Chapter 223: Shirahoshi's Salvation!
Watching the Big Mom Pirates' ship depart in panic, with Charlotte Oven carried by his subordinates, collapsed on the deck covered in blood and unconscious, the atmosphere at the port finally returned to calm.
Law approached Roy and asked in a low voice, "Just letting them go like that?"
Roy stood with hands in his pockets, gazing indifferently at the receding pirate ship. His tone was calm but meaningful. "In the New World right now, pirates are constantly fighting each other. There's no need to draw aggro for the time being."
"As long as civilians aren't involved, let them kill each other first. Just dogs biting dogs."
Law paused slightly, then understood instantly, nodding silently.
Beside them, King Neptune and Jinbe looked shocked.
Jinbe muttered softly, "Couldn't you have... said that a bit quieter..."
Neptune's temple throbbed. "Discussing 'entrapment' right in front of us?!"
Roy ignored their reactions, his gaze still following the direction where the pirate ship disappeared.
But another thought surfaced in his mind: The Heat-Heat Fruit... if used in combination with Ace and the Flame-Flame Fruit...
"A combination awakening of Paramecia and Logia... hmm, sounds promising. I'll keep that fan-head in mind for now."
Just then, as if finally making up his mind, Neptune exhaled a heavy breath, looking at Roy with determination. "Vice Admiral Roy, please follow me."
Fish-Man Island · Hard-Shell Tower
Guided by guards, Neptune led Roy, Law, and Jinbe through the rear halls of Ryugu Palace to the most heavily fortified defensive structure on Fish-Man Island—the Hard-Shell Tower.
It was like a bunker built of coral rock, incredibly sturdy. The entrance was sealed by a heavy spiral door, guarded heavily on all sides.
Neptune's face was heavy as he spoke slowly. "My daughter... Shirahoshi, is hiding here."
Before his voice faded—
"SWISH—!!!"
A cold light cut through the air. A throwing axe carrying spiral rotational force suddenly struck from the distance!
"Hmm?"
Law's gaze sharpened instantly. "ROOM!"
"Amputate!"
"CRACK—!!!"
The flying axe was deconstructed instantly by spatial cutting force, turning into fragments and scattering on the ground.
Law frowned, looking into the distance, tone questioning and alert. "...Enemy attack?"
Neptune gritted his teeth and roared, beard bristling: "VANDER DECKEN IX!!!"
"Him again..."
Jinbe's expression turned grim. "That bastard, still won't give up?!!"
Neptune explained in a deep voice, "That guy has the Mark-Mark Fruit. As long as he touches a target to lock on, anything he throws will hit the target with 100% accuracy."
"He's targeted my daughter Shirahoshi and has been trying to force her to marry him!"
"When Shirahoshi refused, he kept using various weapons to try and 'court' her..."
"Because of this, she has been forced to hide inside the Hard-Shell Tower all year round, never seeing the light of day..."
"Bastard...!"
Law's eyes turned cold, hand gripping his sword hilt, killing intent surfacing in his tone. "Disgusting mangy dog."
Just then, the heavy door of the Hard-Shell Tower opened slowly with a creak.
A massive yet fragile figure emerged slowly from the shadows—
It was a huge, beautiful mermaid girl with pink hair cascading like a waterfall. She hugged herself tightly, hiding behind a giant conch shell bed.
Eleven-year-old Shirahoshi looked up, saw Neptune, and called out tremblingly, "Fa... Father..."
Neptune stepped forward quickly. "Don't be afraid, Shirahoshi."
Princess Shirahoshi raised her timid eyes, glimpsing Roy and Law standing at the door. She shrank back subconsciously, voice trembling:
"Who are those two... strangers..."
Neptune quickly comforted her softly. "It's okay, they won't hurt you."
"This is Vice Admiral Roy, one of the most trustworthy people in Marine Headquarters."
"They are here to help us."
Shirahoshi's eyes widened slightly as she looked timidly at the strange Marine Vice Admiral.
Her voice was as faint as a mosquito's buzz: "H-Hello..."
Roy nodded, his expression softening a bit, but his gaze had already moved past Shirahoshi to look out the window.
"Tsk, truly like a rat..."
His tone was flat. With a shift of his eyes, he signaled a direction to Law lightly.
Law understood immediately, his eyes turning abruptly cold.
"ROOM."
A flash of blue light, and his figure vanished instantly.
Shirahoshi remained huddled in the corner, hugging her knees, looking like a frightened sea hare.
Roy's gaze was gentle, his voice low but firm. "Don't worry."
"Starting today, you don't need to hide here anymore."
Shirahoshi froze, eyes wide, momentarily in disbelief. "R-Really...?"
Her voice was almost inaudible, like a weak bubble by the tide, carrying the instinctive fear left by long-term confinement.
"I promise you."
Roy just looked at her, nodding slowly.
In that moment, the calm aura radiating from him was like a warm deep-sea current, making Shirahoshi feel inexplicably safe. Her eyes reddened unconsciously.
Shirahoshi stared blankly at him. For the first time, she felt that besides her father and brothers, an outsider could give her such a sense of security.
"He has... such a gentle aura..."
"Different... from those fierce pirates..."
Seeing his daughter reveal a rare look of stability, Neptune said softly, "Shirahoshi... Vice Admiral Roy keeps his word."
"You don't need to be afraid anymore."
Meanwhile · Fish-Man Island Outer Trench
A dilapidated "Ghost Ship" floated in the dim current.
On the deck, Vander Decken IX, eyes bloodshot and face full of madness, was waving a large axe, roaring frantically: "SHIRAHOSHI!!! YOU CAN'T ESCAPE!!!"
"YOU ARE MY DESTINED BRIDE!!! HAHAHAHAHA—!!!"
"BANG—!!!"
The axe slammed into the mast, but he didn't care, continuing to dance wildly.
But the next second—
"ROOM!"
Without any warning, a figure appeared as if out of thin air, standing quietly in front of him.
"Hmm?"
Vander Decken's eyes widened. "Wh-Who are you?!"
Law looked at him coldly. Without wasting words, he raised his hand directly—
"ROOM: SHAMBLES." (Wait, context suggests cutting attack, likely Amputate or Radio Knife, but let's stick to the action described: cutting/slashing).
"ROOM: TACT." (Or just slashing within ROOM).
"CLICK—CLICK—CLICK!!!"
Several spatial slashes cut down precisely like hunting knives. Vander Decken didn't even have time to react before he was cut down, rolling and crawling on the deck, screaming incessantly!
"GAAAHHH—!!!"
"HOLY CRAP! WHO THE HELL ARE YOU—!!!"
"THUD."
Law kicked him over, then grabbed him by the collar. Space fluctuated again.
...
"CREAK—"
The door to the Hard-Shell Tower was pushed open. Law walked in dragging the unconscious Vander Decken IX.
"THUD!"
He tossed Vander Decken casually onto the ground, saying coldly, "Handled."
Shirahoshi, Neptune, and Jinbe widened their eyes simultaneously!
"Va-Vander Decken...?!!" Shirahoshi covered her mouth, voice trembling.
Neptune looked at the unrecognizable Vander Decken on the ground in shock, then at Roy. "Vice Admiral Roy... this..."
Roy said indifferently, "From today on, he won't harass Princess Shirahoshi anymore."
Shirahoshi stared blankly at Roy, the fear in her eyes gradually replaced by hope.
"Really... I don't have to hide anymore? I can go out?"
Her tears flowed uncontrollably, but this time...
They were tears of joy.
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