She swung her tiny fist, but the strike did no damage at all; it must be said, she was quite adorable.
"Hoo, hoo, hoo…"
The round‑faced Fish‑Man girl panted, eyes wide with indignation as she glared fiercely at Admiral Silver Serpent.
"If you've got the guts, put me down! I'll bite you to death!"
Silver Serpent chuckled as he gently teased her.
"If you've got the guts, come down and try it yourself!"
The little girl's glare deepened.
"If you have the guts, put me down!"
"If you have the guts, come down yourself!"
The two of them repeated this childish back‑and‑forth for a long moment, neither willing to yield.
Rumble, rumble, rumble…
From a nearby alley, a flurry of heavy footsteps sounded suddenly, followed by a mob of furious Fish‑Men brandishing jagged spears, harpoons, and crude blades as they rushed forward with hostility in their eyes.
"Don't let him escape! That damned human, how dare he come into Fish‑Man Street and abduct one of our own!"
"Humans are the greediest! The most vicious! The most infuriating creatures alive! Kill him! Avenge our clansmen who were harmed by humans!"
"Kill him! Eat his flesh! Drink his blood!"
The round‑headed little girl looked on with smug delight as the angry clansmen approached Silver Serpent.
"Hmph hmph! You're finished now!"
She had baited this foolish human deliberately so her companions could run for help from the adults in Fish‑Man Street. With reinforcements approaching, she believed the human was certain to die.
"Oh? You're clever, aren't you!"
Admiral Silver Serpent turned back, regarding the advancing Fish‑Men with a light laugh.
"But do you really think they can stand against me?"
"Huh? Human, are you crazy?"
The round‑headed little girl, still clenched in Silver Serpent's grip, stared at him incredulously.
"So many of us… even killing sea beasts would be enough! Can't we handle one tiny human like you?!"
"Watch closely."
Silver Serpent placed the little girl securely behind him, then crushed his fingers together in a soft but decisive motion. His knuckles cracked audibly, and he laughed:
"If the number of fighters alone determined victory, then wars would be nothing more than counting heads. But that is not how strength works."
"Is this human's intelligence not very good?"
The round‑faced Fish‑Man kid tilted her head, curiosity overtaking her earlier rage as she watched the human, who was soon to crush the crowd assembled before him.
Zzzzzzzzt!!!!
In the next instant, lightning ignited and thunder roared as Silver Serpent's power flared around his protective bubble. A dazzling silver‑white flash illuminated the entire street with searing brilliance.
"Ah!!! My eyes hurt!!!"
The little girl sat on the ground covering her face, clutching her burning, tear‑stung eyes as she screamed.
When she opened her eyes again, her breath caught in disbelief.
"How, how is this possible?!"
"Oh dear, oh dear…"
"I'm numb, my whole body is numb…"
"Help! It hurts so much!"
Nearly one hundred Fish‑Men who had filled Fish‑Man Street moments before were now lying in pain across the wet stone — groaning and trembling with shock.
Seawater around them carried the acrid scent of burnt ozone and electricity.
"Look! What did I tell you!"
Silver Serpent looked down at them with a smug grin.
"A display of one against more than a hundred. Humans completely victorious, Fish‑Men utterly defeated!"
"But… but… damn it!!!"
The round‑headed little girl bared her serrated teeth, swinging her fists in impotent fury.
"You haven't defeated me! I am also a Fish‑Man!"
She leapt forward angrily and struck toward Silver Serpent's knee.
Bang!
"Ow! That hurts!!!"
The little girl collapsed to the ground, clutching her swollen hand and rolling in distress.
Silver Serpent laughed heartily, clutching his stomach and roaring with amusement.
"Tsk, quite adorable! For the strong, a weakling's desperate, all‑out attack that poses no threat can only be called cute."
"You're the cute one! Your whole family is cute!"
The little girl hissed furiously, her voice thundering with outrage.
For a moment, she was Akiue Hoshi — a fiery, fat‑headed Fish‑Man girl with more spirit than strength — evaluating Silver Serpent with tearful, indignant eyes.
"Tsk, how pitiful."
Silver Serpent chuckled, lightly flicked his hand, and a white gleam of energy washed over Akiue Hoshi.
"Ah!!!!!"
She screamed in shock, and after a moment, realized she wasn't hurt at all — the pain she felt earlier had vanished entirely.
"Well, bye‑bye~"
Silver Serpent waved lightly and strode onward through the wailing crowd sprawled across the street.
"What on earth does this human want?"
Akiue Hoshi pouted deeply, cheeks puffed out and fists still clenched with rage. She charged after Silver Serpent, gritting her teeth.
"I absolutely won't let you destroy the place where we live!"
Silver Serpent walked through Fish‑Man Street, absorbing the chaotic sensory impressions of this dark, deep‑sea neighborhood. Houses and alleyways echoed with the sounds of fear, pain, and despair.
"Heh heh, so this is the great Fish‑Man nation ruled by their legendary king?"
Fish‑Man Street was dominated by gloom. Without sunlight, the environment remained perpetually dark; combined with poverty, scarcity of resources, and hopelessness about the future, many Fish‑Men here appeared gaunt, ugly, and emotionally worn.
"Daddy, Mama, and my sister, when will they come back…"
"Damn humans! You actually abducted my siblings!"
"Wuwuwu, my poor children, they will never come back…"
"This land has no future. We can only live forever in this deep darkness, unable to feel sunlight, breeze, or land…"
Silver Serpent's Observation Haki quietly absorbed the emotional echoes around him — fear, anger, helplessness, sadness — millions of memories and thoughts imprinted on the waters of this place.
"The mermaid royal family lives a life of luxury, shielding their princes and princesses while ignoring the lower‑class Fish‑Men. They only care about the glittering parts of their society, turning away from the suffering below."
A mocking smile curved Silver Serpent's lips.
"The Queen, someone who has never truly felt the pain of losing loved ones, believes rights are offered freely rather than seized with one's own hands. She dismisses hatred as fraudulent, inconsequential."
"She shamelessly proclaimed coexistence with humans, while ignoring the brutal truth that lower‑class Fish‑Men were once trafficked, abducted, and exported worldwide as commodities. They suffered endlessly for separation and loss, yet she still declared: coexistence with humans!"
Silver Serpent's smirk suddenly froze as a quiet voice reached him.
"I say…"
Shirogai turned his head back, his expression gentle as he looked upon the small figure who had been trailing him quietly.
He leaned in and whispered softly:
"Little one, do you truly want to shoulder the heavy burden of changing your clansmen's destiny? I can help you."
___
Support the story by sending Power Stones to unlock bonus chapters.
===
If you want to read more, there are up to 100 chapters available on patreon.
Patreon.com/ _Zeph