Bab 130: Chapter 130: Vegapunk!
Ryugu Palace City
When Princess Otohime and the others saw Edie return, their mouths fell open in shock.
All eyes were fixed on the tall, striking figure behind him.
"Shirahoshi?" Otohime whispered, her voice laced with disbelief.
The resemblance was uncanny. Although her daughter was only four years old, it was easy to imagine that she might grow to look exactly like the mermaid standing before them.
Neptune and their three sons stood frozen, speechless. Little Shirahoshi, however, stared at Usagi with wide, curious eyes.
What a beautiful sister… the young princess thought to herself.
"Hello, I'm Usagi," the mermaid introduced herself with a polite bow. Her gaze softened as it landed on Shirahoshi, and she broke into a radiant smile.
"Little Princess Shirahoshi, you're my prototype! You're so cute~" Usagi teased, gently poking Shirahoshi's cheek with her finger.
"Prototype?" Otohime's bewildered gaze shifted to Edie.
Edie, the enigmatic Hive Emperor—known by many names: the Master of the Hive, the Evil Scientist, the Father of Clones—stood calm and composed as always.
"In just half an hour… Mr. Edie, did you clone Shirahoshi?" Otohime asked, her voice trembling with incredulity.
Edie's lips curved into the faintest of smirks. "The wisdom of fish," he replied cryptically, leaving her to speculate.
"The explanation is complicated," he added nonchalantly, "but to summarize—Usagi is the mermaid princess of this generation, possessing the power to summon the Sea Kings. As for Shirahoshi…"
Edie's sharp eyes turned to Shirahoshi, who was giggling as Usagi playfully poked her again.
"She cannot awaken the power of Poseidon anymore. In an era, there can only be one mermaid princess."
The room fell silent.
Neptune furrowed his brow in disbelief. "Can there truly only be one mermaid princess in an era?"
The eldest prince, Fukaboshi, stepped forward, his expression tense. "Dr. Edie, are you absolutely certain of this?"
Edie ignored the question, addressing the underlying doubts directly. "Half an hour ago, Princess Otohime gave me a blood sample from Shirahoshi as a token of goodwill. I returned with Usagi—a fully formed clone."
The room erupted into murmurs of shock.
Otohime, however, seemed to take it in stride. She smiled gently, her eyes soft as they rested on her daughter. "Perhaps this is a blessing for Shirahoshi. Without the power of Poseidon, she can live a peaceful life."
Edie raised a brow, slightly impressed by Otohime's perspective. "Have you considered relocating Fish-Man Island to the surface world? I can use the power of the Float-Float Fruit to move it safely. Usagi can command the Sea Kings to protect the island."
Otohime shook her head, her smile resolute. "Mr. Edie, I appreciate your offer. But this is not a decision I can make alone. The future of Fish-Man Island belongs to its people. I will continue to speak and work to inspire them to embrace the sun above the sea."
Edie studied her for a moment before remarking, "You're more suited to be king than Neptune."
Neptune twitched visibly, but he held his tongue. Otohime giggled, covering her mouth to hide her amusement.
Edie turned to Shirahoshi, placing a hand gently on her head. "I took something from you, little princess, but I will make it up to you in other ways."
Shirahoshi blinked up at him, her large aqua eyes filled with innocent curiosity. "Thank you, Mr. Edie," she said softly.
With a faint smile, Edie straightened and turned to leave. "Let's go, Usagi."
"Yes, Mr. Edie," Usagi replied, following him.
Before leaving the palace, Edie tossed a small slip of paper to Otohime. "This is my contact information. My offer stands. When your people decide to move to the surface, call me."
Otohime caught the paper and watched him disappear beyond the gates with Usagi.
Neptune frowned. "Otohime, do you truly intend to move Fish-Man Island to the surface? Humans can be cruel."
"Not now," Otohime replied, her tone firm yet hopeful.
In her heart, however, she believed that change was inevitable. Edie's war against the Celestial Dragons was already shaking the world. News of the destruction of Mariejois a few months prior was proof of that.
For now, she would wait and watch.
If Edie emerged victorious, she would rally her people and present their request to him—a plea to bring Fish-Man Island into the light of the sun.
She glanced at little Shirahoshi, who tugged at her hand.
"Mother, will I see that beautiful sister again?" Shirahoshi asked, her voice filled with wonder.
Otohime smiled warmly. "Of course, my darling."
Deep in her heart, she hoped for Edie's victory. The world was broken, and if anyone could change it for the better, perhaps it was him.
In the Depths of the Ocean
Edie perched lightly on Usagi's shoulder, a protective bubble enveloping him to ward off the crushing sea pressure.
In the underwater world, the swimming speed of merfolk was unparalleled, a blur of elegance and power unmatched by most creatures. While Edie could have managed on his own, riding on the back of a skilled mermaid was a far more efficient—and comfortable—choice.
After all, human nature is prone to laziness.
"Usagi," Edie began, his voice carrying authority despite the surrounding oceanic stillness, "you've taken Shirahoshi's power. Now, it's your responsibility to repay her by ensuring she has a stable childhood."
In the original timeline, Shirahoshi's Poseidon power awakened after the traumatic loss of her mother, Queen Otohime. Overwhelmed by grief, she had inadvertently summoned the massive Sea Kings with a heartrending roar. This extraordinary display caught the attention of a sinister figure: Vander Decken IX.
Obsessed with controlling Poseidon's power, the deranged Fish-man pursued Shirahoshi relentlessly, bombarding her with love letters initially, only to escalate to violent threats when his advances were spurned. The princess was forced to live in isolation within the Hard-Shell Tower for a decade.
Though Usagi—did not know the original events, she would unquestionably follow Edie's orders.
"What do you need me to do, Heavenly Father?" she asked, her gaze steady and resolute.
"Summon the Sea Kings and have them find someone for us," Edie instructed. "He's a tiger-shark Fish-man with four legs and a red glove on his right hand. His name is Vander Decken IX."
Usagi nodded. Parting her red lips slightly, she murmured an incantation so soft it seemed to merge with the ocean currents.
Edie observed her closely, fascinated. The process resembles the radio waves emitted by Den Den Mushi. Is this ability tied to some advanced biological frequency?
Moments later, dozens of colossal Sea Kings appeared, their alien forms casting immense shadows across the ocean floor. With fluid movements, Usagi conveyed Edie's command, her voice firm yet reverent.
The Sea Kings seemed to acknowledge Edie with curious, discerning glances before dispersing into the abyss, their immense forms vanishing in all directions.
"They've started searching," Usagi said, her tone pleased. "As long as he's still in the sea, they'll find him. Not just the Sea Kings—ordinary sea creatures and fish will follow the orders too."
Edie raised a brow, intrigued. "What were you communicating about?"
"They called me Lord Poseidon and wanted to know who you were. I told them you're 'Heavenly Father.' From now on, you can issue commands to them directly."
"Really? They understand human speech?"
"Of course!" Usagi beamed, awaiting praise.
Edie pondered this. It wasn't so far-fetched. Even dogs could understand human commands, and Sea Kings clearly possessed far greater intelligence—some surpassing even that of humans.
Having given his first order, Edie decided to address another potential threat. "While we're at it, there's someone else to deal with. Hody Jones. Tell the Sea Kings to eliminate him."
Usagi relayed the command, and the Sea Kings departed once more, their massive forms blending seamlessly into the deep.
Two Days Later
Hody Jones, a soldier of Neptune's Army, was patrolling near the Immigration Bureau on Fish-Man Island. He remained ever vigilant, watching for signs of pirate invaders.
Suddenly, the water around him darkened, and a dozen towering shapes emerged from the depths.
"Sea Kings?!" a nearby soldier gasped, terror creeping into his voice.
"They're coming... for us?" another stammered.
"No... it's Hody!"
Panic erupted among the soldiers as they abandoned their posts, swimming away as fast as they could.
Hody was bewildered. Why are the Sea Kings targeting me?!
Before he could escape, one of the massive creatures—a hundred-meter-long electric eel—closed in on him. A crackling current surged through the water, paralyzing his body.
Hody barely had time to process what was happening before the Sea King's jaws engulfed him in one swift motion.
The soldiers who witnessed the scene exchanged horrified glances.
"Why... why only him?"
"Did he hurt their young or something?"
"This doesn't make sense!"
The incident quickly reached King Neptune, but no one could explain the cause. Only Princess Otohime, sensing a faint yet unfamiliar influence, seemed to have an inkling of the truth.
New World: Punk Hazard Research Institute
Within the rice cultivation laboratory, Dr. Vegapunk examined a new strain of rice growing behind reinforced glass. His eyes sparkled with amazement.
"Incredible! This is genius!"
"What genius invention now, Doctor?" a slow, drawling voice interrupted.
Vegapunk turned, his face falling into an expression of exasperation. "Vice Admiral Kizaru… No, Admiral Kizaru now."
"No need for formality," Kizaru replied, hands tucked casually into his pockets.
"This is Dr. Edie's honeycomb rice," Vegapunk said, his tone tinged with admiration. "It's based on advanced bloodline factor techniques that even surpass my own."
Kizaru raised a brow. "Bloodline factors again, huh? Seems like he's always one step ahead of you."
Vegapunk sighed deeply. "It's not just this rice. His chemical fertilizer—'Jinkela'—produces results that I've been unable to replicate, even after reverse-engineering it perfectly."
Through the glass, Kizaru saw two rice samples: one thriving spectacularly, the other stunted and unimpressive.
"What's the difference?"
"They're chemically identical," Vegapunk admitted with frustration. "Yet his fertilizer yields miraculous growth, while mine does… this."
Kizaru shrugged. "Maybe you're overthinking it."
"Maybe," Vegapunk muttered, though the mystery gnawed at him.
Changing the subject, Kizaru gestured to a Devil Fruit lying haphazardly on a nearby table. "And what about that artificial Devil Fruit? The one based on Kaido's Azure Dragon?"
Vegapunk glanced over without much enthusiasm. "A failure. The coloration is wrong—it's pink instead of blue. Completely unacceptable."
Kizaru stared at him, dumbfounded. "That's what makes it a failure?"
"Of course!" Vegapunk exclaimed indignantly. "The name Azure Dragon demands accuracy!"
Kizaru sighed. Scientists and their eccentricities.
As their conversation continued, Vegapunk's tone turned wistful. "I admire Edie's work so much. I wish I could meet him… ask him how he does it."
Kizaru frowned. "The Five Elders wouldn't allow that. You know why."
Vegapunk's gaze lingered on the thriving rice behind the glass. "Even so, I can't help but feel like I'm living in his shadow."
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone