An Unexpected Interruption
Neptune had retreated to the entrance of the observation deck at some point, his massive body quietly guarding the view from the shadows of the corridor, leaving the scenery to the two young guests.
"Will you come again next year?" Quan leaned his head on Natsu's shoulder.
Natsu gazed at the Uchiha Gunbai flag fluttering atop the Ryugu Palace Tower in the distance, and after a moment said, "Come anytime you wish."
Anyway, Flying Thunder God is only a matter of a blink of an eye, it won't interfere with the clan's affairs.
Quan didn't say anything more, but simply tightened his grip on his hand.
The air currents on the viewing platform gently brushed against their robes, carrying the distant songs of Mermaid Bay. The songs contained ancient verses of the Fish-Man, as well as new verses just woven into the lyrics that night, singing of the boy in black and a future where pirates would no longer bully them in the Thorn Forest.
Just then, a sharp sword suddenly slashed through the sky in the distance and flew straight in one direction.
As the sword sliced through the ocean current, Natsu was holding Quan's hand, listening to her point to a glowing coral in the distance and say that she wanted to plant one in the yard when they got back.
His fingers tightened slightly, and the smile on his face vanished instantly.
Quan noticed his change in mood almost at the same moment. Following his gaze, she saw a streak of light trailing a white streak through the layers of seawater, flying straight towards the depths of the Ryugu Palace.
"That's... a sword?" Quan's Mangekyo Sharingan light flashed in his eyes, and his brows furrowed slightly.
Natsu released her hand, her gaze following the direction in which the sword had disappeared, the crimson in her eyes as cold as if frozen.
"Mark-Mark Fruit. No matter where the marked person hides, the projectiles will automatically track them." Izumi immediately realized, looking at the tower where the sword light had disappeared. "The person who was targeted is in that tower?"
Natsu nodded, her tone calm yet tinged with a chill. "Shirahoshi Neptune's daughter."
Neptune, hidden in the shadows, turned deathly pale the instant the sword flashed through the air. He no longer cared about etiquette and rushed to the entrance of the observation deck, bowing down to apologize.
Natsu raised her hand to stop him, urging him to explain what had happened.
Neptune smiled wryly and began to recount the story of Vander Decken IX: the Target-Target Devil Fruit User had marked Princess Shirahoshi at some point, and from then on, he would throw weapons at Hard-Shell Tower every few days.
Ryugu Palace tried every means to track down and retaliate, but the opponent's whereabouts were unpredictable, and each attack was launched from a distance, making it impossible to catch up.
Shirahoshi has been hiding inside the Hard-Shell Tower for several years and still dares not step out of the tower.
After listening, Natsu didn't say much. He simply took out a Flying Thunder God Kunai from his sleeve and casually stuck it on the railing of the observation deck.
He said he had Wood Clone throughout Fish-Man Island to wipe out the pirates, and would also send one of them to investigate Vander Decken's whereabouts.
Kunai to the Ryugu Palace; if the enemy dared to attack again, he would infuse it with Chakra and rush back immediately.
Neptune looked at the silver-gray Kunai, and the huge weight that had been hanging over his heart finally eased a little.
Quan walked to Natsu's side, gently tugged at his sleeve, and whispered, "Who is Shirahoshi?"
Natsu glanced at her sideways, her tone softening slightly. "I'll take you to meet her later."
Quan nodded, then turned to Neptune and smiled gently, "Don't worry too much, Natsu will definitely see what she promised to do through to the end."
Natsu didn't reply, but simply put her hands behind her back again, her gaze passing over the observation deck and landing on the direction of the surging sea in the distance, the coldness in her eyes not yet completely dissipated.
Vander Decken IX – Mark-Mark Fruit, Lock-on from Afar.
If you can defend against it once before you find its lair, you can defend against it a second time.
He doesn't intend to just defend without attacking.
Natsu withdrew his gaze, casually forming a hand seal with his right hand, and a Wood Clone silently materialized from his shoulder.
The clone was identical to the original, except its eyes were colder, like a newly drawn sword.
Natsu glanced at it, offering no further explanation, but simply raised her chin in the opposite direction from which the sword had flown.
The Wood Clone nodded slightly, and in a flash disappeared from the observation deck. Its speed was so fast that even Neptune could only catch a blurry afterimage.
"The projectile from the Mark-Mark Fruit will fly along the shortest path to the target; conversely, this can also roughly pinpoint the direction of the thrower."
Natsu put her hands back behind her back and explained to Quan in a calm tone, almost as if talking to herself, "Once we find his lair, the rest will be easy."
Quan nodded without asking any further questions. She knew better than anyone that Natsu said "it's easy," it really could be done.
Neptune stood to the side, watching the direction where the Wood Clone had disappeared, and after hesitating for a long time, he couldn't help but speak.
He asked Natsu whether the Ryugu Palace needed to send more people to assist in the search, given that he only had one clone.
Natsu shook her head slightly, saying that one clone was enough.
The clone inherited his perception range and combat experience. As long as Vander Decken is still in the waters around Fish-Man Island, it won't be long before his location is pinpointed.
He paused, then added, "Moreover, I've placed Flying Thunder God marks all over Fish-Man Island. Once my clone finds him, I'll personally finish him off."
Neptune said no more, but simply bowed again.
Natsu didn't glance at that sea again. She turned and took Quan's hand, her tone returning to its usual calm. "Let's go, let's go to the Hard-Shell Tower to see Princess Shirahoshi."
Quan followed in his footsteps, a slight smile playing on her lips—this guy spoke so casually, but she had clearly seen the killing intent in his eyes when that clone set off.
This trip to Fish-Man Island might be in serious trouble for someone.
The Hard-Shell Tower is constructed from single blocks of coral reef rock, its surface covered with countless knife and axe marks and dents from impacts by massive objects.
The scars, varying in depth and overlapping in age, seem to reflect the pain this tower has endured alone over countless years.
Neptune walked ahead, his massive body passing through the heavy stone gate in front of the tower, his pace unconsciously slowing down.
He moved very quietly, as if afraid of disturbing something.
Natsu and Quan followed Neptune into the tower that had been closed for many years.
The air inside the tower was cooler than outside, carrying a faint dampness and a musty feel.
Several deep-sea pearls, emitting a faint glow, are embedded in the dome, enveloping the entire space in a dim and soft halo.
The room was large, but had almost no decent furniture—just a bed, a table, a few chairs, and some plush toys piled in the corner.
A huge figure was curled up on the bed with a gauze curtain hanging in the deepest part of the room, its arms wrapped around its knees, and its pink fishtail tightly tucked in front of its body.