Shirahoshi was momentarily stunned before hurriedly asking,
"Huh? Lord Carl, where are you taking me?"
Carl replied,
"To the ocean beneath the Red Line. The seabed has been unsettled lately, and I need your ability."
Hearing that Carl needed her help, Shirahoshi immediately puffed up her ample chest and earnestly declared,
"Lord Carl, I'll do anything you ask!"
Carl tilted his head, amused, and asked,
"Anything? You trust me that much?"
Shirahoshi nodded vigorously and said,
"Lord Carl is a good person. You protected Fish-Man Island, and Mama told me to always listen to you!"
Carl couldn't help but chuckle and shake his head. He pointed at his temple and said,
"Shirahoshi, you're not a child anymore. You can't just blindly follow everything your mother says. You need to learn to make your own judgments."
Shirahoshi blinked her large, ocean-blue eyes in confusion and asked,
"Are you saying Mama was wrong?"
"Not at all. Your mother is absolutely right. For Fish-Man Island right now, I am indeed a good person."
"Then there's no problem! I trust both Mama and you!"
Shirahoshi was the epitome of a naive and innocent girl. Seeing her like this, one might think that even if Carl truly sold her off, she'd probably help him count the money.
Carl folded his wings and landed on the ground. He patted Shirahoshi's pink mermaid tail, causing her cheeks to flush as she whispered,
"Lord Carl, that's..."
"Hmm?"
Carl paused, curious. "What's wrong?"
Shirahoshi buried her face in her chest and murmured shyly,
"That's... my butt..."
Her voice grew softer and softer. If Carl's hearing wasn't exceptionally keen, he might not have caught those last few words at all.
Seeing her bashful expression, Carl cleared his throat and swiftly changed the topic,
"Alright, let's go. Time to head out."
Truthfully, Carl hadn't even thought about her "butt." To him, it was just a pink fishtail, nothing more.
Shirahoshi let out a soft "Mm," and with her pink tail swaying side to side, she made her way toward the door.
Even though merfolk tails couldn't split into legs, they didn't hinder movement on land. The scales on their tails were incredibly smooth, allowing them to glide with surprising speed.
...
Outside the tower, Carl reached out and ran a hand over Shirahoshi's tail fin. Rings of purple ripples spread out, and in the next instant, Shirahoshi let out a startled cry as her massive body began floating in midair.
Gravity Nullification.
This was a technique Carl had mastered after developing the Gravity Fruit to a certain extent. The previous wielder, Fujitora Issho, could also nullify gravity, but only for non-living objects. Carl, however, had already reached the level where he could negate gravity's effects on living beings.
Even though Issho had possessed the Gravity Fruit for much longer than Carl, that didn't mean his mastery of it surpassed Carl's.
After all, Carl was a multi-fruit user and had delved into the very essence of Devil Fruits. His understanding of Devil Fruit abilities far exceeded that of ordinary ability users.
Every Devil Fruit in his possession could be pushed to its full potential—excluding the truly worthless ones.
The saying "There are no useless Devil Fruits, only useless users" was, in the end, nonsense. The power and quality of different Devil Fruits varied significantly.
The stronger the devil's power, the more formidable the ability. Some fruits, like the Zip-Zip Fruit, were inherently defective. No amount of justification could change that.
...
Experiencing flight for the first time, Shirahoshi flailed her arms in panic, calling out to Carl below,
"Carl-sama! Carl-sama!"
The mermaid attendants below, unaware of Carl's ability, saw what was happening and immediately panicked. They looked up, shouting "Princess Shirahoshi!" in alarm.
Carl rubbed his ears and spread his wings, soaring into the air to hover in front of Shirahoshi.
Seeing Carl appear before her, Shirahoshi's anxiety quickly subsided. She wiped away the large teardrops forming at the corners of her eyes.
Carl waited a moment until Shirahoshi had fully calmed down. Then, with a flick of his finger, she floated alongside him as they flew out of the Red Line, eventually stopping above the ocean below.
Carl gently lowered Shirahoshi into the sea before surrounding himself with a translucent purple gravity barrier and diving in as well.
The gravity barrier repelled the seawater, forming a spherical space around him and keeping his clothes dry.
Shirahoshi happily swam around for a bit before returning to Carl's side and asking,
"Carl-sama, what do you need me to do?"
Carl smiled and said,
"Shirahoshi, do you remember the giant Sea Kings you summoned back at Fish-Man Island?"
Shirahoshi nodded obediently and replied,
"I do. Mama told me not to summon them lightly because they frighten the island's residents."
"Well, I need you to call them here now. Can you do that?"
Shirahoshi hesitated briefly before nodding,
"If it's for you, Carl-sama, of course! But... we're not at Fish-Man Island. I'm not sure if I can reach them."
"It's fine. Just try. If it doesn't work, I can take you back to Fish-Man Island to summon them from there."
"Okay. I'll try."
Closing her eyes, Shirahoshi focused on the feeling she had when summoning the Sea Kings before.
Her long lashes trembled slightly, and she clasped her hands together at her chest, as if in prayer.
Moments later, several familiar voices echoed in her mind.
"Our queen... are you calling for us?"
Shirahoshi's eyes flew open, and she looked at Carl excitedly,
"Carl-sama! I can hear them!"
Carl smiled and nodded encouragingly,
"I knew you could do it. Go on, tell them to come to the ocean beneath the Red Line immediately."
Shirahoshi nodded firmly and closed her eyes again, communicating telepathically,
"Do you know where the Red Line is? I need you to come here now."
The Sea Kings responded instantly,
"As you command, our queen."
"Thank you so much!"
"Our queen, please don't thank us. We are forever your loyal servants."
...
At Fish-Man Island, outside the protective bubble, the surrounding seawater suddenly surged. The island's inhabitants looked up, their faces quickly turning to expressions of terror.
Giant Sea Kings streaked through the water beyond the bubble at incredible speed. Their immense bodies caused powerful ocean currents, making the entire island tremble from the disturbance.
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+170 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg