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Chapter 100 is out!!!! +40 advanced chapters monthly
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"Yes, sir!"
The chorus of resolute voices rang out from the other end of the Den Den Mushi.
"The Green Fruit Kingdom... they must have a death wish," Fleet Admiral Sengoku narrowed his eyes, a fleeting but palpable flash of killing intent crossing his gaze.
The Ship-Cutter's Island.
"Any news?" Shiro asked, dialing T-Bone's Den Den Mushi once again.
"Yes... but—!" Receiving Shiro's call, T-Bone finally had a concrete answer, but his voice trailed off in hesitation.
"Who is it? Where?" Shiro asked, immediately picking up on the Marine Captain's sudden reluctance.
"The Green Fruit Kingdom," T-Bone replied after a long moment of heavy silence. "Shiro, listen to me. You need to stay out of this one. We, the Marines, will help you bring Aki back!"
"I know the Green Fruit Kingdom is nothing but an insect in your eyes, but to the ordinary citizens of Kuro Island, they are an untouchable behemoth. You can't stay on Kuro Island to protect them forever!"
"If you offend them now, they naturally won't dare make a move while you're there. But what happens after you set sail? You have to think about the islanders! They're innocent in all this!" T-Bone pleaded, trying to reason with him bitterly.
"Fine. For your sake, I'll give you face and sit this one out."
"But you must guarantee me one thing: Aki is to be returned completely unharmed. If I find out she suffered even the slightest grievance... don't blame me for breaking my promise to you." Shiro agreed to T-Bone's request, but only on the absolute condition of Aki's safety.
"Don't worry! I'm already en route to the Green Fruit Kingdom. Believe me, it won't be long before I call you with good news!" T-Bone was overjoyed to hear Shiro actually yield to his advice.
However, the Marine Captain couldn't see that the moment he hung up, Shiro's Den Den Mushi slowly curled its lips into a chilling, bloodthirsty sneer.
Are you kidding me? What the hell was the Green Fruit Kingdom anyway? They dared to snatch his woman, and they actually expected him to leave them a way out?
In Shiro's mind, the entire Kingdom had already been carved onto his execution list.
"Heh... Trying to use standard diplomatic procedures to make these arrogant royals compromise. T-Bone, you're far too naive." Shiro shook his head with a sigh. The Captain was simply too green.
The Green Fruit Kingdom.
Port Biao!
The normally peaceful harbor was suddenly besieged by the arrival of over a dozen Marine warships. The port garrison was completely panicked. After hastily inquiring about the fleet's intentions, a messenger rode on horseback as fast as he could to report to the King.
The King of the Green Fruit Kingdom, Aurora Hoben, was a frail, withered old man with a sharp hooked nose. The lavish royal garments draped over his bony frame looked bizarre, giving him the appearance of someone who had one foot in the grave.
The only remarkable thing about him was his eyes. They were deep, piercing, and overwhelmingly sharp—making anyone who met his gaze feel a prickling sensation all over, as if those eyes could carve right into their very soul.
"The Marines?"
"What business do the Marines have coming here?!"
"I won't see them!" Hoben waved his hand dismissively, his face twisting in annoyance.
"But, Your Majesty... they said this concerns the very survival of the Kingdom!" The reporting soldier stammered, his face dripping with cold sweat. Just standing in Hoben's presence seemed to be taking a massive toll on him.
"Bwahaha! Ridiculous! What does the life or death of our Green Fruit Kingdom have to do with the Marines? Tell them to turn their ships around! Tell them I refuse to grant them an audience!" Hoben shot out of his throne, tilting his head back in arrogant laughter. Looking at him now, any illusion of him being a fragile, dying old man completely vanished.
"But... they said this matter directly involves the Prince!" the soldier hesitated for a moment before forcing the words out.
"Oh? It concerns Ricky? So what?"
"Anyone who sets foot in my Green Fruit Kingdom—no matter where they came from before—is now a citizen of my Kingdom. And the Marines have absolutely zero authority to govern or punish the legal citizens of my land!"
Hoben cast a glacial, knife-like glare at the soldier. The terrifying intensity of the look forced the guard to instantly drop his head, not daring to meet the King's eyes as cold sweat soaked his back.
"Go tell them to leave immediately. What do they think they're doing, blockading the borders of the Green Fruit Kingdom with warships? Tell them to watch their step, or I'll file a formal complaint to the World Government!" Hoben waved his hand impatiently, dismissing the messenger.
This time, the soldier took the hint and practically fled the throne room.
"Hmph. So what if Ricky stirred up a little trouble? If it requires the Marines to come knocking in person, it just proves they still have reservations about dealing with us!"
"I simply refuse to hand the girl over. What can the Marines possibly do about it? They can't violate the World Government's treaties and just storm ashore to take her by force!" Hoben sneered triumphantly.
Ricky was his only son, born when Hoben was already forty-five years old. And to bring Ricky into the world, Hoben's most beloved concubine had died in childbirth.
Because of the joy of having a son in his old age, coupled with the crushing guilt he felt toward the boy's mother, Hoben's doting on Ricky had reached an absolutely psychotic level.
It was an open secret: in the Green Fruit Kingdom, Hoben was the King in the light, but Ricky was the King in the shadows.
Hoben would bend over backward to satisfy Ricky's every whim—giving him anything he desired, short of the throne itself. Naturally, this had warped Ricky into an unbelievably arrogant, domineering, and despotic tyrant.
No one was allowed to defy him. Whatever caught his eye, he took.
Given all this, there was absolutely no way Hoben would ever hand Aki over.
If the Marines wanted to save her, their only option was to storm the shores and use lethal force. But the World Government's treaties strictly forbade Marine forces from deploying troops onto the sovereign soil of an allied nation without explicit permission—unless an Admiral was present to authorize it.
Knowing the Marines couldn't legally touch them, Hoben operated with absolute impunity
.
The Docks!
"What?! He refuses to see us?!"
The soldier's response completely blindsided the waiting Marine officers. A collective surge of furious indignation rippled through their ranks.
But there was nothing they could do. They had to swallow their anger. They couldn't just march ashore and demand answers from a sovereign King.
"Fine. Since your Green Fruit Kingdom is so confident in yourselves, then just pretend we were never here. Farewell!"
T-Bone's heart went ice cold. He gave the soldier a stiff, formal salute, then barked the order to turn the warships around.
Seeing this, the other Marine officers shot the soldier a pitying look—the kind reserved for dead men walking—before bringing their ships about. In a matter of minutes, the fleet vanished from Port Biao.
The Prince's Quarters, The Balcony!
Ricky dragged Aki out by her hair, forcing her to look out over the ocean at the retreating Marine warships. He laughed obnoxiously, eager to show off.
"Do you see that? Even the Marines can't do a damn thing to me."
"They didn't even have the guts to step ashore. They didn't dare breathe a word of protest. My father simply said he wouldn't see them, and they tucked their tails between their legs and ran!"
"So, just give it up. Nobody is coming to save you. The Marines are the strongest military force in the world, and even they don't dare touch my Kingdom. What makes you think your little boyfriend can do anything?"
"Just be a good girl and accept your place as my Princess. You'll have whatever your heart desires, and you'll enjoy endless wealth and glory for the rest of your life!"
"There are plenty of good men in this world. Why are you so obsessed with that boyfriend of yours?"
"Being chosen by me is a blessing. Don't even think about running away—it's impossible."
"And don't even think about killing yourself, either. Because if you do, I'll slaughter every single person on your little island."
"Then, I'll throw your corpse to the beggars on the street. Even in death, your reputation will be dragged through the mud. Do you understand?!"
Ricky gripped Aki's flawless face tightly, his expression twisting into something vile and savage.
"You're going to die. All of you are going to die. Shiro will come. I know he will!" Despite everything, Aki's faith in Shiro remained absolute. No matter what vile threats Ricky spat at her, her sheer willpower didn't waver in the slightest.
"You little bitch!"
Ricky erupted in fury. He backhanded her viciously across the face, sending her crashing to the floor. A dark, angry handprint immediately swelled on her porcelain skin. The mark was glaring, looking like an ugly birthmark that completely ruined her perfect complexion.
"Good! Fine! Since you have so much faith in him, let's see if he still loves you when your face is completely destroyed!"
Ricky began to laugh maniacally. He snatched a sharp fruit knife off the table and lunged toward her.
"No!"
"Stop!"
"AH!"
Aki screamed in raw terror, but she was powerless to stop him.
Squelch!
A spray of crimson blood bloomed in the air, splattering across the balcony floor.
The East Blue.
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku. I take it your little fleet was unsuccessful."
Shiro bypassed the chain of command entirely, calling Sengoku directly via Den Den Mushi.
Sengoku was dead silent for over ten seconds before finally speaking. "Do not take things too far. I still have to explain this to the World Government!"
"Heh, don't worry about me. I know exactly where to draw the line!"
Hearing Sengoku's implicit permission, a dark, chilling smile split Shiro's face. His expression was completely bloodthirsty, the killing intent in his eyes so thick it almost felt physical. It was enough to make anyone's heart stop.
"Now then... let's see if your little Green Fruit Kingdom can withstand wave after wave of pirate raids!" Shiro licked his lips, his voice carrying a dark anticipation.
Was Shiro a kind, forgiving man?
Absolutely not!
His five years of survival on the Kuroro Archipelago had forged him into a total monster. His ruthlessness and hostility were so immense that even the apex predators of the island fled in terror from him.
It was only after meeting Aki that he had sealed away the violence in his heart, allowing him to appear warm and sunny.
But this time, the true, unhinged beast inside him had been completely unleashed.
The Green Fruit Kingdom was going to pay the ultimate price for their arrogance.
East Blue, Arlong Park.
Arlong had been in the middle of a massive banquet, but the sudden intrusion forced the festivities to grind to a halt.
"Ronel Shiro. What the hell are you doing here? I don't recall provoking you." Arlong stared Shiro down, his tone extremely unfriendly.
"Arlong. Do me a favor, won't you?" Shiro looked up, meeting the Fish-Man's gaze.
"A favor?" Arlong scoffed. "Someone like you needs a pirate like me to do them a favor?
Shahaha! Don't make me laugh!"
To Arlong, this sounded like a joke. If there was a problem even a monster like Shiro couldn't solve by fighting, what good would he be? He'd just be served up on a silver platter.
"The enemy isn't strong, but there are a lot of them. I despise dealing with tedious nuisances, so I came to find you," Shiro said slowly, his voice completely devoid of emotion.
"What kind of job?"
Hearing Shiro frame it like that, Arlong's interest was instantly piqued. Having a powerhouse like Shiro owe him a favor was a deal he absolutely couldn't pass up.