"I'm more interested in the legendary Mermaid Princess than these inanimate objects."
As Karl's words fell, Neptune and Jinbe were both slightly stunned.
"Your Excellency Karl, what do you mean by that..."
Neptune looked at Karl warily, like a thief eyeing his family's precious cabbage.
"Don't be so nervous, King Neptune..."
To this, Karl spoke with a profound air: "Because I have integrated the ability of the Rumble-Rumble Fruit, my Observation Haki has gained a special ability. Not only can I watch over the entire island like someone with an eye-based power."
"I can also hear the voices of everyone on the island..."
Pausing for a moment, Karl looked in Shirahoshi's direction and continued, "When I first arrived on this island, I heard a young girl praying, hoping to go to the Sea Forest to pay respects to her mother, and to go to the world on the surface, to see the real sun, flowers, trees, and animals..."
Speaking words that made Neptune and Jinbe even more guilty, Karl then looked at Neptune with an amazed expression and said, "Truly, King Neptune, this is the first time I have seen a being as pure-hearted as Princess Shirahoshi."
"Even without having met her, I can see her gentleness and kindness from her heart."
"That is why I am willing to offer my help."
Having said that, Karl stated his purpose: "I am fond of Princess Shirahoshi. If I help you capture or eliminate that fellow named Vander Decken IX, I hope King Neptune will allow Princess Shirahoshi to be my guardian for a period of time."
"Because... my entire crew are Devil Fruit users. Our next trip is back to the first half of the Grand Line, to travel through the first half of the Grand Line and the Four Seas."
"During our travels, we might accidentally fall into the water. If we have the protection of the Mermaid Princess, who is the fastest in the sea, our journey will surely be safe and sound."
"Your Excellency Karl..."
Looking at Karl, who spoke with such sincerity and tactfully expressed his desire to help Shirahoshi fulfill her wish, both Neptune and Jinbe were filled with emotion.
Emotions don't lie...
When Karl spoke, he was being sincere.
Because of this, Neptune and Jinbe did not discover Karl's true purpose.
If he had directly asked Neptune to let Shirahoshi join his ship, even as a lifesaver, Neptune would not have agreed.
As long as Shirahoshi stayed in the Hard-Shell Tower, she was at least protected.
But if she left with Karl, who knew if Karl would mistreat his 12-year-old daughter. After all, this was their first time meeting Karl; they had no idea what kind of person he was.
So Karl used the art of language, first maximizing Neptune and Jinbe's guilt toward Shirahoshi, and then using the excuse of helping Shirahoshi fulfill her wish to take her away for a time.
During this time, as a [Master of Nurturing], it would be an incredibly easy matter for Karl to win over a 12-year-old girl.
Sensing the change in Neptune and Jinbe's emotions, Karl smiled gently and said, "So, King Neptune, are you willing to let Princess Shirahoshi protect me for a while?"
"...If Shirahoshi agrees, then I have no objection."
Neptune hesitated only for a moment before saying, "But on one condition: Your Excellency Karl must eliminate the threat of Vander Decken IX. Otherwise, even if you have the ability to protect Shirahoshi, I will not agree to let her leave with you."
Just like Karl, Neptune also had his own subtle plan in these words.
Neptune knew his daughter well, what kind of being she was.
Besides possessing the power to destroy the world, she had inherited from her mother, his wife Queen Otohime, an innate Observation Haki.
If ordinary Observation Haki can only sense changes in emotion, then Shirahoshi's innate Observation Haki could ignore all disguises and see directly into a person's heart.
No matter how perfect someone appeared on the surface, as long as their heart was ugly, they would be ugly in Shirahoshi's eyes.
By the same token, if someone was ugly on the surface but their heart was beautiful, then they would be beautiful in her eyes.
Shirahoshi judged whether a person was good or bad not by their appearance, but by their heart.
If Karl was truly a good person, then Neptune was willing to let him take Shirahoshi to travel the seas for a while. With an overlord of the sea as a bodyguard, even if the Celestial Dragons targeted Shirahoshi, this god-slayer would eliminate them.
If Shirahoshi was unwilling to leave with Karl, it would prove that his kind and friendly appearance was a facade, and that just like Vander Decken IX, he was after not her beauty, but her power...
At that point, Neptune wouldn't become hostile toward Karl, but he would not develop a deep relationship with him either.
Therefore...
Neptune left the decision to his daughter.
"Naturally."
Hearing Neptune's condition, Karl smiled and nodded, then said, "Before that, may I meet Princess Shirahoshi?"
"No problem," Neptune said. "But let's wait until after the banquet!"
"Your Excellency Karl, please, enjoy the meal."
"Of course!"
After that, Karl and Neptune tacitly changed the subject, chatting about trivial matters.
Once the banquet ended, Karl, with a heart full of anticipation, followed Jinbe to the Hard-Shell Tower.
"Your Excellency Karl..."
On the way, Jinbe pleaded with Karl, "Princess Shirahoshi has lived in the Hard-Shell Tower since she was six years old, unable to even attend Queen Otohime's funeral. Her personality is as you described—gentle, kind, and very timid."
"When you enter the Hard-Shell Tower, please do not frighten the princess."
"Why don't you come in with me as well, Jinbe?" Karl suggested.
"There is no need. I must go back and retrieve the scrolls for Fish-Man Karate."
Jinbe shook his head and said, "Besides, with your strength, Your Excellency Karl, if you truly had ill intentions toward Princess Shirahoshi, my presence would be of no use."
Unlike Neptune, who had a strong connection through his 'brother' Whitebeard, Jinbe was an observer.
As an observer, Jinbe could see Karl's goodwill, as well as his fondness for Princess Shirahoshi. It was Karl's first time on Fish-Man Island, yet he knew of Princess Shirahoshi's wish.
Clearly, Karl was genuinely attracted to Princess Shirahoshi's spirit and sincerely wanted to help her.
Otherwise, there would be no need for him to be so respectful.
It's just that... this fondness might be useless.
I hope that after seeing Princess Shirahoshi, he can retain that fondness.
Looking at Karl, who was a little more than a meter shorter than himself, an image of Princess Shirahoshi's great size surfaced in Jinbe's mind, and he couldn't help but shake his head and think to himself...
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