Princess Shirahoshi

"This is bad! Hoshi, hurry and go with the Left Minister to arrange for the citizens of Fish-Man Island to evacuate!"

Neptune saw Vander Decken lying dead on the ground and knew that the situation had become completely irreversible. He could only hurriedly order his eldest son and his subordinates to evacuate the populace.

"Wait! Shirahoshi!"

Neptune and Jinbe no longer had time to concern themselves with why Cifer had killed Vander Decken; they only wanted to get everyone off Fish-Man Island in the shortest time possible.

At this moment, Neptune didn't even care that Shirahoshi hadn't woken up yet. He tried to push open the doors of the Hard Shell Tower, but was easily held back by Cifer.

"Cifer-kun! What are you doing!"

Water droplets had already begun to seep from Jinbe's palms, and he glared at Cifer with a fierce gaze.

"You are all making too much of a fuss. Since I killed him, I naturally have a way to deal with Noah." Cifer released the hand he had been holding Neptune with.

"What! Do you mean you have a way to deal with that massive Noah!"

Now it was King Neptune's turn to grab Cifer's hand: "I beg you, Mr. Cifer! You must help our Fish-Man Island no matter what!"

Fish-Man Island was their home, after all, and with time so short, there would inevitably be many residents who wouldn't make it out in time. Neptune could only pin his hopes on Cifer now.

Cifer shook off Neptune's hand, his aura climbing steadily. Everyone present felt as if they were being enveloped by an endless darkness—this was the form of death represented by Ulquiorra Cifer: Nihility!

"Seal, Black Winged Great Demon!"

Even though Cifer had deliberately suppressed his Spiritual Pressure after his Resurrección this time, and there was no rain of Spiritual Pressure, the terrifying aura radiating from him still frightened Neptune and the others into taking several steps back.

"We cannot fight this!"

Jinbe had now completely realized the chasm-like gap in strength between the two of them, and at the same time, he felt relieved. An existence of this caliber would never go back on his word.

"What an eyesore."

Because Vander Decken was completely dead, Noah had now descended to a height where it was vaguely visible to the naked eye. Parts of Fish-Man Island were already shrouded in its shadow.

Crying, fear, and chaos filled the entirety of Fish-Man Island. Even with the Fish-Man army repeatedly trying to maintain order, it was to no avail; in the face of death, all forms of human nature were laid bare.

The Mermaid Cafe, however, remained as tranquil as ever, the only difference being the lack of customers.

"The future of Fish-Man Island has not been severed, and we will not die here." Madame Shyarly still held her pipe, looking calmly at the trembling Camie and the others.

On the other side, Cifer walked over to Vander Decken's corpse, grabbed his leg, and threw him upward with force, launching him toward the direction of Noah. Immediately after, Cifer extended a finger, and dark energy instantly condensed at its tip.

"Cero Oscuras!"

A deep, black flash struck Vander Decken's corpse, then pierced through the sky, racing rapidly toward Noah.

"BOOM!"

A thunderous explosion rang out, shaking the entirety of Fish-Man Island from the sheer force of the shockwave.

"Look! The Noah is actually..." Someone who had been in the streets, scrambling to evacuate Fish-Man Island amidst the chaos alongside other merfolk and fish-men, pointed at the sky, their voice filled with disbelief. "It's been blown to pieces!"

The crowd looked up, one after another, to witness the shocking sight. The Noah, a vessel comparable in size to half of Fish-Man Island, now had a massive, gaping hole blasted through its center. It had stopped descending, as if being propelled sideways by some unseen force.

"Unbelievable! To destroy the Noah with just a single strike..."

For Jinbe, a Shichibukai and a frequent guest of the Whitebeard Pirates, the impact of this scene was undeniable. It was precisely because he had seen so much that he understood exactly what this level of power represented!

The Four Emperors!

In his mind, the only existence capable of such power was that man—Edward Newgate!

After firing that Cero Oscuras, Cifer deactivated his Resurrección. Although the first stage of Resurrección didn't place much of a burden on him, he always felt that form was a bit strange; he preferred his human form, which felt more comfortable.

"Ah~ ah~ ah~ It's so scary, Father!"

Just as everyone was still marveling at Cifer's strength, a burst of crying erupted from inside the Hard Shell Tower.

Neptune felt a surge of panic and hurriedly pushed open the heavy doors, rushing inside. "What's wrong, Shirahoshi?"

Shirahoshi, who was rubbing her eyes and sobbing, saw Neptune and immediately threw herself into his arms.

"It was so scary just now, Father. There was such a loud noise, and the ground shook so violently. Did that person throw something over again~?"

Only then did Neptune realize that the commotion caused by Cifer destroying the Noah had been so great that it terrified Shirahoshi, making her think Vander Decken had returned.

"Don't be afraid, Shirahoshi. From now on, you won't have to live in the Hard Shell Tower anymore. That person won't be throwing anything over here ever again!"

Neptune gently stroked Shirahoshi's head, offering comfort.

"Really?!"

The sudden joy pulled Shirahoshi out of her fear. She had been confined to the Hard Shell Tower for years, thinking every moment about when she would finally be free. Now, that day had finally arrived.

"Shirahoshi, let Father introduce you. This is the person who took care of Vander Decken IX..." Just as Neptune was about to introduce Cifer, the great benefactor of all Fish-Man Island, to Princess Shirahoshi, Cifer waved his hand to stop him and began walking toward the princess step by step.

Although Cifer was merely a human who looked slightly taller than Princess Shirahoshi, the introverted Shirahoshi still hid behind Neptune the moment she saw him walking toward her.

Cifer stood before Neptune, looking at Shirahoshi, who dared only to peek out with half her head: flowing pink hair, bright blue eyes, a beautiful face, a voluptuous figure, and a pink fish tail with varying shades of color.

At that moment, he felt an immense shock in his heart: What a massive... loli! Such a pure and cute little mermaid—to prevent her from being bullied in the future, it seems I have no choice but to protect her myself!

Cifer introduced himself with great solemnity: "My name is Ulquiorra Cifer, a man who sails freely across the sea. Here, I cordially invite Princess Shirahoshi to become my companion and travel the world with me!"

"Ah!!!"

Shirahoshi hadn't even processed what was happening, but the eyes of Neptune, Jinbe, and the others nearly popped out of their sockets. So this was what Cifer had been planning all along!

"I refuse!" Neptune no longer cared how powerful a man Cifer was. "Shirahoshi is only 14 years old this year. How could I possibly let her run around everywhere with you!"

Cifer ignored Neptune, his gaze fixed directly on Shirahoshi.

Seemingly sensing Cifer's gaze, Shirahoshi shrank back, but then she remembered that it was Lord Cifer who had dealt with Vander Decken and allowed her to regain her freedom. She immediately poked her head back out. "Um... Lord Cifer, can I really go to the surface too? Could you please give me a little more time..."

For Shirahoshi, seeing the surface had always been one of her greatest wishes, and she also wanted to contribute her own efforts toward fulfilling her mother's final wish.

"Of course!" Seeing that Shirahoshi didn't resist him, Cifer finally breathed a sigh of relief. For now, this second recruitment could be considered half-successful. "Neptune is indeed right; you are still too young, and you should stay by his side for now."

Upon hearing Cifer's words, Neptune and the others finally set their hearts at ease. It seemed their precious little girl was safe after all.

"Give me some time!" Cifer held up one finger. "Within a year, I will find a way to make it so that you, Shirahoshi, can walk normally on land. Otherwise, with your current size, it would be quite inconvenient, wouldn't it?"

Shirahoshi's cheeks flushed red, her voice small but firm. "Yes, I'm counting on you, Lord Cifer. I will definitely wait for the day Lord Cifer takes me to the surface!"