"Even that didn't kill him?"
"He's a fish-man. After eating a Devil Fruit, he can't swim anymore, but he still won't drown in the sea."
Koji tied Van der Decken up with a rope, then threw him into the sea again.
Since they were going to see Shirahoshi, the Mermaid Princess, they needed to bring a gift. Van der Decken had delivered himself right to their doorstep, so he was perfect.
Van der Decken: "…"
He had thought he was saved, but when he was thrown out again, he really could not hold it in anymore.
Yes, a fish-man who had eaten a Devil Fruit would not die from being tossed into the ocean, but that powerless feeling was genuinely unbearable.
He wanted to use his Devil Fruit power to attack Koji and the others, but in the sea, he could not activate his ability at all.
[One Piece World]
Fish-Man Island, Ryugu Kingdom.
"Mermaids can go ashore?" Alice said with great interest.
After all, in many stories, mermaids generally could not go ashore. Even if there were assistive methods, it was still different from the stories.
"Let's go straight to the palace. After all, a large-size mermaid is more attractive," Lumine said.
Although these mermaids were also quite pretty, since there was a better option, of course they had to choose the best.
Inside the palace, Koji and the others met Neptune, whose body was extremely enormous.
Koji thought about it for a moment. If Neptune and Shirahoshi stood together, it would be impossible to tell they were father and daughter. After all, Neptune's appearance was truly rather rugged.
"Van der Decken?!"
Koji's "gift" shocked Neptune and his son. Then, their expressions turned into gritted-teeth fury.
It was all because of this bastard that Shirahoshi could not go outside.
"Father, kill him, and Shirahoshi will be able to come out," Fukaboshi said impatiently.
If Van der Decken's whereabouts had not been so unpredictable, they would have dealt with him long ago.
"No. Put him in Seastone cuffs and imprison him. Once the Mark-Mark Fruit is reborn, if the next ability user touches Shirahoshi, the same thing could still happen," Neptune said, shaking his head.
They could not let Shirahoshi stay in that tower for her entire life. Since Van der Decken had appeared before them at just the right time, they might as well eliminate this hidden danger completely.
"Understood!"
Fukaboshi nodded, then went to get Seastone restraints.
"Thank you all. Because of this man's harassment, my daughter had no choice but to hide in the tower for many years," Neptune said sincerely.
"Why didn't you ask Whitebeard for help?" Lumine asked.
Neptune fell silent for a moment.
If he had asked Whitebeard, one of the Four Emperors, the issue could indeed have been solved. However, Shirahoshi's identity was special. For the time being, it was better not to let her come into contact with such a powerful figure.
An Ancient Weapon. Even Neptune could not guarantee whether Whitebeard would be tempted. That kind of weapon was far too powerful.
Clatter, clatter…
Fukaboshi brought over a pile of shackles, all made of Seastone.
In just a few moves, every part of Van der Decken that could be bound was bound. Once they were done, there was absolutely no possibility of him breaking free.
Seeing Van der Decken tied up like a rice dumpling, Koji and the others were speechless. At this point, even eating would be a problem for him. Still, that was someone else's business, so they were too lazy to say anything.
"This will do. Take him away, and remember to guard him strictly."
After Neptune finished speaking, Van der Decken was dragged away. As for whether he would be beaten up afterward, those who understood, understood. As an older brother, Fukaboshi would definitely have to give this bastard a proper lesson.
"I have yet to ask the names of my honored guests," Neptune said.
After hearing their introduction, Neptune thought for a moment. He had never heard of a place called Teyvat. Could it be some hidden country?
Forget it. Knowing that they had come with goodwill was already enough.
"We would like to see the legendary Mermaid Princess. King Neptune, that should not be a problem, right?" Ningguang said calmly.
As one of the top leaders of a nation, she did not care at all about differences in status.
Neptune was also impatient to release his daughter. From now on, she would no longer need to hide inside that place and could live outside.
Since Ningguang had made this request, it was perfectly convenient.
Under Neptune's lead, Koji and the others arrived at the Hard-Shell Tower. This was the place where Shirahoshi had lived for many years. Its hard walls could block the weapons Van der Decken launched through his Devil Fruit ability.
Even so, the surface of the Hard-Shell Tower was covered in countless marks left by smashed weapons.
"Shirahoshi, I'm here."
Neptune impatiently pushed open the door of the Hard-Shell Tower. Starting today, his daughter no longer needed to hide.
Sensing the sound of the door opening, an enormous mermaid slowly opened her eyes.
She had long, flowing pink hair, a beautiful face, and large blue eyes filled with a sense of innocence. The most eye-catching thing was her abundant upper body. Since her body was already huge to begin with, the visual impact was even more shocking.
Ningguang and the others were also somewhat stunned.
Just what kind of exaggerated chest size was this? It was many times larger than their entire bodies. Forget one hand being unable to grasp it—even two hands would not be enough.
Koji admired this Mermaid Princess, whose beauty could stand shoulder to shoulder with Hancock's. She was indeed very beautiful, but she was a bit too large. In terms of body size, she had probably inherited Neptune's side. Fortunately, she had not inherited his face, while her mother's body had been quite petite.
"Oh, it's Father. Is something the matter?"
Shirahoshi rubbed her eyes and asked happily. For her, who could only stay inside this tower, her father and brothers were among the few people she could talk to.
Seeing Shirahoshi so happy, thick guilt welled up in Neptune's heart.
He, as her father, had been useless. He had been unable to protect his own daughter, and she could not even possess freedom.
"Shirahoshi, I have good news for you. From now on, you can go outside. You don't need to live here anymore," Neptune said gently.
"Huh?"
"Really, Father?"
Shirahoshi widened her eyes. Her voice trembled. She could not believe her ears. After all, whenever she had gone outside in the past, she would be met by weapons flying straight at her.
"Yes. Van der Decken has already been captured by these honored guests, so no more weapons will attack you."
Neptune nodded, pointing toward Koji and the others.
Shirahoshi slowly nodded. She still could not quite accept this reality.
She could have freedom now. She did not need to hide in this one place anymore.
Was she happy? She was, indeed. But more than that, she felt a little lost. She would need some time to adapt.
"Thank you, honored guests," Shirahoshi said in a soft, delicate voice.
Her voice was so soft and sweet that it felt like if someone punched her once, even her rear would go flying.
In truth, Shirahoshi's personality really was quite timid and gentle. Otherwise, Luffy would not have called her a scaredy-cat.
(End of Chapter)
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