An Unforgettable Night (3/5) / New World, the Subjugation Alliance (4/5)

"Hello—" Arthur stepped forward and stood before the giant bed, looking up at Shirahoshi with a gentle smile on his handsome face, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Princess Shirahoshi."

"Father said that no one is allowed to enter here. How did you get in?" Shirahoshi shifted her fishtail, perhaps influenced by Arthur's aura, or perhaps because she hadn't seen 'people' in a long time, making her feel somewhat excited.

So, Shirahoshi's huge body lay down, her chin resting on her hands, her beautiful eyes staring at the 'little one' in front of her, and she asked with a question.

"A knight~ a knight who came especially to visit the princess after hearing of her troubles!" Arthur put his index finger to his lips and said with a light laugh.

"A knight? A human knight?!" Shirahoshi was initially confused, but then her eyes lit up as she asked.

Although she had been secluded for eight years, Shirahoshi still knew the word "knight," as her father was known as the "Grand Knight of the Sea."

Yes!

"Did you come from the sea? What is the world at sea like? Is it as beautiful as Mother described?" Shirahoshi asked three questions in a row with great surprise. Her fishtail swayed excitedly, and her curious eyes made people feel tender involuntarily.

What an innocent girl!

Nami and Robin, standing behind them, both thought to themselves.

Both of them were forced to grow up from a young age; their beautiful childhoods were only briefly dazzling before being overwhelmed by darkness.

Before meeting Arthur, Nami and Robin had incredibly high levels of defensiveness.

Before meeting Arthur, Nami and Robin had incredibly high levels of defensiveness.

Now, Shirahoshi's unguarded naiveté makes them feel both worried and envious of Shirahoshi.

Worrying that such a naive person is so easily deceived.

Envy stems from the fact that maintaining this simplicity is itself a kind of happiness.

"Yes! We came from the sea, hired by King Neptune specifically to help Princess Shirahoshi resolve the harassment from Vander Decken IX." Arthur spoke in his usual soothing tone, smiling gently. "And, incidentally, help Princess Shirahoshi visit the Sea Forest."

"Really?!" Shirahoshi's voice rose slightly, her surprise even greater. Her violently swaying fishtail, like a waving hand, slapped the 'Megalo' beside her, who was grinning and making a comical face, until tears welled up in its eyes.

However, Shirahoshi's attention was now entirely focused on Arthur, and she was oblivious to everyone else.

At this moment, the words "visit the Sea Forest" echoed in Shirahoshi's mind.

· ······Requesting flowers····· ······

Visiting the Sea Forest had always been her wish, but unfortunately, unable to step out of her room, it was destined to remain just a dream.

"Of course it's true! However, we need to set out at night and be back before daybreak." Arthur tilted his head slightly and asked with a smile, "Is that alright, Princess Shirahoshi?"

"Mmm... Thank you, Sir Knight!" Shirahoshi nodded like a chick pecking at rice, without even considering how many loopholes were in Arthur's words.

'He... he actually agreed...'

Nami and Robin behind them were somewhat taken aback. Even if they were incredibly naive, they shouldn't have been so oblivious to such a lie, right?

Little did he know, Arthur possessed the ability to foresee the plot, and these two sentences struck a chord with Shirahoshi.

Especially the Sea Forest, which Shirahoshi had always wanted to visit, to fulfill her wish of paying respects to her mother.

Arthur's words were undeniably tempting.

"Princess Shirahoshi, your size is too large; you'll be easily seen if you go out like this." Arthur beckoned to Nami, then smiled at Shirahoshi, "I'll take you somewhere shortly; you just need to wait there for a while, and you'll reach the Sea Forest."

"Mmm... Thank you for your hard work, Knight!" Shirahoshi nodded repeatedly with her eyes closed and a joyful smile on her face.

Completely oblivious to the inappropriateness of Arthur's words, even the shark 'Megalo' behind her sensed something was wrong, shaking its head repeatedly as if trying to remind Shirahoshi.

Unfortunately, Nami reached out and touched Shirahoshi's skin right in front of it.

In the next instant, Shirahoshi's enormous figure vanished from the room.

"Robin, could you please go in and calm her down? That princess is surprisingly timid." Arthur glanced at Megalo, his pupils contracting slightly. An invisible aura emanated from him, instantly stunning the grimacing, furious Megalo. He then turned to Robin and said.

"Leave it to me, Captain." Robin was somewhat surprised by Arthur's request, then smiled gently and nodded.

Chapter 132 An Unforgettable Night (3/5)

(Third update!)

The Sea Forest, located northeast of Fish-Man District, is an underwater forest. It is named after the many shipwrecks that were swept away by the tides.

Because the 'Sunlight Tree Eve' transmits sunlight from the sea surface to Fish-Man Island, many corals grow here.

This place contains the Poneglyphs that Robin has always dreamed of visiting, and it's also a place that Shirahoshi has always wanted to explore.

The atmosphere in the Sea Forest at night is exceptionally eerie, with numerous shipwrecks exuding a chill befitting its name as a graveyard.

Deep within the Sea Forest, before a massive rock covered in green seaweed, a beam of blue and white light descended from the sky.

"Phew... That was too fast. It's definitely better to use 'East Starion' for traveling." After landing, the blue and white beam of "353" transformed into two figures. Nami, looking breathless, patted her large breasts and said in a somewhat frightened tone.

"It still has missions to complete and probably won't be back for a while." Arthur released his grip on Nami's waist and said, "Let them out."

"It's so dark, this place feels creepy." Nami shrank her neck as she opened the alternate dimension to release Robin and Shirahoshi, saying this.

Even with such powerful abilities, he still couldn't change his timid nature.

"It won't be dark anymore soon." After saying that, Arthur reached out and grabbed at the air beside him.

Golden light gathered, and the Golden Sword, symbolizing his identity as the 'King of Knights,' was held in his hand.

Pfft

The magnificent Golden Sword was planted in the ground, and in an instant, the surrounding ground, air, coral, Poneglyph stones, and seaweed all emitted a golden glow like fireflies.

A great deal of golden light illuminated the surroundings, creating a dreamlike and breathtaking scene.

"Oh my... I just came out and saw such a beautiful scene. Is Captain planning to propose to Nami?" Two figures, one big and one small, appeared out of thin air. Robin teased him mischievously as soon as she appeared.

"Sea Forest, Your Majesty..." Princess Shirahoshi didn't seem to care about the scene. Upon arriving here, her eyes filled with tears, revealing her tearful nature.

"Robin, do you want Arthur to kill me so you can conveniently seize your position?" Upon hearing Robin's words, Nami immediately put her hands on her hips and said angrily.

"A very good idea... If it's Captain, then it's fine." Robin's eyes lit up, and he pretended to have suddenly realized something. He looked at Arthur, who was holding the Excalibur, surrounded by golden light, and exuding a noble and holy aura, and said with a smile.

"Alright, the true face of the 'Devil Child' has finally been revealed." Nami pounced forward, baring her teeth and claws, grabbing at Robin's breasts, which were slightly larger than her own. Seeing Robin's shy and surprised expression, she looked smug.

Both women knew Arthur best, so they naturally knew that these golden lights were a prelude to Arthur unleashing his trump card.

Who uses such a special trick to propose to a girl?

"Stop fooling around, I can't maintain this state for long." Watching the two girls bickering, Arthur placed his hands on the hilt of Excalibur and reminded them helplessly.

Upon hearing this, the two girls who had been showering Arthur with attention immediately stopped, their cheeks flushed.

Nami returned to Arthur's side, while Robin turned around expectantly, her beautiful blue-black eyes fixed on the Ancient Script that recorded the Poneglyphs.

Beside her, Shirahoshi had already closed her eyes, clasped her hands together, and made a prayer-like gesture.

Arthur and Nami watched the two women quietly, surrounded by golden light like fireflies, creating a dreamlike scene.

Soon, the golden radiance reached its peak.

Soon, the golden radiance reached its peak.

Then, it reached its peak and then declined, gradually fading into obscurity.

The Hard-Shell Tower, the Little Mermaid's bedroom.

Goodbye, Princess Shirahoshi.

Before the giant bed, Arthur and his two companions faced Shirahoshi and bid her farewell.

"Will we ever meet again, my lord?" Shirahoshi rested her chin on her arms, tears welling in her eyes, her voice choked with emotion.

Not only did they fulfill their wish to pay respects to their mother, but they also entered a pure white space where they heard many interesting stories about the sea from a gentle older sister.

He also helped resolve a long-standing problem for himself, that of Vander Deiken IX.

Tonight is a time even more beautiful than dreams for Shirahoshi.

In a short time, Shirahoshi had come to regard Arthur and the other two as important friends.

"Of course, we'll definitely come back to Shirahoshi you again after we return from our voyage." Arthur looked at Shirahoshi, whose eyes were filled with tears, and paused for a moment.

Then, he changed his form of address and said...

"Really? Can we pinky swear?" Shirahoshi, full of anticipation, extended her little finger and asked Arthur.

"Ah... it's a promise." Arthur extended his little finger and touched it with Shirahoshi's.

"Me too... me too!" Nami also joined in, extending her little finger and touching it to Shirahoshi's finger.

"Oh my... then I can't be left out." Robin covered her mouth and chuckled. Having finished reading the Poneglyph, she happily joined in.

"Thank you... thank you all..."

Tears welled up in her eyes, Shirahoshi wiped them away with her other hand, sobbing with joy. Large, astonishing teardrops fell towards Arthur and the other two.

The three of them were so frightened that Arthur and his companions quickly hid.

"Hey... don't cry, 0.5 Shirahoshi!" Nami said in a flustered tone, "Didn't Arthur take care of that ugly guy for you? Even if we're not here, you don't have to stay here anymore, you can go out and make friends."

"Waaah... I can't bear to part with you all." Shirahoshi said, biting her lower lip, feeling wronged.

"Hehe..." Arthur smiled slightly, looking at Nami who was trying to comfort her and Shirahoshi who was always crying. He was in a very good mood.

As expected, that choice was the right one.

Such a lovely and innocent girl shouldn't have to endure that kind of bleak life of being threatened.

Not far from the four people, the horse, and the fish, a lifeless corpse lay quietly, its body faintly emitting a burnt smell.

It was indeed -- Vander Deiken IX!

Chapter 133 New World, Crushing the Alliance (4/5)

Vander Deiken IX was very unlucky, in some ways extremely unlucky.

Arthur's Observation Haki (A++) is undeniably very powerful, and unleashing its full power on Fish-Man Island is no problem.

However, monitoring the entire Fish-Man Island, and incidentally covering the areas outside of Fish-Man Island, is very difficult.

Vander Decken IX's Mark-Mark Fruit was thrown from outside Fish-Man Island, making it difficult to locate him if he hides.

That's why Jinbe was powerless to do anything before he was stripped of his status Shichibukai.

Unfortunately, before Arthur landed on Fish-Man Island, he used his Observation Haki (A++) to locate the port, and just then he discovered Vander Decken IX, who was preparing for a new round of 'pursuit'.

After deciding to help Shirahoshi, they dispatched King's Horse to eliminate Vander Decken IX.

Facing King's Horse, who shares the power of the Rumble-Rumble Fruit, Vander Decken IX, already a Devil Fruit user, was no match for him in the deep sea.

23. This kind of insignificant character doesn't even have the right to make Arthur take action.

After defeating Vander Decken IX, and incidentally fulfilling Shirahoshi's wish, Robin also got to see the Poneglyphs she had been longing for.

Over the next few days, Arthur and his two companions continued to explore Fish-Man Island, visiting various places and sampling local specialties during the day, and meeting with Shirahoshi at night.

During this time, Shirahoshi heard many stories of their adventures and learned that Arthur and the other two were not guests invited by her father, but knights who came to rescue her and help her fulfill her wish. This made the innocent and lovely Shirahoshi cry her eyes out, and it was only with great difficulty that she was comforted.

It is worth mentioning that Neptune was unaware of Vander Decken IX's death, and Arthur had already disposed of Vander Decken IX's body afterward.

Shirahoshi seems to have gotten used to life in the Hard-Shell Tower. Even though she could leave the dormitory and live outside, she didn't.

And so, Arthur, his two companions, and Shirahoshi became secret friends.

To this end, Nami left behind many of the specialties she had bought in large quantities from the Sabaody Archipelago, forming a mountain as big as half of Shirahoshi's body. Shirahoshi was overjoyed by these sea specialties and cried tears of joy.

Those tears, which soaked Arthur and his companions completely, caused them considerable suffering.

In the blink of an eye, seven days have passed.

A silver-white, coated sailboat silently departed from Fish-Man Island.

The latter half of the Grand Line, the waters of the New World.

The sea was a deep blue, calm and still.