Chapter 84

— Boom... Boom... —

Flames shot up into the sky, illuminating the darkness of the VIP room with bright flashes. The explosion at the feet of Big Mom's pirates took everyone by surprise: Katakuri, his subordinates, and the others. Fire instantly engulfed them all.

King Neptune and his sons, who were on the opposite side of the room, remained unharmed. However, the blast made them recoil dozens of meters. With undisguised horror, they watched the side engulfed in flames.

— Quickly, find out what happened! — the King shouted. — Call for a doctor immediately! There are injured!

A gust of wind extinguished the flames, revealing Katakuri, stern and grim, with a trident in hand. Most of Big Mom's pirates didn't have time to react to the sudden explosion.

— Boom... Boom... — the explosions continued for a full ten seconds, claiming the lives and bodies of more than half of the hundreds of pirates. Only Katakuri remained unscathed. Even Armand and Pokumus, shielded by Armament Haki, were thrown back by the blast wave.

Katakuri's youngest sister, Flampe, due to her carelessness, found herself at the epicenter of the explosion. She was unconscious, her body covered in blood.

Katakuri's gaze, filled with love for his family, fell on his unconscious sister. Anger raged within him with unstoppable force. Armament Haki coursed through his veins, but he restrained himself and coldly said:

— King Neptune, I have a question for you.

— ...This... This has nothing to do with Fishmen Island.

Neptune was in despair. The VIP room hadn't been used in a long time, no inspections had been conducted, and no one could have suspected that a large dose of explosives was installed in the floor. The responsibility for what happened fell on many.

— ...

Before Neptune could provide an explanation, the dull clang of steel echoed from the corridor. Katakuri's sharp gaze immediately aimed at the exits.

The door flew open, and Fishmen in Royal Guard uniforms burst into the hall, saying nothing, and opened fire on Big Mom's pirates. At the forefront stood the Captain of the Guard, Pompey, responsible for the island's security.

— For the future of Fish-Man Island! he shouted. — Die, you lowly humans, who dared to enslave us, the noble Fishmen!

— Boom… Boom… — lead bullets pierced the bodies of the pirates. Among the Fishmen, some wielded Armament Haki, enhancing their bullets. Neptune and his family's hearts ached at such a scene. How could they, how could they destroy the future of the island!

— Stop, cease this!" Neptune's cry was lost in the roar of gunfire. Armand had already joined the fight. His long sword flashed through the air, and all Fishmen standing in his path were cut in half.

The building itself started to crack, sway, and overlap, as if ready to collapse. The sound of breaking wood and metal echoed. The roof began to cave in.

The pirates returned fire. To them, all Fishmen, both those who participated in the attack and those simply present in the hall, were murderers. It didn't matter that they couldn't know about Pompey's plans.

The Fishmen are physically ten times stronger than humans, but in this unequal battle, they were powerless. Big Mom's pirate crew was too powerful, surpassing all of the island's forces.

Neptune's anger intensified with each passing second. He witnessed the death of his countrymen and understood that behind it all stood someone evil and cunning.

— Shark Star, Emperor Star, Flip! All three of you! Gather the guard! Minister! Contact Jinbe! Only he can calm the situation!

Seeing that everyone had already dispersed, Neptune stopped the Captain of the Guard with fury.

— Pompey, why? Why did you do this?

Two powerful hands seized the captain, their strength squeezing him, causing him to grimace in pain.

Suddenly, Neptune felt a sharp pain in his chest. He looked down and saw a long dagger piercing his chest. It was followed by other knives sinking into his body.

— …He… He wanted… — Neptune felt his body weakening, and he fell to the ground. In his ears, he heard a familiar voice:

— My older brother sends his regards, King Neptune. You are a traitor to Fish-Man Island.

Then many people shouted:

— Big Mom's pirates have killed the King! They want to destroy the island, enslave, and sell the Fish-Men and Mermaids! Down with these madmen!

— Help! Kill those vile people!

This chaos forced Katakuri to stop saving his sister. Flampe was seriously injured, and if she wasn't sent to the ship immediately, she could die. He surveyed the surroundings. A one-sided massacre, the fallen Neptune… Something wasn't right. The King did not seem like a mad suicide. So, someone else must be behind all this.

The Fishmen, seeing their fallen King and slain comrades, joined the battle as well. The Fishmen truly stood united when facing outsiders.

Katakuri paid no attention to the rising wave of Fishmen. He didn't know the circumstances of what had happened on the island, nor who was behind it all.

But he knew he had to intimidate the Fishmen, reveal the truth about the main instigator, and complete his mission. He had no time to waste on minor matters like the life and death of Fishmen compared to his family.

"Act! Don't let the Fishmen stand their ground!" said Katakuri. Then he added with cold cruelty, "If the Fishmen are alive, then simply killing them isn't worth it."

Big Mom's pirates, hearing their commander's orders, entered the fray with even greater ferocity. Katakuri, the deputy of the Fourth Emperor, held his sister with one hand and turned the other into mochi.

"mochi Cake Bullet!" — his hand turned into a machine covered with Armament Haki. He shot sticky bullets, enhanced by Armament Haki, into the crowd of Fishmen.

The bullets flew with ferocious strength, knocking the Fishmen down like leaves from branches with their shockwave.

At the same time, three brothers from Neptune's family led the Fishman army to assist, but they found themselves powerless in this situation.

Intervene in the fight and attack the pirates? On one hand, they might lose; on the other—what will happen if they do nothing? They can only watch as their compatriots perish.

— First, save Father! ...

Meanwhile, the Fishman, Hody Jones, watched everything from the sidelines, emitting an ominous laugh that terrified those around him. Many Fishmen refused to sacrifice the lives of their compatriots, but Hody Jones held significant authority, and they were forced to obey.

His piercing voice rang out:

— That's right! Those who betrayed the glory of the Fishmen are not my compatriots!

Suddenly, a voice from the crowd of Fishmen made the three-meter large white shark freeze.

— If Fishmen aren't your compatriots, then who are you? A beast in human skin?

Called a beast, Hody Jones turned with fury and saw a man with a grim look.

— **And now we've got little humans mixed in here! Compatriots! Kill him!...

The tension in the air was palpable. Those present could feel the volatility of the situation, knowing it could erupt at any moment. The Fishmen army hesitated, uncertain of their next move, their loyalty torn between obedience and conscience.

Suddenly, the conflict's momentum was broken by a booming command:

— Enough!

The authoritative voice belonged to Jinbe, the charismatic leader respected by many. His presence alone seemed to quell the swirling chaos, if only momentarily.

— We should unite, not fight amongst ourselves.

His words resounded with clarity, urging the assembly to see reason. Despite being heavily armed, the Fishmen found solace in Jinbe's wisdom, feeling strength in his unity call.

The air shifted as the gripping hostility began to loosen, doubt creeping into the minds of those who were intent on destruction.

Jinbe's presence, a beacon of hope, momentarily diverted the dark tide threatening to engulf them all.