[147] The Truth
Bonus chapter.
[3000 Words]
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On Fish-Man Island, thousands of fish-men were led into various prisons in the Ryugu Kingdom. The prisons were more crowded than ever before in the kingdom beneath the sea's surface. The mastermind behind all of this, Hody Jones, along with his officers, was imprisoned in the royal palace's prison at Ryugu palace.
Several hours had passed since the incident, and King Neptune's messengers had spread the news that Ren, the Warlord and leader of the Sin Pirates, had subdued the rebellion and helped the king capture the mastermind.
This act of gratitude from Neptune to Ren also helped elevate Ren's status and respect among the people of Fish-Man Island, which would bring benefits to his own people. Neptune didn't hesitate in doing this, understanding the advantages it would bring.
If he were a regular king of another kingdom, he might not have done it, considering that most don't care about the well-being of their people.
Back to the main point, after the capture of all fish-men, Neptune's guards helped to release the shackles of the pirates who joined the Sin Pirates.
However, small issues arose.
Ren knew that changing a pirate's treacherous nature would be difficult, but he was prepared for it.
He slaughtered dozens of pirates who attacked the royal guards after their release, setting an example for the rest and quelling any signs of riot.
"Remember, Silver Drak, no harassing civilians as long as they don't attack you, and no assaulting women, understood?"
The Black Death looked seriously at the second division commander, prompting Silver Drak to nod sincerely, "Understood, Captain. Anyone who disobeys this, I'll execute personally!"
"Good. Now, take these."
Ren accessed his system interface, focusing specifically on the newly acquired rewards.
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¶ [-Ding! Congratulations on completing the main quest "Defeat Vander Decken" and earning: "Two Armament Haki Scrolls (Low) + Two Observation Haki Scrolls (Low)"]
¶ [-Ding! Congratulations on completing the hidden quest "Defeat the Flying Pirates" and earning: 5 Energy Drinks (Low)]
¶ [-Ding! Congratulations on completing the main quest "Defeat Hody Jones" and earning: 2 Shave Scrolls (Low) + 2 Moonwalk Scrolls (Low)]
¶ [-Ding! Congratulations on completing the hidden quest "Defeat the New Fish-Man Pirates" and earning: Devil Fruit Mastery Scroll (Medium)]
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These were all the rewards he earned from his recent moves.
Determining the fate of these rewards was easy—Ren decided to give everything to the commanders of his fleet divisions, except for the Devil Fruit Mastery Scroll, which he would use himself.
"W-What...?" Silver Drak looked at the scrolls and strange bottles that appeared out of nowhere in confusion.
"These are my gifts to make you stronger. Let me explain..."
.
..
...
....
"Can this really exist...?" Silver Drak muttered in disbelief.
Ren explained to him what these scrolls were and what they could do.
Silver Drak couldn't believe his ears but had no choice but to treat it as a miracle and used the rewards.
He gained Armament and Observation Haki, strengthened his body, and acquired two of the Six Powers techniques: Shave and Moonwalk.
"Thank you, Captain! I'll make sure to keep this between us and strive to serve you well!" Silver Drak felt grateful and more energized than ever.
The overwhelming strength surging through his body was exhilarating, and he felt deep gratitude toward his new captain.
He also swore to keep the secret of these scrolls.
But he didn't realize that Ren used his special hypnosis ability, sending an unconscious command to Silver Drak's mind that would prevent him from divulging any secrets, even if he were captured and tortured.
Ren was generous, but he wasn't foolish; he wasn't ready to risk exposing the system's abilities.
Of course, the World Government wouldn't know anything about the system itself, but scrolls that can teach Haki and other powers instantly would be more valuable than the One Piece to many people.
Although no one could use the system's rewards without his permission, would the World Government believe him? And would they truly have no means of forcing him to grant permission for the rewards to agents or marines?
It might seem paranoid, but caution is better than regret.
"Very good, go to Alabasta. My main base is there, though it's temporary." Ren patted Silver Drak on the shoulder and then gave him something.
Silver Drak was about to salute and leave, but his expression froze at what he saw next.
He saw his captain pull out several Devil Fruits out of nowhere!
"This..." Silver Drak stammered, his eyes filled with the desire to claim one of these fruits. After all, he had always dreamed of wielding such legendary power.
"Don't rush; let me introduce you to each of them."
[Five minutes later.]
"Are you sure about this?" Ren looked at Silver Drak, who was holding a gray-colored fruit in his hand.
"Yes, Captain! I'll make sure to use this gift to serve the Sin Pirates!" Silver Drak nodded, trying to suppress his excitement.
"Alright, the Glue Fruit is a Logia type and a good choice indeed. I look forward to seeing how it develops in your hands." Ren looked at Silver Drak and returned the rest of the fruits to his storage.
The Glue Fruit, a Logia type, was one of the fruits he obtained in his deal with Garp when he captured Luffy. He had offered it to his crew members before, but none had shown interest, so he stored it, and now it would finally return to the sea.
'I'd really love to see Garp's face if he saw Drak using it to strike the Marines…'
"Captain?" Silver Drak's voice snapped Ren out of his thoughts. Ren looked at him and said in a deep voice, "Safe journey!"
"Thank you, Captain!"
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"Ren-dono, I wonder why you gathered us here?"
The giant merman Neptune looked at Ren and asked, puzzled. He was not alone; even the right and left ministers and his four children were present.
They were currently in front of the cell holding Hody Jones and his officers.
Neptune ignored the strange look his daughter Shirahoshi was giving Hody Jones, who was suffering from the side effects of Fish-Man Island's national treasure, and waited for a response from Ren.
Ren had requested that King Neptune and his entourage come here, and he wasn't alone—Nami and Kalifa were with him as well.
"I've come across some interesting information, King Neptune… but you'll only understand if you hear it straight from the culprit's mouth." Under everyone's confused gaze, except for Shirahoshi, Ren's eyes briefly changed and overlapped with Hody Jones's eyes.
He hypnotized him.
"Ren-dono, I don't understand what you mean—"
King Neptune didn't like all this mystery, so he wanted to inquire further, but Ren's words cut him off and left Neptune wide-eyed in shock.
"Hody Jones, who killed Queen Otohime eight years ago and framed a human pirate?"
"...."
As soon as they heard these words, everyone in the prison, except for Nami and Kalifa, was engulfed in deep sadness. It seemed as if painful memories, deeply buried, were resurfacing.
King Neptune's body trembled, and suddenly a terrible thought crossed his mind, though he couldn't believe it—not until he heard it directly from his mouth…
Shirahoshi tried not to cry; it was harder than usual because the man who did it was among them now… She knew who… but she couldn't say it, as it was her mother's wish after all…
The other sons and the left and right ministers all had the same sad and gloomy feelings, but what Hody Jones would say next would turn all those emotions into burning rage.
"It was me. I was the one who killed Queen Otohime and bribed a human pirate to burn the box of signatures and then killed him as well."
His voice was empty, and he looked like a dead shell speaking—no guilt, no pain, no resistance.
"!!!!"
King Neptune's body shook with overwhelming rage, his massive spear in his left hand trembling from the shaking of his hand.
King Neptune wanted to tear Hody Jones's frail body apart right then and there!
Not just him; his sons shared the same feeling. They wanted to pounce on Hody Jones and his officers and eat them alive!
"You despicable traitor!!" yelled the left minister, his face contorted. He was one of the strongest supporters of Queen Otohime's ideas for peace and coexistence with humans, but after a human, or so he thought, had killed her, he began to doubt if this peace was even possible… but now he knew the truth… Hody Jones had been behind it all!
As for why everyone believed Hody Jones's confession? It was because they knew his personality! If he hadn't done it, he would insist a human had killed the Queen to support his racist stance against humans!
And what would make them even more convinced and shocked was Shirahoshi's next words…
*Crying* *Crying*
*Crying* *Crying*
Shirahoshi began crying, as usual, but this time she dropped a bomb that increased the shock among those present:
"T-this is true… Megalo saw him and told me about it a few years ago… *crying* *crying*..."
"!!!"
"Shirahoshi…" King Neptune looked at his daughter in shock, but soon a great sympathy filled his heart for his innocent, naïve daughter.
"Why didn't you tell us…?" His voice was trembling, and it seemed he was already guessing Shirahoshi's answer.
"B-because my mother-sama told me not to tell anyone, so that no one would hate him on the island…"
"My mother said so…" said Fukaboshi, his face filled with tears.
"Shirahoshi…" Neptune was at a loss; he was deeply saddened but could not bring himself to blame Shirahoshi for this.
She was honoring her mom's last words. She was only six when her mother died, then spent a decade confined to a room by some creep. She had no idea what was going on outside or how to interact with people. She was just a deeply sheltered child following her mother's final wish, and he wouldn't be so harsh on her – she simply didn't know any better.
But still, he couldn't forgive Hody Jones.
At that moment, Ren, who had been observing all this drama, nullified the hypnosis and returned Hody Jones to his original state.
"You bastard… wh-what did you do to me…" Hody wanted to scream, but his old body couldn't muster the strength. He couldn't even stand up; his frail body was so thin and weak that the chains slipped off his bony frame. A wrong move could easily break multiple bones.
He was utterly defeated.
"Die, you cursed soul!"
Hody Jones froze at the sight of an enraged Neptune, wielding his great spear and preparing to kill him.
"Hold back, King Neptune," Ren spoke up suddenly. "Calm down a bit."
Ren's gaze met Neptune's furious, hate-filled eyes. The king was visibly determined to kill Hody Jones.
Unlike the original Work, where Hody was simply imprisoned, this world had a more realistic approach to emotions.
King Neptune couldn't bear even a single moment near his wife's murderer, who was still breathing the air of this world.
"Ren-dono, he killed my wife… this is personal." The expression on Neptune's face was serious, his tone resolute and menacing.
Ren understood that Neptune was ready to kill Hody Jones, even if it meant going against him.
"I understand you, King Neptune… it's not like I'll stop you. I just want you to make it a bit more spectacular."
"W-what" Neptune was shocked by his words, but he quickly understood the meaning.
"You mean a public execution? That's fine… Exposing the truth and the real killer of Otohime will help lessen the Fish-Men's hatred for humans…"
The king regained his composure. "Forgive my earlier outburst, Ren-dono." He realized he had been impulsive before, but who could blame him? His mind had been shattered for a moment by the series of traumatic events that day.
'A public execution, huh… brings back memories,' Nami thought to herself, smiling softly. She remembered her first meeting with Ren and the events that followed.
Looking at herself now, she realized just how much she had changed.
Even her obsession with money and wealth had lessened.
But she had found happiness, more than ever, especially whenever she thought of Bell-mere, who was still alive.
"Hmm?" Kalifa wondered what the orange-haired swordswoman was thinking. It was rare for Nami to show her genuine smile in front of so many strangers.
"You damn wretch… d-do you… want to… execute me… me, the great… you…"
Back to Hody Jones, who was in a pitiful state, he wanted to curse the blue-haired man upon hearing Ren's suggestion to Neptune.
But he simply didn't have the strength!
Hody Jones realized that if the public execution happened, many things he feared would come to pass – like improving humans' reputation with the Fish-Men, which was the last thing he wanted!
But there was nothing he could do…
"Oh, as for Hody Jones's officers, I have a use for them, so no need to execute them alongside him."
Ren pointed to the defeated officers, whom Nami had overpowered. They shared the cell with their leader, assuming they'd be executed with him, but Ren's words brought them a glimmer of hope.
"Unf-unfair…"
"Ahh!!"
"Shut up, you son of a Bitch!" Nami lightly kicked Hody Jones, which was enough to break several of his brittle bones.
"…"
A shiver ran down the spines of King Neptune and his retainers as they witnessed the cruelty and mercilessness of the beautiful, orange-haired woman.
Appearances are indeed deceiving!
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"Shirahoshi-chan, I have something for you."
Ren was outside the cell now and looked at Shirahoshi, who was standing beside her father.
"R-Ren-sama..?" Shirahoshi blushed shyly upon hearing the affectionate "chan" attached to her name, but she was curious about what Ren wanted to give her.
Even Neptune became attentive, focusing on his daughter's conversation with Ren.
"This."
Ren produced a brown-colored Devil Fruit from thin air.
"A Devil Fruit…?" Neptune recognized the fruit in Ren's hand, unlike Shirahoshi, who had spent years confined to her room.
"Ren-dono… Shirahoshi is a mermaid, and swimming is an essential part of her life… especially now that she's free." King Neptune was in a dilemma; he couldn't allow Shirahoshi to eat a Devil Fruit.
"I understand your concern, King Neptune, but there's no need to worry… After all, this Devil Fruit is special in a way…" Ren smiled, unfazed about revealing the secret behind his unique Devil Fruits.
"What do you mean?" King Neptune raised an eyebrow and asked.
"I mean Shirahoshi won't be affected by seawater after eating this Devil Fruit." Ren didn't wait for King Neptune to respond but immediately showed him the proof.
Out of nowhere, a massive swimming pool filled with water appeared. Ren had stored numerous random items in The Infinity Space, so with its infinite capacity, he had no reason to hesitate in storing anything that came his way.
"Huh?" Neptune was confused and couldn't understand how Ren continued to pull out so many random items in such a magical way.
But his focus shifted as Ren dived into the pool filled with water.
*Crack~!*
*Boom!*
"!!!"
"The pool... it shattered!"
The right and left ministers, as well as King Neptune's children—including Shirahoshi—gasped in shock at the sight.
They saw Ren clench his fist, and a white energy appeared around it, followed by a loud sound as the seawater-filled pool collapsed. Could this really be a Devil Fruit power? What kind of Devil Fruit could possess such strength?
"Impossible... You're able to use a Devil Fruit while in the water!"
King Neptune finally understood what Ren meant when he said the Devil Fruits he offered were special. This reality was overwhelming and hard to believe.
If he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, he would have never believed it.
In fact, he almost wanted to doubt his senses, but he couldn't.
Everyone who heard Neptune's words was equally stunned, except for Shirahoshi, as she didn't know much about Devil Fruits to begin with.
Nami and Kalifa, of course, were exceptions too. The two beauties remained calm from beginning to end.
"Now, King Neptune, trust me a bit and let Shirahoshi eat this Devil Fruit." Ren, now dry, stood before the massive Neptune and handed Shirahoshi the small fruit.
"This... very well, I will trust Ren-dono. But I wonder, what kind of Devil Fruit will you give her?" This was the most pressing question on his mind after the matter of the Sea Curse was settled.
Though it was still shocking, he had no choice but to believe in this miracle.
"You'll find out soon. Shirahoshi-chan, eat the fruit." He smiled at the tearful girl to reassure her. "I've changed its awful taste, so there's no need to worry."
"O-ok, Ren-sama..."
The fruit was tiny in comparison to someone like Shirahoshi, so she swallowed it quickly.
*Crunch~!*
"...."
A moment of silence followed as Shirahoshi closed her eyes, seeming to process something.
Then, in the next instant, a dramatic transformation began.
Her enormous 11.87-meter body started to shrink under the astonished gazes of everyone, their mouths agape in shock.
The change didn't stop there. A white light enveloped her shrinking form, gradually bringing her closer to a human size.
The light shone for several seconds before fading, revealing a completely transformed Shirahoshi!
Her large pink tail had vanished, replaced by long, slender human legs. Her already beautiful face became even more breathtaking than ever.
As for her upper body, despite her size reduction, her chest remained prominent by human standards.
She had become an extraordinary beauty, one that could genuinely rival the Pirate Empress Boa Hancock!
[Image Here]
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To be continued....
900PS= Bonus chapter.