Chapter 249: The Ominous Night Banquet
"Natural Water...?"
Fukaboshi repeated the unfamiliar term, pausing for a moment in confusion. But he quickly connected the words to the curtain of water he had seen enveloping the island clouds outside Fish-Man Island years ago. A flash of understanding crossed his eyes.
"Lord Louis," Fukaboshi asked, "does 'Natural Water' refer to that special seawater that brought you to Fish-Man Island?"
"That's right," Louis nodded. "Because its essence is seawater, it can stay by your side at all times, protecting you from being killed by the World Government or some other group."
"Letting it return with me..." Fukaboshi hesitated. "Is that really alright? Lord Louis, you and the others are Devil Fruit users. Shouldn't you use it to avoid falling into the sea?"
"What?" Louis's expression turned strange. "Are you saying you think the odds of us falling overboard during a fight are higher than the odds of you surviving an assassination attempt?"
"..."
"Thank you very much."
Fukaboshi, after a moment of deep thought, accepted Louis's offer. He knew that his plans were something the World Government, and even many on Fish-Man Island, would not tolerate. They would inevitably try to assassinate him or his family. This creation from Louis would be an effective deterrent.
Even if he didn't use it for himself, he could ask this "Devil Fruit derivative" named Natural Water to protect Shirahoshi.
As Fukaboshi was thinking, Louis's gaze drifted into the distance. "Is one year," he asked casually, "really enough time for you to repair that ship's power system? Or... do you have another way to make it move?"
Louis, of course, knew that the Ark Noah had massive chains and was designed to be pulled by the giant Sea Kings. He was asking this to see if Fukaboshi would hide the fact that Shirahoshi was the ancient weapon, Poseidon.
However, Fukaboshi's reaction puzzled him. The prince looked startled, then confused.
"I remember Father saying that while Noah is huge, it moves mainly with its sails," Fukaboshi replied, his voice uncertain. "And when I had people inspecting it for repairs, I didn't see any special power system inside..."
A string of questions popped into Fukaboshi's mind. He couldn't understand why Louis, an Emperor of the Sea who had seen so much, would ask such a basic question.
Louis studied Fukaboshi's expression, his Observation Haki monitoring the prince's heartbeat. He quickly came to a conclusion: Fukaboshi wasn't lying.
Even after passing the throne to his son, Neptune still hasn't told Fukaboshi that Shirahoshi is Poseidon? Does he think Fukaboshi is still too young to know?
Louis had a clear picture of the situation.
That night, Shirahoshi, Uta, and Shyarly rode the massive Mist Ship as it rose from the wilderness, heading toward the castle on the great Treasure Tree Adam.
Shirahoshi, with her long, flowing pink hair and stunningly beautiful face, leaned against the ship's edge, her eyes wide as she gazed down at the endless, brilliant streets of the city below. Uta, with her red-and-white hair, sat casually on her shoulder.
"So beautiful... Is this a human city on the surface?"
Because Shirahoshi and Fukaboshi's trip to Terra was not public, Uta had deliberately avoided populated areas while showing them around. Now, under the cover of night, Shirahoshi could finally see the human city she had dreamed of for so long.
Her eyes reflected the city's璀璨 lights, a soft smile on her face.
"Mother," Shirahoshi whispered, "the world on the surface... it's even more beautiful than you said."
As the Mist Ship slowly ascended, her mind replayed everything she had seen on Terra. The primeval forests with hundred-meter-tall trees, the endless sea of sunflowers, the dinosaurs from storybooks...
This was a world she wanted her people to live in.
Coming back from her thoughts, Shirahoshi gently cupped Uta in her palms.
"Onee-sama," she asked timidly, "do you think our people from Fish-Man Island can live peacefully with the humans here? My brother and father always said there are many bad people on the surface, and that we must be careful..."
Uta paused, then her face, no less beautiful than Shirahoshi's, broke into a bright smile.
"Just like there are vicious people among Fish-Men, there are, of course, plenty of 'bad people' among humans."
Shirahoshi thought of her mother's killer. Beside them, Shyarly silently smoked her pipe, her eyes seeing the image of her brother, Arlong, being judged by his own kind.
"Don't worry," Uta added with a grin. "As long as we're here, those guys won't dare to turn into the 'bad people' you're talking about!"
Unlike Shirahoshi, Uta had seen the world. She knew that for most people, the line between good and evil was blurry. Pirate hunters might act like pirates when no one was looking. Even some pirates might save a shipwrecked crew when their bellies were full.
On Terra, that line was no different.
"But," Uta finished, "as long as Louis is the ruler of this land, those people will only ever be 'good people' for their entire lives."
Shirahoshi was confused but nodded, taking Uta's words to heart.
Soon, the Mist Ship arrived at the castle atop the Treasure Tree Adam.
"This castle is huge..." Shirahoshi whispered, her eyes wide.
"That's because we have a lot of giants with us," Uta explained. "Louis built it to their specifications."
The heavy doors opened, revealing the grand, solemn hall inside. The ceiling was so high even a giant couldn't touch it, and a magnificent crystal chandelier hung from its center. Below it, a massive long table dominated the room, already filled with various figures.
Shirahoshi saw people she had met, as well as many she only recognized from newspapers. She saw giants who rivaled her own size, a tall figure with black wings, and many others.
The sound of the door opening drew their attention. Those who hadn't met Shirahoshi before were stunned by her beauty.
"So this is the Mermaid Princess, whose beauty is said to rival the Pirate Empress and Uta?"
"She really is just as beautiful..."
Shirahoshi blushed at the praise. Uta, grinning, led her to an open seat, with Shyarly taking a place beside her.
"It's... it's been a while, Lord Louis," Shirahoshi said, her voice barely a whisper. Surrounded by so many people, her usual shyness returned.
Fukaboshi, sitting nearby, looked pained. Louis and the others who knew her just smiled. But those who didn't—like Dong Yi, Kyros, and Artemis—looked surprised. They hadn't expected the legendary Mermaid Princess to be so shy.
Once everyone was seated, Louis spoke. "I'll repeat what I said earlier. In about one year, Fukaboshi will bring all the citizens of Fish-Man Island to relocate to Terra. The main force of the Archangel Pirates will go to escort them."
The others, except for Shirahoshi, had no reaction, as they had already been briefed.
As the chatter and feast resumed, Shyarly's attention was fixed on something else. Her gaze landed on a blue-haired girl with a halo and white wings at her waist, sitting very close to Louis.
A Flügel... Shyarly thought. I saw them in my vision. But... I didn't see this blue-haired girl. The leader in my vision had pink hair...
Fukaboshi, seeing her expression, leaned in and whispered, "Madame Shyarly, that is Lord Louis's eldest daughter, the leader of the Flügel, Raphael." As he spoke, he felt that familiar sense of strangeness. He still couldn't get over the fact that Louis, who was his age, had daughters his age.
Raphael... Shyarly's mind raced. Then the pink-haired leader... This means... the eldest daughter, Raphael... died? Was she killed during that battle I foresaw?
Shyarly's brow furrowed, her expression turning grim.
Fukaboshi saw that look—the one she only got when she foresaw someone's death—and his blood ran cold. He realized she was staring at Raphael, and he began to panic, completely forgetting that her prophecies usually required her crystal ball.
Shyarly, meanwhile, made a decision. She had to tell Louis, but not now. It would be incredibly rude to walk up to the host of a welcoming banquet and say, "Your daughter is going to die." She'd either be beaten to death or, more likely, thrown out on the spot.
Neither of them noticed that Raphael, the subject of their intense staring, had slowly lifted her head. She glanced at them with an expressionless face... then turned to look at Louis, who, she saw, was already frowning in her direction.
Just then, chefs of all shapes and sizes, led by a giant, began wheeling out carts and placing new dishes on the table.
Uta craned her neck, searching the crowd.
"Chiffon! Over here!" Uta waved, her smile bright. "Is the large Chiffon cake I ordered ready?"
The pastry chef—a woman with pink hair, a square-ish face, and thick lips just like Shirahoshi's—smiled. "It's ready, Miss Uta."
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