stonecrandall Chapter 398 World-class combat power and... the Knights of God!
Chapter 398 World-class combat power and... the Knights of God!
Chapter 398 World-class combat power and... the Knights of God!
"I never thought I'd be back here again."
Kemi, who was picked up by Melly, looked at the connecting corridor above with a complicated expression.
She really didn't expect to have another chance.
"Twist~"
"I never thought I'd have the chance to come to such a prestigious place..." Xiao Ba looked nervously at the connecting corridor above, unsure of what to do with her hands.
"Relax a little."
west Yan laughed and said, "You are our friends, there's no need to be so nervous."
Seeing that the two men's expressions had not softened, west Yan continued, "This matter was agreed upon by Uncle Neptune."
"That's good.....
Upon learning that King Neptune had agreed to the matter, Little Eight breathed a great sigh of relief.
"Why are you so nervous?" Perona glanced at Papagu and said, "Look how calm he is."
"Hmph, I've seen it all, so I'm not nervous about this kind of thing," Papagu said, raising his head.
If it were his first time here, he would definitely be very nervous, but... this is his second time visiting Ryugu Palace!
Most importantly, they came with the permission of His Majesty King Neptune!
So... he's no longer as nervous and out of control as he was the first time.
"By the time we finish the banquet, our ship should be properly coated," Chopper said.
"Yes, no problem," Franky nodded.
"By the way... Franky, why doesn't your brother like attending parties?" Luffy asked, turning to Franky with a puzzled look.
When they went to the Sea Forest, they invited Dan to attend the banquet.
As a result... the other party refused outright.
Franky paused for a moment upon hearing this, while recalling what Dan had said earlier.
Then, he said helplessly, "Maybe he just doesn't like lively scenes."
After saying that, Frankie paused for a moment, then continued, "Since he doesn't like it, there's no need to force him."
"All right."
Luffy didn't dwell on the matter, nodded, and said no more.
Then, he looked up at the connecting corridor above and said, "Let's go, we're going to the Dragon Palace!"
"profound!"
Subsequently, with the help of Meili, the group, who were floating in mid-air, successfully entered the Dragon Palace.
"You've finally arrived."
Upon receiving the notification, Neptune smiled and, holding a Den Den Mushi, said to the Straw Hat crew on the other end, "Please hop on the Long Flounder and come to the banquet hall. Let's have a good chat here."
"Okay~"
"Long flounder..."
Looking at the enormous fish, several meters long, in front of her, Perona paused for a moment before asking, "Why is this fish lying down?"
"It looks like a shoe sole," Zoro remarked.
"This is what this kind of fish looks like," Nico Robin said with a smile.
This type of fish is very common in the ocean, just not as big as the ones here in Ryugu Castle.
"Who cares, get on here!" Luffy, who had leaped atop the flounder, grinned, "The banquet is about to begin!"
"Here it comes~"
The group exchanged glances, then burst into laughter and climbed onto the back of the long flounder.
Soon, led by the two fish, the group arrived at the banquet hall that Neptune had mentioned.
"Look everyone, it's a hero!"
"profound!!"
Looking at the Straw Hat crew in the air, the fish-man soldiers below were all more excited than the last.
He's a hero!
He's a living hero!
"Thank you for protecting Fishman Island!"
"We will never forget your kindness!"
"Everyone is so enthusiastic~" Little Meili, floating in mid-air, laughed.
The cheers were deafening.
"After all, we saved Fishman Island," west Yan said with a smile.
If it weren't for the Straw Hat Pirates, Fishman Island would have been destroyed by Vander Decken or Hody's crew by now, so... it's quite normal for the Fishmen to have such feelings.
Hearing west Yan's words, the others also laughed.
Yes, they saved Fishman Island, so it's only natural that they receive such treatment.
"It's so noisy!"
Hearing the crowd chanting "hero" below, Luffy retorted, "Don't call me a hero, I want to eat meat!"
"Oh, right!"
Zoro, who was lying on the back of the long flounder, also realized what was happening and immediately jumped up, saying, "I want to drink too!"
They didn't come here to listen to these guys shout slogans; they came to drink and eat!
"You guys..."
Seeing Zoro and Luffy looking around with displeasure, Nami didn't know what to say for a moment.
"Wait a minute," said Jinbe, the eldest brother. "We'll be able to drink and eat meat soon."
Hearing Jinbe's words, Xiyan turned to look at him curiously and said, "Speaking of which... Jinbe, you said you were once a member of Neptune's army, right?"
"Yes."
"Then you must have attended banquets here as well?"
"Of course," Jinbe nodded and said, "I haven't participated many times, but I have."
"That.
3
"Don't ask me about that." Jinbe smiled gently and said, "It's better not to know the program when attending a banquet, otherwise it will make the experience much less enjoyable."
If he were to spoil the plot beforehand, the Straw Hat crew would lose a lot of interest, making the banquet less enjoyable. Therefore, he would not say anything.
Moreover, the program may not necessarily be the same as before.
"That's true."
west Yan smiled and didn't ask the question again.
Just then, Shirahoshi swam over from a distance and said with a smile to the Straw Hat crew, "Everyone, the stage is just ahead."
Please enjoy the following program!
After saying that, Bai Xing smiled and swam to the side, making room for him.
"stage?"
Several question marks appeared above Luffy's head. What were those things?
west Yan, however, showed an expression of great interest and said, "I didn't expect there would be a show to watch."
I wonder what the shows on Fishman Island are like.
"Yohohohoho~"
"I'm starting to look forward to it too~" Brooke said with a smile.
"Will there be a beautiful mermaid dancing?" Sanji exclaimed excitedly.
As if he had just thought of something, Sanji immediately started to excitedly twist his body, and his eyes turned into hearts.
"It will happen," Jinbe said with a smile. "Everything you're hoping for will come to you."
Upon hearing this, Brook and Sanji became even more excited.
"Ladies and gentlemen, good afternoon!" A mermaid emcee appeared on the stage and said with a smile, "I am Katie, the host of this banquet!"
"To express his gratitude to the Straw Hat crew for their help to Fish-Man Island, King Neptune hosted a banquet."
"The banquet shall now officially begin!"
"First up is Maria, the underwater singer whom Fishman Island is so proud of!"
"profound!!"
The merfolk soldiers below cheered enthusiastically, their expressions increasingly excited.
After all... it's very difficult for them to see this person normally!
Watching the singer begin to sing, Nicole Robin remarked, "No wonder he's called the number one singer in the ocean."
That singing ability is truly amazing.
"Yohohohoho~"
"That's really impressive!" Brooke said with a smile. "And the band's music is fantastic too!"
Listening to the beautiful music and singing, the people on the flounder began to sway their bodies, and the atmosphere immediately became lively!
Seeing that the time was right, the host announced again, "Next, please welcome our special guest to perform a dance for everyone!"
"Shall we offer a dance?"
Sanji seemed to have just realized something and froze on the spot.
Then, looking excitedly at the figures appearing under the lights, he said, "Could it be..."
L
...
"That's right, they are... the mermaid maid dancers from the Mermaid Cafe!"
"profound!!!"
"I absolutely love this banquet!"
Seeing the incredibly beautiful mermaid ladies, Sanji excitedly grabbed the bubbles, wishing he could rush out and dance with them.
"Hey, Sanji, you'll die!" Chopper grabbed the agitated Sanji and said, "You'll die!"
"It's okay...: Let me die in this blissful paradise~"
Perona:
Seeing Sanji's eyes shining and him completely out of control, Perona was utterly silenced.
This guy is still the same as always.
Oh well, this guy has already been cured anyway, so there's no need to worry about him dying from a nosebleed.
With that in mind, Perona abandoned her idea of using the Negative Ghost to calm Sanji down.
Then, Perona glanced at the composed Zoro, her eyes unconsciously curving into crescents.
"It really is a dreamlike scene," west Yan remarked.
At this moment, west Yan felt as if he were in a fairy tale.
Of course, it's not a dark fairy tale.
"Is it finally time for the drinks?!" Zoro exclaimed excitedly as he watched the mermaids swim over with their drinks. "I've been looking forward to this for so long!"
Enjoy your meal!
The mermaid handed the wine jug to Zoro and said with a smile, "This time, there's plenty of wine."
"That's wonderful!"
He really loves drinking!
Zoro then opened the sake jug, took a sip, and exclaimed with delight, "This tastes much better than what I had before!"
"This is a wine treasured by His Majesty the King," the mermaid said with a smile.
"No wonder it tastes so good."
Zoro nodded, then turned to Xiyan, grinning, and said, "Xiyan, I remember you saying you could really drink, wanna have a contest?"
"Oh?"
"So you've actually challenged me." west Yan pushed up his sunglasses and said with a smirk, "Well then..."
I'll accept your challenge then~
"Zoro!"
After casually tossing another large wine jug to Xiyan, Zoro laughed and said, "Let's go!"
"Who's afraid of who?"
The two people, who were staring at each other, suddenly burst into laughter.
Just then, the music in the banquet hall suddenly stopped, and the host reappeared on stage.
"Next, please let His Majesty the King lead everyone in raising a toast!"
Neptune coughed lightly upon hearing this, then took the glass from Shirahoshi and said, "Before we toast, I must first say thank you."
Neptune, having taken in the entire appearance of the Straw Hat Pirates, smirked and said, "Thanks to the Straw Hat crew, Fishman Island is..."
Before Neptune could finish speaking, Luffy, unable to wait any longer, jumped up and shouted, "Let the banquet begin!"
"profound!"
"Cheers!"
Upon hearing this, everyone burst into laughter and then picked up their drinks to drink.
"Xiyan, I won't lose to you," Zoro said.
"I should be the one saying that," west Yan said with a smile.
"Oh, right!"
Zoro seemed to remember something, and leaned closer to Xiyan, saying, "You're not allowed to cheat with ninjutsu!"
"How could that be?"
west Yan turned his head away and said, "I'm not that kind of person."
"Then look at me while you talk, you bastard!"
"Hahahaha," Franky, who was standing nearby, burst into laughter upon hearing this, and then chimed in, "Count me in!"
"Come on, cheers!"
"profound!"
Neptune, having witnessed everyone's reactions, rubbed his fingers together with a somewhat aggrieved expression and said, "Anyway, I'm not important...anyway, I'm not important..."
"Uncle Neptune, don't be so down," Luffy said, moving closer to Neptune. "Cheers!"
Neptune paused for a moment upon hearing this, then smiled and said, "That's true..."
Since the Straw Hat Pirates don't care about this kind of thing, there's no need for me to be too dramatic.
Thinking this, Neptune raised his glass and said, "Then let's forget about everything else and cheers!"
"profound!!"
"Cheers!!"
"Hahaha~"
"Ah~"
Lying lazily on the balcony outside the Ryugu Palace, Usopp said, "This banquet was really enjoyable~"
"Me too."
Meili, whose belly was also quite large, raised her little hand and said, "I had so much fun eating!"
She really enjoyed the banquet.
I just don't know when I'll be able to come to Fishman Island again.
"Are you two okay?"
Nami glanced at the two guys, whose bellies were quite large from eating, and asked, "Are your stomachs upset?"
These two guys aren't rubber fruit users like Luffy.
"No, not at all," Mary said, shaking her head.
She just feels a little full, but doesn't feel uncomfortable.
Don't worry.
After checking on the two men, west Yan said, "Both of them have strong digestive abilities, so there shouldn't be any problems."
"That's fine then."
Nami nodded, then turned to look at the distant sea, lost in thought.
"What's wrong?" Perona asked, leaning closer to Nami. "You seem troubled?"
The look in her eyes now was exactly the same as when she missed Lord Moria.
So... she felt that the other person might be missing their family.
"It's nothing, I was just thinking about some things." Nami shook her head, then smiled and said, "But you, why aren't you eating anymore?"
Seeing that Nami didn't intend to tell, Perona didn't press the matter.
Then, she said somewhat helplessly, "I don't have that much of an appetite."
She can only eat a little more than a normal person; she can't compare to Luffy and his gluttons at all.
So after eating a little something, she couldn't eat anymore.
"That's true."
Nami smiled and said, "We're just normal people; we can't compare to them."
Usopp was somewhat helpless upon hearing this. He had only eaten a little more than usual, so why was he not a normal person?
"What? You're all here?"
"Luffy?"
Seeing Luffy carrying a basket of food and arriving with Jinbe, Xiyan said, "We're here to digest and sober up."
"On the contrary, why didn't you continue eating over there?"
"Jinbe said he has something he wants to tell me," Luffy said. "It's about the New World."
Upon hearing this, west Yan immediately became interested.
After getting up from the ground, west Yan asked, "What is it?"
Jinbe didn't answer immediately, but followed Luffy to sit down next to the others.
Then, Jinbe said, "It's about the Navy."
"You're not thinking about Aokiji and Akainu, are you?" west Yan said.
Jinbe paused for a moment upon hearing this, then laughed and said, "So you all knew."
That makes sense. Given Xi Yan's intelligence-gathering abilities, it's not surprising that he would know about this.
"Yes, I know."
west Yan nodded and said, "We know about things like Aokiji having his leg broken by Akainu."
"Oh, right, there's also the matter of Smoker becoming a candidate for general."
"He's really reliable," Jinbe remarked.
"I just happened to find out a few things," west Yan chuckled, then added, "I just wonder what that guy is doing now."
"I don't know about that." Jinbe shook his head and said, "Aokiji disappeared without a trace after leaving the Marines. Nobody knows where he went."
"The World Government is actually willing to give up such a powerful force," Perona said. "I feel something's not quite right."
"It does seem a bit abnormal, but he has indeed left the Navy," Jinbe said.
"Perhaps an admiral isn't much to the World Government," west Yan said.
Upon hearing this, everyone immediately looked at Xi Yan with puzzled expressions and asked, "Why do you say that?"
That's a general!
The highest-ranking officer in the Navy Headquarters... no, he should be called a Navy Admiral of the world's top combat power!
Would the world government not care about such an existence?
"You all remember when I conquered Mary Geoise, right?" west Yan said.
"Of course I remember!"
Jinbe looked at Xiyan with shining eyes and said, "I only regret that we couldn't be together back then!"
To storm Mary Geoise all by himself... What an astonishing feat!
Thinking of this, Jinbe's body trembled slightly with excitement.
If only he could have gone to that battle with us!
"It's a good thing you didn't go with them," west Yan said, shaking his head.
Jinbe paused for a moment upon hearing this, then frowned and asked, "What do you mean?"
Could it be that west Yan thinks he's too weak to participate in that kind of battle?
"Don't misunderstand, I don't mean you're weak," west Yan said. "On the contrary, your combat strength is extremely high on the sea!"
"So what do you mean?"
"It's mainly because the World Government's composition is too complex," west Yan said.
"Complex?"
"Um."
After recalling what he had seen in Mary Geoise two years ago, west Yan said, "I won't talk about anything else, but let's talk about the rather mysterious Knights of God within the World Government."
"The Knights of God..."
Upon hearing west Yan's explanation, Jinbe's eyes immediately showed confusion. What is this thing?
Why had he never even heard of it?
"What's that?" Usopp asked curiously.
"From what I understand, the Knights of God are a mysterious organization that protects the Celestial Dragons," west Yan said. "They are composed of powerful beings among the Celestial Dragons, each possessing abilities that are almost like bugs."
"A bug-level ability?"
Seeing that Chopper didn't understand, Xiyan explained, "You remember the bear we saw back then, right?" "Of course I remember!" Chopper exclaimed excitedly, "He's my benefactor!"
If it weren't for Kuma, the Straw Hat Pirates would have been killed by the two admirals.
So... he was very grateful to the bear!
"Yes, he is our benefactor..." west Yan said with emotion, then added, "But that's not what I want to talk about."
"What I want to talk about is his Devil Fruit ability."
Devil Fruit:
Chopper looked down for a moment, then looked up and said, "Is it that ability that can repel everything?"
"Yes."
west Yan raised a finger and said, "These kinds of abilities that involve rules are basically bug-level."
"And when such Devil Fruit abilities fall into the hands of a strong individual, the effects they can unleash are even more terrifying!"
"Take that guy named Saint Kiringom, for example," west Yan said. "He's a Zoan-type Mythical Beast user."
"In addition to possessing powerful regenerative abilities and strength, it can also materialize the creatures in other people's nightmares!"
97
"The creatures from my nightmares materialized?" Nami looked at Xiyan in disbelief and said, "They can even do something like that?"
Isn't this a bit too scary?
That's a nightmare!
"That's right, it's that outrageous."
Nightmare...:
Perona touched her lips and said, "Isn't it cute?"
west Yan: ...
After glancing at Perona, whose eyes held a hint of anticipation, west Yan was immediately rendered speechless.
Isn't this woman's focus a bit strange?
After mentally complaining, west Yan said, "What he manifested is not what you imagined. That thing is all the same color, pitch black, with no distinctive features at all."
"Then forget it."
Perona gave a disgusted look; it was pitch black, so there was no point in looking at it.
"And then?" Usopp asked curiously.
"And then...."
,
west Yan stroked his chin and said, "Then the things he summons can be resurrected after being killed, which is quite troublesome."
If he hadn't used the Phantom Eater Bow, a divine weapon capable of dealing true damage, he might not have been able to defeat those enemies.
"He can actually be resurrected?" Jinbe exclaimed in surprise.
Wouldn't that make him the same as west Yan?
"Yes, it's possible to revive," west Yan nodded and said, "However, if we can deal true damage or attack the ability user themselves, we can solve this problem."
"I see."
Although Jinbe didn't know what true damage was, he did know what it meant to find the Devil Fruit user.
"This is just one of the ability users," west Yan said. "The other ability users also have pretty outrageous abilities."
"For example, that girl named Junzi can summon strange arrows that can not only track and attack, but also deflect other people's attacks. It's very buggy."
If the attack range is small enough or if the enemy detects it, the attack will be ineffective!
After speaking, west Yan told everyone about the thorny man, whose abilities were equally outrageous and were also related to love.
"The Thorn Fruit..." Usopp said, stroking his chin. "I feel like I've heard of it before?"
"I met her in Alabasta two years ago," Nami said. "I'm the one who defeated her."
"However... that woman's abilities are far inferior to what west Yan described."
The woman named Two Fingers only had the ability to grow thorns on her body, but the person west Yan mentioned could unleash a vast forest of thorns!
These are completely different concepts!
"Alabasta, ya."
Usopp gave a look of sudden realization; no wonder the name sounded familiar.
"From your description, these ability users do seem a bit troublesome," Jinbe said. "But when I think about how they are the guardians of the Celestial Dragons, it makes sense."
After all... they are the world's nobles!
It's perfectly normal for the Celestial Dragons, who possess the entire world, to collect Devil Fruit abilities that are practically bug-level.
"They're not just troublesome in terms of ability," west Yan said. "Most importantly, they possess immortality!"
"An immortal body?!"
Jinbe stared at Xiyan in shock and said, "An immortal body like yours?"
"Really?"
A world government actually exists?
This is absolutely astonishing.
"Really." west Yan nodded and said, "Although their immortality is not the same as mine, they are indeed the type that cannot be killed."
"It can be said that unless you use an attack imbued with powerful Conqueror's Haki to hit them, you cannot suppress their regenerative abilities."
"Conqueror's Haki?"
Upon hearing Zoro's voice, west Yan turned to look at him and said, "Ah, you're awake."
"Yes, I'm a light sleeper."
Zoro nodded first, then asked in confusion, "What are you talking about Conqueror's Haki?"
"Conqueror's Haki can be used to bind and envelop," west Yan explained. "As long as you can bind this power to your attacks, you can increase the attack power of your moves."
"So that's how it is... "
After Zoro finished speaking, he fell into deep thought, and it was unclear what he was thinking about.
"So, only those with Conqueror's Haki can defeat those immortal members of the Knights of God... :.:" Sanji lit a cigarette and said with a serious expression, "That is indeed a bit tricky."
Therefore, it seems that only Luffy and Xiyan on their side have the means to fight against this kind of enemy.
As for the others...
Without Conqueror's Haki, they simply couldn't defeat such an enemy.
"It is indeed a bit tricky," west Yan nodded and said, "but don't worry, I have ways to deal with that kind of guy."
"That's good."
Sanji nodded, visibly relieved.
Jinbe also understood why Xiyan had said those things. Facing an invincible enemy... he really wasn't suited to go along.
After all, he doesn't possess Conqueror's Haki!
"Is this why you said the World Government might not care about a Marine Admiral?" Nami said.
"Yes," west Yan nodded and said, "Relying on their immortality, their combat power is still quite strong."
"And most importantly... the Knights of God contain individuals who are no weaker than a Marine Admiral!"
As he spoke, west Yan thought of the man who looked just like the red-haired man.
Saint Shamrock, the vice-commander of the Knights of God!
"An existence no weaker than a Marine Admiral...?" Jinbe frowned.
"Yes."
"Is he the captain of the Knights of God?"
"No, that's not it." west Yan shook his head and said, "He's just the vice-commander of the Knights of God. I don't know what the commander looks like or what his strength is."
"I understand," Jinbe nodded and said.
Even the so-called deputy commander possesses general-level combat strength... not to mention the commander's strength.
And most importantly... there may be several people holding the position of deputy regimental commander!
Thinking of this, Jinbe's expression turned serious.
"No wonder you made it sound so serious before," Usopp said, swallowing hard. "So the World Government was hiding such a terrifying power."
He had previously thought that the Celestial Dragons were just a bunch of useless World Nobles protected by the Navy, but it turns out they have such powerful combat strength!
"Could there be even more powerful ones?" Nami asked. "Like, maybe some other groups or something."
"Then I don't know," west Yan said, shaking his head.
His trip to Mary Geoise only revealed the existence of the Knights of God; as for whether there were others... he had no idea.
However, he felt that there should be an even more powerful being among the Celestial Dragons, otherwise they definitely wouldn't be able to keep things under control!
After all... this is a world where might makes right!
Nami paused for a moment after hearing this, then said, "Then it seems we need to get stronger quickly..."
Otherwise, there's absolutely no chance of survival against someone like that.
After all... she's not immortal!
Zoro and Sanji's expressions also turned serious; things were indeed more complicated than they had imagined.
west Yan smiled as he took in his companions' reactions. "It's good this way. Pressure is what motivates us."
Luffy.
Seeing Chopper's frightened expression, Luffy grinned and said, "What are you afraid of?"
"If they dare to cause us trouble, I'll beat them all to a pulp!"
After saying that, Luffy paused for a moment, then continued, "Besides... we're not weak either~"
Two years ago, west Yan was able to fight those guys without being defeated, so now... they have even less reason to be afraid of that so-called group!
Chopper was stunned for a moment when he saw Luffy's fearlessness, but then he felt no fear.
Yes, the Straw Hat Pirates are quite strong, so they aren't too afraid of the so-called God's Knights.
If a fight really breaks out... it's not certain who will win or lose!
Seeing how confident Luffy and his crew were, Jinbe felt relieved.
He then said, "You all know about what's happening with the Navy, but are you aware of the changes in the New World?"
"Just ask Xiyan," Luffy said, pointing at Xiyan.
After saying that, Luffy turned back to his food, clearly not paying much attention to the information.
Jinbe: ? ? ?
"Why do you ask Xiyan about everything?" Jinbe stared at Luffy dumbfounded. "You're the captain, aren't you?!"
"At least we should know what happened!"
What if something happens while west Yan isn't around?!
Upon hearing this, Luffy blinked and said somewhat blankly, "But wouldn't it be the same if Xiyan knew?"
Jinbe:
Why do I suddenly feel like punching this guy?
"It's alright, Jinping, it's the same whether I know or not," Xiyan said.
Upon hearing this, Jinbe sighed and then said, "I wonder how this guy became captain."
"Huh?"
"Isn't the captain just one of those guys who don't follow orders?" Chopper said, blinking.
After all... their captain wasn't exactly an obedient guy!
Jinbe: ? ? ?
Upon hearing Chopper's words, Jinbe paused for a moment, then fell silent.
After a moment of silence, Shen Ping said with a complicated expression, "You guys... you've really worked so hard."
"Yeah yeah."
Nami and the others nodded in unison, agreeing with Jinbe's words.
Having a captain like Luffy... is indeed quite tough sometimes.
However... who can blame them for being Luffy? Thinking of this, everyone looked at each other and laughed.