Shirahoshi was momentarily stunned before quickly asking,
"Huh? Saint Lloyd, where are you taking me?"
Lloyd replied evenly,
"To the sea beneath the Red Line. The waters below have been unstable lately, and I require your ability."
Hearing that Lloyd needed her help, Shirahoshi immediately patted her ample chest and said with determination,
"Saint Lloyd, you can ask me to do anything!"
Lloyd tilted his head slightly, a trace of amusement in his gaze.
"Anything? You trust me that much?"
Shirahoshi nodded firmly.
"Saint Lloyd is a good person. You protected Fish-Man Island. Mother said I must listen to you!"
Lloyd shook his head faintly, letting out a quiet chuckle. He tapped his temple lightly.
"Shirahoshi, you are no longer a child. You cannot rely solely on your mother's words. You need to learn to judge things for yourself."
Shirahoshi blinked her large, light blue eyes in confusion.
"Saint Lloyd, are you saying Mother was wrong?"
"Not at all. Your mother was right. At least for Fish-Man Island's current situation, I am indeed someone beneficial."
"Then there is no problem. I believe both Mother and you!"
Shirahoshi's innocence was undeniable. Looking at her, Lloyd could easily imagine that even if someone deceived her, she would still assist them wholeheartedly.
Lloyd folded his wings and descended to the ground. As he casually placed a hand on Shirahoshi's pink tail, her cheeks flushed instantly, and she spoke in a soft, embarrassed tone,
"Saint Lloyd, there..."
"Hmm?"
Lloyd paused, slightly puzzled.
"What is it?"
Shirahoshi lowered her head, her voice barely audible.
"That is my... backside..."
Her voice faded to almost nothing. Without his heightened hearing, Lloyd would not have caught her words.
Seeing her shy expression, Lloyd cleared his throat and moved past the topic without acknowledgment.
"Enough of that. Let us leave."
To Lloyd, it had merely been a fish tail, nothing more.
Shirahoshi responded with a quiet hum, gently swaying her tail as she moved toward the exit.
Although Fish-Men and Merfolk could not split their tails into legs, their mobility on land was hardly hindered. Their scales were smooth, allowing them to glide forward with ease, comparable to a normal person walking.
Once outside the tower gate, Lloyd ran his hand along Shirahoshi's tail fin. A ripple of purple light spread outward, and in the next moment, Shirahoshi let out a surprised cry as her massive body lifted into the air.
This was gravity nullification.
After advancing his mastery of the Gravity Fruit, Lloyd had developed this technique. The previous user, Issho, could also manipulate gravity, but his ability was limited to non-living objects. Lloyd, however, had surpassed that limitation and could now negate gravity's effect on living beings.
Despite Issho's longer time with the fruit, it did not mean his mastery exceeded Lloyd's. Lloyd was a wielder of multiple Devil Fruits and had already grasped the fundamental essence of their power. His understanding far surpassed that of ordinary users.
Any Devil Fruit in his possession could be pushed to its true limits, except for those inherently flawed.
The saying that there are no useless Devil Fruits, only useless users, was nothing more than an illusion. The strength of Devil Fruits varied greatly. Some abilities were fundamentally inferior, such as the Jacket-Jacket Fruit or the Human-Human Fruit in its most basic form. No matter how one argued, certain fruits were simply limited by design.
Meanwhile, experiencing flight for the first time, Shirahoshi flailed her arms nervously in midair, calling out,
"Saint Lloyd! Saint Lloyd!"
The Fish-Man maids below were thrown into panic. Unaware of Lloyd's ability, they looked up in alarm, calling out,
"Shirahoshi-sama!"
Lloyd rubbed his ear lightly, clearly annoyed by the noise. Spreading his wings, he ascended into the air and stopped in front of Shirahoshi.
The moment she saw him, her anxiety eased significantly. She wiped away the large tears gathering in her eyes.
Lloyd waited until she fully regained her composure. Then, with a simple curl of his finger, Shirahoshi began to move again, following him as they soared beyond the Red Line, eventually stopping above the vast sea below.
Gently lowering her into the water, Lloyd formed a translucent purple gravity barrier around himself before entering the sea as well.
The barrier repelled the seawater, creating a spherical space around him and keeping his body completely dry.
Shirahoshi swam happily for a short while, clearly relieved to be back in the water. Soon after, she returned to Lloyd's side and asked,
"Saint Lloyd, what do you need me to do?"
Lloyd gave a faint smile.
"Do you remember the Giant Sea Kings you summoned at Fish-Man Island?"
Shirahoshi nodded obediently.
"I remember. Mother told me not to summon them easily anymore, because they frighten the residents."
"Now I need you to call them here. Can you manage that?"
She hesitated briefly.
"If it is your request, Saint Lloyd, then I will try. But this is not Fish-Man Island, so I am unsure if it will work."
"That is fine. Try first. If it fails, I will take you back so you can summon them from there."
"Alright, Saint Lloyd."
Closing her eyes, Shirahoshi focused on the sensation she had experienced before. Her long eyelashes trembled slightly as she clasped her hands together, as though in prayer.
Moments later, familiar voices echoed in her mind.
"King, are you calling us?"
Her eyes snapped open in excitement.
"Saint Lloyd! I can hear them!"
Lloyd nodded, his tone steady.
"As expected. Continue, and instruct them to gather beneath the Red Line immediately."
Shirahoshi nodded firmly and closed her eyes once more.
"Do you know where the Red Line is? Please come here now."
The Sea Kings responded without hesitation.
"We will follow the King's will."
"Thank you!"
"King, there is no need for thanks. We exist to serve you."
Far away, at Fish-Man Island, the waters beyond the protective bubble suddenly surged violently. The residents looked up in alarm, fear spreading across their faces.
Massive shadows streaked past the outer sea, as several Giant Sea Kings rushed through the currents. The force of their movement shook the entire island, causing the sea itself to tremble.