"So, what kind of useful information did you guys find out?" Jerry asked, settling back into a more comfortable position on the deck. "Give me the important details—the stuff that actually matters."
Seeing that Jinbe seemed eager to share what he'd learned, Jerry quickly rummaged through his supplies and produced a small container of mixed nuts and some dried fruit, along with a bottle of sake. If they were going to have a proper conversation, they might as well do it right.
"Well," Jinbe began, accepting the offered refreshments with a grateful nod, "Hody confessed to being the real assassin who killed Princess Otohime all those years ago. He had framed a human for the crime at the time, using the incident to fuel anti-human sentiment among our people."
Jerry could recognize the significance of this revelation. The assassination of Princess Otohime had been a pivotal moment in Fishman Island's recent history, one that had shaped the relationship between humans and Fishmen for years.
"He also admitted to planning a full-scale rebellion against the royal family," Jinbe continued, taking a sip of the sake. "His goal was to overthrow King Neptune and establish a supremacist regime that would—"
"Stop!" Jerry interrupted, waving his hand dismissively. "I don't need to hear about his grand revolution plans. Nobody wants to listen to the ramblings of a racist megalomaniac."
Jinbe chuckled at Jerry's blunt assessment. "Fair enough. His ideology was indeed quite repugnant."
"What I'm more curious about," Jerry continued, "is how easily he confessed. Did he really just spill everything without much pressure? That seems like the kind of secret someone would take to their grave."
At Jerry's question, Jinbe's expression shifted to something more thoughtful, and he paused in his eating. "Actually, speaking of confessions, I also wanted to thank you for capturing Vander Decken IX during your time on the island."
"Oh?" Jerry scratched his head, trying to recall the details of that particular encounter. "How does that connect to everything else?"
"Princess Shirahoshi is now free to move around outside the Hard-Shell Tower for the first time in years," Jinbe explained with evident satisfaction. "Your defeat of that stalker removed a major threat that had been keeping her imprisoned in her own home."
Jerry was still puzzled about the connection. "Okay, but what does that have to do with Hody's confession?"
"Everything, as it turns out," Jinbe said, his tone becoming more serious. "The reason Hody was able to confess so easily was because of Princess Shirahoshi herself."
He paused to take another drink, organizing his thoughts before continuing. "You see, Princess Shirahoshi knew the truth about her mother's assassination almost from the moment it happened. Through her pet shark, Megalo, she learned that it was Hody who killed Princess Otohime, not the human who was blamed for the crime."
"She knew all along? But she never said anything?" Jerry act surprise and asked.
"She followed her mother's final wishes," Jinbe explained solemnly. "Princess Otohime's last request was that no one should bear grudges against whoever had killed her, no matter who they turned out to be. Shirahoshi took that message to heart and kept the secret locked away in her heart, even though it meant living with the knowledge that the real killer was walking free while an innocent human took the blame."
"For years, she stayed silent in the Hard-Shell Tower," Jinbe continued, his voice heavy with emotion. "She endured Decken's harassment, lived in isolation, and watched as extremist sentiment grew among our people, all while keeping her mother's secret."
"But something changed when Hody was captured?" Jerry prompted.
Jinbe nodded. "When the interrogation began, Hody initially tried to maintain his lies. He claimed that everything he'd done was justified because of human cruelty, and he even went so far as to slander Princess Otohime's memory, calling her naive and foolish for believing in peaceful coexistence."
"That's when Princess Shirahoshi finally reached her breaking point," Jinbe said with a mix of sadness and pride. "She had remained silent about the truth for years, but hearing Hody blame humans and insult her mother's legacy while knowing he was the real killer—that was too much for her to bear."
"So she spoke up," Jerry concluded.
"She did," Jinbe confirmed. "For the first time since the assassination, she found the courage to tell the truth. She revealed everything she had witnessed through Megalo, exposing Hody's lies completely. Faced with testimony from Princess Shirahoshi herself, Hody had no choice but to confess to everything."
Jinbe paused for a moment, lost in thought. "I have to admit, I'm still processing the emotions from all of this. Shirahoshi had been carrying this burden alone for so long, protecting a secret that was eating away at our society's foundation. The strength it must have taken to finally break her silence..."
"That's incredible," Jerry said quietly. "She really is something special."
"Indeed she is," Jinbe agreed. "And it's all connected to your actions. If you hadn't defeated Hody's supremacist movement and captured Vander Decken, Princess Shirahoshi never would have been in a position to speak the truth. Your intervention created the circumstances that allowed justice to finally be served."
Jerry waved his hand dismissively, though he was clearly pleased by the outcome. "I was just doing what felt right at the time. I'm glad it worked out for the best."
"The kingdom plans to officially announce these revelations to the public soon," Jinbe continued. "It will be a difficult truth for many to accept, but it's necessary for our people to heal and move forward."
He looked directly at Jerry, his expression sincere and grateful. "Anyway, I wanted to make sure you understood how significant your contribution was. You didn't just defeat a terrorist—you helped return the truth to Fishman Island and freed Princess Shirahoshi from years of enforced silence."
"If you ever need help from me or from Fishman Island in the future, you only need to ask," Jinbe said formally. "I'll do whatever I can to assist you."
Jerry could sense the genuine gratitude behind Jinbe's words. The Warlord was known for his honor and his clear sense of right and wrong, so this offer wasn't made lightly.
"Well, it was just a small favor, really," Jerry grinned, "but if there are any benefits to be had, I definitely won't be too polite to accept them."
Jerry's practical nature was showing through—while he was genuinely glad that justice had been served, he wasn't going to get overly sentimental about it. After all, these were internal matters of Fishman Island, and while he'd played a role in the resolution, he hadn't personally experienced the years of pain and division that the truth had finally healed.
The two of them settled into a more relaxed conversation after that, moving from the heavy topics of politics and justice to lighter subjects. They discussed Fishman Karate techniques, with Jinbe offering some advanced insights that Jerry filed away for future training. They shared stories of their various adventures and encounters with other pirates, comparing notes on some of the more colorful characters they'd met during their travels.
Time seemed to flow as smoothly as the ocean currents, and before either of them realized it, the sun was beginning to set, painting the sky in brilliant shades of orange and purple.
"I should probably get going," Jinbe said, noticing the changing light. "My position as one of the Seven Warlords doesn't really allow me to spend too much time openly fraternizing with the Whitebeard Pirates, even under friendly circumstances."
Jerry nodded in understanding. The political balance of the Grand Line was delicate, and Jinbe had to be careful about maintaining his official neutrality.
"Everything I came here to do has been accomplished," Jinbe continued, standing up and brushing off his clothes. "Now I should head back to Fishman Island and help with the transition as the truth becomes public."
They exchanged farewells, with Jerry watching as Jinbe dove gracefully back into the ocean and gradually disappeared beneath the waves. As the Warlord's figure faded from sight, Jerry reflected on their conversation.
He wasn't particularly bothered by the fact that Jinbe had spent the entire afternoon chatting and eating his snacks without offering to buy dinner in return. After all, Jerry considered the encounter itself to be a stroke of luck—literally fishing up a Warlord of the Sea wasn't something that happened every day.
Looking around to make sure he was alone, Jerry rubbed his hands together with anticipation. "Hehehe! Now let's see if there's something good in that treasure chest."
He opened his system interface and selected the reward chest he'd earned from completing the random quest.
[Reward: Spirit of the Sea]
"Huh? What exactly is this?" Jerry stared at the notification with confusion.
After a moment, he noticed that his skill list had been updated with a new entry.
[Spirit of the Sea: The vastness of the four seas is all at your feet. Greatly enhance the ability to control water elements, and can manipulate all liquid substances. PS: From now on, peeing three feet high against the wind is no longer just a legend!]
Jerry blinked at the system description, particularly the bizarre postscript. "It seems like this is the same type of skill as 'Ocean Blessing,' but with different functions?"
Ignoring the ridiculous second half of the system's description, Jerry closed his eyes and tried to sense his new ability.
He immediately noticed that his perception of water elements had expanded dramatically. His range of awareness now covered roughly the area of a large island—a massive improvement over his previous limitations.
But the real difference wasn't just in sensing range. With this new skill, he could quickly and efficiently control water elements within his sensory range, though the power and precision decreased with distance.
Excited to test his new capabilities, Jerry began moving around the deck, experimenting with different applications of his enhanced water manipulation.
His initial tests revealed several interesting discoveries. Naturally occurring water sources—seawater, river water, even the drinking water in bottles—were the easiest to control, responding to his will almost instantly.
The moisture in the air presented virtually no resistance at all. With just a thought, he could gather atmospheric humidity and condense it into streams of water, creating liquid seemingly from nothing.
Most intriguingly, he found he could sense the water content in living things and plants, though controlling it was much more difficult. Plants offered some resistance but were manageable, while living creatures seemed to have natural defenses that made remote manipulation nearly impossible. Even with direct contact, he could only exert limited influence over the water in living beings.
Jerry realized that the effectiveness of his control seemed to depend on two main factors: the environment where the water was located, and his own mental strength. While he hadn't noticed any significant changes to his mental attributes, the skill clearly drew on some aspect of his willpower and concentration.
Even with these limitations, the improvement was staggering. Previously, Jerry had been limited to controlling water within a range of perhaps a few dozen meters, and even then only small amounts. The time and effort required to gather enough water for his more powerful techniques like the Water Dragon Fist had been one of his major constraints in battle.
Now, with the Spirit of the Sea enhancement, he could potentially use many of his techniques instantaneously, without the long preparation time that had previously been required. He estimated that in any environment except perhaps a true desert, he could instantly create multiple water tornadoes or even summon small rivers from thin air, though the energy cost would scale accordingly.
Jerry clenched his fist and closed his eyes, imagining the possibilities that lay ahead. In a world where water covered most of the planet's surface, the ability to control it at will was an incredibly powerful advantage.
Standing at the edge of the ship, Jerry faced the ocean with renewed confidence. The setting sun painted the water in brilliant gold and crimson, creating the perfect backdrop for what he had in mind.
"Come on, let's dance!" he called out, raising his arms from his sides in a grand gesture.
In response to his movements, two massive whirlpools began forming on the ocean surface in front of him. The water churned and spiraled with increasing intensity as Jerry focused his new power.
Then, with a dramatic flourish, two enormous water dragons erupted from the whirlpools, rising high into the air above the ship. Their forms were more detailed and powerful than anything Jerry had been able to create before, shaped by his enhanced control and the abundant water source surrounding them.
Jerry began moving his hands rhythmically from left to right, conducting an invisible orchestra. The water dragons responded to his every gesture, flying through the air in perfect synchronization with his movements, twisting and turning in an elaborate aerial dance.
"Wuhu! Take off!" he shouted with pure joy.
With a final, dramatic gesture, Jerry raised both hands high above his head and then brought them together in a decisive clap, like a conductor ending a symphony.
The two water dragons responded by turning toward each other in the air, their massive forms converging and merging into one enormous water dragon that shot straight up into the darkening sky.
At the peak of its flight, the dragon dissolved, breaking apart into countless glittering water droplets that scattered across the heavens. Catching the last rays of the setting sun, the falling water transformed into a shower of liquid stars, each droplet sparkling like a jewel against the twilight sky.