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After a few breaths, only a handful of electric eels were still alive on the battlefield. Hikaru paused, thinking to himself, Were there ever any electric eel Fish-Men in the New Fish-Man Pirates?
Forget it~ Since he'd already played the role of the "good guy," he might as well finish the job. Leaving a few electric eel Fish-Men alive didn't sit right with him.
Hikaru raised his hand and took the deadly drug, ES, from Hody Jones' chest.
He didn't know who had developed it, but it was probably still a prototype.
Its effects were terrifying. Taking one pill doubled your strength. Two pills? Four times stronger. But the cost was heavy—it shortened your life and rapidly aged your body.
The finished version of this drug would likely grant a permanent power boost, maybe even double the user's strength for good.
Better take it back and let the research team study it. Who knows? Maybe we can create an army of fearless, enhanced warriors someday.
Hikaru calmed his mind, then vanished in a flash of lightning.
"Piao Piao · Earth Coil!"
The ground seemed to come alive, like a winding Eastern dragon. Its two coral-formed red eyes glowed, captivating anyone who looked.
The dragon's body twisted and spun, coiling around the large structure where Hodie Jones had been hiding. Then, it transformed into a fierce dragon's head—proudly rising from the earth, majestic and menacing.
As for the Fish-Men who had somehow survived the lightning...
Could they really avoid being crushed under the weight of the dragon's body?
The rest of the Fish-Men on Fishman Street were just small fry—not worth worrying about. Maybe, one day, they could even serve the Kingdom of God Hikaru was building.
Fish-Man Island, Ryugu Kingdom.
After Neptune awakened the unconscious, he explained everything that had happened.
Though everyone was angry and tried to stop Neptune's decision—some even wanted to send troops and call on Jinbei to fight Hikaru—Neptune remained firm. When he reminded them of Madam Shyarly's prophecy, everyone fell silent.
By the time Hikaru arrived, the Sea King's Army had already followed Neptune's orders. They were sent to every mermaid and merman residential area to inform them to gather at Gyoncorde Plaza the next day.
Outside the Hard Shell Tower, lightning flashed—and Hikaru's figure emerged.
The door to the tower was tightly shut, but the guards on either side recognized him and stepped forward quickly. They had been given strict instructions from Neptune and the Right Minister—not to neglect or stop Hikaru under any circumstances.
"Lord Hikaru, do you wish to see Princess Shirahoshi?"
"Yes. Open the door."
"At once!"
The guards placed their halberds aside and pushed the massive door with great effort. Once it was open just enough, Hikaru slipped through. As he entered, they turned and bowed respectfully.
"Lord Hikaru, please go in! Princess Shirahoshi may be resting, so if she seems off in any way, we ask for your understanding—she is still very young."
These words were from Neptune. He didn't know Hikaru well—only had a vague impression of him. But he loved his daughter deeply and worried she might offend Hikaru unknowingly and suffer the consequences.
"Thank you. Tell Neptune I'm taking Shirahoshi with me."
With that, Hikaru took a few steps and disappeared into the Hard Shell Tower.
So dark...
Poor Shirahoshi. Because of Vander Decken—a pirate who lusted after her powers as Poseidon—and the inaction of both Neptune and Jinbei, she'd been forced to live inside this tower for nearly ten years.
How could she grow without freedom? How could she awaken the power of the Sea Kings like this?
Really, was Vander Decken that hard to catch?
Don't tell him Jinbei didn't know Observation Haki.
To deal with a rookie Fish-Man who had eaten a Devil Fruit and couldn't even swim, all Jinbei had to do was track the direction Vander Decken threw his weapons in for a day. That would've solved Shirahoshi's "huge problem," wouldn't it?
After all these years, Jinbei had never truly stepped in. He hadn't even tried to help Shirahoshi escape her suffering.
Hikaru turned into pure lightning, his dazzling light filling Shirahoshi's room with a brilliant glow.
With a wave of his hand, the door to the Hard Shell Tower closed behind him.
Shirahoshi lay quietly on her oversized, adorable bed, eyes closed as if asleep.
Hikaru activated his Observation Haki. The moment his presence swept over her, Shirahoshi's breathing grew short and uneven. He smiled knowingly, turned on the light in the room, and appeared above her.
He gazed down at her sweet, sleeping face, and an unfamiliar warmth stirred inside him. It felt like a privilege to have traveled through time and met such a mermaid.
She was, without a doubt, the biggest...
Of course, Hikaru meant her size.
"Princess Shirahoshi~"
Hearing his voice, Shirahoshi stirred, blinking awake. She rubbed her eyes and looked toward the door, mumbling softly:
"Who is it...? Is it one of the guards~?"
"Over here~ Over here~"
"Eh!?" Shirahoshi turned her head in the direction of the voice. Her wide, watery eyes grew even larger as she whispered, "A human...? I haven't seen a human in so long. Maybe I'm just imagining it...?"
"No~" Hikaru's voice softened for once. Was it her shy, polite tone that made her so endearing? Or her helplessness?
"I'm still human. My name is Hikaru, God of the Heavens and Emperor of the Heavenly Kingdom. But more importantly, to you… I'm your future husband~"
"God...? My husband!? EHH!!?"
Shirahoshi's panic was obvious. Her hands—large, yet gentle—waved frantically in front of her face. Her cheeks flushed a brilliant pink. "L-Lord Hikaru, you're not tricking me, are you...?"
"Princess Shirahoshi, look here—what do you see?" Hikaru chuckled and reached his hand into thin air, like performing a magic trick.
Her eyes followed his hand as it disappeared into the void. Her mouth opened slightly in awe, and she instinctively covered it with both hands, too stunned to speak.
A second later, Hikaru pulled out a jade box—the proof of identity given to him by King Neptune.
"This is..." Shirahoshi recognized the distinct emblem of Ryugu Palace on the box. Her voice dropped to a whisper, filled with disbelief.
"This is a gift from your mother, Queen Otohime. She asked for it to be given to you when you got married. And now, it also serves as the token of my devotion—as your future husband."
As soon as he said those words, Shirahoshi's tears burst forth like a broken dam. She stretched out her arms and gently gathered Hikaru into her embrace, sobbing uncontrollably.
Hikaru was completely caught off guard. He had no intention of interrupting her happiness—especially after she saw her mother's keepsake.
Her enormous tears rained down like drops of nectar—falling onto his head, soaking his clothes, his whole body.
Shirahoshi: She's timid, cries easily, gentle and kind-hearted, and addresses everyone respectfully as "Lord" or "Lady." Her beauty rivals even Boa Hancock's.