LIGHT NOVEL Chapter 21: Chapter 20: Crushing
[One Piece]
[Ingredients obtained: Sea King Meat]
[Sea King Meat: The meat of massive creatures living in the ocean. Highly nutritious. Long-term consumption enhances physical fitness.]
Staring at the massive piece of meat that now cluttered her room, Kaguya was left speechless.
"Is this really from a large ocean creature? It doesn't seem like anything from Earth."
From the start, she had assumed "large" meant the Earthly definition, but the scale here was far beyond her expectations.
Walking closer, she took a sniff. There was no trace of blood; instead, the meat gave off a strange but pleasant aroma, almost as if the scent itself came from the meat's essence.
"No wonder it's said to enhance physical fitness after eating."
Kaguya now fully understood that the things given by the diary were beyond the realm of normal comprehension.
"Hayasaka."
Turning around, Kaguya's face immediately darkened with anger.
"You. Take care of this today."
"…All of it, alone?"
"Once you've handled this, I'll consider forgiving you."
A way out was offered.
Even though Kaguya was furious, she still left Hayasaka a path to redemption. But it wouldn't be easy.
This massive piece of meat was a perfect punishment.
She didn't hesitate to toss the responsibility at Hayasaka.
"…"
Staring at the slab of meat, over three meters tall and six meters long, Hayasaka was momentarily stunned. However, what shocked her even more was Kaguya's attitude.
She knew very well how much Kaguya hated betrayal. Normally, forgiveness wouldn't even be an option. Yet here was Kaguya, giving her a chance.
This punishment, dealing with the absurdly large meat, was not harsh at all compared to what could have happened.
Years of understanding Kaguya allowed Hayasaka to see this clearly: Kaguya was offering her a lifeline.
Though overwhelmed by guilt, she immediately bowed.
"I understand, Miss Kaguya."
"Hmph. Good."
Kaguya couldn't stand the pitiful look on Hayasaka's face any longer and left the room with a huff.
Left alone with the massive slab of meat, Hayasaka took a deep breath.
"Forgiveness… Miss Kaguya actually chose to forgive me."
Tears welled up in her eyes as emotions overwhelmed her.
"I thought… I thought she would hate me. I thought I'd be driven away…"
Her own betrayal disgusted her, yet even so, Kaguya had let her off.
Perhaps… Kaguya felt the same pain she did.
Wiping her tears, she looked up with renewed determination.
"Miss Kaguya, thank you for your forgiveness."
"This time, I have a choice. I won't make the same mistake again."
Taking another deep breath, she turned her attention back to the colossal piece of meat.
"Well, let's get started."
---
While Kaguya and Hayasaka were repairing their bond, the Shinomiya family as a whole was being crushed under unprecedented pressure.
As the current acting head of the Shinomiya family, Shinomiya Oko was utterly bewildered.
"What's going on?"
"Why are we suddenly receiving so many warnings from both the political and business worlds?"
One particular message left his scalp tingling.
[As a businessman, Shinomiya should focus solely on business and refrain from meddling in politics.]
The implications were chilling.
In the world of politics, where power often exceeded the bounds of control, this was a severe warning.
In business circles, things were no better.
Allies who had previously worked harmoniously with the Shinomiya family now turned their backs, issuing veiled accusations of greed:
[Shinomiya always wants it all, both sides of the pie.]
The Shinomiya family's tradition of exploiting their allies had finally backfired. While their methods had been tolerated due to their immense power, today was different.
Today, no one cared about being reasonable.
Allies were now enemies, collectively pushing the Shinomiya family into a corner.
Oko tried to leverage the leverage he had over these allies, but the responses were shocking.
[Shinomiya Oko, if you want to expose those secrets of mine, go ahead. Let's see who falls harder in the end.]
The defiance left him at a loss.
Things quickly escalated.
Official sanctions began rolling in. Hotels and shopping centers under the Shinomiya name were ordered to shut down for "safety violations."
Their prized real estate ventures faced government sanctions, shipbuilding contracts were abruptly terminated, and orders for railways, mining, and oil projects were suspended.
Every industry the Shinomiya family touched was being crushed simultaneously.
Even procurement channels were severed, with suppliers choosing to pay penalties rather than continue working with them.
This was no longer just a financial issue, this was survival.
For Oko, who had never faced such opposition in his forty years of life, this was a nightmare.
"Who wants to destroy the Shinomiya family?"
His voice trembled with desperation.
The full-scale boycott by both political and business circles was rapidly dismantling the Shinomiya family's empire.
Forced to seek answers, Oko visited his father, Shinomiya Gan'an, in the hospital.
"Father, who has the power to do this to us?"
Hearing his son's plea, Gan'an immediately knew the answer.
"It's Mikado Sanzenin."
"…Mikado Sanzenin?"
Oko's face paled instantly.
Less than half a day ago, the eldest daughter of the Sanzenin family and the eldest daughter of the Saginomiya family had met with Kaguya.
Now, the Shinomiya family was being crushed.
It didn't take a genius to connect the dots.
Recalling Mikado Sanzenin's infamous ruthlessness, Gan'an felt a chill down his spine.
"That old man… Don't be fooled by his gentle appearance now. In his youth, he was utterly merciless."
"Only Mikado Sanzenin has the power to destroy the Shinomiya family so thoroughly."
Gan'an looked at his son.
"Oko, what did you do to offend Mikado Sanzenin?"
"…"
Oko was speechless.
What could he say?
He didn't even dare think about offending the eldest daughter of the Sanzenin family, let alone Mikado Sanzenin.
***
Bonus Chps for every 100 PS, and if we reach 10 reviews, I'll also drop 5 bonus Chps.