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Chapter's Events:
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"…It is merely a scratch…!!" Queen Otohime clutched her shoulder, injured by the bullet that was meant for the Celestial Dragon.
"But… your majesty…!! Why do you protect him?!" The fishmen were filled with sorrow and frustration. Why was their queen protecting the very man who had made their lives hell?
"Do you not realise what this man has done to us…?!" They couldn't help but question.
"..."
"I can hear the cries of your hearts. They are painfully clear to me…" Otohime explained calmly.
"I know it must be difficult… but no matter how much anger and hatred you bear towards these humans…" She glanced at the children around her before speaking with clarity.
"You must not pass it on to the children…!!"
"They must meet the humans for themselves, and make their own decisions!!!" From her perspective, the children had the right to judge humans through their own experiences, not through those of others.
…
"..." Jimbei's eyes widened as he heard those words. He remembered Tiger's last words as he lay dying.
("I beg of you!!")
("Don't tell anything of this to the people of Fishman Island!!")
("Of the tragedy that has befallen us!! Or of our rage towards the humans!!!")
To Jimbei, Tiger's final plea now made sense. He had wanted the next generation to decide for themselves—just as Otohime wished.
At that moment, Saint Mjosgard grabbed his gun and seized Otohime, pressing the muzzle to her head.
"Ahh!!"
"Mother, watch out!" the princes screamed in terror.
"No… your majesty!!" Jimbei's expression changed instantly.
"Motheeeeeeeeer!!!!" But before anyone could react, six-year-old Shirahoshi screamed loudly in fear for her mother.
"!!?" Her cry echoed everywhere, and then the next instant, something incredible happened.
"!!?" Five or more Huge Sea Kings appeared before their eyes, one of them biting down and crushing the Celestial Dragon's ship between its massive teeth.
"SEA KINGS!!!" The fishmen were stunned as they watched the Sea Kings appear out of nowhere.
"EEEHHHHHH?!!" Saint Mjosgard shrieked in horror and collapsed unconscious.
Jimbei, Hody Jones, and even Vander Decken couldn't believe what was happening.
After the Celestial Dragon fainted with foam frothing from his mouth, the Sea Kings departed, returning to where they came from.
'There is a legend…' Vander Decken's shocked face shifted into delight as he remembered the ancient tale passed down by his ancestors.
"What just happened…?!"
"It cannot be a mere coincidence…" Jimbei knew it wasn't a chance. He turned to Shirahoshi, who was still crying, with a curious gaze.
'Shirahoshi… could it be that you…!?' Even her mother, Otohime, was shaken.
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This scene left readers in shock. Just moments before, the atmosphere had been calm, slow, and predictable—but then suddenly, boom! something utterly unexpected had happened.
In Ohara, a manga reader pouring coffee from a hand-press didn't notice his cup had overflowed, too transfixed on the page where the huge Sea Kings appeared.
Another stopped chewing his biscuit, nearly choking in shock.
Yet another nearly suffocated, forgetting to breathe at that moment.
It wasn't the appearance of the Sea Kings alone that stunned readers—they had appeared before—but the fact that the "young princess" Shirahoshi's scream had summoned them.
The Sea Kings had terrified the Celestial Dragon, disgusted him into fainting, and then vanished as though nothing had happened.
The power to summon and command the Sea Kings was not unheard of, especially among those at the top of the world.
…
"My dear… could she be…?"
Otohime turned to Rob, who was still seated nearby, and asked.
"That's right. Shirahoshi is the Poseidon of this era—the Mermaid Princess destined to lead the Fishman race to prosperity once more," Rob replied with a smile.
"This…"
On the other hand, Otohime felt both awe and shock, followed by a bitter heaviness in her heart. She had just seen how Shirahoshi reacted when terrified. The thought that Shirahoshi might not be her daughter in this life stung her deeply.
Of course, it wasn't as if she couldn't give birth to Shirahoshi in this life—Rob could grant her anything if she asked. But her heart couldn't bear to make such a selfish request and deprive Neptune of his children.
"Neptune will not be able to father those very same children with another woman. He could have different ones, yes—but to bring those children into the world, you must be the mother," Rob explained, knowing exactly what she was thinking.
Hearing that, Otohime instantly believed him. Rob wouldn't lie to her… but that only deepened her sorrow. Even if she wanted those children, she couldn't—unless she returned to Neptune, which she never would, or allowed Rob to "steal" their fates and become their father instead.
That, too, was unacceptable to her.
Rob knew precisely what his wife was thinking. He had no intention of persuading her. If she chose it, he could make it happen. If she didn't, that was fine as well.
When he had stolen Hiyori's fate from Oden, it had been a terrible mistake he swore never to repeat. Unlike Vinsmoke Judge, who was trash, Oden wasn't evil at heart—despite his catastrophic mistakes that doomed his family. His mistakes had indirectly led to his family's suffering: his daughter was forced into prostitution, his son was sent into the future without a normal childhood, and his wife, Toki, sacrificed herself. Oden hadn't wanted that, but it had happened because of his failures.
That was why Rob had, almost incidentally, taken Hiyori and given birth to her with Toki, who was now his wife, just like Otohime.
However, Rob admitted it was wrong and resolved never to repeat the mistake. He remained silent, unwilling to sway Otohime.
To steal another man's destined wife had been one sin—he wouldn't commit a second.
After a moment, Rob spoke slowly:
"I can make it so that Neptune sires the three princes and Shirahoshi successfully… with another woman."
Hearing that, Otohime's gloomy expression instantly brightened. "Really! You can do that!? As expected of my dear Rob!"
She hugged him tightly, smiling with joy.
"But…" Rob wanted to explain the cost, though it seemed unnecessary.
"I know. Take it. It's fine. You can steal them from me and give them to another woman. Just make sure the mother of Fukaboshi, Ryuboshi, Manboshi, and Shirahoshi is a good woman."
She wiped away a small tear, but her smile remained. She was satisfied with this outcome.
This way, her counterpart's precious children could still enter the world as Neptune's offspring.
"Alright…" Rob nodded quietly. He had promised himself he would grant her wish, no matter what.
She saw his golden pupils fade until only whiteness remained.
His Mangaka Eyes had activated, allowing him to trace the threads of fate linking her to someone else far away—undoubtedly Neptune. Rob seized those threads without hesitation and tore them away from her personal destiny.
Like an author checking the pages of his own book, Rob flipped them calmly.
…
Inside the Art Store on Fishman Island, a beautiful blonde mermaid moved gracefully among the tables and aisles. She was a newly appointed Store Goddess chosen by Suzan.
Rob's gaze fell upon this smiling mermaid, who bore a faint resemblance to Otohime. Without hesitation, he tied her fate to Neptune's, who was not far away.
The moment it was done, her eyes met Neptune's, who had been staring at her.
'Hmm? Neptune-sama is staring at me…'
Meriem felt nervous. This wasn't the first time she had seen the king, but it was certainly the first time their eyes met.
She smiled at him shyly before looking away and returning to her work.
Neptune was still shaken by the manga's turn of events—the appearance of the Huge Sea Kings due to Shirahoshi's scream—but in that moment, as he looked at the new Store Goddess, he felt something strange. Especially when she smiled shyly at him… It was the same feeling he had when he first met Otohime in the manga.
But he brushed it aside and returned to focus on the unfolding events.
"Vander Decken, that insolent wretch! So that is why he chased after my Shirahoshi for the past ten years! He realised she was special!!"
"He must have known she was Poseidon… What terrible misfortune for my dear daughter… sigh…"
Neptune truly wanted to rip Vander Decken apart after he had declared his intent to make Shirahoshi his wife.
"That bastard! To harbor vile thoughts toward my daughter when she was only six years old!!"
"Calm yourself, my king!" his two ministers tried to soothe his rising fury.
"It's alright, your majesty. In the end, Vander Decken never truly harmed Shirahoshi throughout those ten years~" Meriem spoke up.
Neptune's heart skipped a beat at the sound of the beautiful Store Goddess addressing him.
"Ah! Y-yes, you're right… No, even so… He still caused the imprisonment of Shirahoshi in the Iron Tower for ten years… That is unacceptable!"
Meriem gave the king a thumbs-up.
"But that doesn't change the fact that you'll always be a wonderful father to Shirahoshi!"
In that moment, Neptune felt something stir in his heart. For an instant, the image of the smiling woman before him overlapped with Otohime.
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Author's Note: Honestly, I regret making this story a harem.
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Upcoming chapter titles (spoilers):
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Chapter 947: A Lot of Signatures.
Chapter 948: The Power to Drown the World!
Chapter 949: The Death of Queen Otohime.
Chapter 950: Jimbei's Words.
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