With the arrival of night, the Mermaid Café remained deserted of its main attraction. Shyarly was nowhere to be seen.
Time stretched out, and when midnight passed, Tiberion decided he could no longer wait.
Sighing, he set off towards the Ryugu Palace.
To avoid unnecessary trouble, he avoided entering by force. Instead, he moved stealthily around the walls until he found a window in the Hard Shell Tower.
There, he climbed carefully, digging his fingers into the wet wall and advancing like a cat in the darkness. With minimal pressure, he managed to force the window without causing a commotion.
Still, the slight creak of the glass provoked a reaction from a huge shark patrolling outside.
The shark shuddered at the noise, visibly nervous about this strange disturbance. It hid in a corner, leaving its tail exposed and trembling in a full night fright.
For his part, Tiberion entered the dimness of the room. There he was greeted by the silhouette of a colossal transparent shell, its shiny surface reflecting the weak light filtering through.
Inside rested Princess Shirahoshi, deeply asleep, unaware of the intruder's presence.
Her breathing was rhythmic, and the majesty of her body, enormous even by the standards of her species, revealed itself with each breath.
Although the princess possessed a notable innate kenbunshoku Haki, it did not activate at that moment: sleep and Tiberion's lack of hostile intent kept her completely unaware of what was happening around her.
He approached the shell with extreme stealth. The size difference between them was striking, and in the dim light, he couldn't help but admire the imposing beauty of the young mermaid. Her cheeks, relaxed by sleep, showed a rosy hue, and her long hair spread over the inner pearl of the shell like a soft veil.
Despite his usual overwhelming energy, he took care not to suddenly awaken the princess. He placed his hands on the edge of the shell and, with a gentle push, applied the necessary force to open it without making a sound.
Anyone who saw him would think he was lifting a fragile shell.
!
However, the light click was enough to disturb Shirahoshi's sleep. Immediately, she sensed a change in the environment and, with a soft groan, opened her eyes, blinking in confusion at the dimness.
"E-eh...?" she said softly, still not understanding the situation.
!
"Who are you?!" she asked in a trembling voice.
Noticing the stranger, she immediately curled up into a fetal position, her massive form contracting in a gesture of fear. Tears, of enormous size, began to slide down her cheeks, symbols of the panic that invaded her.
Tiberion took a firm step and, in the blink of an eye, executed a movement as fast and subtle as the "Soru" of the Marine's Rokushiki.
He disappeared before the princess's gaze and reappeared behind her, as if he had teleported. With a quick gesture, he extended his hand and, measuring the exact force he needed to apply, dealt a precise blow to the back of Shirahoshi's neck.
At that moment, the gigantic mermaid lost consciousness, falling without resistance. Silence reigned over the atmosphere for a brief second, while Tiberion stood still, feeling a cluster of conflicting emotions.
"I'm sorry, princess..." he murmured in a broken voice, almost inhuman in its stillness. "But I swear that from now on, I will treat you with the respect you deserve."
Despite everything having been part of a mission, he felt compelled to remember that he would never do the madness that Yujiro did.
Kill Bak's mother.
For Tiberion, Yujiro's goal was to turn a weak Bak into someone strong.
He wanted Bak to understand that he had an enemy in the world, and that was his father, Yujiro Hanma.
And if he wanted to kill him, he would have to become stronger and stronger, until he became someone with whom Yujiro could fight giving it his all.
As the shadows of the night lengthened, Tiberion carried the princess without hesitation.
With the same skill he had shown in forcing the window, he left.
The shark hidden in the corner, trembling in fear, was none other than Megalo, Shirahoshi's loyal pet.
Seeing someone forcibly take the princess, the initial fear turned into a fierce impulse.
Gathering the courage he didn't believe he had, he shot out of the place in desperation, swimming at full speed to alert King Neptune.
Just as Tiberion left the Ryugu Palace, carrying his bounty in his arms, the palace's silence was broken.
The multicolored lights of the Sea Floor lit up abruptly, dyeing the entire environment with an unsettling beauty. But it wasn't a spectacle; it was an emergency signal.
In seconds, whole legions of soldiers mobilized. The alarms sounded incessantly. Orders rained down like thunder.
This time, King Neptune had completely lost patience.
For so many years, every so often some fool dared to bother Shirahoshi, harassing her with messages, gifts, or failed kidnapping attempts… but this was different.
This time, they had taken her! With their own hands! It was unforgivable!
"SEARCH EVERYWHERE!" Neptune roared, his eyes filled with rage, "IF YOU HAVE TO TURN THE ENTIRE ISLAND UPSIDE DOWN, DO IT! BUT CAPTURE THAT DAMNED BASTARD VANDER DECKEN!"
His fury knew no bounds.
He was convinced that the culprit was Vander Decken IX. That pig had stalked Shirahoshi for years, sending weapons and obsessive letters from who knows where. He always managed to evade justice because he never appeared in person.
But this time... this time everything was different.
Someone had appeared and touched the untouchable. Shirahoshi wasn't in her room, she wasn't in the palace. They had taken her. And who else would have the audacity to do such a thing?
He had finally shown himself!
If he was physically in the palace, if he had touched Shirahoshi, then he must be nearby.
THERE WAS STILL TIME!
"QUICK! The guy who took her can't be far!"
"You inspect that area thoroughly! House by house, rock by rock, leave nothing uninspected!"
"And you, on the east side! Don't skip a single corner!"
"If you find the kidnapper, send a signal immediately!"
"YES, SIR!"
The three princes, barely containing their rage, personally led the troops.
"You damned wretch…" Fukaboshi muttered, his face twisted in fury, "This time I'm going to tear you apart with my bare hands!"
"I'm going to kill his whole damned family!" Ryuboshi shouted with clenched fists, "How dare he lay a finger on Shirahoshi?!"
"I can't believe it!" Manboshi sobbed, tears in his eyes, "She's so sweet! So innocent! Why does she have to suffer like this?!"
"It's my fault! I wasn't there to protect her!"
Frustration, helplessness, and hatred gnawed at their chests. Their emotions were so intense that they could be felt around them.
They loved Shirahoshi, they adored her. And if something happened to her… if that wretch dared to hurt her…
It was as if their world was collapsing.
But what tormented them most was imagining her, vulnerable, defenseless, her body forced to endure whatever that sick mind had in store. Just thinking about it made their stomachs churn.
THEY BOILED WITH RAGE.
…
"Achoo!"
The sneeze echoed in the damp darkness of a sunken ship, covered in algae and years, anchored in the heart of the Sea Forest.
Vander Decken IX, lying on a moldy mattress and surrounded by dirty dishes, woke up abruptly, his face marked by sleep.
"Damn it...!" he rubbed his face irritably, "What the hell was that dream?"
He swallowed and sat on the edge of the mattress, his eyes still heavy.
"I dreamed that that damn Neptune grabbed me and cut me into pieces... Tch, what a crappy nightmare!"
With a growl, he shook his head trying to erase the bad memory.
"Bah! Not even in their dreams could they catch me." He laughed with disdain, stretching his arms lazily.
The dim light of the place was barely cut by the faint glow of some fireflies floating near the ceiling.
"My Target-Target Fruit is perfect," he murmured, raising a dagger between his fingers, "I can attack Shirahoshi from eight hundred meters... from kilometers, from any corner of the damn ocean, and they'll never know where I am!"
He smiled with half-closed eyes, enjoying his power.
He lay down again, looking satisfied, and closed his eyes.
But only a few seconds later, he opened them with a yawn.
"...Though, since I'm awake, I should send another little gift to my precious Shirahoshi. Let's consider it a way to get revenge for the nightmare," he whispered with a lecherous smile.
With complete calm, he took three knives and threw them randomly towards the broken ceiling of the ship. The knives disappeared in a slight flash, activated by the power of his fruit.
"Ahh... now I can—"
!
But then he stopped.
His eyes opened wide.
"Hm...?" he straightened up, frowning, "Wait a moment..."
Something wasn't right. Doubtfully, he raised his gaze to the ceiling.
And then he noticed it.
"What the hell?!" He suddenly yelled, jumping up, "The daggers aren't going to the Palace...they're coming here! To the Sea Forest!"
His heart skipped a beat.
"It can't be..." His voice trembled, entering a state of shock and emotion. "The princess...? Did the princess come out of her Tower in the middle of the night and is here... in the forest? Right here?"
A mixture of desire, anxiety, and madness began to cloud his vision. He was sweating and his skin was prickling.
Slowly, as if touching a sacred relic, he looked at the hand that had thrown the knives.
And whispered with a trembling voice:
"This hand... this hand just pointed to Shirahoshi..."
His fingers clenched tightly, as if trying to grasp what he still couldn't touch.
"There's no doubt..." He said with a smile, "This is the hand that touched her body."
"BAHOHOHOHO!"
His sick laughter echoed inside the ship as he spun around like a madman, "AFTER YEARS OF WAITING... TODAY, FINALLY, IS MY DAY OF LUCK!"
His eyes shone with madness and desire.
"The princess..." He murmured with his moist tongue swirling, "Finally came out of her cage! She left the palace! She's alone, unprotected, and out there... VULNERABLE!"
"If I catch her... if I manage to make her mine, if I really subdue her, if I make her body tremble and surrender..." The more he imagined, the harder he started breathing.
"Then not only will she obey me, she will belong to me!"
"And not just that!" he screamed in an ecstasy of excitement, "She has that ancestral power! If Shirahoshi falls into my hands... I won't even have to take the throne of the Gyojin Island! The entire sea will bow before me!"
He raised his arms, imagining himself crowned as the absolute king of the world.
"BAHOHO! To hell with sleep! This is a sign of destiny!" He gasped as he prepared to leave, "I'm going to locate her right now... one more dagger and I'll find her."
With more energy than ever, he threw another dagger with all his will focused on it. His body shuddered as he felt the change in trajectory.
"This way! Yes, yes, yes, she's close! I can feel it!" he screamed in ecstasy, "Victory comes to me without any effort!"
Without a second thought, he ran out of the ship.
...
Meanwhile...
Tiberion had found a secluded corner, right near the Sea Forest. The place was covered by a natural bed of soft, warm seaweed.
There, Shirahoshi rested.
Her colossal body, more than thirteen meters long, lay unconscious.
Tiberion had left her there intentionally... not to hurt her, but to break his limitations.
But just as he was about to continue...
"Tsk," he frowned.
He straightened up immediately, with a look of total fury like a mad bull.
In the midst of the darkness, his perception caught something strange. Three small daggers were flying directly toward Shirahoshi's prone body.
________
Time: If you're craving more (and I know you are!), I have just what you need. On my Patreon, you'll find exclusive chapters. Join our community and be the first to discover what happens next!
👉 [patreon.com/Athome790]
Your support fuels me. Thank you for the support! 💖