King Riku was stunned by those words. For the sake of his country's safety, gritting his teeth and sending one daughter away was already his limit, yet now both of his only daughters were about to leave him and sail off with a pirate crew. The king's heart twisted with sour reluctance, and for a moment he could not even speak.
Shiro stood to the side, watching the scene, and joined in to persuade him. "Your Majesty, since the little princess also wants to come aboard, please let her. Don't worry, we'll take good care of the two sisters. And whenever you miss them, I can use the Paw-Paw Fruit's teleportation to send them back to see you at any time. It's very convenient."
"Since… since you all say so, then Viola, you may go as well," King Riku finally sighed after a short silence, waving a hand toward Viola in helpless surrender. "But remember this: once you're on the ship, you must behave yourself. Don't cause trouble for Captain Shiro or your sister, understand?"
"Great! Thank you, Father! You're the best!"
Viola jumped for joy, let go of Scarlet's hem, rushed over to King Riku and hugged his waist on tiptoe. Then she quickly dashed back to Scarlet's side, clutching her hand and staring excitedly at the Virtue.
"Well then, King Riku, we'll be on our way."
Shiro waved to him, then turned and led Scarlet, Viola, and the rest of the crew up the gangplank and onto the Virtue. With a long blast of the whistle, the ship slowly pulled away from the harbor and sailed once more into the deep blue sea.
King Riku stood on the pier, watching the ship's silhouette grow smaller and smaller until it finally disappeared beyond the horizon. Only then did he turn back, heavy-hearted, and walk step by step toward the palace.
On the Virtue's deck, the arrival of Scarlet and Viola injected even more energy into what was already a bright, sunlit atmosphere. The scattered jokes and chuckles turned into constant lively chatter. By Nico Robin's side, where ancient texts about the Poneglyphs once lay undisturbed, Viola now peered over with wide, curious eyes. Near Yamato, who swung her spiked club through her drills, Scarlet clapped and cheered. Even the sails seemed to billow more gladly in the sea breeze.
Scarlet carried the elegance of a noblewoman but without a hint of arrogance, and quickly fell into easy conversation with Robin. Viola, meanwhile, was enthralled by Yamato's tales of "the Legend of Shiro." The two huddled in a corner, whispering and exclaiming from time to time, as if they had already been friends for years.
Smoothie, on the other hand, was the complete opposite. Her eyes were full of resistance whenever they landed on Scarlet, her brows knit together and never relaxing. She did not say a single word, and even pushed away the juice Scarlet offered with an icy expression. Her air of "keep away" was so strong it seemed to chill the space around her.
In the past, with Smoothie's personality, she would likely have already used her Fruit powers to squeeze a rival like Scarlet into a puddle of juice, not merely glared at her like this.
Time slipped by quietly as the Virtue sailed on. In the blink of an eye, another year had passed, and the Sea Circle Calendar had turned to 1504. This pirate ship without a fixed destination drifted like a free leaf through the ever-changing seas of the New World—sometimes cutting through storms, sometimes docking at nameless islands. The days were simple, but steady.
On this particular day, luck seemed especially good. The sky was a flawless blue, the sea breeze soft as silk, and the sunshine warm as it spilled over the deck. Everyone went about their usual tasks: Robin leaned against the rail, reading ancient books; Yamato practiced her techniques on deck; Smoothie reclined under a sunshade, sipping juice. Everything was as peaceful as ever—until Shiro's appearance broke that calm.
He held a fresh newspaper "borrowed" from a news bird, but the relaxed ease on his face had vanished. The more he read, the tighter his brow furrowed, and a solemn weight crept into his gaze.
"Jinbe, get over here!"
Shiro called toward the helm, a faint urgency in his voice that stood out clearly against the quiet deck. Jinbe, who had been adjusting their course, immediately left the wheel and strode out. The sunlight glinted on his deep blue fish-man skin as he frowned in confusion. "Captain, what's wrong? Did we run into the Navy ahead?"
Shiro did not answer directly. Instead, he pointed to an inconspicuous corner of the World Economy News. "Take a look at this. There's a report here…"
Jinbe followed his finger and quickly scanned the lines. The more he read, the paler he became. The confusion in his eyes was replaced by shock, cold sweat trickled down his forehead and cheeks, and his breathing grew ragged. He muttered over and over, voice trembling with disbelief, "No way… that's impossible… Elder Brother Tiger is so strong… how could he be captured and turned into a Celestial Dragon's slave?"
Shiro watched Jinbe's shaken expression, his own brow still tightly knit. He reached out and patted Jinbe's shoulder lightly. "Jinbe, calm down. We'll go to Fishman Island right now and ask what really happened. There might be more to this than the paper says."
Jinbe snapped back to himself, flinging the newspaper to the deck. The pages swirled in the wind as he nodded hard, eyes blazing with urgency. "Yes, Fishman Island! I'm going to hear it from them directly!"
As soon as the words left his mouth, Shiro activated the power of the Paw-Paw Fruit. Pale pads swelled into view on his palms as he pushed gently, and an invisible force wrapped around the two of them. In the next instant, they vanished from the Virtue's deck, leaving only the discarded newspaper fluttering in the breeze before settling into a corner.
When they reappeared, they were already standing on a familiar street of Fishman Island. Without a moment's hesitation, Jinbe charged off toward Arlong's house, his every step heavy with anxiety.
Arlong, seeing Jinbe barge in, exploded at once. His temper, already foul, flared to the limit as his eyes turned bloodshot. He threw a punch straight at Jinbe, the fist howling through the air with all his pent-up rage. "Jinbe! You still dare come back!"
Jinbe reacted instantly, catching Arlong's fist in his hand. With a twist of his wrist, he locked Arlong's arm and pinned him in place. His voice was low, shaking with suppressed fury. "What are you doing, Arlong? Calm down! Tell me what happened with Elder Brother Tiger—now!"
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