Gion gently patted the hilt of her sword, pursed her lips tightly, turned around, and charged towards Gawain Geppo.
At the same time, Jinbe pulled his right fist back to his waist, and water and air continued to gather around his fist.
But when he looked at the sofa that was flying towards him last, and the half-corpse on it, still splattered with blood, he couldn't help but shake his head.
He turned his right fist into a palm, and then gently flicked his palm, causing the sofa and Vander Decken's corpse to immediately fall to the ground.
After shooting down the last attacking object, he waved to the distance, and a few shocked civilian spectators immediately walked Jinbe.
Jinbe pointed to Vander Decken's body, and the commoners spontaneously cleaned it up. After Vander Decken's body was carried away, Jinbe started walking and followed Gion back to Gawain's side.
Gawain continued to wait silently. From the moment he wished for peace and quiet, maintaining silence became the rule of the Sea Forest.
Especially after dealing with Vander Decken, the only sounds that could still be heard were the sounds of Shirahoshi's tears hitting the ground.
Tick-tock, tick-tock~.
Shirahoshi's crying lasted for more than ten minutes.
No one knows what she said to her mother in her heart; all people can see is that Shirahoshi finally revealed a resolute look in her eyes.
She forcefully wiped away her tears, then looked away from her mother's tombstone.
She turned around and forced a bright, albeit strained, smile at Gawain.
"Gawain!"
Shirahoshi said with a smile.
"Thank you. I said goodbye to my mother. We talked for a long time."
For example, I've told my mother about me becoming your fiancée, and about your dream of enabling the Fish-Man to set foot on land.
It's a pity my mother couldn't respond to me, otherwise, I would have heard her joyful laughter again.
Also, have I kept you waiting?
The moment Shirahoshi finished speaking, before Gawain could even reply, a series of heavy breathing sounds suddenly came from all around.
Both Jinbe and Neptune let out a heavy sigh.
The oppressive feeling on everyone suddenly disappeared, and everyone present except for Gawain felt relaxed.
Only then did Neptune finally remember something!
At the very front of the crowd, Gawain smiled at Shirahoshi.
"I didn't have to wait long. I understand you; you haven't seen your mother for five years."
"To say everything that's been building up for five years in one go—there's not enough time, right?"
"Yes, it's been five years. Looking at you, looking at everyone, especially when we see any view outside the Hard-Shell Tower."
I have no idea how I've gotten through these past five years!
Shirahoshi muttered something to herself, then swam over to Gawain's side. Looking at the smiling Gawain, Shirahoshi's heart stirred, and her hand instinctively reached out to grab Gawain once again.
Seeing the large hand rushing towards him, Gawain looked embarrassed.
Nearby, Neptune, whose reaction time was far shorter than Jinbe's, immediately stretched out his right hand and slapped his daughter directly on the head.
"What was that movement you just made? You weren't trying to pick Saint Gawain up, were you?!"
"Etiquette, where's your etiquette? Didn't you even consider whether that might offend Saint Gawain?"
"Cough cough!"
Gawain coughed lightly twice, then shrugged helplessly.
"King Neptune, your words only make me seem more insecure..."
"Well..."
Neptune was genuinely surprised to hear Gawain make such a joking remark for the first time. He looked at Gawain, his face showing a hint of embarrassment.
"It's my fault, haha, alright, alright, you young people should do more of what young people do, I'm afraid I've been meddling a bit too much!"
But you have to understand, today... today I..."
Neptune was silent for a moment, his huge eyes narrowed into slits, tears welling up in one corner of his eye, while he flashed an incredibly bright smile.
"I'm so happy today!!!"
As soon as he finished speaking, King Neptune's three sons behind him embraced their father in unison.
The four of them, father and sons, interacted in perfect harmony, and the whole group burst into tears.
Beside them, Mjosgard sniffed twice, then smiled and said to Gawain.
"After seeing Queen Otohime's daughter regain her freedom, and that damned Vander Decken go to another world."
It seems I'm not so sad anymore.
Queen Otohime, sob sob, if only she could see this scene with her own eyes, how happy she would be!
Despite saying he was no longer sad, Mjosgard could no longer control himself and rushed to Queen Otohime's tombstone.
With a thud, Mjosgard knelt down again, slamming his head heavily onto the coral reef in front of Queen Otohime's tombstone, and wailed loudly.
Hearing his cries, Shirahoshi shrank to Gawain's side, reached out and squeezed Gawain's hand, and whispered to Gawain.
"Lord Mjosgard and Mother have such a good relationship."
Upon hearing this, Neptune's face turned green.
"Ahem, Shirahoshi, friendship is just that hard to describe."
This time, Vander Decken is gone, and you'll never need to live in the Hard-Shell Tower again.
Waiting for you to go to land, waiting for you to board Gawain's ship.
"By then, you will have made your own friends, and then you will understand!"
After explaining, King Neptune went to Mjosgard's side.
He first gently stroked his beloved wife's tombstone, then Neptune patted Mjosgard on the shoulder.
"Saint Mjosgard, I am proud that Otohime has a friend like you!"
"This is nothing to be proud of. What do I have to be proud of? I... I..."
With tears streaming down his face, Mjosgard hugged Neptune's strong arm tightly.
"Right now, all I want to do is go to the place where Otohime died and properly pay my respects to her one last time!"
"Of course, we'll go to Gyoncorde Plaza shortly, shortly!"
Neptune responded earnestly, and the two men, one big and one small, who had both lost their beloved, huddled together in sorrow.
But watching their retreating figures, Gawain felt something was off...
Moreover, it seems that something is wrong in more than one place...
On the other hand, just as the civilians, summoned by Jinbe, were carrying Vander Decken's body out of the Sea Forest...
They encountered a figure completely shrouded in a cloak and hood.
Hody Jones was striding forward, but when he caught a glimpse of Vander Decken's body out of the corner of his eye...
He suddenly stopped!
Call out!
He pushed off with his feet, instantly appearing in front of the civilians. Pointing at Vander Decken's corpse, Hody Jones, who was hiding his identity, asked incredulously.
"This is... Vander Decken?!"
He's dead?!
Upon hearing this, the commoners immediately burst into laughter.
"Haha, of course he's dead. This guy should have died a long time ago."
His Majesty Neptune's army had been after him for five whole years; he's lucky he's still alive!
"Yes, it's this bastard who's been threatening Her Highness the Princess with those flying weapons, which is why we haven't seen our lovely princess for five whole years!"
"I never expected that Saint Gawain's forced marriage would have such an unexpected surprise! He actually inadvertently brought out this big troublemaker!"
"Moreover, the female human swordsman next to Saint Gawain is too strong. I didn't even see her draw her sword, Vander Decken's head was split in two!"
The common people, one after another, explained the whole story clearly.
Their words poured a bucket of cold water on Hody Jones, who had just been bursting with enthusiasm.
One civilian even went so far as to lift up the upper half of Vander Decken's head and shake it vigorously in front of Hody Jones.
Watching the blood splattering with each sway, Hody Jones felt a chill run through his body!
"I see!"
He instinctively responded, and then immediately tried to turn around.
But just then, several running figures suddenly appeared in the distance.
The people hurried past Hody Jones, and then one of them suddenly sniffed.
"Wait, I think I smell the boss's scent!"
The man stopped and couldn't help but look at Hody Jones was hiding his identity.
Hody Jones knew, of course, that his underling had recognized him, and at that moment, his face, hidden beneath his hood, was almost turning red.
He was actually scared!
He, the hope for the future of the Fish-Man, was almost frightened by the mere corpse of Vander Decken!
All of this filled him with shame and indignation. Filled with resentment towards himself, he angrily lifted his cloak.
"Damn, bro!"
The underlings quickly gathered around Hody Jones.
"Brother Hody Jones, what are you doing here!"
"We were just about to report the news to Brother Daruma!"
"We just heard about those two Celestial Dragons, and the cowardly Punidon and his group."
They're going to Gyoncorde Plaza next!!!