Queen Otohime picked up the newspaper and quickly scanned it; almost all the newspapers from recent years had been filled with information about Senga.
From the battle against Pluton on Sabaody Archipelago to the final destruction of Mary Geoise, every piece of news was impacting Queen Otohime's nerves.
When she put down the newspaper, her face was completely numb.
Seeing that Queen Otohime hadn't moved for a while, Shirahoshi jumped off the bed with a whoosh. She stretched out a small, white hand and waved it in front of Queen Otohime, saying,
"Mother, are you alright?"
Queen Otohime turned her head stiffly and murmured,
"It's... it's okay, but it feels a little unreal. Pinch Mom, I'm a bit dazed!"
Shirahoshi obediently pinched Queen Otohime 'Queen Otohime cheek, the sensation bringing her back to her senses slightly.
She looked at Senga's photo in the newspaper and sighed.
"He was truly a god-like figure; it's such a pity I didn't get to witness his rise to power!"
Hearing Otohime praise Senga made Shirahoshi feel incredibly happy, even more so than if she had been praised herself.
She said happily,
"It's alright, Mother can have a good talk with Lord Senga later. He's a very kind person!"
Otohime put down her newspaper and gave Shirahoshi a deep look. Shirahoshi instinctively lowered her head under Otohime's gaze, but she quickly realized that she hadn't done anything wrong, so why should she lower her head?
She took Otohime's hand and led her to a huge window. Through the window, they could see the sun high in the sky. Shirahoshi pointed to the sun and said...
"Mother, look! Everyone on Fish-Man Island can see the sun now! This was all done by Lord Senga. He controlled several giant Sea King to pull Fish-Man Island to the surface of the sea. You have no idea how spectacular the scene was!"
Otohime gazed at the sun in the sky. Fortunately, the sunlight wasn't too harsh today. She suddenly asked,
"Shirahoshi, are there still human slave-hunting teams on the island? What is the relationship between humans and their people like now?"
"That's all gone now. Ever since Lord Senga, no bad guys have come to cause trouble. Everyone who comes is a friendly tourist or businessman, and we all get along very well!"
After hearing what Shirahoshi had to say, Otohime finally felt a Taiseki lifted from her heart. She let out a long sigh of relief and looked at Shirahoshi, whose face was beaming with happiness. She suddenly felt incredibly lucky.
It was as if she had taken a nap, and when she woke up, all her troubles had vanished. The goal she had pursued all her life had been easily solved by a young man.
She took Shirahoshi's hand and said earnestly,
"Shirahoshi, let's go outside. Mom wants to thank Lord Senga in person; he's a great benefactor to our entire race!" M.
Shirahoshi was a little unaccustomed to her mother's sternness. She paused, then replied...
"Mother, there's really no need for that. Lord Senga is very easygoing..."
Otohime smiled knowingly, gently stroked Shirahoshi's cheek, and said with a smile,
"Then Mom can go check on him, it won't take up too much of your time!"
Two blushes appeared on Shirahoshi's face. She turned her head slightly and whispered,
"No, Lord Senga isn't just mine. I just wanted to help Mother understand him."
Otohime smiled meaningfully, not exposing her, and pressed Shirahoshi's shoulder, turning her around and urging her on.
"Alright, alright, let's hurry to the hall. I wonder how your father and the others are doing. I really want to see them soon!"
Otohime and Shirahoshi entered the hall. Garp, seeing Otohime behind Shirahoshi, paused for a moment, then turned to Neptune beside him and asked...
"Hey, look at that mermaid next to your daughter, she looks just like Otohime!"
Neptune turned his head and was startled at first, muttering to himself,
"It's not just similar, it's exactly the same as her back then..."
He hadn't even considered the possibility that Otohime had been resurrected; after all, such a thing was simply too unbelievable.
Finally, Garp was the first to react, exclaiming in surprise.
"I see! No wonder Senga wanted to go out alone with Shirahoshi earlier!"
Neptune was startled by Garp and quickly pressed for an answer.
"What do you mean? What does this have to do with the king?"
Garp swallowed hard, staring intently into Neptune's eyes, and said, word by word,
"Neptune, although this sounds a bit far-fetched, I can say with certainty that the mermaid was Otohime, and she was resurrected by Senga!"
"What!?"
Neptune's shout immediately drew everyone's attention, and the three Shark Star brothers crowded around to ask,
"Father, what happened?"
Neptune did not respond; he simply stared blankly at Otohime standing beside Shirahoshi. The three Shark Star brothers followed his gaze and were instantly struck dumb.
Shark Star murmured, trembling.
"That... that's Mother, isn't it? Am I hallucinating?"
Prince Sky stiffly shook his head in response.
"It's not a hallucination, that's Mother! Look! She's smiling at us!"
Otohime waved her arms in this direction and shouted.
"Hello everyone, it's been a long time!"
The guards and palace maids in the hall were all stunned, and the entire hall instantly fell silent.
Chika, who was standing with Akainu and the Akainu, smiled Senga. Akainu said in a low voice,
"Fleet Admiral, you did this again, didn't you?"
Senga shrugged, neither confirming nor denying.
Kizaru adjusted his glasses and exclaimed with an exaggerated expression,
"Although it's not the first time I've seen this, the Fleet Admiral's ability is truly amazing!"
Aokiji had nothing to say. He casually added a few ice cubes to his drink, took a sip, and started watching the melon.
The Neptune family over there had reunited, each person with tears in their eyes, pouring out their longing for each other over the years.
Otohime looked at her three sons with loving eyes. Although they looked a little different from the main characters, they were all well-built, which was enough for a mother.
The family of six hadn't reunited for ten years, and naturally they had a lot to say. However, with many important guests present, they couldn't just focus on reminiscing.
Otohime led her family toward Senga's direction. Senga was immediately annoyed by the sight of them. Kizaru and the others had already taken a few steps back, leaving Senga standing at the front.
The Otohime family went straight to Senga and immediately knelt down. Their lower bodies were fishtails, so this posture was kneeling.
Neptune, as king, led the shouting.
"We are deeply grateful to Lord Senga kindness to our family and the entire Fish-Man Island! Long live the King!"