Roy went up onto the terrace.
The ocean current flows gently past the terrace, carrying a faint fluorescent glow.
A huge shadow was hiding behind the coral pillar, with only half its face showing, and its astonishingly large eyes were looking at him timidly.
After many years, Shirahoshi still retains her timid demeanor.
Hello...
Shirahoshi's voice was soft and gentle, like seawater lapping against the sand.
Hello, Shirahoshi.
Roy didn't move forward, but instead sat down on the edge of the terrace to make himself appear less intimidating.
There was a moment of silence.
Roy started talking to her about trivial things: the ocean currents of Fish-Man Island, the songs of giant whales, and the starry sky underwater.
At first, Shirahoshi was hiding behind the coral, but slowly she poked half of her body out, and finally slid out from behind the coral pillar, hugging her tail as she sat on the terrace.
"You came from the sea."
Shirahoshi whispered,
Is the outside world... scary?
"There are scary parts and not scary parts." Roy looked into her eyes. "You've never been up there?"
Shirahoshi shook her head, and tears suddenly welled up in her eyes:
"I... I can't go up there. I'll cause trouble for everyone."
Roy didn't press her for details, but simply waited quietly for her to calm down. After a while, he spoke.
" Shirahoshi, you can hear their voices."
Those enormous creatures, Sea Kings bigger than islands.
Shirahoshi suddenly froze.
Her tears were still falling, but her eyes changed, from fear to a deeper terror, as if her deepest secret had finally been exposed to her face.
"This ability is not a curse," Roy said calmly.
"But... but..." Shirahoshi sobbed.
"That's why Mom lets me stay here. If..."
She couldn't continue speaking halfway through her sentence.
Roy said, "I know something about Queen Otohime's concerns."
That was to protect you from harm.
Shirahoshi, your power itself isn't the problem; the problem is that you haven't mastered it yet.
There are too many people in this world who want to take advantage of your power.
As long as this power remains within you, you will always be someone else's target.
Shirahoshi shook her head, crying, "I... I don't want to hurt anyone..."
So I won't pressure you.
Roy stood up, walked to the edge of the terrace, and looked out at the slowly flowing deep sea.
"But I want to ask you a question. Would you like to come with me to see the sea?"
Consider the place where your people will live in the future.
"No need to do anything, just look."
Shirahoshi stopped crying.
She looked up at Roy's retreating figure.
From the moment they met, this man who came from the sea had shown her no hostility, had asked her to do anything, and had not even shown the slightest covetousness for her power.
"I..." Shirahoshi opened her mouth.
Then she wiped away her tears and nodded gently.
When Shirahoshi returned to the main hall, King Neptune was still arguing with members of the royal family.
"Father." Shirahoshi's voice was soft, but all other sounds in the main hall fell silent for a moment.
Everyone, look this way.
Shirahoshi, clutching her tail, swam a short distance forward under the watchful eyes of her brothers, stopping in front of King Neptune.
I want to go see the sea.
Neptune's fishtail stiffened slightly.
He looked down at his youngest daughter, whom he had protected since childhood in the deepest part of the Ryugu Palace. He saw tears still glistening in her eyes, but her gaze was more resolute than ever before.
" Shirahoshi..." Queen Otohime covered her mouth, and tears streamed down her face.
Roy stood at the palace entrance, neither entering nor speaking.
He has said everything he needed to say; now it's up to the Fish-Man Race to make their own choice.
Neptune remained silent for a long time.
He slowly sat back on the throne, his thick fingers tapping lightly twice on the armrest. Then he looked up at Roy outside the palace, then at his family beside him, and finally sighed heavily.
"Pass down the order. The Fish-Man Race... prepare to relocate."
Several large transport ships are already in position in the direction of the port.
The news spread throughout Fish-Man Island, causing a nationwide uproar.
Some were excited, some were angry, and some were worried.
But King Neptune himself stood at the port to supervise the boarding, and Queen Otohime and the three princes went around comforting the people. The entire Fish-Man Island displayed a tragic yet orderly unity.
Roy stood on a high point in the harbor, watching the largest ship slowly sail away.
Accompanied by her brothers, Shirahoshi climbed onto the deck. She was so tall that she looked like a small mountain standing at the bow. But at this moment, there was no fear on her face, only a little nervousness and anticipation for the unknown world.
"Let's go," Roy whispered to Kyros beside him.
Where to go next?
" The Amazon Lily "
········
The Amazon Lily, Amazon Lily.
As soon as Roy landed on the island, a loud shout came from behind him.
"Stop!"
Three crossbow bolts coated with poison were aimed at him.
Several female warriors emerged from behind the sentry posts on the shore, their spears and bows aimed at the uninvited guest.
The female warrior in the lead was tall and slender, wearing light animal hide armor, and her eyes were as sharp as an eagle's.
"This is Amazon Lily territory! Men, leave immediately!"
Kyros's hand was already on the hilt of his sword.
Roy shook his head slightly, Kyros loosened his grip on the sword hilt and took a half step back.
"I am Roy."
Roy turned around, gave his name, and the female warriors exchanged glances, their expressions unchanged, clearly indicating they had never seen Roy before.
But he also knew about Roy's connection to the Amazon Lily.
" Roy? Roy of Hachinosu?"
The leading female soldier looked him up and down.
What proof do you have?
Roy didn't speak, but he released a hint of Conqueror's Haki.
The air pressure was extremely light and faint, like a feather falling on the water.
But even this slight movement caused the pupils of all the female warriors around to contract sharply. Several young women went limp and almost collapsed to the ground, their hands unable to hold their bows and arrows properly.
"Lord Roy--!"
A clear voice came from the top of the cliff, accompanied by a red figure rapidly approaching.
Hancock landed with a thud louder than a cannonball, shaking the entire beach.
She wore her signature purple high-slit dress, her long hair flowing down her back, and her long legs were dazzlingly white in the sunlight.
"Lord Roy, why did you come in person! You didn't even tell me beforehand so I could have picked you up!"
Hancock's voice was so sweet it could drip water, a complete contrast to her previous aloof and arrogant demeanor as a " Shichibukai ".
She leaned close to Roy, her hands clasped in front of her chest, her eyes shining brightly.
The surrounding warriors from the Amazon Lily stared in disbelief, their mouths agape enough to fit a fist.
Their stern, Snake Princess, who never showed any interest in men, is now clinging to a man like a little girl?
Roy was used to this kind of scene.
He stepped slightly to the side, preventing Hancock from lifting him up.
Let's find somewhere else to talk.
"Yes, Lord Roy, please!"