stonecrandall 37: Slap and Invitation
37: Slap and Invitation
"Do you like provoking others?"
As soon as he finished speaking, Auro suddenly unleashed a powerful burst of Conqueror's Haki!
An invisible shockwave swept outwards from him, instantly stunning the ordinary marines inside the golden wall.
Even Vice Admiral Chick was forced to retreat repeatedly by this imposing aura, his face turning pale.
He truly never expected that this guy who wore a mask and dared not show his face to anyone would actually possess Conqueror's Haki!
Oro flashed forward and instantly rushed in front of Chik, his right arm instantly wrapped in Conqueror's Haki, and he punched Chik in the chest.
Chick quickly crossed his arms to block, but a few crisp "crack" sounds were heard—his arms and ribs were broken on the spot!
"what!"
Chick let out a scream, but before he could be knocked away, Oro's whip kick had already struck him in the abdomen.
This whip kick flipped Chik up, sending him flying backward in a "<" shape, crashing into the golden wall and spitting out blood.
Oro walked slowly over and squatted down in front of Chik, who had already lost all resistance.
"Originally, if I attacked and you resisted, and I didn't kill anyone, wouldn't it have been much better if we just went through the motions?"
With a "slap!", Oro raised his hand and delivered a slap.
"To be so brazen in capturing slaves, using the base as a prison—you think a mere lieutenant general could handle these things?"
"Slap!" Another slap followed, and after two slaps, Lieutenant General Cheek's face was already somewhat swollen.
"Would the Celestial Dragons even give a second glance to a mere Marine Vice Admiral? With such eloquence, how much commission do you get each month?"
"Slap!" Auro slapped him again with his backhand.
"You like money? Then I'll take pity on you and show you the 'Golden World'."
Auro glanced at the guy's hands full of jeweled gold rings, and disdainfully stretched out his hand...
Having been knocked unconscious, Chik could barely hear Oro's voice; the terrorist who attacked the naval base seemed to be getting further and further away from him...
"...What is that...?"
Chick seemed to see light in the distance, a golden glow.
It was a boundless golden ocean, from which countless vengeful mermaid spirits reached out, grabbed his limbs, and dragged him into the deep sea.
He saw every mermaid he had ever sold, saw the despair in their eyes, and heard their heart-wrenching cries…
These images kept replaying in his mind, plunging him into complete chaos. He frantically waved his arms and kept shouting, "Don't come any closer!"
Oro stood up, looked at the seemingly insane Chik, and prepared to bind him with golden chains.
But just then, Lingling's loud shout came from the naval base:
"Got it! Run! Don't worry about us! There's something inside—"
The ground suddenly trembled violently, and a series of loud "booms" echoed throughout the naval base!
It's an explosion!
Moreover, the explosions kept going on and on, and seemed to be spreading to the surrounding area!
Auro reacted extremely quickly, immediately retracting the golden version of the Earth Flow Wall and wrapping himself in gold to form a giant golden sphere, firmly isolating himself from the impact of the explosion and the flames.
After the aftershocks of the explosion subsided, he untied the golden ball and saw that the base had been turned into a sea of fire. Amidst the ruins, Chik lay on the ground with broken limbs and several pieces of rubble stuck in his chest, barely breathing.
Seeing that Oro was unharmed, Chick, who had been awakened by the explosion, used his last bit of strength to reveal a sinister smile:
"And...and more...people will come...you'll have to stay here for the rest of your life! For the rest of your life! Hahaha! Hahaha..."
Oro looked at Chik, who was completely dead after his brief moment of lucidity, and was somewhat speechless.
"Do they really think I'm some kind of good person? I've come all this way for my whole life."
"I've already said I'm only here to save people. If you're poor, you should at least take care of yourself, understand?"
From afar came Lingling's shouts: "Auro! I found Tiger! All the mermaids have been rescued!"
He turned his head and saw Lingling protecting a group of mermaids swimming towards him on the distant sea.
Among the mermaids behind her was a tall, blue-haired young fishman, who must be Fisher Tiger.
Tiger, his arm bandaged, bowed deeply as he approached Oro.
"Thank you for saving me! Tiger will definitely repay this kindness!"
Oro didn't say anything, he just patted Tiger on the shoulder.
Lingling wiped the seawater off her cheeks next to Oro: "These navy men are too weak. There's no one here. I cleaved the prison door open with one axe!"
"Tiger said they also wanted to transport the mermaids to the Celestial Dragons, but luckily we arrived in time."
"I just don't know which bastard set off the explosives!"
Oro removed the white mask from his face, broke it into pieces, and threw the fragments next to Chik's corpse.
He looked at the naval base still burning in the darkness:
"Let's go back first; we shouldn't stay here any longer."
......
After returning to Mermaid Island, Oro led the mermaids around the island several times, dispersing them in inconspicuous places as they returned.
The liberated mermaids and their families expressed their gratitude through Taylor and the others in various ways, but few dared to actually express it to them in person.
The first one to come knocking on our door openly and honestly was somewhat unexpected—
"My lords, King Neptune invites you to a banquet at the Dragon Palace to discuss the purchase of gold."
Auro looked at the mermaid guard in front of him, who was holding the invitation with a very respectful attitude, and smiled: "Then I shall accept your invitation."
……
"Aurora, is Mermaid Island short of gold?"
Inside a bubble carriage pulled by a giant sea turtle, Lingling touched the handrails inlaid with pale blue pearls, feeling curious about the mermaid king's intention to buy their gold.
Oro shook his head: "Buying gold is just a pretext; there's probably more to it than meets the eye."
"But it's okay, Lingling, just eat. I heard that the food and snacks at the Dragon King Palace are quite unique."
"Gails stayed on the ship because she wanted Lingling to taste the delicious food."
"Really! Gals is so great!" Lingling's eyes lit up.
Auro smiled and smoothed Lingling's long pink hair.
……
When the carriage arrived at the Dragon Palace, King Neptune was already waiting at the palace gate with several ministers.
He wore a coral crown inlaid with rubies, held a gleaming trident, and his deep blue fishtail swayed gently in a specially made water screen tray. His face wore a gentle but weary smile.
Seeing Auro and Lingling get out of the car, he gestured for them to come in: "You two must be tired from your journey, please come in."
The banquet hall in the Dragon Palace was far more elegant than I had imagined. It didn't have too many luxurious decorations, but it exuded the dynamism of the ocean.
On the huge seashell stage in the center, only a few mermaid singers were plucking the strings of instruments made of conch shells. Although there were few of them, their clear voices still filled the entire hall.
A giant flounder carries a semi-transparent bubble chair, slowly weaving among the guests.
The tableware on the table is made of polished mother-of-pearl, which contains a salad made with sea grapes, pearl jelly coated in coconut milk, and desserts made with deep-sea cod roe, each with a fresh sea flavor.
Neptune pulled Oro to sit next to him in the main seat, and personally picked up the jug to pour him a glass of sea wine with a pale purple sheen.
The wine released a sweet, fruity aroma as soon as it hit the glass. Neptune looked at Oro and spoke sincerely:
"Lord Oro, thanks to you all, those captured mermaids were able to return safely this time."
"To my shame, as the king of Mermaid Island, I failed to protect my people, and now I have to trouble you to take action..."
Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.
Thank you everyone for your monthly tickets and recommendation votes!!!
(Is it okay to put the name in the "Author's Note" section?)