After Fukaboshi left with his younger siblings, the people on the scene still didn't move.
Under the suffocating pressure, even thinking became a luxury, and the only one still able to move was Kuzan, who had finished repairing the dome.
Nero was very angry, not because Otohime had fallen on the eve of dawn, nor because of her tear-filled face at the end.
Nor was it because of her near-death, falling on the path of her dream; if death were to be given value, this would absolutely be the best ending.
She willingly succumbed, so even in death, there was no need for salvation.
Otohime was an idiot; this was a fact Nero knew from their very first meeting.
A body more fragile than ordinary people, a meddlesome saint's heart, still like a child even after having four children, making unrealistic fantasies... But what Nero saw in the end was the brilliance of humanity; perhaps naive, but she would not mock such light.
Yet, even such an Otohime possessed her own unique talent, an innate Observation Haki.
It was top-tier even in the vast ocean, and even if the development direction was different, it was undeniable that Otohime's Observation Haki would absolutely not allow her to be hit by an ordinary gunshot.
But such an Otohime was still hit by a bullet; that bullet didn't even have any Haki attached, and the attacker was nothing more than a third-rate piece of trash.
Under what circumstances would that idiot be hit by such a simple sneak attack?
With just a thought, Nero felt a surge of anger rush to her head, and her gaze turned to the culprit, Hody Jones.
This person should be the killer; Nero didn't know what he had done, but she could clearly perceive all the malice hidden in the hearts of everyone present.
In an instant, Hody Jones's body, which had been pressed to the ground, lost its support, and his chin hit the ground hard.
"Nani?"
Hody Jones's pupils trembled violently; he barely propped himself up with his forehead and saw that his four limbs had disappeared.
What flowed from the stumps was not blood, but an unknown liquid resembling black sludge.
"What happened? Nero! What did you do to me?" The fear of the unknown overwhelmed his fear of Nero, and Hody Jones, like a clumsy maggot, stretched his neck and roared at Nero.
Nero did not answer him; her imposing aura receded, and she seemed much calmer.
Neptune and Jinbe quickly ran over, but they didn't speak; they couldn't gauge Nero's attitude.
Even if they were Otohime's husband and the former leader of the Fish-Man Island soldiers, in front of Nero at this moment, these identities were useless.
"Neptune, whether as a king, a father, or a husband, you seem to be quite incompetent," Nero said, her tone calm and unruffled.
Neptune couldn't refute and could only remain silent; Nero was right, he really didn't seem to be cut out to be king, and he wasn't present when his wife and children needed him.
"And you, Jinbe, I am very disappointed in you. Did the so-called Shichibukai make you proud?"
Nero looked at Jinbe again, her words sharp: "You were there when Otohime was shot, weren't you? What did the Sea Knight, renowned throughout the Grand Line, do?"
"Tiger should have also asked you to assist Otohime in realizing her dream. What have you all done these past years?"
Jinbe, who had originally intended to say something to make amends for Neptune, also fell silent, lowering his head like a primary school student who had made a mistake.
"I am very disappointed," Nero continued. "Not only in you, but also in myself."
Neptune and Jinbe's pupils contracted sharply; they looked at Nero's face, but their figures were not reflected in the eyes beneath her golden bangs.
"I seem to have held excessively high expectations for you."
Hody Jones was still wailing, making Nero's voice even more oppressive.
"Just as I said, Neptune, go back to being your Grand Knight of the Sea. From this moment on, Fish-Man Island will officially be taken over by Nicuss."
"Nero! What are you planning to do?" Neptune said hoarsely.
"I understand now why that idiot Tiger refused to use human blood at the last moment. The difference in races means that sometimes, the two sides are difficult to understand."
Jinbe, realizing something, quickly said, "Lady Nero..."
"From now on, only merfolk are enough to remain on Fish-Man Island. You lowly Fishman, you only have one day to leave my Fish-Man Island."
Killing intent and demonic aura expanded throughout Fish-Man Island; Nero's sanity was on a fine line with her rampage.
"And you, mongrel! Don't think you can die easily!"
The unrepentant Hody Jones still had no intention of admitting his mistake; clinging to a glimmer of hope, he still tried to incite the anger of the others present.
"Nero Claudius! Even you, as Queen Otohime's friend, are ultimately a lowly human!"
He himself could no longer live; facing Nero, Hody Jones understood this truth better than anyone.
Like Otohime, in these final moments, both hoped to leave something behind for the world; however, Hody Jones hoped to leave behind revenge against humans.
They were born with more power than a weak race like humans, so what was needed now was to accumulate strength and exact revenge on the hateful humans.
"The Queen is still in critical condition, and you, a despicable human, want to seize her country, what kind of close friend, what kind of... *gurgle*..."
Hody Jones, whose chin also began to melt, glared at Nero unwillingly; the black sludge beneath him seemed to faintly glow red.
But Nero still didn't turn around. For Nero, she had nothing to say to this minor character; he was only alive because there was no suitable execution tool at the moment.
And it must be said that Hody Jones's words were indeed effective, especially under Nero's unreasonable tyranny.
Everyone, including Nero, knew that once the order to expel the Fishman was issued, it wasn't just them who would need to leave their homes.
Intelligent people quickly realized that, given Nero's status in the world, Fishman worldwide would face even deeper discrimination after this.
Moreover, this was a completely illogical act of displaced anger, but no one dared to speak up at this time.
Absolute tyranny descended; the moment Nero arrived at Fish-Man Island, everyone lost any room for resistance.
"The merfolk can all evacuate to Ryugu Palace. One day later, I will completely demolish and rebuild everything outside Ryugu Palace."
Nero's aura completely receded, and she walked towards Ryugu Palace.
Her dragon tail swayed, and she no longer wasted words with Neptune, but as she passed Jinbe, she glanced at him: "Remember, in one day, not a single Fishman is to remain."
Jinbe clenched his fists tightly, blood seeping from between his fingers; he felt a profound sense of powerlessness: "Brother Tiger, it seems that neither your last words nor the Queen's ideal have I fulfilled..."
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