GBP Chapter 448: Ambushing the Lantern Fish
Chapter 448: Ambushing the Lantern Fish
The search team led by Den could only watch helplessly as the massive Island-Swallowing Lantern Fish swiftly swam into the dark depths of the sea—they had no way to stop it!
"Check the signal receiver to see if we’re picking up anything?"
Den was worried that the signal harpoon hadn’t attached properly. If that was the case, he’d have no idea how to explain it to Brook. He should’ve made sure it was installed successfully before notifying him.
"We’ve got it! This thing’s heading straight for Alchemi Island!!"
One of the fishmen held up a simple signal receiver wrapped in a waterproof transparent film, with a red dot moving rapidly across the screen!
"Does this Island-Swallowing Lantern Fish seriously want to gobble up the other half of Alchemi Island too?"
Den wondered aloud, but none of that mattered right now. The important thing was getting the message to Brook!
He surfaced, opened a round sealed container, and inside lay a special Den Den Mushi. He dialed Brook’s number directly and relayed the news that the Lantern Fish was heading toward Alchemi Island!
From there, it was all about staying in touch, constantly updating Brook on the creature’s position.
...
Once Brook and the others received the info, they immediately started making plans to intercept the massive Lantern Fish near Alchemi Island.
"Yo ho ho~, does this lantern fish really want to come back here and check if there’s any pure gold left to munch on?"
Brook chuckled. Over a hundred years ago, this Lantern Fish had been drawn in by the glow of pure gold and swallowed half of Alchemi Island, but that half hadn’t been digested at all.
The pure gold ring and that chunk of pure gold were both in Olga and her father’s hands, meaning the lantern fish hadn’t absorbed even a bit of it.
Swallowing half the island had been for nothing. The creature must have realized its massive lantern hadn’t changed at all, which is why it occasionally patrolled the remaining half of Alchemi Island, hoping to find more clues to pure gold!
The Lantern Fish was incredibly sensitive to the glow of pure gold—even the faint light from the tiny bit in Olga’s ring could attract it.
Over a century ago, the fist-sized pure gold in Myskina Acier’s possession had shone so brightly that it drove the lantern fish mad, leading it to devour half the island.
Pure gold had been discovered on this island back then, so the lantern fish would return every so often, hoping for another find!
The flying fleet adjusted course again, heading straight to Alchemi Island to wait for the Island-Swallowing Lantern Fish to show up. They’d make sure it came but never left!
"Shiki, get a few more islands ready. We have to block this lantern fish in—give Redfield and Lingling plenty of time to zap it unconscious!"
Brook was concerned whether their electricity would be enough to stun something so enormous. If not, they’d need Golden Lion Shiki’s backup to keep it from escaping!
"Don’t worry, Brook. Give me a little time, and I’ll float up enough islands to surround this lantern fish completely!"
Golden Lion Shiki was just as eager for the pure gold, so he was all in right now. A bit of exhaustion was nothing!
Redfield had already started controlling the golden airship to release dense clouds of smoke. Soon, the seas around Alchemi Island were shrouded in dark clouds, with lightning flashing and thunder rumbling.
"Brook, the thunderclouds are set. Lingling and I can unleash even stronger moves now!"
Redfield and Charlotte Lingling were already prepping their thunderous attacks, just waiting for the Island-Swallowing Lantern Fish to arrive!
"Tone down your auras a bit—don’t scare it off!"
Brook was making his final preparations too. That thing better not bail on them now. These crew members had worked their asses off prepping for so long just to give this massive lantern fish a proper welcome. The hospitable Hell Pirates would make sure it felt right at home!
...
This Lantern Fish, as always, returned to the Alchemi Island waters every few decades, hoping to find pure gold again. It was the divine substance that had let it live this long and made its lantern shine even brighter!
Not only did it attract mates of its kind, but in the dark depths of the sea, it made hunting easier. Living this long and growing this huge—it was all thanks to pure gold.
That’s why it was so obsessed with it!
Today, it returned to the Alchemi Island area once more, but the weather was off—looked like a thunderstorm was brewing. It planned to just take a quick look and head out.
After all, the last few visits hadn’t turned up anything!
It surfaced just enough to glance at the familiar island. See that? That familiar bite mark—I left that over a hundred years ago!
Same old story, no sign of pure gold. It turned to dive back into the deep sea.
Suddenly, a wave of danger hit it. A terrifying thunderball smashed down, lighting up the entire ocean surface!
Pain, numbness—this storm was way too intense! It felt like it was on the verge of death!
Before the Island-Swallowing Lantern Fish could recover, bolt after bolt of lightning struck it with pinpoint accuracy. It desperately swam toward the depths, dodging the horrifying thunder.
’Crack!’ The sound of space shattering echoed.
The lantern fish felt its body being pulled apart, like it was being torn to pieces.
"Boom~"
Five powerful bursts of Conqueror’s Haki surged out, slamming into the Island-Swallowing Lantern Fish’s mind.
’It’s those tiny humans—they’re trying to hunt me!!’
That was the lantern fish’s thought in that moment. Having lived so long, its intelligence was on par with humans. Right now, its mind was filled with rage!
It thrashed its massive body wildly. I swear, I’ll devour every last human island!
But for now, facing all these attacks, it just wanted to flee back to the deep sea. With all these injuries, who knows how long it’d take to heal? It hated these humans with every fiber of its being!
Its survival instinct kicked it into a desperate frenzy, its huge form churning up mini-tsunamis.
In the next instant, islands came crashing down, blocking its path back to the depths. One rocky mountain even smashed right onto its body, causing excruciating pain!
These prey were actually trapping it—unforgivable!
The Lantern Fish struggled nonstop, opening its massive maw to swallow the islands in its way, carving a bloody path back to the deep sea. Once it healed, it’d be time for revenge on humanity!
But the terrifying lightning left its whole body paralyzed, unable to perform at full strength, and that overwhelming aura was making it dizzy.
"You’re here now—don’t even think about leaving!!"
’Soul-Severing Slash!’
Brook fused with his massive army of ghosts and ghost generals, letting out a roar as he unleashed his long-charged soul attack.
The Lantern Fish felt an intense pain explode in its head. It let out a furious roar before its consciousness faded into darkness.
"If a top-tier pirate crew like ours preps a kill zone this long and you still escape, then wouldn’t any super-giant beast like you just dominate the New World?"
Brook’s cold voice rang out, his eyes gleaming with excitement. This Lantern Fish had finally delivered itself right to them!