On Fish-Man Island, along the coast.
"Queen Otohime! You've actually come to Wano Country too?"
"It's been such a long time! Seeing you in such good health really puts my mind at ease!"
"And is this Princess Shirahoshi? She's grown so much! When we left Fish-Man Island, she was still just a baby!"
On the sea, the nearby fish-men and mermaids enthusiastically waved and greeted Queen Otohime and her daughter as they approached the shore.
Even now, more fish-men and mermaids were rushing from all corners of the country, just to catch a glimpse of the mother and daughter.
Queen Otohime was so moved by her people's warmth that tears welled up in her eyes. Wiping them away, she spoke loudly,
"Seeing you all living so happily, I can finally rest assured!"
Their choice back then hadn't been wrong—the collaboration with the Beasts Pirates had indeed brought a new future to Fish-Man Island.
"Shirahoshi, go ahead and greet everyone, okay?"
The queen held her daughter's hand, encouraging the shy little girl to step forward.
"H-hello, everyone…"
Princess Shirahoshi's voice was soft and gentle, her round cheeks slightly flushed.
She seemed uncomfortable speaking to so many strangers, even if they were her own people.
But despite her shyness, the fish-men and mermaids on the sea instantly erupted with excitement.
"She's so adorable, Princess Shirahoshi!"
"The cutest princess in the world must be our Princess Shirahoshi!"
"Your Highness, hello!!"
All the fish-men and mermaids cheered enthusiastically.
The little princess sniffled, gradually smiling as she was caught up in the overwhelming warmth.
"Is it really her?"
Nearby, Law, now twenty-one, ran a hand along his short beard, studying Shirahoshi. "It's hard to believe… that a child like this is supposedly an ancient weapon capable of destroying the world?"
"Have you never heard the saying, 'Don't judge a book by its cover'?"
Ian said it lightly.
"So, Ian!"
Beside him, Yamato clenched her small fists, her sparkling eyes bright with excitement. "Hurry up and let her show her power!"
"Let me see how exactly she can destroy the world!"
Ian reached out and patted the girl on the head. "Destroying the world isn't necessary."
"But right now, she does need to show her strength."
"Princess Shirahoshi, could you demonstrate your power?"
Ian stepped forward and stood in front of the little princess, tilting his head slightly as he spoke softly.
There was no way around it. Although the princess was only eleven years old, her size was already far beyond that of Kaido-sensei.
Even Ian, who already had the height of an admiral, looked tiny in front of her, almost like a baby.
"Umm…"
The little princess was still a bit scared.
"Shirahoshi!"
But her mother encouraged her, "Don't be afraid. Try as Lord Ian said!"
Earlier, when welcoming them, Lord Ian had mentioned that Shirahoshi's power was connected to the fate of the entire world and would play a crucial role in the final battle against the World Government.
Otohime didn't want her daughter to fight anyone.
But since she had such a gift, she needed to learn to control that power.
"Okay!"
The little princess nodded gently.
Then she closed her eyes.
She didn't really understand what Ian meant by the power she possessed.
He had only told her that if she called out, the Sea Kings would respond.
All she had to do was call sincerely from her heart.
So, the little girl concentrated and began to call from her heart.
"Sea Kings who can hear my voice, please respond to my call."
This was how the little princess summoned them.
And then…
"Whoa!"
Ian suddenly lifted his head and looked toward the back of Fish-Man Island.
Strictly speaking, it was far behind the island, so far that it was beyond the inner sea, out over the ocean past the cliffs.
On that vast sea, the surface suddenly became turbulent.
Massive Sea Kings emerged from beneath the waves.
These enormous beasts, seemingly large enough to block mountains, now lowered their heads in the direction of Onigashima.
As if in worship.
"That's enough."
On Onigashima, Ian smiled and nodded. "Princess Shirahoshi, you can stop now."
If she continued any longer, it was likely that Sea Kings across the entire world would start to riot.
"Huh? Stop?"
Yamato looked puzzled. "Did something happen?"
"That's why I said you still have a long way to go."
Ian chuckled.
The girl's Observation Haki wasn't strong in scope, so she hadn't realized the commotion caused among the Sea Kings far out at sea.
"You did very well, Princess Shirahoshi."
Ian praised the little princess. "It seems you're finally starting to get a handle on your abilities."
Unlike the Shirahoshi of the original story, who awakened her power at six but hadn't fully mastered it by sixteen, this young princess, being older when she awakened, was now gradually gaining control over her strength.
"I just… called to them in my heart, like you said…"
The little princess spoke softly.
"That's already enough."
Ian smiled. "By the way, Princess Shirahoshi, could you do me a favor?"
"A favor?"
The little princess blinked.
"Could you help me find a Sea King?"
Ian said, "A Giant Footballfish, with a lantern on its head that glows gold, able to light up the deep sea."
"Bring it to Wano Country."
Ian had been searching for that Giant Footballfish for a long time.
The lantern on its head contained a large amount of pure gold.
That thing could suppress the passage of time for whoever wore it to an extreme degree. Even after hundreds of years, it would feel like only a moment had passed.
A true treasure that could grant immortality.
Of course, Ian didn't see living longer as a bad thing—after all, he had even sacrificed some of his own lifespan to create Surtur.
But that Giant Footballfish had always lived in the deep sea. Unless a piece of pure gold appeared on the surface to lure it out, finding it was nothing short of impossible.
However, with Shirahoshi's help, locating it had become an effortless task.
Moreover, inside that Giant Footballfish were a father and daughter—and the father possessed the technology to produce pure gold.
"Giant Footballfish?"
The little princess tilted her head and nodded softly. "I understand!"
She immediately began calling out in her mind.
Giant Footballfish with a golden lantern on your head, come to me quickly.
**********
Support me on my patreon and read upto 20 early chapters.
patreon.com/PirateKing24