#426 - 42. Daken IX
"Vander Decken IX is nothing more than a rat hiding in the sewers."
Jin narrowed his eyes slightly, his tone indifferent, as if stating a commonplace fact.
His expression remained unchanged, as if Vander Decken, who had shaken the entire Ryugu Palace, was not even worth a second glance.
He closed his eyes, as if pondering something, or perhaps about to enter a state of deep concentration.
The atmosphere instantly froze the moment his eyes closed, and even the breeze in the air seemed to stop flowing.
The Evil Dragon dared not move rashly, cold sweat trickling down his forehead as his heart threatened to leap from his chest.
His eyes were fixed on Jin, involuntarily trembling slightly, as if worried that something terrible was about to happen.
Suddenly, Jin opened his eyes abruptly!
A dark glint flashed in his eyes, like a sharp blade cutting through the void.
The aura around his body changed dramatically, and Observation Haki, like an invisible torrent, instantly spread out from him, enveloping the entire Fish-Man Island.
That intense mental power, like a giant invisible hand, covered every area—the black city walls, the seawater, the reefs, and even the shadows lurking in the deepest depths.
At that moment, every creature on Fish-Man Island seemed to sense an invisible force flowing around them. All the fish-men, pirates, and residents subconsciously stopped what they were doing, their hearts racing and their breathing strained.
The feeling of being locked onto by an invisible force made them realize that some powerful existence was watching them.
"Found you," Jin suddenly chuckled, his voice relaxed and casual, as if he had merely caught a hiding little bug.
At that moment, his smile was like the summer sun shining down, yet the hidden majesty within it made the Evil Dragon shudder, as if he had already foreseen his terrifying end.
And the Evil Dragon's face turned completely pale at that moment.
He could almost feel the oppressive force sweeping in from all directions. Jin's power was like an invisible net, gradually tightening, making it impossible for him to escape or breathe.
Jin's body suddenly began to blur, as if his image was being erased by an invisible eraser.
His figure gradually faded, slowly disappearing into the air, his whole being like a wisp of smoke, scattering with the wind, leaving no trace.
That unimaginable power left all the fish-men present dumbfounded, unable to believe what was happening before their eyes.
In Ryugu Palace, all the surviving guards and attendants subconsciously held their breath, their eyes locked on the gradually emptying space, their hearts filled with shock and awe.
"What's going on? How did General Jin suddenly disappear..."
"It doesn't feel like he left using speed."
"Is there anything in this world that can make someone suddenly disappear! ?"
"..."
The Evil Dragon stood frozen in place, his eyes wide open, but he could only watch Jin disappear. His body felt as heavy as if it were filled with lead, and the fear in his heart had almost killed him.
He knew that he had nowhere to run.
From the moment Jin arrived at Fish-Man Island, he only had one path to take.
"He... could it be... he can actually find Vander Decken so easily..."
The Evil Dragon's throat was dry, his voice trembling almost inaudibly. He was no longer the laughing, self-satisfied rebel he had been before, but a failure whose weakness had been completely exposed.
A failure defeated like a clown, consumed by fear.
Neptune and Otohime exchanged glances, their eyes instantly filled with complexity.
They knew that Jin's power had probably exceeded their understanding, even beyond the imagination of everyone on Fish-Man Island.
In those short few seconds, they had witnessed the power and decisiveness of a legendary figure, a power they could never withstand.
"General Jin..." Neptune muttered to himself, his voice filled with undisguised awe.
Otohime gently bit her lip, her gaze complex and solemn.
And Jin was no longer part of this movie space.
His location had already left Ryugu Palace and was approaching Vander Decken's location rapidly and accurately at an imperceptible speed.
......
At the same time.
Vander Decken IX stood in a dark corner of Fish-Man Island, the corners of his mouth slightly raised, revealing a sinister smile.
He raised his hands high, manipulating the power of the Mark-Mark Fruit, remotely locking onto Ryugu Palace, his eyes filled with fanaticism and madness.
Huge rocks, the wreckage of sunken ships on the seabed, and even collapsed buildings on Fish-Man Island slowly floated into the air under his power, as if an invisible hand was dragging them into the sky.
Each boulder was like a ticking time bomb threatening Ryugu Palace.
"Hahahaha... I will bring fear to everyone!" Vander Decken IX laughed hysterically, his laughter echoing in the seabed, carrying a twisted pleasure.
For him, this was not only an opportunity to destroy Ryugu Palace, but also a crucial step in realizing his ambition.
He slowly pressed his fingers down, and the huge rocks, like a rain of arrows, howled and smashed towards Ryugu Palace.
Deafening roars came one after another, and the shock waves spread out from the center of Ryugu Palace, the powerful vibrations even causing the ground to crack.
Each fall seemed to tear apart the city's defenses, and even the air trembled.
Vander Decken IX stood in the distance, his eyes fixed on the direction of Ryugu Palace, his heart racing, his blood filled with ecstasy and excitement.
At this moment, he seemed to be able to see the guards of Ryugu Palace showing fear and fleeing in all directions because they could not stop the attack.
King Neptune anxiously directed his subordinates to resist, but to no avail.
The fate of the entire Fish-Man Island seemed to be in the hands of Vander Decken.
"Again! Again!"
He muttered to himself, the smile on his face growing bigger and bigger.
Each bombardment made his confidence swell even more. He waved his arms and continued to activate the power of the Mark-Mark Fruit, and more rocks and wreckage, like a disaster from the sky, ruthlessly smashed towards Ryugu Palace.
However, as the attack intensified, a faint sense of unease emerged in his heart.
Vander Decken's eyes flickered, and his heart gradually produced some strange premonition.
Although he was doing his best to attack, he always felt that something was missing... an invisible sense of crisis slowly enveloped him, making his smile begin to stiffen.
He stopped, calmed down, and looked around, like a frightened prey, his eyes with a hint of panic.
He could not see the enemy, nor could he feel the other party's breath, but his intuition told him that danger was near.
"Strange... where is the enemy?" he murmured to himself, his heart gradually replaced the previous arrogance with fear.
Just as Vander Decken was still thinking, the smoke and dust over Ryugu Palace slowly dissipated, and the Ryugu's guardian power seemed to be still solid.
"Crap..." Vander Decken's heart skipped a beat, and cold sweat instantly slid down his back.
...
