Chapter 127

Chapter 127: The ES Potion

Fishman B reminded, "Captain, Princess Shirahoshi is only 6 years old!"

Vander Decken scratched his chin, "That seems to be a problem. You can't marry at 6 years old."

Fishman A had an idea, "I heard there's a secret medicine in Ryugu Palace. If you consume it, anyone will age rapidly."

"Really? Even a 6-year-old girl can become mature by consuming it?" Vander Decken immediately imagined 6-year-old Shirahoshi turning into a mature beauty.

Fishman A confirmed, "Yes, Captain. Princess Shirahoshi is so cute; she'll surely be a beauty when she grows up!"

Vander Decken grinned lecherously, "Hehehe, then let's use it! The first thing to do is..."

Fishman A and Fishman B chimed in, "Steal the secret medicine?"

Vander Decken mumbled to himself, "Write wedding invitations!"

"Huh?"

Ignoring his two astonished subordinates, Vander Decken began writing, but he suddenly stopped when he got to the names of the invited guests. He realized, "Oh, right, I have no friends!"

...

In the end, Vander Decken managed to contact Hody Jones through various channels.

Hody Jones hoped to exacerbate the conflict between the Fishmen and humans, gather more followers, and spread terror among humans. However, he needed personal power for this.

The ES Potion was an excellent choice. Officially, it was a steroid. Consuming one pill doubled strength, and another pill doubled it again. But the cost of this power was a gradual decrease in lifespan.

Hody Jones saw the strength-enhancing effects of the ES Potion, while Vander Decken, with his eccentric mindset, saw the life-depleting side effects.

Nevertheless, the two came to an agreement, lacking only the opportunity to steal the jewel-encrusted box.

Coincidentally, Queen Otohime returned, bringing along a few humans.

Hody Jones immediately saw an opportunity:

If the theft of the jewel-encrusted box happened after the banquet ended and before the humans left the palace, it would be perfect.

...

Ryugu Palace, Banquet Hall.

This was a relatively small hall, unlike the grand one that could accommodate hundreds of soldiers. It was only a modest setup.

Half of the small hall was underwater, and half was above water, with tables and chairs set up on the surface.

The layout was similar in the mermaids' rooms, always having a dry space where beds, tables, and chairs were placed. The mermaids found this more comfortable than sleeping in water.

Wearing a bubble-like float around their waists allowed the Fishmen to move in the air as if they were in water, without inconvenience.

For them, wearing the bubble was probably as simple as putting on shoes.

"Your Majesty, another guest has arrived," Minister Udaijin, a right-hand man, led in a petite figure.

Camie was initially shy, but upon seeing the people in the hall, she forgot her nervousness.

"Huh?" Holding her face, Camie widened her eyes, her tongue curling like a wave as she exaggeratedly expressed shock, "Why are you here, Brother Adrian?"

"Hey, Camie. It's been a while. Is your family still not letting you go out?" Adrian greeted her with a smile.

"Long time no see, Camie." Rui Mengmeng and Artoria waved to her.

Since Queen Otohime had mentioned Camie before their trip to Fishman Island, the Queen had thoughtfully invited Camie along the way.

One couldn't help but wonder if the commotion of a Minister visiting a regular citizen's home had caused a stir.

After all, according to Camie, her family was just ordinary commoners, living in a place called the "Undersea."

For people like them, visiting Ryugu Palace was unimaginable.

Perhaps the idea of kings and such wasn't very real to someone like Adrian, who had grown up under the Red Flag. However, for Camie, it was a high status, someone not to be disobeyed.

But seeing familiar faces here made the carefree girl overlook these concerns.

"Mengmeng big sister, Artoria big sister!" Camie immediately rushed into Rui Mengmeng's arms and rubbed against her.

Compared to Artoria, she found Rui Mengmeng easier to approach and more comfortable to be around.

"Cough, you haven't greeted the king." Minister Udaijin reminded her.

"Huh?" Camie once again made an exaggerated expression of panic, "I forgot!"

Watching the dazed Camie, Queen Otohime covered her mouth and laughed, "Such an energetic child."

"Since she's Mr. Adrian's friend, we'll skip the greeting," Neptune's voice was authoritative, but drool dripped from his mouth, "Since everyone's here, let the feast begin!"

He was a king with a touch of "sincerity" in his character; otherwise, how could he befriend Whitebeard?

At Neptune's command, several graceful mermaid ladies brought out various dishes.

These mermaids had powerful and bold figures, wearing daring attire. They all had distinct appearances and hairstyles, with their common feature being their beauty. When serving, they seemed to dance.

They seemed curious about the guests brought by the queen, often glancing at Adrian and his group while leaving after placing the dishes.

Adrian understood this sentiment. Having seen the Fishman Island ladies, he somewhat grasped Sanji's feelings. For many gentlemen, this place was indeed a dream.

Adrian looked at Neptune with a gaze that said, "Your king knows how to enjoy," and Neptune hurriedly explained,
"Mr. Adrian, please don't misunderstand. These are the signature maids I specially invited from the Mermaid Café to entertain you. I only love Otohime, I won't betray her!"

Adrian believed him, especially considering that in the original timeline, even after Otohime's death, he hadn't remarried. Although he was almost 70 by then, he could still dodge a waist-height move like his signature attack, Sea Shoulder Throw.

Tom and Shirahoshi had returned under the supervision of Sharkler, and their relationship seemed good. At least Tom had agreed to Shirahoshi hugging him, probably not just because she promised to share her desserts with him.

This banquet felt more like a royal family gathering. It had no complicated procedures, just Neptune raising his cup.

"The first cup, a welcome to our guests in Ryugu Palace!"

"The second cup, gratitude for saving the queen's life!"

"The third cup, a celebration of new friends in the Ryugu Kingdom!"

Yet, only Neptune drank three cups.

The queen and princes continued offering dishes to Adrian's group, saying things like, "Try this grilled scallop, this seaweed is great too..."

"Although we mermaids don't eat fish, we procured these fish specially for you. They're rarely found on the sea's surface."

"This taste is really good." Adrian appreciated their attitude; they didn't mind people eating what they wouldn't eat.

Much better than some extremists.

Artoria quietly savored the various foods, Rui Mengmeng and Camie chatted and laughed while

eating.

Tom puffed his cheeks and competed with Shirahoshi in eating scallops.

Only Neptune didn't know when he slipped into a corner to doodle: "Being ignored..."

However, Minister Udaijin didn't ignore him, "Your Majesty, please mind your manners. As the host of the banquet, you should..."

Actually, I noticed in anime that they drink alcohol in seawater, which is just...

To see the mermaid ladies, it's probably around episode 569, when Ryugu Palace hosted a banquet for the Straw Hat Pirates. There's also a slightly earlier scene around episode 523, where Sanji almost dies from a nosebleed.