I guarded Impel Down for a hundred years in the pirate world.

"Baru, I heard... the King of the Stars has arrived?" At that moment, a gentle and peaceful female voice sounded behind him.

“Mother.” He turned around.

Behind him is his nominal mother, Loulan, and the mermaid princess who gave birth to him with the human Qiuba.

Loulan is now 90 years old, but she looks like an average 30-year-old. If it weren't for her mature demeanor, she would still have a youthful appearance.

Female mermaids can develop legs at the age of 30. However, most mermaids living in the mermaid kingdom still move around in their fish tail form, but Loulan is different.

Since marrying Chubba, she has walked on two legs like a human for the vast majority of the time.

"Are you trying to find the King of the Stars to ask about that guy?" Balu paused, then feigned displeasure: "I disagree!"

"Don't do this, Balu, Chuba is your father..." Loulan looked sad.

I said...I disagree!

The mother and son looked at each other for a while, and Loulan sighed softly: "Alright, then let's go to the sacrificial hall with Mother. We'll go to the High Priest to pray for the two kings."

Huh? To the sacrificial hall?

For a fleeting moment, Balu felt a flutter in his heart, but he quickly suppressed it. In any way, it was inconvenient to meet that senior right now.

"I have a mission to complete, Mother. You go ahead... Don't go looking for the King of the Stars in secret."

"Ok."

Loulan left somewhat disappointed, and the disappointment on her face deepened as she got further away from her residence.

"Baru, your mother tricked all the elders and guards back then, secretly running away to elope with Chubby, and even fooled Chubby so much that he gave birth to you with me..."

A few minutes later.

Figo, who had just settled down and figured out what to do next, was caught off guard when he looked at the mermaid princess in front of him, and his expression was slightly interesting.

"King of the Stars, I have come to report to you that the disappearance of the two kings may be related to my son... Balu."

Chapter 354 A Twist of Fate

Figo was truly surprised that Baru was reported by his mother.

Could it be that no one knows a son better than his mother? Did Loulan already sense that something was wrong with her son? Could even Loulan not hide Balu's identity as a demon general?

As Loulan continued to recount his story, Figo realized that things were not quite as he had imagined.

“Ever since Grandpa Norton and King Grinning disappeared, I noticed that the child’s emotions were a bit off. After the news of your arrival in the kingdom, King of the Stars, I secretly observed him for a few minutes and found that he became even more nervous. That’s when I suspected that the child had audaciously participated in the disappearance of the two kings.”

"So I tested him. I asked him to come with me to the shrine to pray for the two kings, but he flatly refused, which made me deduce that the mastermind was probably... the High Priestess!"

Loulan said with a pained expression, "The other mastermind can only be Prince Pulei!"

Da da da—

No sooner had the words left his mouth than there was a knock on the door, and Pry's voice came from outside: "Your Majesty, the Princess of Loulan has come to disturb you?"

Loulan looked slightly nervous and said, "King of the Stars, can I trust you? Yes, if Qiuba can trust you, I can trust you too. Please call Pulai in, I want to confront him face to face!"

Figo's eyelids twitched slightly, and he turned his head, saying, "Please come in, Prince Pray."

Pray pushed open the door and entered, his face, which bore a similar beard to that of the Fishman King Norton, was full of question marks.

Clearly, he had heard Loulan's last words: "Loulan Princess?"

Loulan stood up and said, "Prince Pulai, the King of the Stars already knows, knows that you conspired with the High Priest to trap the two kings and prepare to usurp the throne! My good-for-nothing son was also involved, but he has told me everything, you can't hide it from him anymore!"

She tricked Pray right from the start.

But the Mermaid was confused: ? ? ?

Figo raised his hand: "Sit, everyone sit, there's a problem here... Princess, please continue."

Loulan stared as Pulei sat down and said, "We all know that you and King Norton have had considerable disagreements recently regarding how the merfolk and fishmen should participate in the war, how many troops to send, and who should lead them. You dare not and cannot do anything to harm Grandpa Norton, but as one of his closest people, it is still possible to find a way to temporarily imprison him."

In this way, the power of the Fishman Kingdom will temporarily be in your hands. When King Norton has been missing for a sufficient period of time, you can use the excuse that the war between the two races cannot wait for anyone to complete the deployment you want to make. After a while, even if King Norton returns and punishes you, it will be difficult to recall the warriors who have already been sent to the battlefield.

I don't know how you convinced the High Priestess to go with you, but whatever the reason, you've made a grave mistake!

Faced with Loulan's righteous and eloquent words, Pulai opened and closed his mouth, but for a moment he was unable to utter a sound.

Figo said, "Princess Loulan has some corroborating evidence; her son, Balu..."

Baru is acting strangely and refuses to go to the temple, so I conspired with the high priest.

What is all this about?

A look of absurdity crossed Pray's eyes: "King of the Stars... Princess Loulan... I..."

“Actually, the speculation makes a lot of sense.” Figo nodded thoughtfully.

Pray was stunned: "I... I'm not!"

If Loulan hadn't known about the Demon General beforehand, his prediction would have been spot on. Because in the Mermaid Kingdom, only a high priest of equal status to King Norton, who also lit five lamps, could lead the effort, with the help of the first heir, Pray.

Well, as expected of a mermaid princess who managed to sneak out of the mermaid kingdom, elope with Chewba, and then secretly have a child, she's quite the clever one.

“Of course I know that’s not true,” Figo said to Play. “There’s a crucial piece of information here that only Norton, Gerning, and I know.”

Loulan, who had been gazing at Pulei with unwavering confidence, blinked, then became somewhat guilty and shy: "N-no? Isn't that right?"

Pray immediately pressed further: "Information that only you and the two kings know?"

“Yes, last time when I clashed with Grenin because of Chewba, I noticed something was off with Baru and reminded Grenin. Grenin and Norton must have been keeping an eye on him during this time,” Figo said.

"Baru is a demon!"

Pray was startled: "A demon?"

Loulan's shyness froze on her face instantly. She then stood up, shocked, and said, "No, how could Balu... No, he's my son. Even if he made a mistake this time... No, you... King of the Stars, you can't say that..."

I thought it was a trivial matter, like 'colluding' with the high priest and the eldest prince to usurp the throne. How come my son is suddenly going to die?

Her voice gradually trembled with sobs, growing weaker and weaker: "Since...since when? Where is the real, the real Balu? Where is my son?"

"He's already dead."

Figo did not politely decline.

"impossible……"

Loulan sat back down, looking utterly dejected.

Figo offered no comfort.

Although it sounds carefree, it's better to have a short, sharp pain than a long, drawn-out one. Balu's condition is irreversible. While Loulan is still young and Qiuba is in the Lynch Merchant Guild, there's still time for him to start practicing his trumpet again.

Ironically, she had done a great service this time, a service that ensured the Fish-Men would not stop her from falling in love with Chewba again, even though this service resulted in her "son" being born.

“I originally wanted to wait for the news to spread so I could see Balu’s reaction, but now there’s no need. Princess Loulan has already told us where the problem lies,” Figo said.

Pry was still reeling from the shock, but he could still instinctively make a judgment: "The Temple of Sacrifice?"

Yes, it was a twist of fate.

Balu's abrupt refusal to go to Loulan and the sacrificial temple is probably the root cause! Of course, this root cause should not be the high priest!

……

The High Priest of the Fishmen, Gimora, has held the position of High Priest for over 800 years, making him a Five-Lamp King who is several hundred years older than Norton.

As the High Priestess, she needs to communicate with the power of the Mermaid Queen. She insists on not using the effects of Devil Fruits and the Devil Clan's bloodline to extend her lifespan. So now, at 1173 years old, she is nearing the end of the lifespan that can be extended by the mermaid's bloodline light alone... Of course, even if she is nearing the end, she still has about 100 years left.

Her prophetic abilities were not weak; when Figo and Pray arrived at the temple, the old woman with a cane was already waiting at the door.

"King of the Stars, this old woman must apologize to you first," she said the moment she saw Figo.

Figo said, "If it is the power inheritance of the Mermaid Queen, I will keep it for Shirahoshi."

Jimora smiled and said, "How could I let you accept it on my behalf? I will apologize and make it up to you when I see that little girl named Shirahoshi."

She looked at Pray and changed the subject, saying, "You brought the King of the Stars here to discuss the disappearances of King Norton and King Grinning, right? Actually, you don't need to care about my opinion, Pray. With Norton gone, you are the king. Now, you can make all the decisions regarding the Mermaid Kingdom."

Pry shook his head slightly, leaned close to Jimora's ear, and whispered an explanation. Jimora's expression immediately turned serious. "Is that so?"

She glanced back at the sacrificial hall and said to Figo, "In that case, King of the Stars, please come in with me. There aren't many people walking around in the sacrificial hall usually, just a few girls who assist me and some guards who are mostly hidden in the shadows."

She led the way with her cane, taking Figo into the sacrificial hall, and pointed with the tip of her cane to several rooms on the first floor: "There should be no one in there now. Star King, would you like to go and take a look, or come up to the second floor with me?"

Figo's gaze swept across the room, lingering outside one of the rooms before he walked over and peered inside.

Who is this?

Jimora was taken aback and quickly walked over with Pray, where they saw an old merman wiping the bookshelves in the room with a rag.

Pry's brow relaxed: "This is Grandpa Glat, who has been in charge of cleaning the shrine for many years. Grandpa Glat!"

Old fishman Grat didn't turn around, continuing to wipe the bookshelf again and again. Only from the side could one see him letting out a deep sigh, seemingly in response to Pray's call.

Figo: "How many years is 'many years'?"

Pray slowly furrowed his brow.

A moment of confusion appeared in Jimora's eyes, before she gripped her cane tightly.

“How could this be… When I first came to the temple, Grat was in charge of cleaning it, and back then… he looked just like this!” Her voice trembled violently: “That was over 1100 years ago!”

Pry's body tensed instantly!

Grat slowly said, "More than 1100 years ago, Gemola, you were a lovely little mermaid girl. Look at you now, you've become an ugly old woman."

He finally stopped wiping his hands, turned around, and his red, demonic progenitor-exclusive pupils met Figo's: "Too fast, too fast. From the time you came to the Mermaid Kingdom to the time you suspected me and found me, it's all been too fast."

Did you interrogate Balu? That kid's so impatient, or did he do something unnecessary again? Honestly, shouldn't we have just made him disappear from the start?

"This is truly... an amazing ability! You've been hiding right under my nose for so many years?! When did you infiltrate the Mermaid Kingdom, and how long have you been hiding here?!"

Figo remained silent, so Gimora launched into another angry and ashamed question.

An enemy has infiltrated the sacred sacrificial site?!

“How long?” Grat turned back and slowly wiped the bookshelf. “That’s been a very, very long time. Can you answer my question first, Lord of the Stars, Gaston Figo, how did you lock onto me so quickly?”

“By a twist of fate.” Figo walked to his side: “Balu’s mother, Loulan, mistakenly believed that the High Priest was conspiring with Prince Pulai… and Balu was a participant, helping me find the temple. Once I arrived at the temple and locked onto you, there’s nothing more to say, right? A powerful guy like you is more conspicuous than anything else in my eyes.”

"By a twist of fate...by a twist of fate."

Grat shook his head with amusement: "What a twist of fate. More than 1,400 years ago, I sent a little guy named Ami out of the sea, out of the Starry Sky, and into the starry sky."

He did well, using the alias Donald, joining the Celestial Dragons, and even influencing the course of the cosmos for a time. It's a pity you ruined it all in the end. He joined the Star of Light, allied with the Twin Pillars, and was also killed by you after your pursuit. Was that a twist of fate born of hatred? Or was it intentional? Did you somehow obtain more information?