment, an unusual warmth enveloped the Ryugu Palace.

Boom--! ! !

Suddenly, the ponderous door slowly swung open from the outside, revealing a squeezed-in blue fish-man. Observing the scene before him, he recoiled with an embarrassed expression, muttering repeatedly:

"I'm so sorry, Your Majesty Neptune! I didn't see anything!!"

.....

The two couples exchanged glances and chuckled. They separated slightly, almost simultaneously calling out to the retreating blue figure at the door:

"Jinbei, come in for a chat. Is there something significant on your mind?"

They were aware that Jinbei typically had no pressing matters and rarely visited Ryugu Palace to seek out Neptune.

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