"It's... it's Hody Jones?!"
In the main hall of the Ryugu Palace, Shirahoshi let out a shocked gasp as she stared at the white-haired fishman lying before her. His eyes were rolled back, his body was covered in electrically charred, split flesh, rendered nearly unrecognizable. Had it been anyone else in such a state, she might not have known them. But Hody Jones? She would recognize him even if he were reduced to ashes.
"It's him," Leo confirmed with a slight nod.
"Lord Leo... is this... the gift you spoke of?" Shirahoshi's voice began to tremble, growing thick with emotion. Once again, her vision blurred with tears.
"Shirahoshi, I know your heart is kind. You didn't want to reveal the truth to everyone. But if we let evil men like this roam free, more innocent people will get hurt," Leo said, looking at her with a patient, earnest expression.
Shirahoshi stood frozen for a moment, then tears like strands of pearls began to fall in a steady stream.
"Leo? Shirahoshi? What's going on? What truth?" Neptune asked sharply, his keen senses picking up on the heavy subtext of their exchange.
The three princes and the ministers exchanged bewildered glances.
Encouraged by Leo's gaze, Shirahoshi composed herself. Taking a deep breath, she began to recount the full story—how Hody Jones had been the one to assassinate her mother eight years ago.
Upon learning the truth, Neptune erupted in furious rage. He immediately ordered guards to haul the barely-alive Hody Jones away to the deepest, most secure prison. If not for Shirahoshi's revelation, they would have remained in the dark forever.
The next day.
King Neptune issued two royal proclamations.
The first revealed the true circumstances of Queen Otohime's death. The murderer was not a human, but Hody Jones, captain of the New Fish-Man Pirates. He had orchestrated the assassination to incite racial hatred between fish-men and humans. The proclamation urged the citizens not to be swayed by his poisonous lies.
The second proclamation was a direct effort to mend the deep rift between the fish-man and human races. Queen Otohime's death had shaken the entire island. In the years since, distrust and hatred toward humans had festered among fish-men and mermaids alike, growing to a seemingly irreparable point. Even Neptune himself had believed the rumors and, in his grief and as king, had publicly blamed humans, exacerbating the conflict. For years, he had been unable to move past his wife's death. Only now, with Shirahoshi's truth, did he understand the terrible manipulation.
The twin proclamations sent shockwaves throughout Fish-Man Island. A complex mix of relief, shame, anger, and sorrow swept through the populace.
While Neptune and his ministers were busy dealing with the fallout, within a luxurious manor in the Ryugu Palace grounds...
"So, you've both decided to leave with me?" Leo asked, lounging in a chair with his legs crossed, idly accepting pieces of fruit fed to him by Kalifa and Vivi.
Standing before him were Shakky and Keimi. Leo had been pleasantly surprised when Nami returned with them in tow. His initial plan had been to have Nami scout the Mermaid Cafe, intending to recruit the two mermaids himself after dealing with Hody Jones. He hadn't expected Shakky's own divination to fast-track the process, leading her to come willingly.
"It seems I don't have much choice in the matter, do I?" Shakky said, biting her lower lip and shooting Leo a look that was equal parts resignation and reproach.
The previous day, she had spent hours talking with Nami, Tashigi, and the others. Every topic had revolved around Leo—his personality, his preferences, his... particular inclinations. By the end of it, Shakky's heart had sunk. Any last sliver of hope that she could avoid this fate vanished. Not only had her own prophecy never been wrong, but Nami's warning echoed constantly in her mind: "So far, not a single woman Leo has set his sights on has managed to escape."
What could she do but comply? Refuse unto death? That wasn't Shakky's style. Besides, if even the Pirate Empress Boa Hancock and the Mermaid Princess Shirahoshi had been... incorporated, becoming one of Leo's women didn't seem like an impossible fate. There was another, more compelling reason. She had once tried to divine Leo's future. The result had been... a complete blur. This was the first—and so far only—time her infallible fortune-telling had failed. A powerful curiosity to witness the trajectory of this unfathomable man's destiny firsthand had ultimately solidified her decision.
As for Keimi... well, she had been hesitant, but a few clever words from Nami had been enough to convince the impressionable young mermaid. Keimi's gullible, scatterbrained personality was simply part of her charm.
Once decided, Shakky had promptly handed over management of the Mermaid Cafe to her staff and brought Keimi to find Leo.
"C-Captain... I've made up my mind too. I'll follow you from now on," Keimi said, peeking out from behind Shakky's taller form, her voice small and timid.
Looking at the kiss-blowfish mermaid who had been kidnapped and escaped dozens of times, Leo couldn't help but laugh. She's the real lucky one, he thought. Surviving impossible situations again and again.
"Once you join the crew, we're all family. There's no need to be so formal," Leo said with a warm smile. Then he turned to the other occupant of the room. "Shirahoshi, we'll be leaving Fish-Man Island tomorrow. You should go say your proper goodbyes to your father and brothers."
The mermaid princess, who had been quietly watching Leo, blinked. Now, with Vander Decken dead and Hody Jones captured, the two greatest threats to the island were gone. Leo had also left a spatial marker here. Whether Shirahoshi grew homesick or Fish-Man Island faced a future crisis, he could return instantly. His business on the island was concluded. It was time to depart for the New World—the true stage for the powerful, and home to more than half of the notable beauties from the stories he knew. He was eager to begin his... conquest.
"Ah? Lord Leo, we're leaving so soon?" Shirahoshi's face fell. "Couldn't we... stay a few more days?" she asked, mustering her courage.
"Shirahoshi, our journey—"
"Lord Leo, please! Just one more day? Only one..." Before he could finish, Shirahoshi swam closer, clasping her hands together, her sapphire eyes wide and pleading. That heartbreakingly beautiful, innocent face made it impossible to refuse her.
Ahem. "Well, Leo, maybe we could... stay one more day," Nami chimed in."Captain, please agree!""Leo, look how sad she is! Say yes!"
The other women quickly rallied to Shirahoshi's defense.
"Alright, alright. One more day," Leo conceded, unable to withstand the combined pressure. Truthfully, the moment he saw Shirahoshi's pitifully adorable expression, his resolve had melted. Why did the same pleading look have such a devastating effect when she did it? A true femme fatale!
"Thank you, Lord Leo! Thank you, sisters!" Overjoyed, Shirahoshi's eyes curved into happy crescents. Then, with a shy, careful movement, she leaned in and quickly, softly pressed her lips against Leo's cheek. The brief, warm contact was a sweet, innocent kiss from the princess.
Gulp. Several of the women swallowed audibly.
"Shirahoshi! My turn!""Hey, I spoke up for you too! Give me a kiss!""If you don't come here, I'm coming over there~!"
As Leo and his crew enjoyed their final, leisurely day on Fish-Man Island, the outside world was in turmoil.
Beyond the ongoing news frenzy about Leo, the Marine Headquarters issued several major announcements.
First: A World Military Draft was initiated across the six seas of the North Blue, South Blue, East Blue, West Blue, and the two halves of the Grand Line. Anyone with a sense of justice who wished to safeguard the seas was encouraged to enlist, with promises of excellent benefits and treatment. A wave of applicants surged forward, though a significant number hesitated, deterred by the fates of Garp and Kizaru. After all, if those legends could fall to Leo, what chance did they have?
Furthermore, the draft included a special recruitment for top-tier combatants. With Kizaru's death, an Admiral seat stood empty. Training a new Admiral from scratch took time the Marines didn't have. The current candidates, Momousagi and Chaton, weren't yet ready. Therefore, the Marines announced they would directly recruit a new Admiral based on strength alone, bypassing the traditional rank hierarchy. This sent shockwaves across the globe, drawing out powerful figures who had hitherto remained in the shadows.
Second: Due to the catastrophic damage inflicted on Marineford during the war, rendering the island unstable and unfit for duty, the Five Elder Stars decided to relocate Marine Headquarters. The former G-1 branch in the New World was redesignated as the new "New Marineford."
Third: Despite the severe losses incurred due to Hancock's betrayal, the severe depletion of the Marines' high-end forces led the Five Elder Stars to a pragmatic decision: the Warlord system would be temporarily retained until the military draft restored their strength. Filling the vacant seats became a priority.
With Crocodile dead, Jinbe imprisoned/resigned, Hancock a traitor, Blackbeard missing, and Bartholomew Kuma vanished, four of the seven seats were empty (effectively five, considering Blackbeard's brief tenure). After the war, Doflamingo had been ordered to eliminate Gecko Moria but failed, leaving only himself and Mihawk as active Warlords.
After much deliberation, the World Government settled on three new candidates:
Jinbe, the "Knight of the Sea," currently imprisoned in Impel Down's Level 6. The offer was generous: freedom, amnesty for past actions, and Marine protection for Fish-Man Island. It was an offer Jinbe found hard to refuse.
Trafalgar D. Water Law, captain of the Heart Pirates and one of the Worst Generation. He accepted the invitation without hesitation, not out of interest in the title, but because the status and freedom it granted were perfect tools for his revenge against Doflamingo and his future plans.
The surprise candidate: "Straw Hat" Luffy's former crewmate, Buggy the Clown, languishing in Impel Down's Level 1. By chance, he overheard Marines discussing the vacancies and immediately "volunteered," boasting of his former status as a member of the Roger Pirates. The stunned Marine officer reported this, and after consultation with the Elder Stars, Buggy was approved. His connection to the Pirate King's crew held a symbolic weight the World Government couldn't ignore.
These three, alongside Mihawk and Doflamingo, were announced as the new Warlords. The government was already in talks to fill the two remaining slots.
New World. Whole Cake Island.
In the opulent Cake Castle, Big Mom was in a state of apocalyptic rage. Her roars of fury shook the very foundations of the fortress.
"SOMEONE TELL ME WHAT HAPPENED?!!"
She glowered at the crowd of her children assembled before her. She had just been informed that the life card of her eldest son, Charlotte Perospero, had burned to ash.
"WHO KILLED MY PEROSPERO?!" Her eyes were bloodshot, a murderous aura so thick it suffocated the grand hall. Her three personal Homies, Zeus, Prometheus, and Napoleon, transformed into their most fearsome aspects, swirling around their enraged mistress.
The ministers and siblings stood paralyzed with fear.
Finally, one of the Sweet Commanders, Charlotte Katakuri, stepped forward, drawing a steadying breath. "Mama, as you ordered, Perospero went to Fish-Man Island. Could his death be related to that place?"
"FOOL!" Big Mom thundered. "That coward Neptune wouldn't dare lay a finger on my son! And with Jinbe gone, who on that entire island could possibly threaten Perospero?!"
Katakuri stiffened, a cold sweat breaking out. The pressure from his rampaging mother was immense.
"Mama, even if Neptune wasn't directly responsible, Fish-Man Island must be involved," Katakuri pressed on, maintaining his respectful tone. "The wedding alliance with the Vinsmoke family is imminent. Once that is settled, I will go to Fish-Man Island myself and uncover the truth."
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T/N :
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