thefictionvixens Chapter 261 One Appearance, Ten Thousand Suspicions
Chapter 261 One Appearance, Ten Thousand Suspicions
Chapter 261 Hundreds of Faces, Millions of Suspicions
Jinbe's words were like an ice cube thrown into a boiling pot of oil, temporarily suppressing the commotion on the scene, but failing to completely quell the panic and suspicion of the people.
The news that King Neptune was safe and sound brought a sigh of relief to everyone, but the fact that another force had infiltrated brought a deeper unease.
"Another force? Who is it?"
"Even Lord Jinbe couldn't see it clearly—that's terrifying!"
Are they still on the island?
Whispers spread through the crowd; the panic hadn't dissipated, but had instead transformed into a fear of the unknown.
When Luffy heard that King Neptune was alright, his tense nerves relaxed slightly, but he immediately pressed for more information.
"Jinbe! Who did this? I'm going to beat that bastard who was hiding to a pulp!"
Roger's Observation Haki acted like an invisible radar, meticulously scanning every inch of the surrounding space.
He tried to catch the lingering scent.
"A cowardly rat hiding its head and tail—this level of stealth is definitely not that of an ordinary person; it's very likely a Heroic Spirit, one of those assassins—"
Zoro and Sanji also looked around warily; their instincts as swordsmen and cooks told them that danger was not far away.
Jinbe looked at Luffy, shook his head, and said in a heavy tone.
"I do not know his specific identity, but his methods of concealment and assassination are unheard of. Perhaps, as you say, he is indeed related to a heroic spirit."
"However, Luffy, the most important thing right now is to stabilize the situation, otherwise we won't be able to find the real culprit. We absolutely cannot act impulsively."
He turned to the still vigilant guards and civilians of the Dragon Palace, his loud voice carrying an unquestionable authority.
"Issue the order! Dragon Palace City is immediately placed under the highest level of martial law! Seal off all entrances and exits, and thoroughly investigate any suspicious persons!"
"At the same time, reassure the public that His Majesty is unharmed to avoid causing further panic!"
"Yes, Lord Jinbe!" The captain of the guards immediately accepted the order and began to make arrangements.
Jinbe then looked at the Straw Hat crew, his eyes filled with complex emotions: "Straw Hat Luffy, Lord Roger, and everyone else."
"Although I believe this matter has nothing to do with you, Fishman Island is currently in a state of panic. To avoid any unnecessary misunderstandings, I ask you all to return to the port and wait patiently for the results of the investigation from Ryugu Castle."
Luffy was about to say something when Roger grabbed his shoulder.
"Hahaha, alright kid, this one makes sense." Roger grinned, but his eyes were sharp.
"Rushing in now will only make us a laughingstock among the rats lurking in the shadows. Let's go back and wait for news. But—" He glanced towards the depths of the Dragon Palace.
"I'll see what kind of bastard dares to pull such a dirty trick right under my nose!"
Although he had restrained his powerful aura, his invisible deterrent force still made the surrounding guards tremble.
After being persuaded by Jinbe and Roger, the Straw Hat crew temporarily suppressed their idea of rushing into Ryugu Castle to find the culprit and began to return to the port by the same route.
Along the way, the angry crowds were somewhat restrained by Jinbe's clarification and the news that King Neptune was unharmed, but the light of day still looked at them with distrust and hostility.
Meanwhile, Kojiro and his men, who were following far behind and hidden in the shadows, also witnessed Jinbe stepping forward to clarify the situation.
"It seems it wasn't them," one of his subordinates whispered.
Kojiro nodded slightly, but his gaze remained serious.
"As expected, the assassin intended to incite conflict, not necessarily kill. His intentions are despicable. Go back and report that the waters of Fishman Island are more murky than we imagined."
"This level of concealment and skill definitely belongs to someone of the same rank as me—could it be that assassin from the Black Faction—"
Just as they had come, they vanished silently into the shadows of the buildings, returning to the Crusader fleet to report back.
Port area, Wanli Sunshine.
"What?! King Neptune is alright? But there was an unknown assassin?"
Nami breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing the news brought back by Luffy and the others, but then her heart tightened again.
"Even Mr. Jinbe couldn't see it clearly? This—"
Robin crossed his arms and rested his chin on them, calmly analyzing: "A strike and retreat, exceptional stealth ability, and a clear objective to provoke conflict between Fishman Island and us or the Crusades—and it's definitely not an assassination in the ordinary sense, but more like a declaration or provocation."
Franky struck a pose: "Super! Whoever dares to frame us, they'd better be prepared to be torn to shreds!"
Usopp and Chopper huddled together, trembling: "An unknown assassin—how terrifying! Could they be hiding right under our ship?"
Brooke didn't speak, but his empty eye sockets were fixed on the direction of the Dragon Palace, and his finger bones tapped the back of the chair lightly, making a rhythmic "tap, tap" sound.
King Hassan, whose soul was connected to his, seemed to have a newfound attention in his unchanging silence, as if he had discovered the tracks of his prey.
Silence, still silence; perhaps in his eyes, there was no need for any action at all.
On the other side, the Crusaders' flagship.
"Fufufufufu—I knew it!" Doflamingo's image emitted a piercing laugh.
"Frame-up! Typical troublemaker tactics! Kojiro, what do you think of that assassin?"
Kojiro calmly replied, "His aura is deathly still, and his concealment technique is almost seamless into the shadows. He is definitely a Servant."
"If it weren't for Lord Jinbe's swift reaction, King Neptune would likely have met with misfortune."
Doflamingo's image stroked his chin: "Dead silence—shadow—sounds like some rats that can't stand the light. Interesting, Diamante!"
"Yes, Dover!" Diamanti, in his wheelchair, quickly replied.
"Strengthen our security here! I don't want to get my throat slit in my sleep!"
"yes!"
Dragon Palace, King Neptune's bedchamber.
Although he was not fatally wounded, King Neptune was still somewhat pale, leaning against his enormous seashell bed.
The three princes, Shark Star, Emperor Star, and Overturning Star, along with the ministers on the left and right, stood guard nervously by.
"Father, are you really alright?" Shark asked worriedly.
"It's alright, it's just that—I'm still shaken." King Neptune sighed, his enormous hand trembling slightly.
"That chilling feeling—it was as if death itself had brushed past me. If it weren't for Jinbe—"
Jinbe stood to the side, his arm already re-bandaged, and said in a deep voice.
"Your Majesty, the most urgent task is to find the assassin and strengthen our defenses. They may not give up easily after failing in their first attack."
"Investigate! Investigate thoroughly!" King Neptune roared. "How dare they attempt an assassination in the Dragon Palace! This is the greatest provocation against Fish-Man Island!"
The Left Minister said with deep concern, "Your Majesty, the people on the island are in a state of panic, and they are extremely suspicious of outsiders, especially humans."
"Although Jinbe has temporarily appeased the Straw Hat Pirates and the Crusaders, if the real culprit cannot be found for a long time, I'm afraid—"
The Right Minister interjected, "Moreover, if it was indeed the work of a third party, their purpose is probably not as simple as framing someone. They may still be on the island, waiting for an opportunity to strike."
King Neptune was silent for a moment, then looked at Jinbe: "Jinbe, what do you think—how should we deal with this?"
Jinbe's gaze was firm: "Your Majesty, we must be more cautious in our contact with the Straw Hat Pirates and the Cross Society, but we should not completely sever ties before the truth comes out, lest we play right into the hands of the mastermind behind it all."
Finally—perhaps we need to resort to some—unconventional forces.
He looked thoughtfully at the bright red mark on his right hand, as if the mark was guiding him.
His gaze, intentionally or unintentionally, drifted toward the harbor, where the Thousand Sunny was anchored, carrying a silent angel of death.
Time passed day by day.
The atmosphere in the port area was so oppressive that it was hard to breathe.
The guards of the Dragon Palace patrolled as densely as a comb, and every time their gaze swept over the human pirates, it was with a cold scrutiny.
The pirates of the Cross Society were confined to their ship, bored and seething with pent-up anger.
Several pirates leaned against the ship's railing, drinking and complaining in hushed tones.
"Damn it, what kind of situation is this? I'm treated like a thief every day!"
"Exactly, it wasn't us who did it—"
Just then, a fishman vendor selling seaweed cakes from a cart happened to pass by.
Upon hearing this, the man stopped, sighed, and spoke in a low, heartfelt tone.
"Sigh, who can argue with that? But think about it, His Majesty was just assassinated, and you and Straw Hat Boy were all on the island, what a coincidence!"
One of the pirates scratched his head: "Who are you? I've never seen any food vendors around here before."
The vendor didn't answer his question; he just kept walking.
"I heard that the skeleton in the Straw Hat Pirates looks really weird, maybe he knows some kind of sorcery—"
He rambled on, his words seemingly sympathetic, yet subtly planting seeds of doubt once more, before slowly pushing his cart away and disappearing into the crowd.
Similar scenes unfolded in different corners of the port area, played out by different passersby.
A worried mermaid mother, a drunken old fish-man, and even a seemingly honest porter.
Hundreds of different people are repeating the same thing in hundreds of different ways.
And what these people said was very similar: the Straw Hat Boys are the real culprits!
The Dragon Palace was heavily guarded.
After these few days, King Neptune's spirits had recovered somewhat, but an invisible pressure still hung over the palace.
"Father, this is a new calming medicine concocted by the imperial physician."
Prince Shark Star personally carried in a bowl of pitch-black medicine, his expression respectful yet revealing his undisguised exhaustion.
The continuous martial law and investigations left everyone exhausted.
King Neptune took the medicine bowl and was about to drink it when Jinbe, who was standing quietly beside him, suddenly frowned and felt a burning sensation from the Command Seal on his right hand.
His seasoned intuition picked up on a subtle, unsettling feeling.
He stepped forward and said in a deep voice, "Your Majesty, please wait."
He took the medicine bowl, sniffed it carefully, and found nothing unusual.
Neptune frowned. "What's wrong, Jinbe? Is there a problem?"
Jinbe scattered the medicine on the ground and then punched it with his Armament Haki-infused fist.
At first there was nothing unusual, but after the Armament Haki came into contact with the medicinal soup.
Beneath the strong herbal scent lies a peculiar aroma, sweet yet tinged with a hint of decay.
Everyone was stunned, and Jinbe had an expression that said, "I knew it."
He then dipped his fingertip in the liquid, brought it close to his eyes, and under the light, he could see tiny purple crystalline particles suspended within it. "Sure enough, this medicine—" Jinbe's face darkened.
Prince Shark Star was shocked: "How is this possible?! I personally watched the imperial physician prepare this medicine!"
He immediately summoned the imperial physicians who prepared the medicine and all those involved, and questioned them rigorously, but found nothing.
The medicine pot, the medicinal materials, and the decoction process all seem to be fine.
That eerie purple substance was like a ghost, appearing and disappearing without a trace.
Although it did not cause any real damage, this second, more subtle attack nearly snapped Ryugujo's already tense nerves.
The enemy could not only infiltrate the royal study, but also tamper with the king's medicines without anyone noticing, even under tight security!
This kind of pervasive threat is more terrifying than a direct attack.
On the Thousand Sunny, Nami compiled the information that Usopp and Sanji had brought back from the shore.
"That's so strange," Nami said, pointing to the simple map she had drawn.
"At almost the same time, people in the three different areas of the port district—east, west, and south—were saying almost the same things to our pirates and the Crusaders. The content was highly similar, all aimed at making others suspicious of us."
Sanji exhaled a smoke ring, his eyes cold and stern.
"And those guys, they slipped away as soon as they finished speaking, blending into the crowd and disappearing without a trace. They were incredibly slippery. Unlike ordinary gossipy residents."
Robin pondered, "This sounds like organized psychological warfare. Someone is spreading rumors against us, with the aim of completely driving a wedge between us and Fishman Island."
Zoro, holding his sword, sneered, "Looks like there aren't just one or two rats lurking in the shadows, it's a whole nest."
Franky fiddled with his reconnaissance equipment, the screen filled with static: "The interference is too strong! It seems like there are a lot of random signals flying around, we can't pinpoint the source at all!"
Brooke gently plucked the strings, producing a few out-of-tune notes: "Yohohoho—I seem to hear a lot of discordant echoes, repeating similar melodies in different places, it's really—it makes my bones uncomfortable."
His empty eye sockets gazed once more at King Hassan, who stood like a sculpture.
Wang Hassan remained silent.
But his extraordinary perception had already penetrated these appearances.
What he saw was not a specific person, but a web being woven from lies, fear, and suspicion.
Several nodes flickered with distorted light in different locations on the island, like a poisonous spider vibrating its web.
One of the nodes had just completed an extremely subtle contact deep within the Dragon Palace.
His gaze, like the most precise ruler, had already locked onto those few points of intersection where people moved through the crowd, constantly changing faces and identities, as well as that almost non-existent void that had just quietly disappeared from the shadows of the Dragon Palace kitchen like water droplets evaporating.
And just as he sensed, in the bizarre shadows of Fishman Island, something was whispering quietly.
"Fear—is growing—"
"Suspicion is delicious food."
"Not enough—we need more chaos—"
"Patience—waiting for the next chance encounter—"
They blended into the daily life of Fishman Island, using every tiny gap to sow seeds of unease.
Panic among the people festered amid rumors, the patience of the Dragon Palace Castle was worn down by invisible pressure, the Straw Hat crew's situation became increasingly precarious, and the Crusaders were calculating while watching coldly from the sidelines.
But the real threat goes far beyond that.
The tiny purple substance that attempted to contaminate the King's potion, and the passersby who constantly changed faces and spread rumors in the crowd, were merely the tip of the iceberg.
More shadows still lurk in the deeper, darker places, waiting for the right moment to drag this deep-sea paradise completely into the abyss of chaos.
King Hassan's gaze, like death itself, which has remained unchanged since time immemorial, still shrouds everything.
He was waiting, waiting for these errors in my existence to accumulate to a critical point, waiting for the moment when the corrective blade would strike.
Ultimately, he will get everything back to the right point.