Shirahoshi gazed at the royal palace from her memories. Everything was so familiar, so precious, that she couldn't help but bow deeply. "Thank you for your help, Arima-sama!"
Arima felt a genuine fondness for this innocent mermaid princess.
Cradling Yuna in his arms, he smiled and said, "You and Yuna are the same in my eyes. I'm happy to help you, no need to thank me again."
Yuna slipped free from her father's embrace, leapt lightly, and in just a few steps landed on Shirahoshi's shoulder. Leaning close to her ear, she whispered:
"Shirahoshi, my father's favorite thing to do is help others! Besides, that bad guy was awful. Aunt Kushina was right to teach him a lesson!"
Shirahoshi was deeply moved. She could feel Yuna's genuine concern for her, and for the first time in her life, she felt the warmth of true friendship.
Tears welled in her eyes, spilling down in huge drops that almost splashed onto little Yuna.
"I'm so sorry, Yuna! It's… it's my fault!" Shirahoshi said guiltily.
"It's fine, Shirahoshi. We're friends now, aren't we? Don't worry about it so much!" Yuna replied with a bright, teasing grin.
Watching the scene, both Arima and Tsunade couldn't help but chuckle. It almost looked as though Yuna were the big sister, and Shirahoshi the timid little one in need of protection.
"Arima," Tsunade said suddenly, her sharp eyes narrowing. "You noticed something just now, didn't you?"
She knew her husband too well, not a flicker of emotion on his face escaped her notice.
"Let's talk outside," Arima replied, taking her hand.
They walked to a quiet spot away from the others.
"Tsunade, do you remember the three ancient weapons I mentioned before?"
"Mm," she nodded.
"When we were negotiating with the Revolutionary Army, you told me about them, ancient weapons from a forgotten era, each capable of destroying the world: Pluton, Poseidon, and Uranus."
"Then you should remember what Poseidon represents."
Tsunade thought for a moment, then said, "Poseidon… the Sea King?"
"Right. The one who can communicate with the Sea Kings themselves. You've probably guessed who holds that power now."
"Wait, Shirahoshi? Oh… I see now. No wonder that man was so obsessed with marrying her, it wasn't just for her beauty!" Tsunade said, realization dawning.
"Exactly. That terrifying power was awakened once before, when Queen Otohime was killed. It was then that he set his sights on Shirahoshi. I plan to take her to Skypiea.
The World Government once sent CP0 to investigate Fishman Island, but they came back empty-handed.
Still, as Shirahoshi grows, that power will inevitably surface again, and when it does, it'll bring not salvation, but disaster."
"Did you learn all this from those CP0 agents you interrogated?"
Arima nodded.
"Then maybe we should ask Shirahoshi what she wants. She's never left Fishman Island," Tsunade suggested.
"I've already spoken privately with Neptune. He's agreed to let me take her."
"Then how about setting up a spatial gate here, linking directly to Skypiea? That way, if anything happens, we can respond immediately."
"That's a good idea," Arima agreed. "We'll set the gate inside the Hard-Shell Tower. But I'm worried word might leak out. If fighting breaks out, Fishman Island could be destroyed."
"That's easy enough to fix," Tsunade replied with a grin.
"Kushina and Natsuka still haven't had their fill of sightseeing. Let them stay here for a while. If anything happens, they can act at once."
"Then I'll let Whitebeard know first."
Arima pulled out a Den Den Mushi from his Kamui space and dialed Whitebeard's frequency.
"Oi, who's this?" came a hearty, booming voice from the snail.
"Whitebeard, it's Arima."
"Gurararara! Arima, eh? You're quite the name lately. I've been wanting to meet you myself!" Whitebeard roared with laughter.
"I'd love to visit you someday too. By the way, I got this Den Den Mushi from Shanks," Arima said with a smile.
"Gurarara! That brat Shanks, he still owes me a few barrels of good rum! If you come, I'll throw a feast with my sons to welcome you properly!"
"Then I'll take you up on that. I'm on Fishman Island right now with my family. Only just found out it's part of your territory."
"Fishman Island, eh? Been ages since I last went there. A fine place, that one. Don't worry, I get your meaning. Enjoy yourself, I can afford a bit of generosity!"
"As expected of the great Whitebeard of the seas. I'll bring some fine sake from my homeland when I come visit."
"Gurararara! Then it's settled. I'll be waiting!"
Whitebeard hung up, his spirits lifted. He gulped down a few more massive bowls of sake, laughing heartily.
"Pops, you shouldn't drink so much, it's bad for your health!" Marco hurried over to stop him.
"Gurarara! This little bit of booze won't hurt me! …Just now, I spoke with Arima. He's an interesting one. I'd love to cross blades with him someday!"
"I thought he was in the East Blue? It'll take him ages to reach the New World."
"He's not in the East Blue, he's on Fishman Island right now! The kid moves like a ghost.
No wonder he managed to rob the Celestial Dragons' treasure vault clean. Seeing those arrogant bastards brought down a peg, that warmed my old heart for months!"
Chuckling, Whitebeard took another hearty swig.
"Oh? Fishman Island? Pops, you think he's headed for the New World? Maybe he's after Big Mom's crew?"
"Could be. Hard to say with that one, he's unpredictable. But if he really goes to Totto Land, I'd bet Big Mom's crew won't stand a chance!"
Whitebeard didn't particularly care about Big Mom, but he couldn't help feeling a hint of pity for her.
"Pops, you think he'd ever attack our Whitebeard Pirates?" Marco asked. He didn't know much about Arima and couldn't read his intentions.
"Gurarara! Relax, Marco. As long as I'm here, no one will ever harm my family!"
Marco scratched his head sheepishly. "You're right, Pops. Guess I was overthinking it. The Whitebeard Pirates fear nothing!"
"Yeah! Long live Pops! The Whitebeard Pirates fear no one!" the other division commanders shouted, raising their fists high.
…
After hanging up, Arima gathered his family and explained his decision to create a spatial gate on Fishman Island.
Naturally, Natsuka, Kushina, Yuna, and the other girls were overjoyed. Even Nawaki seemed reluctant to leave, apparently, he'd taken quite a liking to a mermaid girl named Ishiri.
After bidding farewell to Neptune, Arima led everyone back to the Hard-Shell Tower, where he constructed the gleaming space portal deep inside.
The miraculous sight left Shirahoshi completely awestruck, her mouth falling open in wonder.
Following Yuna's guidance, she stepped through the portal, and in the blink of an eye, she found herself in a world beyond imagination.
The clouds beneath her feet were solid like coral, the endless sky above crystal clear and boundless.
The sunlight was warm, the breeze gentle. For Shirahoshi, it felt like stepping straight into a fairy tale.
"So this… is the world above the sea?" she murmured, running her fingers through the soft white clouds.
"Hehe, Shirahoshi, this isn't on the sea, it's above it! Ten thousand meters high! This is Skypiea, our home, the Land of Konoha."
Yuna snuggled comfortably against Shirahoshi's chest, soft, warm, and far more comfortable than any bed.
"Can I come here again?" Shirahoshi asked eagerly.
"Of course, "
But before she could finish, Yuna's face suddenly turned serious.
Seeing that expression, Shirahoshi's lips trembled, her heart tightening with a pang of sadness.
Then Yuna burst into a playful grin. "Hehe, I like you, Shirahoshi! You're welcome here anytime!"
Shirahoshi smiled through her tears. "Yuna, you're the best!"
Arima watched the two girls laughing together and said to Tsunade, "Shirahoshi's heart is pure, like a blank canvas. Even when Yuna teases her, she never gets upset."
"Now she's like the youngest in our family," Tsunade replied softly, leaning against his arm.
"Only in times of peace can children live so freely."
Holding her close, Arima looked at the laughing girls, a rare sense of tranquility filling his chest.
"Let's go," he said quietly. "We still need to settle things with Big Mom. I won't leave that threat behind."
Tsunade nodded. Hand in hand, they vanished from Skypiea, leaving Yuna, Shirahoshi, and the others to play in blissful innocence, unaware of the storm soon to come.