That night, Elior arrived at Fish-Man Island. It was extremely easy for him to dive into the deep sea. Using a spatial barrier, he could completely isolate his body from the seawater. He dove downward through the ocean, moving even faster than the Sea Kings, and soon arrived at his destination.
The moment Elior set foot on Fish-Man Island, his presence was detected. However, no one dared to stop him. The pirates who saw him from afar were terrified. Who would have thought that the fearsome Yonko would suddenly appear there? After all, Fish-Man Island was already Elior's territory.
Before long, Elior arrived at the Ryugu Kingdom and met King Neptune.
"Where is Shirahoshi?"
Elior did not waste words. He had come solely for her. In a place like Fish-Man Island, the only thing he cared about was the power of the Ancient Weapon sleeping within the princess.
"Sir, Shirahoshi is at the coral reef," Neptune replied. When Neptune saw Elior, he became extremely nervous, feeling an overwhelming pressure. The Marines had nearly been annihilated by Elior, and even the legendary Marines had suffered devastating losses. Neptune did not dare address Elior as an equal. This was no longer a matter of etiquette; he had no choice but to bow. Who knew whether Elior, if angered, might bring calamity upon the island?
"Sir, I didn't know you were looking for Shirahoshi," Neptune said uneasily. He realized what Elior intended to do. He knew Elior was fully aware that Shirahoshi was Poseidon, the Ancient Weapon of this era.
"Let her awaken the power of the Ancient Weapon," Elior said, making no effort to hide his intentions.
"This… sir, but," Neptune's heart sank.
"Haven't you always longed for equality with humans?" Elior asked. "Haven't you wished for humans to accept your people? Then why are Fish-Men and mermaids still hunted? One of the main reasons is that the World Nobles, the Celestial Dragons, covet them as slaves. I plan to attack Mary Geoise and completely eradicate them. Whether you are willing or not, the power of Poseidon must awaken. Once Poseidon appears in this era, do you really think Imu, the hidden ruler of the Celestial Dragons, will simply ignore it? Sooner or later, that person will send someone to assassinate Shirahoshi."
Imu likely already knew that Shirahoshi was Poseidon. During the Reverie, Imu had stabbed a dagger into the photographs of Princess Vivi, Luffy, and Shirahoshi. There was no doubt that these three were the ones Imu wished to eliminate.
Neptune was momentarily speechless. He understood that the mysterious ruler of the World Government must already know the truth. After all, even Gol D. Roger had known that Poseidon would be born in the near future. That was why he went to Laugh Tale and why he came to Fish-Man Island. Everything was happening ahead of schedule.
"I'm only informing you," Elior said calmly. "Whether you agree or not is your decision." Without another word, Elior left the Ryugu Palace. Neptune, feeling helpless and deeply conflicted, hurried after him. Elior was a dictator, a tyrant who acted solely by his own will.
Elsewhere, at the coral reef plaza, Shirahoshi was playing happily with a group of mermaids and Fish-Men. Fish-Man Island had recently entered a stable period since Hody Jones had long since been killed by Elior. At that moment, Elior appeared. He saw Shirahoshi from a distance, and she saw him as well. Because the power of the Ancient Weapon slept within her, she was extremely sensitive to powerful presences. She could instinctively sense that Elior harbored no hostility toward her.
"Big brother!" Shirahoshi was overjoyed. She never expected to see the person she had missed so deeply again so suddenly.
Inside Elior's mind, the system's voice echoed.
[Ding! A sign-in opportunity has been detected. Would the host like to sign in?]
Elior did not hesitate. "Sign in."
[Sign-in successful. Reward obtained: Mermaid Humanization.]
Elior was briefly surprised. He realized that this ability allowed a mermaid to transform into a human. For him, the ability was useless, but looking at Shirahoshi, he immediately understood its value.
"Shirahoshi, let's go somewhere."
"Big brother, where are we going?" she asked curiously, her eyes sparkling.
Elior snapped his fingers. A spatial gate appeared instantly in midair, a massive blue-and-white door with an interior like a flowing curtain of water. Elior took Shirahoshi by the hand and stepped inside. The gate vanished immediately, leaving behind a confused Neptune and countless onlookers.
In the next instant, they reappeared within Shirahoshi's residence in the Ryugu Kingdom.
"Wow! Big brother is amazing! What kind of door was that? It's so magical!"
"It's just a small trick. Shirahoshi, do you want to follow your brother from now on?" Elior asked, feeling briefly as if he were kidnapping a child.
"Follow my brother? Really? Shirahoshi wants to stay with big brother forever!" She leaned down to look at him. The difference in their sizes was enormous. As Poseidon, she was naturally gigantic and still growing. She had already surpassed her father in size.
"Of course. Shirahoshi can always stay with her brother."
"Really? Then I will always follow you!"
"Shirahoshi, stretch out your hands. Palms facing me."
She nodded obediently and followed his instructions. Elior raised his hands, pressing his palms against hers. Then, something shocking happened. Her hands began to shrink rapidly. In fact, her entire body was shrinking. Her mermaid tail gradually disappeared, transforming into human legs: long, pale, and flawless.
In the end, Shirahoshi transformed into a tall, beautiful girl, over 1.7 meters in height. Her size reduced, her tail vanished, and she became fully human. Her beauty remained breathtaking, on the same level as Hancock and Hiyori. Now, she stood before Elior as a young girl.
Elior would not touch her, yet there was no denying that her figure rivaled any woman around him. Because of the sudden reduction in size, the clothes on her body were no longer a fit. The scene was rather intense, but Elior remained perfectly calm.
"We need to find you some clothes."
That night, when Elior appeared before Neptune and the others with a slim, human-form Shirahoshi, they were utterly stunned.