After reducing Vander Decken to ashes with a bolt of lightning, Kaito clapped his hands and said,
"Alright, that disgusting guy's been dealt with. Shirahoshi, you're free to go out whenever you want from now on."
The moment she heard that, Shirahoshi was so overjoyed she couldn't contain herself. She immediately threw her arms around Kaito, pulling him into her embrace, burying his head in a wave of soft, white curves.
Completely unaware of what she was doing, Shirahoshi closed her eyes and murmured,
"Thank you, Kaito-sama!"
Off to the side, Neptune and Jinbe stood a short distance away like bystanders. Neptune was about to speak up, worried Shirahoshi's hug might be too tight for Kaito, but Jinbe stopped him.
Jinbe gave Neptune a glance, signaling him not to interfere.
He had a fair grasp of Kaito's preferences—especially after what he witnessed back at Marineford, where Kaito had no qualms about being surrounded by beautiful women right in front of the Shichibukai.
In short, this Admiral Kaito wasn't the type to avoid contact with cute girls.
Though Jinbe couldn't understand Kaito's tastes, he now wished more than anything to satisfy any and all of Kaito's desires.
...
...
He even found himself wishing he were a beautiful mermaid girl—maybe then he could secure even greater benefits for the fishmen and merfolk.
Kaito remained in Shirahoshi's arms for quite a while as she tearfully expressed her gratitude before finally letting go.
Kaito reached up and flicked a few tears off his forehead, sighing inwardly at how this little Shirahoshi always seemed to cry at the drop of a hat.
He patted her soft pink mermaid tail and said,
"Stop crying already. If you cry any more, I'm gonna stop calling you Shirahoshi and start calling you Scaredyhoshi!"
"Waaah… Kaito-sama, I'm just so happy! I couldn't help it!"
Shirahoshi clumsily wiped the tears from her face. She didn't want Kaito to call her something like Scaredyhoshi—she wanted to be a strong mermaid princess!
Once Shirahoshi calmed down, Neptune finally approached Kaito and spoke respectfully,
"Shikiryū-sama, thank you very much for your assistance."
Kaito waved it off casually.
"No need to be so formal. It was just a small favor."
"No, no, not at all. What you've done isn't just a personal favor to Shirahoshi—it's something worth celebrating for all of Fishman Island. Please, allow me to invite you to Ryugu Palace. Everything is prepared there to welcome you!"
"Of course. Let's go."
Kaito gave a polite smile, then followed Neptune toward Ryugu Palace.
Left behind, Shirahoshi panicked and shouted,
"Eh?! Wait for me, Kaito-sama! Father!"
...
When they arrived at Ryugu Palace, Kalifa and Ain were already waiting. The moment they saw Kaito enter, both women flanked him on either side.
After briefly explaining what had happened at the Tower, Kaito accepted Neptune's invitation and began a tour of the palace.
As the royal residence of the merfolk, Ryugu Palace was grand and ornate, but to someone like Kaito—who'd been to Mary Geoise—it all just seemed like another exotic novelty.
Seeing Kaito's lack of enthusiasm, Neptune quickly clapped his hands, and a group of beautiful mermaid girls entered the palace carrying trays of exquisitely prepared dishes.
Shirahoshi, who hadn't returned to the palace in a long time, was immediately captivated by the sight of the food. She instinctively wiped the corner of her mouth.
Seeing this, Kaito chuckled and said warmly,
"Hungry? Go ahead and eat if you are."
With Kaito's permission, Shirahoshi's eyes lit up. She was just about to head for the banquet hall when Neptune shot her a glare, sending her scurrying behind Kaito's much smaller frame.
Kaito smiled helplessly but didn't step aside. He just stood there and served as her shield.
Neptune had wanted to scold her, but seeing the situation, the words stuck in his throat.
What could he say? The man his daughter brought back was someone even he, the king, couldn't afford to offend!
Kalifa and Ain looked at Kaito and Shirahoshi strangely. To them, it seemed less like Kaito had returned from a trip and more like he'd brought back a daughter.
A very large daughter.
Kaito didn't notice their looks. He glanced at Shirahoshi, saw her still staring longingly at the food, and turned to Neptune.
"Your Majesty Neptune, I'm a bit hungry too. Why don't we eat first?"
With Kaito saying that, Neptune of course agreed without hesitation. He immediately gestured for the banquet to begin.
Once they entered the dining hall, Kaito noticed that someone was already seated at the table.
It was a female mermaid wearing a violet hood. Her face was striking and cold, her skin pale, and her dark blue mermaid tail shimmered with a glossy sheen.
She held a smoking pipe in one hand, giving the impression of a mermaid witch.
When she saw Kaito enter, her eyes flashed slightly. She brought the pipe to her lips, took a slow drag, then stood and walked toward him.
Kaito immediately recognized her.
Her name was Shyarly, known in the anime as "Madam Shyarly." But right now, she was younger—"Miss Shyarly" was more accurate.
He also had a bit of history with her. Shyarly was Arlong's half-sister. Arlong, who Kaito had already killed. His infamous nose was still stored in his Door Space.
Come to think of it, Kaito mused, he really was a "brother killer." He'd also killed Momonosuke, the brother of Kozuki Hiyori.
Though that guy wasn't even worth remembering—getting turned to ash was a kindness.
If he had to do it again, he might just throw that brat into the jaws of the King of Hell to chew like betel nut.
Now, looking at Shyarly, who had come right up to him and was staring him straight in the eyes, Kaito wasn't sure what she wanted.
Was she here to argue about Arlong?
But no—Shyarly hadn't come because of Arlong. Their relationship hadn't been that close to begin with. Arlong had an extreme hatred for humans, while she had always been curious about them.
She came to see Kaito simply because she wanted to get a closer look at him—especially those deep purple Rinnegan eyes.
Because in her crystal ball used for divination, she had seen something that left her soul shaken.
In those visions, she had seen warm sunlight pouring down on Fishman Island. Both fishmen and merfolk gazed toward the sky with fervent, awe-struck eyes.
And in the sky was a single figure.
Shyarly had tried to see the figure's face more clearly, but just as she was about to succeed, the figure seemed to sense her gaze and slowly turned around.
The moment he did, the crystal ball shattered violently.
The last image she saw was of those deep purple Rinnegan... and a handful of black ashes.