After deciding to take Shirahoshi to the Sea Forest, Eriri shrank her body back to its original size of less than 160 centimeters.
"There's no time to waste. Let's set off now." Eriri flew onto Shirahoshi's shoulder and sat down.
"Mhm!" Shirahoshi nodded happily and walked towards the gate with the others.
...
More than an hour had passed since Eriri and the others entered the Hard-Shell Tower. Neptune and his three sons remained anxiously waiting outside its gate.
Unless they could confirm Shirahoshi's current condition, they wouldn't be able to rest easy.
Just as they were about to call out to the people inside once more, the tower's gate suddenly opened.
Shirahoshi, Eriri, and the others emerged one after another. Seeing that Shirahoshi was safe and seemed to get along well with Eriri and her companions, Neptune and his sons breathed a collective sigh of relief.
However, their momentary relief was soon replaced by renewed anxiety.
"Shirahoshi, hurry back! Otherwise, that damned Vander Decken will attack again!" Neptune and his sons rushed to Shirahoshi's side, urging her in a panic.
Though Shirahoshi remained somewhat alert to her surroundings, her face mostly reflected the trust she placed in Eriri.
"Father, brothers, there's no need to worry. Lady Eriri said she would help me deal with Vander Decken."
Shirahoshi's words stunned Neptune and his sons. They had never heard this name before.
However, in the next moment, they noticed Shirahoshi was looking at the small figure seated on her shoulder. They immediately understood who this 'Lady Eriri' was.
Recalling the terrifying strength Eriri had displayed ten days prior, Neptune and his sons couldn't help but let out a deep breath of relief. Genuine smiles appeared on their faces.
"I see. Thank you very much for your help, Lady Eriri." Neptune nodded and bowed his head slightly toward her.
"No need to thank me. We all like Shirahoshi very much. How could we let anyone threaten or harm her?" Eriri replied casually.
At that moment, a large axe marked with a rose insignia came hurtling toward them at high speed, targeting Shirahoshi standing in front of the iron gate.
The sudden attack startled Shirahoshi. After all, eight years of constant threats weren't so easily forgotten.
Neptune instinctively stepped in front of Shirahoshi, raising his golden trident, ready to block the incoming weapon.
However, before the axe even got within ten meters of Shirahoshi, it suddenly reversed course and shot back in the direction it came from—at a speed several times faster than before.
This bizarre turn of events left Neptune and Shirahoshi momentarily stunned. Such a thing had never happened before.
As a user of the Mark-Mark Fruit, Vander Decken's thrown weapons would track their targets relentlessly, following them to the ends of the earth unless they were struck down or obstructed.
For the weapon to abruptly reverse just before reaching its target was a clear indication that something was wrong.
Shirahoshi's eyes widened in realization as she excitedly turned to Eriri. "Lady Eriri, was that your doing?"
"Yes, I made the axe fly back," Eriri admitted openly. "Didn't I say I'd help you deal with Vander Decken? That problem is about to be resolved. That axe will complete its mission soon."
"Oh, I see!" Shirahoshi nodded in partial understanding before beaming at Eriri in admiration. "Lady Eriri, you're amazing!"
...
In the depths of the ocean, far from Ryugu Palace, an old and battered pirate ship drifted.
On its deck stood Vander Decken IX, who had recently used his Mark-Mark Fruit ability to hurl a massive double-bladed axe. He grinned smugly.
Vander Decken IX was a broad-striped tiger shark fish-man with a small top hat, curled hair, and a beard. He had four legs and an exceptionally ugly appearance.
Due to consuming the Mark-Mark Fruit, he had lost the ability to swim and had to coat himself with a special water-resistant film to move in the ocean.
"Ba-hahaha! You must have received my love letter by now, Shirahoshi! Now, quickly accept my confession and marry me!"
Standing nearby were several fish-men with indifferent expressions—they were members of the Flying Pirates, and Vander Decken was their captain.
For Vander Decken's crew, his actions had long become routine. After all, for the past eight years, he had never ceased throwing weapons toward Ryugu Palace.
At that moment, one of the fish-men suddenly noticed something rapidly approaching their pirate ship from afar—something that looked eerily familiar.
When he got a clearer look, his eyes widened in shock. "Captain, the axe you threw at Ryugu Palace is flying back!"
"Idiot! How could something I throw possibly return?!" Vander Decken snapped without even looking up, his face full of absolute confidence in his ability.
However, unlike Vander Decken, the other fish-men turned toward the direction their crewmate had indicated. In no time, they too spotted the axe, which was rapidly closing in on their ship.
They no longer cared about being reprimanded and began shouting urgently.
"Captain, the axe is really coming back!"
If only one crew member had said this, Vander Decken might have dismissed it as a mistake or a lie. But when everyone on board said the same thing, he had no choice but to reconsider.
Maintaining his peculiar stance, he finally lifted his head to look ahead.
And in that instant, Vander Decken was completely dumbfounded.
"This is impossible!"
Shocked beyond belief, he lost his stance and instinctively stumbled back a few steps.
He quickly realized that the axe was now targeting him, and at its current speed, it wouldn't take long before it reached him.
Panicked, he dashed toward the ship's cabin, hoping to use the ship's structure as a shield against the incoming weapon.
However, it was a futile attempt. Under the force enhanced by Eriri's power, the axe sliced through the ship's hull as if it were mere paper.
And its speed did not slow down as it continued toward Vander Decken.
Relying solely on the Mark-Mark Fruit, Vander Decken had no significant physical prowess. Dodging an axe moving at such a drastically increased speed was nearly impossible.
As the axe slashed across him, one of his legs was severed instantly.
Yet, the axe showed no signs of stopping. It only flew a few meters before reversing its trajectory and hurtling back toward him once more.
After more than a dozen such passes, Vander Decken was completely dismembered—a fitting punishment from Eriri for the eight years he had spent terrorizing Shirahoshi.
With Vander Decken's death, the axe, which had been continuously flying back and forth, finally lost its momentum and fell lifelessly into the depths.
His terrified crew members let out deep breaths of relief but then looked sorrowfully at their captain's scattered remains.
...
"Alright, Vander Decken IX has been dealt with. Shirahoshi, you're free now."
Sensing Vander Decken's demise, Eriri immediately relayed the news to Shirahoshi.
Upon hearing it, Shirahoshi's face lit up with joy. "Does that mean I no longer have to live in the Hard-Shell Tower?"
"Of course not."
"That's wonderful! Thank you, Lady Eriri!"
Shirahoshi lifted Eriri from her shoulder with both hands. Large, joyful tears welled up in her beautiful eyes—this time, they were tears of freedom.
At that moment, Eriri and her companions were en route to the Sea Forest.
Since learning that Shirahoshi had become friends with Eriri and the others, Neptune had felt reassured enough to let her stay with them.
He no longer worried about her safety. In his mind, no place could be safer than being with Eriri.
As for whether Eriri and her companions might harm Shirahoshi, that thought never even crossed Neptune's mind.
After some time, Eriri and her group successfully arrived at the Sea Forest.
In addition to Eriri, her companions, and Shirahoshi, there was now another presence—a massive, fifty-meter-long shark.
This shark wore a red garment, and a floating bubble ring surrounded its fins, allowing it to move through the air.
This was none other than Shirahoshi's pet, Megalo.
Megalo was a female megalodon shark. Despite her massive size, she didn't appear ferocious. Instead, she had an adorably clueless expression that made people want to play with her.
Previously, Megalo had been out playing. On her way back to the Hard-Shell Tower, she happened to encounter Shirahoshi and Eriri's group heading toward the Sea Forest.
Since she had found her owner, there was no longer any need for her to return to the tower.
Eriri and her group traveled smoothly, unimpeded by anyone. Even the growing New Fish-Man Pirates dared not make a move against Shirahoshi.
Due to Shirahoshi's association with Eriri and her companions, even the captain of the New Fish-Man Pirates, Hody Jones, began to waver in his ambition to seize control of Fish-Man Island.
If Eriri were to aid the Ryugu Kingdom, they would stand no chance of success.
However, lifelong obsessions are not so easily cast aside. Hody Jones, fueled by deep-seated hatred for humans, still dreamed of overthrowing the Ryugu Kingdom, which promoted peace between fish-men and humans.
Eriri paid no attention to the New Fish-Man Pirates. When they finally decided to act, Shirahoshi herself would deal with them.
Eriri had already decided to train Shirahoshi to some extent. With her guidance, Shirahoshi would not only retain her ability to summon the mighty Sea Kings as Poseidon but also gain powerful combat abilities of her own.
Moreover, since Whitebeard had not perished in the Summit War, Fish-Man Island remained under the protection of the Whitebeard Pirates. As such, the New Fish-Man Pirates would not dare make a move against the Ryugu Kingdom in the short term—at least not until Whitebeard's eventual demise and the collapse of his crew.
...
After paying respects to Queen Otohime and exploring the Sea Forest, Eriri and her group returned to Ryugu Palace with Shirahoshi.
That evening, Neptune personally invited them to a banquet, but Eriri declined outright.
She preferred the warm atmosphere of dining with her family over a royal gathering. Besides, palace chefs could hardly compare to Aoi Kujou's cooking.
For Eriri and her companions, every meal was like a banquet. And tonight, Shirahoshi would be joining them.
However, Shirahoshi was no longer her towering, over-ten-meter-tall self. With Eriri's help, she had shrunk to an ordinary mermaid size, standing at around 170 centimeters.
This transformation, however, could only be achieved with Eriri's assistance. If Shirahoshi wished to freely alter her body size, Eriri would need to modify her using cosmic energy.
When that time came, Shirahoshi wouldn't just be able to change her size—she would even be able to manifest legs ahead of her natural development.
Neptune was utterly astonished by Shirahoshi's transformation. His perception of Eriri's power shifted entirely.
Previously, he had regarded Eriri as an exceptionally destructive superhuman. But now, she seemed no different from an all-powerful deity.
As a result, his attitude toward Eriri grew even more reverent.
Then, before Neptune's very eyes, Eriri proposed that Shirahoshi move into the Martial Arts Tournament World, granting her the same privilege as Hancock—the ability to freely travel between the two worlds.
Upon hearing the offer, Shirahoshi agreed without hesitation. After all, she could always return.
She was also deeply curious about the new world.
Neptune, on the other hand, was hesitant. While Eriri's words sounded almost unbelievable, he had no reason to doubt her.
After all, wasn't it only natural for a god to create worlds?
"Lady Eriri, if Shirahoshi follows you there, will I and her brothers be able to visit her in your world?" Neptune asked expectantly.
Shirahoshi was curious about another world, and Neptune was no exception. The idea of exploring an unfamiliar realm while ensuring Shirahoshi's well-being was certainly appealing.
However, Eriri's answer shattered his hopes.
"Nope. That world does not allow any males to enter. It's a fundamental rule."
"I see..." Neptune nodded in disappointment.
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