Chapter 98: Poseidon

All the way to Ryugu Palace, Nami and the others saw a lot of beautiful, otherworldly scenery unseen on land. Of course, the experience would have been much better without the disgusting stares.

Even with King Neptune and the others present, those gazes were restrained to a large extent, but some remained unpleasant.

But people can't control where their eyes look, can they?

Upon arrival at Ryugu Palace, they were greeted by a vast array of food prepared upon receiving news of their arrival. However, there were still a few troublesome dishes missing, though the selection was significantly better.

"Welcome again, Mr. Luo Ning. However, I must apologize for the abruptness, but what brings you to Fish-Man Island?"

King Neptune, though perpetually aggrieved, knew how to conduct himself in the presence of a powerful figure. He kept his questions concise and his posture deferential, fully aware of the formidable Luo Ning before him.

"Let's cut to the chase. Poseidon. You know what I'm talking about. Don't feign ignorance. While others may be unaware, you certainly know – Poseidon has already appeared, haven't they?"

Luo Ning's words sent a chill through the room, plunging the atmosphere into a state of intense tension. Everyone present was stunned.

Neptune was drenched in cold sweat. Thankfully, only he and Luo Ning were present. If this news were to leak, Whitebeard's reputation wouldn't be able to withstand the fallout.

"Poseidon? Poseidon has appeared? This..."

Jinbei also looked confused. After glancing at King Neptune, he believed Luo Ning's words. King Neptune's reaction was undeniably abnormal.

If Poseidon hadn't appeared and King Neptune wasn't aware, then King Neptune's current reaction should be one of blank denial.

However, the cold sweat dripping down King Neptune's face made it seem like his secret had been exposed.

This implied that Poseidon had indeed appeared, and King Neptune knew about it.

"Is Poseidon one of the three Ancient Weapons?"

Robin, standing next to him, was also taken aback. Now she truly believed Luo Ning knew about Poseidon, but if that were the case, did he also know about Pluton?

After all, that's what Luo Ning had mentioned before.

"Mr. L-Luo Ning, Poseidon... Poseidon has always been a legend here. You've... gotten it wrong!"

King Neptune, covered in cold sweat, stammered his response. Even Jinbei and his sons found the act difficult to watch. King Neptune needed to be more convincing in his denial.

"I know as much about Poseidon as you do. Poseidon is said to appear in each generation among the mermaid princesses, but there's no set timeline for its birth. This generation's mermaid princess, Shirahoshi, is Poseidon, isn't she?"

Luo Ning's statement confirmed King Neptune's suspicion that Luo Ning possessed full knowledge of Poseidon. Otherwise, how could he have spoken with such clarity and precision?

"So, you're here for Shirahoshi?"

Neptune braced himself for a fight, though he knew Fish-Man Island was no match for their opponent. He had to resist. Shirahoshi wasn't just Poseidon, she was his daughter.

King Neptune was a good father. A power-hungry ruler would have trained Shirahoshi as a weapon, but Neptune kept her sheltered in a Hard-Shell Tower. This was partly because that scoundrel Vander Decken IX wouldn't stop harassing her with marriage proposals, even when she was just a little girl. It was despicable.

Even worse, when his advances were ignored, Decken lashed out with his weapons. But Decken IX did have a powerful ability. His Target-Target Fruit seemed ordinary, but its ability to mark targets was incredibly useful.

The Target-Target Fruit could be used for more than just delivering information. Decken even used it to fling Noah towards Fish-Man Island. With further training, Decken IX's strength could be formidable. It was a very useful power wasted on a worthless man.

"Don't misunderstand," Luo Ning said. "I'm only here to recruit Shirahoshi. You understand the significance of Poseidon's awakening. The World Government hasn't discovered Shirahoshi yet, but others are aware, like Vander Decken IX. If he spreads the word, or if Shirahoshi uses her power again, the World Government will come for her."

Luo Ning couldn't help but be speechless about the situation in the original story. Neptune was rightfully worried. Shirahoshi even went to the Holy Land later on. Was that just asking for trouble?

Furthermore, the World Government's actions at that time were erratic. Despite Shirahoshi's identity as Poseidon nearly being exposed, they didn't directly attack her. It was utterly outrageous.

Consider Pluton. The World Government expended immense effort in their pursuit. Yet, when it came to Poseidon, they displayed a baffling lack of concern. Their inconsistency was glaring, and it exposed significant weaknesses in their overall strategy.

In the current scenario, outside of the anime, if Shirahoshi's identity as Poseidon were leaked, the World Government would undoubtedly keep a close eye on her. The Fish-Man Island residents would likely face misfortune as well.

A stunned silence fell over King Neptune and the others. Luo Ning's words held truth. The World Government was notorious for their unscrupulous tactics. King Neptune, along with Jinbei, had experience dealing with them, and they knew the murky depths the organization operated in.

King Neptune had been meticulously concealing Shirahoshi's abilities. In his ideal scenario, upon awakening her power, Shirahoshi could single-handedly defeat Vander Decken IX. Of course, such a plan bordered on delusion.

Shirahoshi possessed an excessively kind, almost naive, personality. She hadn't even revealed the truth about Hody Jones, the real murderer of her mother. It was an outrage, and her kindness was confounding.

Therefore, even with a fully awakened powerset, it was unlikely Shirahoshi would ever resort to violence. This was a constant source of worry for King Neptune.

With a personality like Shirahoshi's, even with the power like that, she would likely suffer in the long run. She could be easily manipulated and exploited.

Unfortunately, her personality was unlikely to change, which was his greatest source of helplessness.

Now, he was carefully considering the situation. Luo Ning's words had given him something to ponder. If Shirahoshi could have a powerful backer, perhaps it wouldn't be the worst option.