Chat Group: Anime Girls are Moist

Chapter 1155 - 1,154: The Big Mermaid Princess! Princess Shirahoshi!

"These pirates are completely insane!"Gion's voice turned icy as she moved to charge forward.

"They're not even sparing unarmed civilians and children. This is unforgivable!"

Rei Ao reached out and grabbed her before she could rush out.

Gion turned back and shot him an angry look.

"Why are you stopping me? Can't you see those civilians are being slaughtered?"

"Relax."

Rei Ao's tone stayed calm, but his gaze swept across the chaotic street with a trace of coldness.

"There'll be plenty of time to deal with this trash. We handle the real issue first."

He knew perfectly well that running out there and killing a few pirates wouldn't solve anything.

If he wanted to completely put an end to the chaos on Fish-Man Island, he had to deal with the problem at its root—and bring that mermaid princess over to his side.

Before his words had even fully fallen, he pulled Gion along, and in a flash, the two of them appeared directly outside the entrance to the Hard-Shell Tower in Ryugu Palace.

Even the guards at the door noticed nothing.

Inside the tower, Princess Shirahoshi was curled up in the corner of her enormous bed, tears glistening in her eyes. Droplets clung to her long lashes, and her shoulders trembled faintly.

The sounds of shouting, killing, and explosions outside were drawing closer and closer, and with each passing moment, her heart tightened further.

The few maids by her side had all gone pale with fear. They huddled tightly around her, but they were shaking just as badly.

Shirahoshi's heart was full of worry and helplessness.

Her father was outside with the guards, fighting those villains. Jinbe was risking his life too. Yet all she could do was hide here, powerless.

She had a huge body, but not even the strength to protect herself—let alone protect her father or Fish-Man Island.

The World Government had fallen. Whitebeard was gone too. No one was left to shelter Fish-Man Island anymore.

Was this island, passed down for a thousand years, really going to be destroyed today?

Just then, Rei Ao appeared directly in the middle of the room, with Gion following beside him.

"Ah!"

At the sight of two people suddenly appearing, Shirahoshi screamed in fright, shrinking even tighter into the corner as her tears fell even faster.

She stared at Rei Ao, her huge eyes filled with fear—and an unmistakable trace of curiosity. Her thoughts were a complete mess.

Who is he? How did he suddenly appear inside the Hard-Shell Tower?

The tower door was locked, and there were guards outside. How did he get in?

Is he a bad person? Has he come to capture me?

Rei Ao looked at the giant mermaid princess before him, and even he couldn't help feeling a little amazed.

His gaze swept over her, and inwardly he clicked his tongue.

Damn, she's even more exaggeratedly huge than Black Maria. She's got to be over ten meters tall.

But she really was beautiful—skin like fresh snow, delicate features, exactly as expected of the mermaid princess who made countless people lose their minds, and the legendary Ancient Weapon Poseidon.

Gion looked at Shirahoshi too, her eyes full of surprise.

She had heard long ago that Princess Shirahoshi of Fish-Man Island possessed the greatest beauty in the world, but even so, seeing her in person was still stunning.

Especially with those tearful eyes and fragile expression—even as another woman, Gion couldn't help feeling sorry for her.

Rei Ao took two steps forward and looked at Shirahoshi, who was trembling in the corner of the bed. He deliberately softened his voice and said,

"Don't be afraid. I'm not here to hurt you. My name is Rei Ao."

His voice was clear and gentle, without a trace of malice. Shirahoshi's body relaxed just a little, but she still stayed curled up in the corner, not daring to come any closer.

She looked at him and spoke softly, her voice tender and shaky with tears, like a frightened deer.

"W-Who are you, exactly? How did you get in here? The Hard-Shell Tower was locked…"

Her heart was still full of caution, yet she couldn't help being curious.

The man in front of her was very handsome, and his aura felt warm and calm—nothing like the vicious pirates outside.

But if he could enter the Hard-Shell Tower without making a sound, then he had to be incredibly powerful.

"If I want to come in, then naturally I can."

Rei Ao smiled faintly, his gaze resting on her reddened eyes.

"I know things are chaos outside right now. Your father, King Neptune, and First Son of the Sea Jinbe are outside fighting pirates and the thugs from Fish-Man District. They're already close to their limit, aren't they?"

The moment Shirahoshi heard that, tears spilled down again. She nodded hard, her voice thick with sobs.

"Y-Yes… Father and the others… will they be okay? Will Fish-Man Island… really be destroyed like this?"

Her heart was filled with helplessness and despair.

She hated her own cowardice. Hated how powerless she was.

All she could do was hide here and watch her home be torn apart.

Watch her loved ones fight for their lives while she could do nothing.

"I can help you."

Rei Ao's tone was calm, but it carried absolute confidence.

"With a snap of my fingers, I can wipe out every pirate invading Fish-Man Island, along with all those criminals from Fish-Man District."

"I can also set up a brand-new barrier around the island. Even an admiral-level fighter from the Navy wouldn't be able to break in easily."

"From that moment on, no one would ever dare bully Fish-Man Island again. No one would ever dare come here to burn, kill, and plunder."

Shirahoshi froze the instant she heard that. She even forgot to cry.

She stared at Rei Ao, her huge eyes full of disbelief, waves crashing through her heart.

Really?

Could he really do that?

Could he really save Fish-Man Island… save her father?

But her father had always told her there was no such thing as a free lunch.

If he was helping them, then he definitely had conditions. What did he want?

She took a deep breath, looked at Rei Ao, and spoke softly, her voice trembling slightly.

"W-What… what do you want in return?"

Rei Ao looked at how tense she was, and the corners of his mouth lifted into a faint smile.

His gaze settled on her face, a trace of dominance in his eyes as he spoke word by word.

"The price is simple. From today on, Shirahoshi, you'll come with me. You'll stay by my side and do as I say."

The moment those words fell, the entire room went silent.

Shirahoshi froze completely. Her cheeks turned red in an instant, bright as a ripe apple, and even the tips of her ears flushed scarlet.

She stared at Rei Ao, her eyes full of shock and deep embarrassment, her mind thrown into complete chaos.

H-He said what? He wants me to go with him? H-How could that be?

I'm the princess of Fish-Man Island. How could I just leave with a stranger?

But… if I refuse him, Father and the others will be in danger, and Fish-Man Island will be completely destroyed.

Countless civilians would die. Countless families would be torn apart.

She was the princess of Fish-Man Island.

She had a duty to protect her homeland—to protect her people.