Inside the magnificent underwater palace, Orochimaru stood quietly to the side, watching Zoro ungracefully guzzle down alcohol, his face impassive, but his eyes revealing a hint of poorly concealed disdain.
This stinky Zoro cannot be kept.
After silently pondering, Orochimaru decided to embark on his underwater exploration journey alone, as Luffy and his crew had no idea when they would arrive.
Orochimaru informed the soldiers, then leisurely floated around in a bubble, exploring the corners of the palace.
Everything around him was new and exciting: the exquisite coral ornaments, the seaweed decorations shimmering with strange light, and the colorful small fish swimming through them, all captivated him.
Orochimaru would occasionally exclaim in wonder, as this was his first time witnessing the marvelous sights of the underwater world.
Every corner, every detail, constantly challenged his understanding, deeply immersing him in this never-before-experienced mystery—perhaps this was the joy of adventure.
There was no one around, and Orochimaru, for once, relaxed, looking here and there, occasionally collecting some unfamiliar materials... He was thoroughly enjoying himself (〃'▽'〃).
Orochimaru was immersed in the undisturbed joy of exploration, forgetting the passage of time.
Following the path, he slowly arrived at a secluded area, where the silence was somewhat eerie.
He looked around and saw that the walls above were covered with uniquely designed axes, each one meticulously engraved with a rose pattern.
Orochimaru couldn't help but tilt his head slightly, his face full of suspicion.
"Is this Ryugu Palace's unique architecture??"
Just as Orochimaru was about to approach for a closer look, a hand suddenly appeared at his neck without warning.
(Ò ‸ Ó||)
Orochimaru's face instantly turned pale, and an ominous premonition surged in his heart, as he secretly wondered, "Could this be..."
Sure enough, before his thoughts could fully clear, a powerful and overbearing force suddenly struck, and Orochimaru was yanked away like a kite with a broken string.
His body arced through the air, rapidly drifting around the entire Hard Shell Tower, with only the whistling wind in his ears.
Finally, with a dull thud, he crashed directly onto Luffy.
Luffy looked at the person lying on him, adjusted his straw hat, and laughed, "Hahaha."
"It really is you, Orochimaru... I was wondering why your scent was mixed in with the food; I thought you were sneaking a bite."
Orochimaru's face darkened.
"What nonsense are you talking about! Do I have a scent?! How did you manage to catch me so precisely?!"
Luffy tilted his head and thought for a moment but couldn't figure it out.
"I just felt it. Never mind, never mind, I followed the smell of food. The banquet must be here; let's go in together."
Luffy forcefully pulled open the door of the Hard Shell Tower, dragging Orochimaru inside. Orochimaru looked utterly resigned... his adventure... gone... The Hard Shell Tower was pitch black, and Luffy excitedly shot towards the direction of the food.
Orochimaru looked up, his brows tightly furrowed. Luffy couldn't see, but Orochimaru could see a part of it—what was that giant creature Luffy was stepping on?
Orochimaru's tone suddenly became serious.
"Hey! Luffy... the thing under your feet is alive."
Luffy, who was happily bouncing above, instantly froze. Alive? Did that mean... Sure enough, as soon as Orochimaru finished speaking, a clear, melodious, yet somewhat panicked female voice suddenly rang out. With a 'pat-a', the entire room was instantly filled with soft light.
"Who... Is anyone here...? What's going on...? What are you doing on my body? Who exactly are you?"
Orochimaru and Luffy instinctively looked towards the source of the voice, only to see a giant Mermaid Princess covering her chest with her slender hands, tears glistening in her watery eyes, gazing at them both with a pitiful expression.
Luffy tilted his head high, his mouth slightly open, his eyes full of wonder: "So... such a big Fishman... No, is it a Mermaid Princess...?"
Orochimaru also looked up at the giant Mermaid Princess and genuinely exclaimed, "What a magical creature... It would be very troublesome to keep as a pet, wouldn't it?"
Upon hearing Orochimaru's words, the giant Mermaid Princess seemed to have been struck by a bolt from the blue, and tears immediately gushed forth. (┳◇┳)
"Are you also here to take my life...? No... imprison me...? I'm not scared... not scared... I am Neptune's daughter... so I won't be scared... I won't be scared..."
She sobbed as she spoke, her giant tears like heavy water balloons, falling one after another onto the bed, splashing tiny droplets, and then she began to wail.
"Someone save me... Help! Father! Royal Brothers!!"
Seeing this, Luffy immediately became flustered. He dodged left and right to avoid the giant tears,
while roaring at Orochimaru with a shark-like face.
"What nonsense are you talking about!! Look! You made her cry! Hurry up and comfort her!!"
Orochimaru looked at the sobbing Mermaid Princess before him, feeling his scalp tingle. He had never comforted anyone before.
He didn't know where to put his hands, and for a moment, he was utterly at a loss.
"Ah... I mean... I just wanted to research a bit... I'll be gentle..." he stammered, trying to soothe the Mermaid Princess's emotions.
Hearing this, the Mermaid Princess cried even more miserably. Was this what her brothers called a pervert?
Seeing this, Luffy, without a word, raised his hand and slapped the back of Orochimaru's head.
"Don't add fuel to the fire!!" Luffy's eyes widened, and he roared angrily.
"Then you go comfort her!!" Orochimaru retorted, covering his head, unwilling to be outdone.
"I didn't make her cry!! This Mermaid Princess was clearly scared by you!" Luffy waved his arms, his face full of indignation, and glared fiercely at Orochimaru as he spoke.
The two, who were arguing fiercely, suddenly felt a chill in their hearts, as if they had simultaneously sensed something amiss. They both turned their heads, their gazes like lightning, shooting towards the doorway.
Just then, a gleaming axe, sparkling with cold light, spun out from nowhere and flew directly towards the Mermaid Princess.
The axe carried a sharp whistling wind, coming with fierce momentum.
Luffy reacted incredibly fast, almost instinctively lunging forward, instantly blocking in front of the Mermaid Princess. He used his hands and feet, clamping the axe blade in an almost strange yet highly effective posture, his whole body tense, every muscle straining, veins bulging on his forehead, clearly enduring immense pressure.
"Orochimaru... help," Luffy shouted sharply.
Orochimaru clicked his tongue in disappointment, his arm transforming into a giant python, coiling around the axe handle. Then, with a sudden twist of his waist and abdomen, he used that rotational force to fiercely fling the axe away.
The axe cut a chilling arc through the air, and finally, with a dull thud, it smashed into the door, sending wood chips flying.
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