Chapter 276: The Lantern Fish
A steel warship sailed across the tranquil sea.
By now, the crew had grown accustomed to the calm of the Calm Belt.
It was eerily peaceful.
But this serenity was suddenly disrupted by an urgent call.
"Captain! Report! There's a Lantern Fish approaching us at high speed!"
The lookout's alarmed voice shattered the quiet atmosphere.
Charlotte, lounging on a deck chair with an eye mask on, immediately pulled it off, his gaze sharpening as he turned toward the massive creature rapidly closing in.
"So huge!"
Those who heard the commotion quickly turned their attention to the distant behemoth.
Robert and the others stood on the sixth level, staring in shock at the enormous Lantern Fish.
"It must be at least a thousand meters long!"
Sif gasped at the sheer size of the creature, judging from just the part of its body visible above the water.
The others were equally astonished.
But they weren't afraid.
Their father was here.
After over a week of sailing through the Calm Belt, they had encountered many Sea Kings charging straight at them.
Each time, their father had effortlessly sliced them apart.
The only difference this time was the sheer size of the creature.
Charlotte's eyes narrowed as he focused on the Lantern Fish's glowing lure.
A memory stirred within him—one of the few things in this world that truly intrigued him.
Pure Gold.
The legendary treasure that granted longevity.
Pure Gold was a mythical metal, and the knowledge of how to refine it had been lost to history.
Rumor had it that simply wearing it could extend one's lifespan, making it priceless beyond measure.
From the moment he had arrived in this world, Charlotte had thought about acquiring it.
By the time Luffy set out on his journey, Charlotte estimated he would be nearly sixty.
Age would catch up with him eventually, and he needed to consider ways to prolong his prime.
He had thought of various legendary items that had appeared in One Piece:
The Ope Ope no Mi, which could grant immortality through the Ultimate Surgery.
The Millennium Dragon, rumored to hold the secret to long life.
The Bat-Bat Fruit, Model: Vampire, which could restore youth.
He had already obtained the Vampire Zoan, temporarily eliminating the threat of aging.
But Pure Gold was an even greater prize—effortless, passive, and absolute.
Simply possessing it would slow aging indefinitely.
Even the Celestial Dragons had failed to claim it.
He wasn't certain if this particular Lantern Fish had swallowed the island containing Pure Gold.
But it was worth a try.
This Lantern Fish was massive, practically the size of an island itself.
And more importantly—its lure shone with an unnaturally bright golden glow.
Charlotte knew of no other Lantern Fish whose lure emitted such a brilliant light.
It was enough reason to act.
Summoning Seven-Star Sword, Charlotte infused it with Conqueror's Haki, stepping forward as he prepared to strike.
Seeing him move, the rest of the crew gathered to watch.
Far ahead, the colossal Lantern Fish continued drifting lazily.
Its eyes remained closed, its movement entirely unconscious.
Such an immense creature had no natural predators.
Why would it need to be wary of anything?
The mere presence of the beast sent other Sea Kings scattering in terror.
Charlotte's gaze remained locked on the glowing lure.
With a swift motion, he vanished.
In the blink of an eye, he reappeared above the Lantern Fish.
His sword rose high.
At that moment, the Lantern Fish's eyes snapped open.
For the first time, it sensed danger.
"Demon Slash!"
Charlotte's voice boomed as he brought down Seven-Star Sword, aiming directly at the creature's luminous lure.
A massive, hundred-meter-long slash streaked downward.
The Lantern Fish barely had time to process what was happening.
The next moment—
SHRRRK!
Its lure was severed in an instant.
The massive organ, once attached to its head, was sliced cleanly off, plummeting toward the sea.
For a brief moment, the Lantern Fish froze in shock.
Then—
GUSH!
A massive geyser of blood erupted from the wound.
"ROOAAARRR!"
Its agonized wail shook the sea, forcing weaker crew members to clamp their hands over their ears.
Charlotte ignored the noise.
Instead, he dashed toward the falling lure.
As he reached out to grab it, he realized his mistake—
It was much lighter than expected.
With a single overpowered motion, he accidentally flung it skyward.
"Shit!"
Reacting quickly, he activated Soru, disappearing and reappearing near the lure.
He caught hold of it mid-air and tossed it toward the ship.
Seeing this, Barrett leaped into action.
Just as the lure was about to crash onto the deck, he caught it firmly, preventing any damage to the ship.
Charlotte smirked in satisfaction.
But just as he was about to relax—
SHADOW!
A dark mass loomed over him.
"Captain! Look out!"
The crew shouted in alarm.
Charlotte simply smiled.
In the next instant—
WHOOSH!
He vanished.
The Lantern Fish's vengeful bite snapped down on empty air.
It had missed.
Instead, it gulped down a mouthful of seawater.
Reappearing above the beast, Charlotte raised his sword once more.
"Demon King's Tyrant Slash!"
His blade crackled with Conqueror's Haki, exuding a terrifying pressure.
With both hands, he brought it down.
A thousand-meter-long slash tore through the air.
The sea roiled.
Storm clouds churned.
Lightning flickered in the sky.
BOOM!
The massive attack engulfed the Lantern Fish.
Blood burst forth like a tidal wave.
Inside the creature's stomach, a girl was startled awake.
"Huh? Thunder? But… how? The Lantern Fish… doesn't have storms inside?"
Still groggy, she rubbed her eyes.
Stepping out of her small cabin, she barely had time to react—
THUD!
A massive slab of flesh fell on her face.
"Ew! What the—?"
She looked up.
Instead of the usual crimson glow, a patch of sky was visible above.
Her eyes widened.
"The sky…? No, wait. The Lantern Fish… is split open?!"
She stared upward in shock, barely making out the figure of a man floating in midair.
Not far from her, a middle-aged man also stood frozen in disbelief.
"The Lantern Fish… is dead?"
He whispered, unable to process the sight before him.
How long had it been since he last saw the sky?
A hundred years?
Two hundred?
He had never thought he would see sunlight again in his lifetime.
Outside, Charlotte gazed down at his handiwork.
His attack had cleaved open the entire Lantern Fish, exposing its insides.
Three floating islands rested within the beast's massive stomach.
Beneath him, the colossal Lantern Fish lay motionless, its lifeblood staining the sea.
It was dead.
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