#421 - Chapter 421: Confrontation in Dragon Palace City

Sitting at his desk at Marine Headquarters, Kizaru lightly tapped his fingers on the surface, the office so quiet that only the ticking of the clock echoed in his ears.

Suddenly, the urgent ringing of a Den Den Mushi shattered the silence.

Kizaru picked up the Den Den Mushi, a deep voice coming through.

"Reporting in, Admiral Kizaru, Fish-Man Island, we have an emergency situation."

His brow furrowed slightly, the unease in his heart instantly intensifying.

Fish-Man Island?

He put down the Den Den Mushi and quickly scanned the message’s contents.

Arlong?

That cowardly and ignorant fool actually dared to start a rebellion?

Kizaru's eyes instantly turned as cold as sharp blades, his fingers gripping the Den Den Mushi tightly, knuckles turning white.

"Arlong… that guy actually dares to act rashly!"

His voice was low, with a hint of disbelief and anger.

In his mind, Arlong was just a greedy and cunning little fish-man, yet he dared to challenge the Fish-Man Island's royalty?

What surprised him even more was that Arlong dared to offend the territory under his jurisdiction.

Kizaru stood up, leaning forward slightly, a sharp light bursting from his eyes, his thoughts racing.

Within a few seconds, Kizaru had made a decision.

He quickly dialed Aokiji's Den Den Mushi, his tone decisive and concise: "Aokiji, immediately take men and head to Fish-Man Island. That Arlong guy has started a rebellion and must be suppressed quickly."

His voice was as cold as the winter wind, without a trace of hesitation.

Aokiji's voice came from the other end, with a hint of surprise: "Arlong? Where did this guy come from? You’re watching over Fish-Man Island, and he dares to cause trouble there?"

His tone faintly revealed some incomprehension and astonishment.

"Don't underestimate him," Kizaru said coldly, a flash of killing intent in his eyes. "There's probably some unusual power behind this guy; we can't let our guard down."

He knew that a small fry like Arlong couldn't possibly launch such a big rebellion without strong support.

After putting down the Den Den Mushi, Kizaru's eyes became even more profound.

He didn't linger any longer, turning and leaving the office directly.

The sound of his footsteps echoed in the corridors of Marine Headquarters, his pace quick and forceful, the soles of his shoes rubbing against the floor with a dull sound, each step revealing a sense of urgency.

He quickly weighed everything in his mind, Arlong's problem couldn't be delayed and the sooner it was resolved, the better.

He returned to his room, a cold smile slightly curving at the corner of his mouth.

"Arlong, I really underestimated you." A suppressed killing intent surged in Kizaru's heart.

He muttered to himself, a cold light flowing in his eyes, without any hesitation.

He quickly activated the power of the Door-Door Fruit, the space in front of him fluctuating, like an invisible door cracking open in the air.

He stepped into the door, instantly disappearing from the room, on his way to Fish-Man Island.

In the distortion of space, his thoughts seemed to be torn apart.

He felt time becoming somewhat blurred, but in his heart, time was as tight as a stretched string.

He couldn't tolerate Arlong continuing to run rampant; the chaos on Fish-Man Island had to be quelled as soon as possible.

"It seems this lesson will be remembered for a lifetime," he murmured to himself, his eyes cold.

......

In the great hall of Ryugu Palace, the air was tense, like a string about to snap.

The guards stood before Arlong, clutching their weapons tightly, beads of sweat slowly sliding down their foreheads, their eyes full of vigilance, but their feet were frozen in place, not daring to step forward easily.

Arlong stood in the center, arms crossed, a disdainful sneer on his face, his eyes as cold as a viper, scanning everything before him.

Behind him were his subordinates, each with a grinning face, their aura fierce.

Arlong's sharp teeth gleamed coldly in the light, the corners of his mouth slightly raised, full of mockery and ridicule.

"Humph, Fish-Man Island guards, what's the matter? Don't dare to attack?" Arlong said slowly, his voice hoarse and sarcastic, each word seeming to mock the guards' incompetence.

He approached step by step, the soles of his shoes making a dull sound on the ground, each step seeming to oppress their hearts.

The guards' hands trembled slightly, their eyes darting around.

They knew their duty, and even if Arlong continued to taunt them, they would swear to block his path.

But although they were numerous, they were still very weak in the face of Arlong's oppressive aura, and the fear in their hearts surged like a tide.

Arlong stopped just a step away from them, looking down at these warriors who had once protected Fish-Man Island, and sneered, "You trash, you don't even have the courage to stand in front of me; you dare to call yourselves Fish-Man Island guards?"

His words were like sharp swords, directly piercing the guards' dignity.

Someone clenched his fist, veins popping out on the back of his hand, but in the end, there was still no action.

They knew Arlong's ruthlessness and knew that the situation was extremely unfavorable to them.

Arlong snorted coldly, turned around, his eyes sweeping across the other end of the hall, stopping on King Neptune and Queen Otohime.

Neptune stood on the steps, his huge figure casting a long shadow, his eyes filled with complex emotions, including anger, helplessness, and deep anxiety.

"Arlong, what exactly do you want to do?" Neptune's voice was low, with the majesty of a king, but it couldn't hide a trace of fatigue.

He had been working for the future of Fish-Man Island, and now he had to face the betrayal of his own people.

Arlong sneered, his eyes full of mockery: "Do what? Ha, Neptune, you really are pretending to be noble. You and Otohime sing the high tune of peace here every day, but look at what you've done for Fish-Man Island? Are you doing it for everyone, or for yourselves?"

Arlong's voice was like a dagger stabbing into people's hearts, each sentence carrying disdain and attack.

Otohime stood beside Neptune, her face calm, her eyes firm. Even in the face of Arlong's provocation, she still maintained her consistent gentleness and rationality.

She stepped forward and looked directly into Arlong's eyes, her voice gentle but firm: "Arlong, I know you are dissatisfied with the status quo, but solving problems with violence will not bring real change. You are harming our Fish-Man race."

Arlong laughed loudly, his laughter echoing throughout the hall, carrying endless ridicule and contempt.

"Otohime, you are so naive that it makes me laugh! Do you think peace will allow us to gain dignity? Do you think those humans will give up their discrimination against us because of your peaceful ideals?" He suddenly restrained his laughter, a fierce look erupting in his eyes, his voice as cold as frost: "I only believe in power!"

After speaking, Arlong suddenly took a step forward, his eyes staring at Neptune like a beast, forcing the guards to take a step back.

His voice was low and cold: "Neptune, either abdicate now, or I will personally force you off this throne!"

The atmosphere in the hall suddenly tensed, the air seeming to freeze.

The guards' hands began to tremble, their eyes involuntarily looking towards Neptune.

Neptune gripped his trident tightly, his brow furrowed. He knew he couldn't back down any further, but the Arlong in front of him was like a rabid beast that had lost its mind, no longer the simple fish-man he had once seemed to be.

At that moment, Arlong's subordinates suddenly burst into laughter, the weapons they held tightly in their hands emitting a cold light, and a murderous aura spread out.

In the hall, the tense confrontation seemed to have reached its final breaking point.