Ryugu Palace, banquet hall.
The atmosphere was so awkward that even the seawater flowing around them could have frozen solid.
King Neptune sat on his enormous throne as though on pins and needles.
Cold sweat kept breaking out on his forehead. He wiped it away with his enormous palm, only for it to appear again, in an endless cycle.
Why aren't they back yet? Anxiety churned inside him. Those thugs in the Fish-Man District have never gotten along with our royal family, but they... surely they wouldn't dare lay a hand on the royal guards?
While he fretted, Pero suddenly set down the shell cake in his hand. The sharp clink of fork against plate made King Neptune's heart leap.
"Say, old king."
"Your service here is a little slow," Pero remarked quite seriously, his tone betraying neither pleasure nor anger.
"..."
King Neptune was on the verge of tears.
Good heavens! Is this really the time to discuss how quickly the food is served?!
Just as he was about to explain, the banquet hall doors were roughly slammed open from outside with a crash.
Rather than running in, a guard practically "swam" inside on all fours, his expression more terrified than if he had run headlong into a Sea King in the deep sea.
"Y-Your Majesty! Something terrible has happened! A disaster!"
The guard stumbled and crawled forward before dropping to his knees, trembling as though he had Parkinson's and barely able to speak.
King Neptune's heart sank as an ominous premonition rose within him.
"It's Hody Jones." The guard's voice cracked, thick with tears. "He... he's dead!"
"What?!"
King Neptune sprang from his throne, nearly losing his grip on the trident that symbolized his royal authority.
"How did he die?! Who killed-"
He stopped himself halfway through.
Every