The heavy door swung open, and sunlight streamed into the tower unimpeded for the first time in years. Shirahoshi nervously swallowed, her eyes darting around cautiously. Once, she had tried to leave, hopeful and naive, only for a barrage of vicious weapons to come flying at her mere moments later. That incident had left a deep scar on her young heart. Since then, she had never dared to step beyond the threshold of the Hard Shell Tower.
"Lord Leo," Shirahoshi whispered, her voice trembling with lingering fear.
Leo turned and gave her an encouraging smile. "It's alright."
"Mmm, I trust you, Lord Leo." Shirahoshi gave a firm nod, her gaze gradually steeling with resolve. "Megalo, let's go."
With a call to her companion, Shirahoshi finally swam out through the doorway that had been her prison's boundary.
Ryugu Palace, Main Hall.
On King Neptune's orders, the hall had been swiftly cleaned and restored. Mermaid servers brought out platter after platter of exquisite delicacies. Amidst an atmosphere of eager anticipation, Leo re-entered the hall with Shirahoshi at his side.
"Wow! Is that the legendary Princess Shirahoshi? She's so beautiful!""She's absolutely stunning!""How adorable!"
Robin, Doll, and the others felt their breath catch in their throats upon their first glimpse of the mermaid princess. Their admiring gazes followed Shirahoshi's graceful movement. Even Hancock, whose beauty was itself peerless, felt a momentary pang of something akin to awe.
"So many strange sisters..." Feeling the collective stare of Hancock and the crew, Shirahoshi grew tense again, instinctively moving closer to Leo. "Lord Leo, are all these sisters... your companions?" she asked softly.
Leo nodded. "That's right. They're all members of my crew."
"Shirahoshi!""Shirahoshi, over here!"
Neptune and the three princes rose to their feet, waving her over.
"Father! Brothers!" Shirahoshi responded, quickly swimming to them. Seeing his daughter before him in the grand hall, Neptune's eyes welled with tears. Shirahoshi was the princess of Fish-Man Island, yet she hadn't set foot in this room for eight long years.
"Father, what Lord Leo said is true. I don't have to live in the Hard Shell Tower anymore," Shirahoshi said, her own voice catching in a small sob. The entire walk over, not a single weapon had flown her way.
"Shirahoshi, Vander Decken has been killed by Lord Leo. You're free," Fukaboshi said, tears of joy streaming down his face.
"Lord Leo..." Shirahoshi looked at Leo, her voice weak with emotion.
"Now, now, no more tears. Vander Decken's death is a cause for celebration," Leo said, offering a comforting smile.
"Come, Shirahoshi, sit down," Neptune said, wiping his eyes and gesturing to a seat beside him. Shirahoshi obediently settled next to her father, and everyone else took their places.
At a subtle nod from Neptune, Shirahoshi carefully picked up a glass of fruit juice. She looked at Leo, her voice barely above a whisper. "L-Lord Leo... thank you for saving me. I... I'd like to toast you."
She watched Leo nervously, her eyes flickering away, the final words as faint as a mosquito's hum. Having spent eight years in isolation, speaking in such a formal setting surrounded by strangers was overwhelming.
"Princess Shirahoshi is so adorable~""I just want to pinch her cheeks!"
The women clasped their hands to their faces, utterly enchanted by Shirahoshi's shy, timid demeanor.
"There's no need to be nervous. You'll need to learn to be braver from now on, okay?" Leo picked up a wine bowl and gently clinked it against her glass.
Clink!
A clear, pleasant sound rang out.
"Lord Leo... I... I'll do my best," Shirahoshi said, biting her lower lip and nodding earnestly.
"I believe you can," Leo replied with a firm nod of his own.
Shirahoshi blinked. Had she just been... recognized by Lord Leo?
"Yes~" A small, genuine smile blossomed on her face, her eyes curving into happy crescents. That heart-wrenchingly beautiful, innocent expression left the women utterly mesmerized.
Neptune, Fukaboshi, Ryuboshi, Manboshi, and all the assembled ministers wore expressions of profound relief and happiness. It had been so long since they'd seen Shirahoshi look this happy.
The banquet officially began. At Neptune's signal, musicians, instrumentalists, and dancers took to the floor, filling the hall with music and movement. Bright lights illuminated every corner. For a time, the entire palace was enveloped in pure, unadulterated joy.
After everyone had eaten their fill, Leo slowly rose. "Please, continue enjoying yourselves," he said to the gathering. "I'm going to take Shirahoshi and Robin to the Sea Forest."
Neptune naturally had no objections and nodded with a smile. Vander Decken was dead, and with Leo's power, no one on Fish-Man Island could pose a threat. Protecting Shirahoshi was more than within his capabilities.
Shirahoshi and Robin stood up together and followed Leo out of the grand hall. As the trio departed, the others raised their glasses once more, conversation flowing freely into a new round of celebration.
The Sea Forest.
This was an underwater forest located northeast of Fish-Man Island, also known as the "Ship Graveyard." It was the burial place of Shirahoshi's mother, Queen Otohime. It also housed a Poneglyph. In truth, Fish-Man Island had once possessed two Poneglyphs. One was the apology letter from Joy Boy to the mermaid princess of his time. The other was a red Road Poneglyph, one of the four key stones leading to Laugh Tale. For unknown reasons, that red Poneglyph had been lost to time—either misplaced or deliberately hidden.
"Mother... I'm so sorry I haven't been able to visit you all these years," Shirahoshi whispered, her tail coiled beneath her as she sat before the grave. "I have happy news. Lord Leo defeated the bad man for me. I don't have to live in the Hard Shell Tower anymore. With Lord Leo here, no bad person will ever bully me again." She clasped her hands together, tears like pearls rolling down her cheeks. "Mother... I've missed you... so, so much..."
Leo watched the weeping princess with a pang of sympathy. She had borne too much weight on her young shoulders. Eight years ago, the shark Caribou had witnessed Queen Otohime's assassination by Hody Jones and had told Shirahoshi. But to honor her mother's final words—"Do not hate your opponent"—Shirahoshi had never revealed the truth to Neptune or her brothers. She had chosen to carry that terrible secret alone. The depth of her kindness was truly moving.
"Captain..." Robin, sensing the shift in Leo's mood, gently linked her arm with his.
"I'm fine," Leo said, offering her a reassuring smile.
"Lord Leo, we can go now." Having poured her heart out, Shirahoshi wiped her tears, composed herself, and swam back to Leo's side. Free from her prison, she could visit her mother here whenever she wished.
"Shirahoshi, let's first accompany Robin to find the Poneglyph. Afterwards, I have a gift for you."
"Okay," Shirahoshi nodded obediently, a spark of curiosity igniting within her. What could Lord Leo's gift possibly be?
In the center of the Sea Forest, Leo located the stone block.
"Joy Boy..." Robin murmured, her fingers gently tracing the ancient text inscribed on the stone's surface. It was indeed Joy Boy's Apology. She began to read each character with intense focus, while Leo and Shirahoshi waited patiently nearby.
Meanwhile, at the Mermaid Cafe.
Nami and her group, tired from their shopping, had found their way to a well-known establishment. The Mermaid Cafe. Its owner, Shakky, was a mature, blue-haired mermaid. While she ran a cafe, she was more famous for her other talent: fortune-telling. It was said her predictions were 100% accurate, earning her the respectful title of Madame Shakky. In this regard, she was far more reliable than certain individuals who merely played with tarot cards.
"I've heard about what happened with Arlong," Shakky said, her expression dimming as she mentioned the name. She and Arlong were half-siblings. She never imagined that after leaving the Sun Pirates, he would settle in the East Blue and become a tyrant.
Nami was equally shocked to learn of Shakky's relation to Arlong. She had come here on Leo's specific instruction but hadn't expected this personal connection.
"I'm truly sorry. Arlong held a deep hatred for humans, which led him to commit those terrible acts," Shakky said, her tone apologetic as she looked at Nami.
"Please, don't worry about it. It's in the past. Arlong faced the consequences he deserved," Nami replied with a genuine, forgiving smile. With death, the grudges were extinguished. She was a person who distinguished clearly between friend and foe and would never blame Shakky for her brother's sins.
"Madame Shakky, I've heard your fortune-telling is incredible. Could you... read my fortune?" Nami asked, suddenly changing the subject with a sly grin.
"No need for such formality. Just call me Shakky." Nami's magnanimity had instantly won her favor. "That's just praise from others. But if there's something you wish to know, I can try."
"I want to know..." Nami's expression turned into a playful pout. "Can you tell me how many women Leo will have in his life? And who they might be?"
Upon hearing this, Vivi, Tashigi, and the others, who had been sipping their coffee, perked up immediately. Their eyes locked onto Shakky in unison. Clearly, they were also deeply interested in this answer.
"This... alright," Shakky was taken aback for a moment but then nodded. She was, of course, aware of the rumors about Leo's... prolific interests. He seemed to take great pleasure in recruitment, and a beautiful woman seemed to fall into his hands at every port. That Nami would ask such a question wasn't entirely surprising.
Under the intense, expectant gaze of the women, Shakky began her divination.
One second.
Two seconds.
A full minute passed.
Nami and the others stared unblinkingly at her. For them, those two minutes felt like an eternity.
When Shakky finally finished, an extremely unnatural, conflicted expression settled on her face.
"Shakky? What's wrong? Could you not see anything?" Nami asked, puzzled by her frozen state. Tashigi and the others were equally confused. Was her reputation unfounded? Had the divination failed?
The observant Princess Vivi seemed to sense something. She tentatively asked, "Shakky... among the women you saw in your vision... was... was one of them you?"
Her words sent a shockwave through the group. Nami, Tashigi, Nojiko—all their eyes widened in sheer astonishment as they stared at Shakky.
It couldn't be that much of a coincidence, could it?!
Shakky came back to herself and gave a helpless, slightly bitter nod.
What kind of fortune was this? She had divined her own future as part of the man's harem? The rumors were indeed well-founded. Leo's... appetite was no exaggeration. In her vision, Leo's "conquests" numbered over fifty. And she, unfortunately, was among them.
"Is this... my fate?" Shakky muttered to herself, lost in thought. Her earlier modesty to Nami had been just that—modesty. She had never once doubted her own prophetic ability. Her success rate, to date, was indeed 100%. And Nami's question had been a straightforward one.
Getting her confirmation, Nami clicked her tongue. "That scheming Leo... no wonder he specifically told me to come here." Vivi and Tashigi covered their mouths, trying to stifle their giggles. So Leo's sights were set not only on Princess Shirahoshi but also on the famous Madame Shakky.
After mentally cursing Leo another hundred times, Nami looked at the troubled Shakky. "So... what are you thinking?"
Shakky opened her mouth to speak, but Nami cut in, adding, "Let me give you a heads-up, Shakky. So far, not a single woman Leo has set his sights on has managed to escape. If he's truly decided to recruit you into the crew... you should... prepare yourself mentally."
Shakky's words died in her throat. Her uncertain gaze swept over Vivi and Tashigi. The women said nothing, merely smiling and nodding. The answer was clear enough. Leo's methods with women were as authoritative as Shakky's own divination.
"Ah..." Shakky let out a long, resigned sigh. It seemed there really was no escaping this.
"Shakky! You... you're not actually thinking of joining Leo's crew, are you?!" Keimi, a young mermaid employee who had been quietly listening, couldn't help but ask. It was just a fortune-telling result; surely she didn't have to take it so seriously! But from the look on Shakky's face, it seemed she had already accepted her fate.
Shakky looked meaningfully at Keimi, hesitated for a moment, and then uttered with another sigh, "Keimi... in my vision... among Leo's women... there was... also you."
"WHAT?!!" Keimi shrieked, instantly freezing in place.
Nami: "???"
Vivi: "???"
Tashigi: "???"
...
Meanwhile, at the New Fish-Man Pirates' Hideout.
"LEO! WHY ARE YOU ATTACKING US?!"
"DAMN YOU! WE'VE NEVER PROVOKED YOU!"
"EVERYONE, BE CAREFUL! HE MEANS BUSINESS!"
"WE'RE NO MATCH FOR LEO! TAKE THE ENERGY STEROIDS, NOW!"
Screams of fear and rage echoed through the deep sea. Leo stood impassively, watching the endless stream of vicious fishmen pouring out of the ancient ship, Noah.
After Robin finished her study of the Poneglyph, Leo had sent her back to the Ryugu Palace with Shirahoshi. He had come here alone. His promised gift to Shirahoshi was the head of the man responsible for her mother's death: Hody Jones. He was here to exterminate these inhuman monsters.
Soon, fishmen whose eyes glowed red from the ingested Energy Steroids surrounded him like a pack of wild beasts.
"Jahahahaha! Leo! I've heard of your reputation! But I've taken the steroids! I'm not afraid of you!" Hody Jones, the great white shark fishman with stark white hair, stepped forward, leading the charge. He was followed by his officers and a veritable army—one hundred thousand fishmen, forming hundreds of concentric circles around the lone human.
"Jahahaha! Leo! Facing our force of one hundred thousand, what can you possibly do?!" The mocking voice of Zeo, the whiskered shark fishman, rang out from the shadows.
"Muhihihihi! Leo, you dare cause trouble for the New Fish-Man Pirates? You have a death wish!" Ikaros Much, the giant squid fishman, brandished his eight red-tasseled spears, his fighting spirit palpable.
"Jahahaha! With your death, Leo, the name of the New Fish-Man Pirates will shake the world!" Daruma, the small, cigar-smoking dwarf shark fishman, licked his lips in excitement.
"KILL LEO!" Incited by their captain and officers, the hundred-thousand-strong army raised their weapons, their war cries rising in a deafening, rolling tide.
Leo looked at them as if they were idiots. Those Energy Steroids were truly terrible things. They robbed people of their sanity.
A cold, disdainful smile touched his lips. He raised a single hand towards the cavern ceiling far above, where the air bubble met the ocean.
"Wide-Area Judgment: Divine Punishment."
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T/N :
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