"Where are the other Shichibukai?"
Tiberion's voice echoed from atop the head of a Sea King, as he kept his gaze fixed on one of the rescued marines, still trembling and soaked on the wet back of the beast.
The man swallowed nervously before daring to respond:
"T-The other Shichibukai… all of them… already returned to Foosha Village."
Tiberion simply nodded and gave the order:
"Then we're going to Foosha Village."
The moment those words left his mouth, the Sea Kings floating in the water dove down and began to move like soldiers.
Millions of liters of water were displaced with every motion, creating waves so massive they seemed capable of sinking entire islands.
The surviving marines could barely breathe.
Some clung to the remains of the ship; others just stayed still, unable to process what they were witnessing.
The Sea Kings, creatures feared by all of humanity, were moving like soldiers under the command of a single man.
High above, Gion, still in Tiberion's arms, watched everything from above. Her face remained expressionless, but inside, a storm of thoughts was consuming her.
SHE COULDN'T BELIEVE WHAT SHE WAS SEEING!
She knew the world's legends in detail, even some that the World Government tried to hide. And now, right before her eyes, the power of one of them was manifesting.
POSEIDON!
THE TRUE POWER OF POSEIDON WAS BEING REVEALED BEFORE HER!!
"Tiberion… is Poseidon…?" she whispered, not realizing she had said it out loud.
But something didn't add up.
From what she had read and assumed: 800 years ago, Poseidon was a Mermaid Princess. That power was inherited by bloodline, and it was impossible for someone like Tiberion—a human—to possess that ability.
Unless…
Her heart pounding, she turned her eyes.
Beside him stood the figure of Princess Shirahoshi, her expression as sweet as ever, but now soaked in emotion.
Gion's eyes widened in sudden realization. In that moment, everything clicked into place.
A mermaid… a princess… the daughter of a royal family.
It was her… SHE WAS POSEIDON.
"Ehehe, hello, Sister Gion~!" greeted Shirahoshi with a shy smile and a gentle wave of her enormous hand.
Ever since she had managed to gain some control over her powerful innate Observation Haki, she could sense the emotional changes in others with increasing clarity.
That's why she instantly noticed the tension in Gion's shoulders, the slight movement of her eyes, even the way she pressed her lips together to stop herself from speaking her mind.
"Hmph! I'm not your sister. I'm Vice Admiral Momousagi of the Marines. Although now… I'm your prisoner," Gion replied coldly, crossing her arms as she turned her gaze forward to avoid seeing the tenderness on Shirahoshi's face.
It wasn't personal.
But because of the resentment toward Tiberion that was poisoning her from within, by extension, anything related to him—including Shirahoshi—was also hard for her to bear.
But Shirahoshi responded without the slightest trace of hostility:
"Ehehe, you're my husband's woman! So of course you're my sister."
!
Gion froze.
Her eyes lit up like flames at those words. She furrowed her brow hard and growled with fury:
"Say that again and I'll KILL you! I'M NOT HIS WOMAN!"
The glare she shot at her was so sharp it would've made even an admiral back off. But Shirahoshi didn't move. She just lowered her gaze, and suddenly, her expression changed completely: her enormous eyes filled with tears, her lips trembled, and her tail curled slightly.
"I-I'm sorry…" she murmured, struggling to hold back her sobs.
"..."
Gion stared at her in silence. That face—so transparent, so pure—stabbed her with a pang of guilt she couldn't ignore.
No matter how much she tried to justify her hostility, the truth was that this princess had done nothing to her. No matter how she looked at her, she was just a child: naive, sweet, completely unaware of the world's malice.
A creature that seemed incapable of causing harm on purpose.
She sighed, resigned, and let her shoulders drop, releasing some of the tension she had built up.
It wasn't fair to take it out on her. She was probably a victim too… maybe the greatest of them all. Deceived by that monster, manipulated without even knowing it. And yet, in her innocent hands rested one of the most dangerous powers in the world.
She was Poseidon!
If Tiberion managed to completely control her, if he wrapped her in his essence that she already knew far too well… then nothing could stop him!
He could subjugate the entire world, and no one would be able to stand against him.
With that thought, she made a decision.
If she wanted even the slightest chance of preventing that future, if there was any possibility of stopping that power from being used for destruction... then she would have to get along with her.
"Well then…" she said in a more moderate tone, without softening her words, "What I want you to understand is that I am not his woman. He raped me, using despicable methods."
"..."
Shirahoshi remained silent for a moment.
Then, to Gion's surprise, her face lit up again as if she had just heard something curious. And with complete naturalness, she asked:
"Sister Gion, what methods did my husband use to rape you?"
!!!
Gion's mind went completely blank for a few seconds.
WHAT THE HELL HAD SHE JUST ASKED?!
This princess was even more naive than she had imagined! How could she ask something like that so directly to a victim, with that bright smile and that curious gaze?!
It was as if she didn't understand the weight of her own words.
"What's wrong, Sister Gion? I just want to know more things about my husband. Could you tell me a little?" asked Shirahoshi, her eyes shining with tenderness and an expression so pleading it seemed impossible to refuse.
In her heart, Gion wasn't an enemy, not even a prisoner: she was family. Her "sister," for having shared the same man whom she loved and trusted without reservation.
But that sweetness, in that moment, felt like salt in the wound for Gion.
"Hmph! Ask that despicable bastard yourself!" she snapped with disdain, crossing her arms and sharply turning her head to the side.
She didn't want to keep talking about it.
"Oh…" Shirahoshi pouted slightly, saddened. But her disappointment was short-lived. Immediately, without losing her sweetness, she turned her head toward Tiberion.
"Husband! Sister Gion said you were very bad to her… Can I know what it was?"
Despite the question, Tiberion didn't show the slightest discomfort, and with a calm smile on his lips, he replied.
"Very bad? I only did the same thing I did with you on our wedding night."
'AHH! Was that it?! HOW EMBARRASSING!" Shirahoshi squealed, completely red. Her cheeks burned instantly, her lips trembled, and, overwhelmed by modesty, she covered her face with both hands while squirming in place.
Just remembering what happened that night made her heart pound like a drum. The pressure in her chest, the heat rising up her neck, even that faint ache in her hips… it all came rushing back.
Her expression wavered between shyness and a thrill she could barely hide.
But then, when she turned to look at Gion, her embarrassment turned into a radiant smile.
"Ehehe… see? In the end, you're one of my sisters too!"
Gion clenched her teeth, and her frown deepened. Just hearing her say that felt like a punch to her pride.
"Hmph! And what if I were? I'll never admit to being his woman!" she spat with contempt.
Then she narrowed her eyes and asked with sarcasm, "And what's this about 'my sisters'? Do you have a bunch more?"
Her tone turned more bitter.
"Does the noble princess of Fishman Island really accept sharing her husband just like that, without issue? Doesn't it bother you? Doesn't it hurt? Because… even if you're kind of naive and pretty dumb, deep down you must feel something, right?"
She had poured everything into those words.
It wasn't an attack. It was an attempt to reach Shirahoshi's heart, to make her come to her senses.
At the end of the day, they were both women, trapped by the same monster. If there was any hope of stopping Tiberion from taking over the world… it rested with her.
But what Shirahoshi said next… left her on the verge of emotional collapse.
"Yes… at first, I felt sad," Shirahoshi began, lowering her gaze a little, "but then, when I saw how happy my husband got, it went away immediately. I even felt happy too."
"Also, they explained to me that my husband's body is special, and if many women don't accompany him… his body might explode!" she added, a hint of fear in her voice.
"So now," she continued with a hopeful smile, "all I wish for is that many sisters are willing to help him."
And without changing her tone, she turned her head toward Gion, her eyes full of genuine curiosity.
"What I don't understand is… why does Sister Gion seem to hate him so much?"
"Sister Makino isn't like that. She says he's strong, gentle… and that he cares about me!"
Gion stood completely still.
The sweetness with which Shirahoshi spoke every word made her seem like a little angel, incapable of lying, incapable of hurting anyone. But the things she said… were tearing Gion apart inside.
She brought a hand to her chest, feeling the tightness intensify.
Was she the one in the wrong now? The one who hated without reason?
"Hmph…!" she snorted angrily, lowering her gaze only to lift it again with resentment toward Tiberion, who was still holding her firmly in his arms.
All of this… all of this was his fault!
WHAT DID THAT BASTARD HAVE?! What kind of damn witchcraft did he cast on women?! Just looking at him was already intimidating! So how the hell could so many love him?!
And on top of that, they called him "gentle"! GENTLE! In what world did that make any sense?!
Her mind, her logic—everything was cracking just from hearing those words.
It felt like she was trapped in an upside-down world.
Tiberion, on his end, didn't bother hiding his satisfaction. His smile was barely visible, but the triumphant gleam in his eyes said it all. Hearing Shirahoshi speak like that filled him with pride.
Then, as he lowered his gaze toward Gion, his smile curved into something colder.
A woman over thirty… and she didn't even have the sensibility of a girl like Shirahoshi. Pathetic.
This woman clearly needed more discipline.
That was when a small nameless island appeared on the horizon.
"Come with me," he ordered in a low voice, tightening the arm with which he held Gion.
"Shirahoshi, wait for me from a distance for a few hours."
"Yes, husband!"
"Y-You… what are you going to do to me?" Gion asked, eyes wide, feeling the flood of desperation rising inside her.
She didn't need a direct answer. She already knew.
"Do you think I didn't notice how you tried to sow discord between Shirahoshi and me?" he said in a low tone. "It seems like you're in more and more need of discipline."
"Last time, you were unconscious, so you couldn't experience either my strength… or my care."
His smile widened, turning HUNGRY.
"Now I'll make you understand why all of them end up loving me so deeply."
And at that moment, Gion's entire body melted.
It was as if an invisible wave of pheromones was released with every word Tiberion spoke. His scent, his heat, the sheer intensity surrounding her completely. It overwhelmed her.
It clouded her judgment.
She felt her legs go weak, her will falter, and her body turn unusually fragile.
"T-Tiberion Hanma… listen to me… You may have taken my body… but you will NEVER have my heart!"
"I don't need to win the heart of any woman… but I don't mind if you all end up falling deeply in love with me."
________
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