#425 - Chapter 425 Reluctance and Despair
The evil dragon's mad laughter echoed through the halls of the Ryugu Palace, its sound grating and filled with desperate arrogance.
A near-manic excitement twisted his face, and even as he knelt on the ground, he strained his voice to shout:
"Hahahaha... I am but one of countless fish-men dissatisfied with humanity! As long as the hatred between the two races exists, people like me will continue to emerge!"
The evil dragon's words sent ripples through the hearts of everyone present.
Otohime and Neptune exchanged a glance, a hint of dimness and helplessness flashing in the depths of their eyes, for they knew that what the evil dragon said was partly true.
The division and hatred between the two races were like an endless abyss, repeatedly tearing at the fate of Fish-Man Island. For years, conflicts on this sea had never ceased.
Neptune's hand unconsciously tightened around his trident, his knuckles white, his heart filled with complex emotions.
He was both furious at the evil dragon's betrayal and pained by the current state of Fish-Man Island, while Otohime stood beside him, her breathing becoming rapid, her slightly trembling body betraying the agitation and sadness in her heart.
She had always strived for peace on Fish-Man Island, willing to sacrifice everything to realize her vision, but now she was witnessing firsthand the traces of hatred deeply buried in the hearts of the fish-men.
"Besides the pirates," Jin-an's voice was calm and even, yet subtly laced with a hint of mockery, "those of you who oppose Otohime's proposal have created quite a bit of it too, haven't you?"
His gaze was like a sharp blade, piercing straight at the evil dragon.
Although his tone was light, the weight of his words made it hard for everyone to breathe.
The evil dragon's smile froze instantly, and the surrounding air seemed to cool in an instant. The guards' expressions also became solemn at this moment.
Otohime turned around, looking at the evil dragon with a complicated expression, her eyes revealing an unspeakable sadness and disappointment.
Neptune's brow furrowed deeply, his heart filled with doubt and anger.
Only at this moment did they realize that the evil dragon was not simply rebelling; his plan had infiltrated their very midst.
The evil dragon slowly stood up, the madness returning to his face, his eyes flashing with a hint of disdain, as if he wanted to lay out his final trump card for everyone to see.
He took a deep breath, his voice hoarse but resolute: "That's right, we originally planned to assassinate Otohime when she was collecting petitions, but I couldn't wait any longer!"
The evil dragon's tone carried a desperate fanaticism, as if there was no turning back from everything he had done.
A trace of pain flashed in Otohime's eyes. She had never imagined that her efforts to promote peace would become a source of sin in the eyes of some fish-men.
Neptune, on the other hand, was burning with anger, his eyes almost spitting fire, the trident trembling slightly in his hand.
"You..." Neptune gritted his teeth, anger threatening to consume him.
He wanted to rush forward and pierce the traitor through, but Otohime reached out and gently pressed his arm, her eyes filled with gentle entreaty and rational restraint.
She knew that this was not the time to be ruled by impulse.
However, Jin-an remained standing where he was, a cold smile on his lips.
He showed no surprise, as if he had expected all of this to happen.
He slowly walked towards the evil dragon, each step seeming to tread on the evil dragon's heart, making his breathing heavier and heavier, cold sweat gradually seeping from his forehead.
"Did you think your plan would succeed?" Jin-an's voice was still calm, like a casual everyday conversation, but every word was like a heavy hammer striking the evil dragon's heart.
His gaze was like a blade that could pierce through everything, directly forcing its way into the evil dragon's heart, causing him to fall into extreme fear.
The corners of the evil dragon's mouth twitched. He wanted to respond loudly, but found that he could not make any sound.
His mask of confidence collapsed under Jin-an's gaze, revealing the fear and panic deep within his heart.
He understood that Jin-an was not an existence he could contend with. No matter how much potent medicine he consumed, no matter how much he inflated his power, he was still as small as an ant in front of Jin-an.
The atmosphere in the Ryugu Palace instantly froze, and everyone held their breath, their hearts filled with complex emotions.
The evil dragon's madness, Otohime's disappointment, Neptune's anger, Jin-an's indifference—everything seemed to coalesce at this moment, awaiting the final judgment that was about to come.
The evil dragon lowered his head, the inner struggle and fear almost causing him to collapse, but he was still unwilling to give up.
He howled in a hoarse voice, "Even if I fail, more fish-men will stand up and resist you!"
Suddenly, a loud rumble shook every corner of the Ryugu Palace, the tremor coming from the ground, like a beast deep within the earth's crust roaring.
The walls shook, the ceiling decorations tottered, as if the entire Ryugu Palace was trembling.
The guards hastily adjusted their stances, Neptune tightly gripped his trident, cold sweat instantly seeping from his forehead, while Otohime reflexively took a step back, her eyes filled with unease.
"Rumble!"
The loud tremor came again, as if some force was awakening beneath the ground, the air filled with an eerie and ominous aura.
Just as everyone was in shock, the evil dragon suddenly burst into a wild laugh, "Hahahaha!"
His voice was filled with delight, as if the long-awaited opportunity had finally arrived.
His eyes flashed with madness, and the muscles all over his body trembled slightly with laughter.
"Van der Decken IX has also made his move!" The evil dragon's words poured into everyone's ears like a cold wind, carrying a chilling malice.
His laughter grew louder and louder, echoing in the Ryugu Palace, like a wanton beast roaring in victory.
"Hahahaha, he's different from me, he's very cunning, you'll find it hard to catch him!"
Jin-an's eyes narrowed slightly, his expression still calm, but it was clear from his tense jaw and clenched fist that he was already planning in his heart.
He instantly realized that this was a more complex situation, and Van der Decken IX's move had made the situation even more uncontrollable.
That guy had been lurking in the shadows of Fish-Man Island, like a venomous snake, waiting for the most opportune moment to strike.
The guards barely managed to stand firm in the shaking, their faces pale, their hands gripping their weapons, cold sweat dripping from their foreheads.
The evil dragon's wild laughter made them even more anxious, the tense atmosphere suffocating everyone.
All eyes were focused on Jin-an, and they awaited his decision.
The evil dragon was still immersed in his own fantasy of victory, his eyes filled with cunning light, as if he was the manipulator of this chaos at this moment.
He looked at Jin-an, the corners of his mouth raised, revealing a smug smile, his heart filled with the pleasure of revenge: "So what if you're Jin-an? Van der Decken is the most difficult to deal with. He has already laid a dragnet on Fish-Man Island, and you can't stop him at all!"
Neptune's face also became increasingly ugly, and the panic in his heart gradually spread.
Van der Decken IX's existence had always been a time bomb on Fish-Man Island. Although he did not often show his face, his threat was like a whirlpool lurking in the deep sea, which could drag the entire Fish-Man Island into the abyss at any time.
Now, the evil dragon's rebellion and Van der Decken's actions had completely spiraled the situation out of control.
Otohime's hand trembled slightly, and the agitation in her heart became even more obvious.
She had always been committed to promoting peace and reconciliation, but now, the reality before her made her feel incredibly powerless and painful.
She raised her head slightly, her eyes anxiously looking at Jin-an, knowing that he was the only one who could turn the tide at this moment.
However, Jin-an was not shaken by the evil dragon's words.
His eyes were still sharp, and the corners of his mouth curved into a cold smile, as if this farce was nothing more than a joke.
He slowly walked towards the evil dragon, his steps steady and powerful, each step as if stepping on the evil dragon's nerves, causing him to unconsciously take half a step back.
"Very cunning?" Jin-an snorted coldly, his tone filled with sarcasm and contempt, "Do you think I'm afraid of him?"
His words were like a sharp sword, directly piercing through the evil dragon's last fantasy.
The evil dragon's laughter suddenly stopped, the arrogance on his face instantly stiffened, and a trace of panic flashed in his eyes.
Looking at Jin-an's cold smile, a strong sense of unease suddenly rose in his heart.
Even though Van der Decken had made his move, Jin-an still hadn't wavered in the slightest, which made the evil dragon suddenly realize that he might have underestimated the person in front of him.
Jin-an stopped, looking down at the evil dragon, his eyes filled with disdain and determination, "If you're counting on Van der Decken to save you, then you're just being naive."
His tone was indifferent, but the authority in it made the evil dragon feel a bone-chilling chill.
The evil dragon's confidence began to collapse, his laughter gradually turned into silence, and cold sweat slipped from his forehead like rain.
He lowered his head, the arrogance and ambition in his heart gradually swallowed by fear, like a beast forced into a dead end, with only despair left in its eyes.
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