When Kaito asked the question, King Neptune's expression changed. He thought Kaito was displeased that he hadn't brought Shirahoshi along.
Imagining the consequences of upsetting Kaito, a chill of fear swept through Neptune's heart.
If before he had still been uncertain about Kaito's strength, then after witnessing the split ocean and the warship falling from the sky, he no longer dared to harbor even a sliver of doubt.
He was genuinely afraid that if Kaito got angry, he might erase Fish-Man Island from existence altogether. In that case, all his beautiful dreams of peaceful coexistence with humanity would be utterly meaningless—what good is a dream when there's no one left to dream it?
Neptune quickly explained,
"You must be referring to Shirahoshi, Admiral Shikiryū. She's been targeted by the ability of Vander Decken IX's Mark-Mark Fruit. The moment she leaves the Tower, she's bombarded by flying weapons. I swear it's not that I didn't want her to meet you!"
Seeing how nervous Neptune was, Kaito couldn't help but wonder if he had become that terrifying to others.
Almost everyone he met treated him with excessive caution, as if he were some kind of primeval beast.
Wasn't he supposed to be an ally of justice? A Navy Admiral, no less!
Shaking his head, Kaito deliberately put on a surprised expression and asked,
...
...
"Haven't you tried tracking down this Vander Decken guy?"
Hearing this, Neptune gave a bitter smile and said,
"It's embarrassing to admit, but the ability of the Mark-Mark Fruit is extremely strange. Anyone he touches becomes permanently marked, and he can launch attacks from wherever he's hiding. We can't locate him at all."
"Is that so? Heh, what a terrifying ability indeed."
Kaito remarked with mock solemnity, then continued,
"Take me to where Princess Shirahoshi lives. I might be able to handle this Vander Decken guy."
"Nani!?"
Neptune's eyes widened in shock. He hadn't expected Admiral Shikiryū to personally offer to eliminate the problem that had plagued them for years.
Jinbe, standing nearby, was deeply moved. At that moment, he truly believed that being able to talk with Kaito at the Marine Headquarters meeting had been the wisest decision of his life.
Kaito gave a polite smile, then turned to Kalifa and said,
"Kalifa, go rest at Ryugu Palace with Ain for now. I'll take care of this issue for them."
Kalifa understood immediately and turned to lead the group of marines to Ryugu Palace as Kaito had instructed.
Kaito then followed Neptune and Jinbe toward the Tower, where Shirahoshi was being protected.
At the tower's entrance, they were met with a startling sight—axes, swords, and other bladed weapons embedded in the massive gate.
The three of them stood silently for a moment. Neptune pointed at the weapons and was just about to speak when a sharp whooshing sound sliced through the air. Another axe came spinning toward them.
But that axe was destined never to reach the gate.
Kaito merely glanced at it, and the weapon instantly shattered into a cloud of metallic dust in midair.
Neptune swallowed his words, once again awed by Kaito's overwhelming power.
He'd already learned from Jinbe that Admiral Shikiryū possessed more than one Devil Fruit ability—and even that wasn't the most terrifying part.
Far more fearsome were the Rinnegan eyes he bore. According to rumors, within those eyes resided a giant deep-purple entity, and a single strike from it could level mountains and seas.
Kaito looked toward the direction the axe had come from, but didn't make a move. Neptune quickly stepped forward to explain,
"Admiral Shikiryū, that attack just now came from Vander Decken. He wasn't targeting you."
Kaito waved it off casually and said,
"Yeah, I know. No need to explain."
With that, he didn't bother asking Neptune to open the gate. Instead, he activated his ROOM space and teleported directly into the Tower.
Neptune and Jinbe looked at each other. Jinbe hesitantly asked,
"Your Majesty, should we go in too?"
Neptune stared at the door for a moment, then decided it was better not to.
Though he didn't know why Admiral Shikiryū was so interested in his daughter Shirahoshi, he was certain Kaito had his own reasons. Better not to interfere.
Besides, he wasn't worried that Kaito would harm her. The admiral had an excellent reputation among the people, and given his terrifying strength, even if he wanted to do something, there would be nothing Neptune or Jinbe could do to stop him.
So the least they could do was provide Admiral Shikiryū with a quiet space.
...
Inside the Tower—
Kaito appeared directly in Shirahoshi's room. The moment he arrived, he saw her lying on the ground.
She looked to be around twelve years old, but her body was already over five meters long. She had flowing pink wavy hair and an exquisitely beautiful face—on par with Hancock, at the very least.
Most striking of all was her figure, completely disproportionate to her age. "Voluptuous" didn't even begin to describe it. Among all the women Kaito had met, none could compare to her in that regard.
At the moment, Shirahoshi was idly playing with a large shark dressed in red.
That shark was clearly her pet and only companion in this place—its name was Megalo.
Shirahoshi hadn't noticed that someone had suddenly appeared in her room. She rested one hand under her chin while the other fiddled with Megalo's fin, mumbling softly,
"Megalo, my brother said Father is going to greet an important guest today. I really wanted to go with him... but I still can't leave. Sigh..."
She let out a helpless sigh, lips pursed, and her large watery blue eyes began to glisten with tears.
She didn't blame her father for keeping her locked away. She knew he didn't want to do it either—he was only trying to protect her.
The real one at fault was that detestable Vander Decken!
Thinking about the man who had forced her to hide in the Tower, Shirahoshi puffed her cheeks and huffed angrily,
"If I catch him, I'll lock him up here for a few years too! Let him see what it's like to live alone!"
Despite being under constant threat from Vander Decken, Shirahoshi's heart was still full of kindness—she had never even considered killing him.
Still, her frustration made her unintentionally squeeze Megalo's fin a bit too hard, causing the shark to wriggle uncomfortably.
Realizing her mistake, Shirahoshi quickly stopped and placed her hands gently on Megalo's back, apologizing over and over—she looked absolutely adorable.
Kaito couldn't help but be charmed by the scene, shaking his head and laughing softly.
The sudden sound startled Shirahoshi, who was still in the middle of apologizing. It was the first time she had ever heard a stranger's voice in this room.
She quickly turned her head—and saw Kaito standing there.
Thus began the first meeting between "Poseidon" and Kaito.