Pirate’s Achievements System - Chapter 293

Chapter 293: Shirahoshi in the Hard-Shell Tower

Inside the Ryugu Palace.

Jinbe had arrived here and was currently gathered with the ministers and other officials. His expression seemed solemn as he kept a close watch on the possible activities within the palace.

Having participated in the Summit War, he understood how dangerous Nami was. Furthermore, as a former Warlord of the Sea, he had encountered Ron before and had interacted with him.

He had some knowledge of the Alvarez Guild, which was relatively rare. It had internal rules and refrained from outright aggression, but these were just surface-level observations.

Being one of the Six Emperors’ factions and the most enigmatic one at that, no one dared to claim an in-depth understanding of the Alvarez Guild. Even though Jinbe had now joined the Whitebeard Pirates, he treated the Alvarez Guild with utmost seriousness.

After a while, King Neptune emerged from the palace, accompanied by Nami. Walking alongside Nami was a peculiar figure, about half the height of a regular person, made up of seemingly stitched-together wood and coral materials, with a slightly comical gait.

“Your Majesty Neptune.”

Seeing Neptune come out, Jinbe breathed a small sigh of relief and bowed respectfully.

Neptune greeted Jinbe and after a brief pause, he said, “After discussing with Miss Nami of the Alvarez Guild, we’ve decided to undertake a relocation…”

“A relocation?”

Jinbe and the surrounding ministers looked over, somewhat taken aback.

Neptune nodded and explained the decision further, stating that they intended to move Fish-Man Island away from this sea area and relocate it near the Alabasta Kingdom in the first half of the Grand Line.

“This is quite an undertaking.”

Jinbe’s expression also showed surprise.

For someone of his caliber, relocating an island wasn’t an unbelievably incredible feat, but moving such a great distance was quite astounding.

It was like embarking on a semi-globe-trotting journey with an entire island.

The ministers were also finding it hard to believe. “Move to a place so far away in the first half of the Grand Line? How could that be possible?”

“Alvarez(Albares) will assist us.”

Neptune’s voice was resolute and unquestionable. “This decision has been thoroughly discussed and won’t be changed. You can now inform the citizens of Fish-Man Island and have everyone start making preparations…”

As Neptune spoke, he looked at Nami again and said, “Let’s head to the Hard-Shell Tower now.”

“Alright.”

Nami nodded, and the puppet beside her hopped onto her shoulder and settled down.

Nami’s body stiffened slightly, feeling a bit uncomfortable, but she didn’t shake off the puppet. She just rolled her eyes and followed Neptune.

Neptune led Nami towards the direction of the Hard-Shell Tower, leaving Jinbe and the ministers standing in their original positions, exchanging puzzled glances.

“It seems like something major has happened.”

Jinbe spoke with a serious tone, “But King Neptune doesn’t appear to be in danger, and it doesn’t seem like he’s being coerced.”

“True, but relocating Fish-Man Island… that’s just too unthinkable.”

The ministers exchanged looks, their voices laden with concern and doubt.

…

Neptune, accompanied by Nami, soon arrived outside the Hard-Shell Tower.

The puppet sitting on Nami’s shoulder was undoubtedly the makeshift body Ron had created. Compared to condensing a body from water, having a physical puppet was somewhat more convenient, although not ideal.

Ron began to reminisce about having a physical body. While not having a body had its advantages in certain situations, it was troublesome when it came to interacting with others.

The Hard-Shell Tower was covered in weapons.

Enormous swords and gigantic axes had left cracks in the tower’s shell.

“Vander Decken had the Mark-Mark Fruit ability. He once marked Shirahoshi, and whatever he throws will target her. At first, it was love letters and marriage proposals, but gradually, it turned into all sorts of weapons…”

Looking at the array of weapons on the Hard-Shell Tower, Neptune’s face darkened, revealing traces of anger. Anyone facing a situation where their daughter was threatened would undoubtedly feel furious.

The critical issue was that this situation had persisted for several years, and Neptune had been powerless against Vander Decken. Vander Decken wasn’t on Fish-Man Island; he was hiding in the depths of the sea, making him impossible to locate.

“The lesser power of the Mark Fruit.”

The Ron puppet perched on Nami’s shoulder and spoke casually, “As long as another weapon is thrown, I can follow its trajectory and trace it back. However, if it’s too far, I’ll need Shirahoshi to accompany me.”

Though Neptune was well aware of Ron and Nami’s immense power, he still harbored some concern. After all, as a father, he didn’t want Shirahoshi to be harmed in any way.

But for the sake of eradicating the threat posed by Vander Decken, taking some risks was unavoidable.

Neptune pushed open the door to the Hard-Shell Tower.

“Shirahoshi.”

The inside of the Hard-Shell Tower was dimly lit. Shirahoshi was lying on a massive bed, sleeping. Upon hearing Neptune’s voice, she gradually woke up, rubbed her eyes, and turned on the light.

She looked somewhat surprised towards the entrance of the tower.

“Father sama!”

Forced to reside within the Hard-Shell Tower due to Vander Decken’s threat, she had very limited contact with the outside world. Any visit from Neptune or her older brothers was enough to make her joyful.

A hint of gentleness and tenderness flashed deep in Neptune’s eyes as he walked into the tower and said, “How have these past few days been? I heard the attacks have become more frequent.”

“Quite… terrifying.”

Sitting on the bed, Shirahoshi appeared timid and fragile, saying, “Sometimes I’m even awakened in the middle of the night… But with Father sama and my elder brothers here, Shirahoshi isn’t afraid!”

Shirahoshi seemed to be trying to convey some resilience, but her tone and expression were on the verge of tears, like a pitiful little kitten.

“Hmm.”

Neptune pondered for a moment, about to introduce Ron and Nami when Shirahoshi also noticed Ron and Nami standing beside Neptune.

Because Neptune was present, Shirahoshi’s surprise upon seeing the clearly human Nami was only mild, not filled with fear.

“Um… Father sama, she is…”

“I’m Nami. You must be Princess Shirahoshi. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Nami smiled warmly at Shirahoshi. Having heard of Shirahoshi’s experiences, she felt a lot of sympathy for the immense mermaid princess.

Shirahoshi didn’t sense any hostility or danger from Nami. After hearing Nami’s words, she revealed a somewhat fragile but adorable smile and replied, “Pleased to meet you too.”

Just as Nami was considering what to say next, her gaze suddenly shifted, and she looked towards the distant sky.

In that direction of the sky, a dark shadow swooped down, growing larger by the second. It turned out to be a massive black spiked ball and chain, hurtling through the air!

“Careful!”

Neptune’s expression changed, and he instinctively raised his trident.

Shirahoshi was also startled, but she couldn’t react quickly enough to dodge or evade. She could only watch as the weapon approached.

However, before Neptune, Shirahoshi, or Nami could make any moves, Ron in his plush doll form perched on Nami’s shoulder nonchalantly waved his hand.

Boom!!

The swiftly flying black spiked ball, just as it approached the Hard-Shell Tower, was abruptly restrained by a powerful force. It was compressed and deformed, its sharp spikes crumpling like soft clay. It eventually turned into a black iron sphere, falling to the ground nearby and rolling a couple of times.