anovelconsole Chapter 449: Inside the Lantern Fish’s Stomach
Chapter 449: Inside the Lantern Fish’s Stomach
At that moment, on the several small islands inside the Lantern Fish’s stomach.
Every living creature was cowering in terror on the ground. Their world was flipping upside down, like the apocalypse itself, with horrifying booming sounds echoing all around!
"What happened to the Lantern Fish? Did it get attacked by some other massive Sea King? Could it be that super-giant electric eel Sea King?"
Myskina Acier was just as terrified, hunkered down in a dinosaur nest. The earlier surge of electricity had even made the lantern fish’s stomach acid crackle with sparks.
He threw on a dinosaur hide and bolted out of the nest, heading back to his lab. If there was a chance to escape this belly, he wasn’t about to let it slip away.
He needed to grab his ultimate creation—Pure Gold—and get out of here. He’d show the world that he’d truly invented it, the stuff that could grant eternal life!
He’d been surviving solo in this Lantern Fish’s gut for over a hundred and fifty years. You have any idea how agonizing that is?
What kept him going, day after day?
It wasn’t just to join his dead wife and daughter in the afterlife—no, he stuck around instead of ending it all because of this legendary wonder: Pure Gold!
The most valuable metal in the world, the key to owning everything!
...
On the other side, a little girl was clinging to a sea lizard’s back, scrambling away in a panic!
"What’s up with Bonbori? Is someone finally taking him down? Haha, maybe this is our shot to break out of here, Elizabeth!"
Myskina Olga, with her long golden hair, had been on her own for over a hundred years too. She’d gotten used to chatting with herself by now.
Every sea lizard she tamed got the same affectionate name: Elizabeth. It just sounded nice.
Bonbori was her fancy title for the Lantern Fish. She knew full well she was stuck in its belly, scraping by on whatever undigested fish it swallowed.
She was so over chowing down on those dead fish. She craved fresh stuff—real food, all kinds! So she’d been on the lookout for any escape route.
Talk about a wild twist!
Olga and Acier—this father-daughter duo—had been kicking around on these islands in the fish’s belly, and somehow, they’d never crossed paths once!
Both figured everyone else was long gone, leaving just them.
Unbelievably, in all those hundred-plus years, neither had fully scouted out these handful of islands. They’d just hunkered down on their own little spots, barely hanging on.
They’d come to terms with losing their loved ones and just kept living.
They claimed to love their wife, their daughter, but they’d never even seen the bodies. Just assumed they were dead, never bothered searching, and instead stuck close to the Pure Gold lab.
Even inside the Lantern Fish’s gut, they’d rigged the lab with tons of traps to guard the Pure Gold!
That part always bugged Brook from his previous life!
...
Outside the Lantern Fish!
"Gahaha, Brook, let’s hustle in there and snag that Pure Gold!!!"
Golden Lion Shiki soared up onto the Lantern Fish’s body, unleashing terrifying sword slashes to carve out a path straight into its belly!
Meanwhile, the ship doctor Crocus was using a blood pump to draw out the creature’s blood. He wanted to test what kind of blood crystal dandelions he could make from this massive beast’s blood—and see how they stacked up against ones from strong humans!
Chef Streusen was slicing off chunks of the lantern fish’s meat, ready to fry some up and check if it tasted any good.
Newgate and the crew piled in behind Golden Lion Shiki to help dig the tunnel. Blood and flesh sprayed everywhere, and soon they’d blasted open a gory hole of an entrance. It looked downright nasty!
Brook unleashed a chilling wave of sword energy, freezing over the bleeding walls of the fleshy tunnel. That let Golden Lion Shiki and the crew push through into the Lantern Fish’s belly without issue!
Brook followed right after, ordering the rest of the subordinate crew to stand guard. This time, he was handling things personally to secure the Pure Gold. And the fewer people in the know about it, the better.
Pure Gold’s pull was just too strong for anyone to resist. A lot of folks in the Flying Fleet’s First and Third Divisions hadn’t been touched by the Seven Star Sword yet, so their loyalty wasn’t ironclad!
Brook rode in on his Cloud Hera, stepping into the Lantern Fish’s stomach. A gut that had its own full-blown ecosystem? That was straight-up mind-blowing.
The lantern glow from the Lantern Fish somehow pierced right through its flesh into the stomach, acting like a sun. It powered the whole biosphere down here, keeping plants alive and the food chain intact!
’This world’s just flat-out unreasonable—no logic at all!’
Brook grumbled to himself inwardly. In the original story, Crocus painting fake skies inside the island whale Laboon’s belly was weird enough.
But this Lantern Fish? Its stomach still held islands undigested after over a hundred years, with critters thriving on them like nothing was wrong.
Brook knew better than to try explaining the unexplainable with his limited smarts!
He was here for Pure Gold, not some science project!
"Split up and scour these islands. We’re looking for a little girl with long golden hair and a chubby guy with short golden hair!"
Brook tossed out the order casually. With just a few islands, it’d be quick work anyway. Pure Gold was his, no question.
Everyone fanned out their Observation Haki and started hunting for people across the islands. Brook poked around the one he’d landed on first, keeping it casual.
Besides Pure Gold itself, the real treasures in the Island-Eating Lantern Fish’s stomach were the lab that birthed it and the scientist behind it all: Myskina Acier.
Brook couldn’t care less if the guy was some doting dad or what his morals were.
He just needed the scientist on his payroll. If Acier could crack the code on making more Pure Gold, even better.
Brook would sooner off him than let the World Government get their hands on the guy. For now, though, he’d stash him up on a Sky Island, working under Dr. Vegapunk!
It wasn’t long before...
Redfield was the first to spot someone. His Rumble-Rumble Fruit, paired with top-tier Observation Haki, had turned into this killer electromagnetic wave sense. It was unbeatable for tracking people, with insane range to boot.
Brook eyed Redfield hauling in the scruffy, overweight Myskina Acier, a faint smile creeping onto his face.
"Take me to your lab. Hand over the Pure Gold. From here on out, you’ll be doing research for me. We’ll track down your daughter too—and cure that terminal Emperor Fever while we’re at it!"
Brook cut right to the chase. No point wasting breath on someone without the power or standing to match his.
"What! Olga’s still alive?"
Acier blurted out in shock, his face lighting up with pure joy. Brook couldn’t be bothered digging into the guy’s feelings—as long as he delivered results. He gave a quick nod to confirm.
"I’ve got no time for long explanations. Just do what I say!!"
Brook shot Acier a cool glance, and the man suddenly felt like he was under the gaze of a god, his heart swelling with reverence!
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