[~1300 Words]
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After a few breaths, only a handful of electric eels still twitched across the battlefield.
James thought for a moment. Hmm… there weren't any electric eel Fish-Men in the New Fish-Man Pirates, right?
He shrugged. "Forget it. Better to finish what I started—keeping a few of them alive isn't ideal anyway."
He raised his hand, and the small pouch on Hody Jones's chest burst open. A handful of crimson capsules floated into his grasp—the infamous Energy Steroids.
No one knew exactly who created them. They were clearly an unfinished prototype. Still, their effects were astonishing: a single pill could double the user's strength, two could quadruple it, and so on. The price, however, was steep—it drained lifespan and accelerated aging.
The completed version… James mused, should be capable of permanently enhancing someone's power—perhaps even doubling it for good.
He pocketed the capsules. I'll take these back. Once I have a proper research team, they can study it. Maybe one day it'll help create a fearless, enhanced army.
With that thought, James's eyes sharpened, and his body dissolved into pure lightning.
A streak of blinding light tore through the air—
"Float–Float: Earth Dragon!"
The ground trembled as though life itself had surged into it. The earth rose and twisted, shaping itself into a massive Eastern dragon of rock and coral. Its glowing red coral eyes glared forward with an eerie majesty.
The dragon's immense body coiled and churned, spiraling around the massive structure where Hody Jones lay buried beneath the rubble. Finally, it reared its head high, transforming into a towering dragon statue—an embodiment of divine wrath and authority.
As for the Fish-Men who somehow survived the lightning storm…
Could they really escape the crushing weight of a creature made of earth and stone, weighing tens of thousands of pounds?
Those who lived in Fish-Man District were mostly small fry—irrelevant and powerless. Perhaps, in time, some of them could serve a better purpose… as contributors to the foundation of James's future Divine Kingdom.
Fish-Man Island — Ryugu Kingdom…
When King Neptune regained consciousness, he immediately gathered the survivors and explained everything that had transpired.
The palace was filled with outrage. Many demanded that troops be mobilized and Jinbe summoned to retaliate against James. But Neptune stood firm.
When he invoked Madam Shyarly's prophecy, silence fell across the hall.
By the time James arrived, the decision had already been made. Under Neptune's orders, the Sea King Army had been dispatched throughout Fish-Man Island to inform the citizens that everyone would gather at Gyoncorde Plaza the next day.
Outside the Hard Shell Tower, lightning crackled and danced across the water, heralding James's arrival.
The heavy coral gates stood closed. The guards stationed on both sides saw the lightning fade into his human form and immediately rushed forward. They had already received Neptune's instructions: if James appeared, they were not to hinder him under any circumstances.
"James-sama! Are you here to see Princess Shirahoshi?" one of the guards asked respectfully.
"Yes. Open the gate."
"At once!"
The Sea King soldiers set their halberds aside and pushed at the enormous gate with all their might. After a few long moments, they managed to create an opening just wide enough for James to pass through.
"James-sama, please enter!" one of them said, bowing low.
"Princess Shirahoshi might be resting. If she says or does anything unbecoming… please forgive her. She is still young."
Those words had come straight from Neptune himself. He knew little about James beyond a vague impression and, being a doting father, worried that his daughter might unknowingly offend such a dangerous man.
James nodded slightly. "Understood. You've done well. Tell Neptune that I'll be taking Shirahoshi with me."
With that, he stepped inside.
Inside the Hard Shell Tower…
So dark…
The dim stillness felt suffocating.
Poor Shirahoshi—imprisoned here for nearly ten years because of Vander Decken IX, the pirate obsessed with her Poseidon power. Because Neptune and Jinbe had done nothing decisive, she'd been trapped in this tower all her life.
Without freedom, how could she possibly grow? How could she awaken her Sea King powers like this?
Honestly, was Vander Decken really that hard to catch? Did Jinbe truly lack the Observation Haki to sense him?
He throws weapons from a single direction. All it would take is one day of tracking him underwater and the problem would've been solved… but no. After all these years, they just let her rot here.
With a sigh, James's body turned to lightning once again, illuminating the room in a burst of white-blue light. He waved a hand, and the massive doors behind him slammed shut with a deep thud.
On a grand bed of soft coral, Shirahoshi lay peacefully, her long lashes resting on her cheeks as she slept.
James used his Observation Haki—her breathing was steady, gentle. He smiled faintly, then flicked on the room's lights before flashing to her bedside.
Her delicate features were angelic, almost too pure for this world. A soft warmth rose within him, mingled with something more primal.
To think that such a mermaid exists… Crossing into this world was truly the right decision.
She was enormous, of course—probably the largest mermaid in existence. And yet, despite her size, her innocence only made her more beautiful.
"Princess Shirahoshi~," James called softly.
The mermaid princess stirred, her eyelids fluttering open. She rubbed her eyes groggily and glanced toward the door. "Who's there? Is that one of the soldiers?"
"Here~," James replied teasingly. "I'm over here."
"Eh!?" Shirahoshi blinked, scanning the room until her gaze fell on him. Her eyes widened in astonishment. "A human? I… I haven't seen a human in so long. Am I dreaming?"
"No, you're not mistaken." James's tone softened, his voice calm and reassuring. "I'm human—for now, at least. My name is James, God and Divine Emperor of the Sky Islands… Skypiea. But to you, I have an even more important title—your future husband."
"G-God? H-Husband!?" Shirahoshi's entire face turned scarlet. Her massive hands waved frantically in front of her in embarrassment. "James-sama, you're not… lying to me, are you?"
James chuckled. "Look closely, Princess. What's this?"
He reached into the air as if performing a magic trick.
Shirahoshi gasped, watching as his hand vanished into the void. She instinctively covered her mouth, too startled to speak.
A moment later, he withdrew a small jade box, ornate and shimmering with familiar markings—the royal emblem of the Ryugu Kingdom.
"This…" Shirahoshi whispered, recognizing it instantly. Her eyes glistened as she remembered her late mother.
"This is the gift your mother, Queen Otohime, prepared for your wedding day," James said gently. "It is also my token—as your husband."
For a moment, the world went silent. Then, tears welled in Shirahoshi's eyes and spilled over like pearls.
Without thinking, she reached out and wrapped her arms around James, sobbing uncontrollably.
He froze for an instant, caught off guard by the sudden embrace, but soon let her be. He couldn't bear to interrupt the flood of emotion—her long-suppressed grief, her joy, her longing.
Her tears, enormous as raindrops, cascaded down his body, soaking his clothes completely. Yet to James, they felt warm, soft… and almost sweet.
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