Fujitora

The New Fishman Pirates were wiped out not long after their formation. All the major instigators, including Hody, had perished in the battle. A few lucky survivors were quickly captured and thrown into prison.

Fishman Island finally returned to peace, though many districts had suffered extensive damage, and the palace was reduced to rubble. It would take a long time to rebuild. Still, for the people of Fishman Island, this was already a stroke of fortune amidst disaster.

"I... I've really gotten smaller?"

Shirahoshi stared in amazement at her now slender body, full of disbelief.

Even from a young age, she had always noticed her unusual size. Her massive stature made it hard to play with the other children. The only ones who could really accompany her were her older brothers.

She had always longed to be like the other mermaids—to laugh and play together with them. It had always seemed like a distant fantasy.

But now, that dream had come true.

Sure enough, a size that fits snugly in one hand is the best.

Kaguya couldn't help but marvel as she flexed her fingers slightly. She could still feel the soft, slippery texture at her fingertips.

Since Yin-Yang Release could both recreate and generate, it naturally could reshape. Kaguya had used its power to restructure Shirahoshi's cells, giving her a normal human height. She had considered replacing the mermaid tail with legs, but ultimately decided against it.

After all, if a mermaid princess didn't have a tail, where was the charm in that? Besides, as long as she had a chest, everything was fine.

Shirahoshi lunged at Kaguya, eyes shimmering with tears. "Thank you."

Feeling the softness against her, Kaguya couldn't help but sigh. Even though Shirahoshi was now smaller, certain parts of her hadn't changed. If anything, they were even more appealing. Bigger doesn't always mean better—if you can't fit it in one hand, it loses its charm.

As she caressed Shirahoshi's smooth back, Kaguya gave her a few gentle squeezes. Truly worthy of being the princess of the merfolk—not only breathtakingly beautiful but with a figure that could enchant anyone.

Of all the women Kaguya had met, probably only Hancock could match her. That soft, pitiful expression made her all the more lovable.

Sensing Kaguya's movement, Shirahoshi's delicate face turned crimson. Her body tensed up, hands fidgeting as if she didn't know where to place them. She looked like a child who had done something naughty, her lovely eyes so moist it seemed tears could spill at any moment.

Just as Kaguya was about to take things a step further, the sky suddenly darkened. The sun seemed to have been blocked by something, casting the entire district into shadow.

Kaguya paused. It shouldn't be evening yet—why had it turned dark?

At that moment, everyone on the street instinctively stopped in their tracks and looked up. When they saw what was in the sky, their eyes widened in disbelief.

"Look! What is that?!"

"W-What is that thing?!"

"No way... how could something that big even exist?"

"That ship's massive!"

"It's not going to fall, is it?!"

"Everyone run! The ship's going to crash!"

"Run!!!"

Panic broke out in the streets. People scattered in every direction, tripping over themselves in terror. Many fled toward the port, some fell, but no one had time to help. Screams and cries echoed throughout the area.

Kaguya looked up at the sky, her eyes narrowing.

Up in the sky, a colossal object suddenly appeared, casting a massive shadow over Fishman Island. It looked like a ship—absolutely massive, so huge it nearly covered the entire island.

"That is..."

If Kaguya wasn't mistaken, this had to be the ship of promise—Noah. Only Noah possessed such an enormous size.

But why had it shown up here?

Kaguya narrowed her eyes as she looked at the ship. She spotted a figure standing on top—it was none other than Vander Decken.

"You dared betray me! I'll kill you! I'll kill all of you!" Vander Decken shouted, flailing his arms wildly. "You'll all die with me!"

"Him again?!" Neptune broke out in a cold sweat, his heart sinking. "This is bad. If Noah falls..."

He didn't need to finish. It was clear: if such a massive ship crashed down, Fishman Island would be obliterated.

Suddenly, a silver figure shot through the air toward Noah like lightning.

"Who are you?!"

As Kaguya landed on the ship, Vander Decken spotted her and eyed her warily.

"You don't need to know my name," Kaguya said, walking toward him. "Because you're going to die."

"Die?" Vander Decken sneered. "The one who's going to die is you!"

He pulled out ten knives from his coat and flung them toward her like lightning.

But before the blades could even reach her, they froze in midair—as if gripped by an invisible force.

"Do you like frisbee dart games?" Kaguya asked with a playful smile.

Vander Decken blinked in confusion. "What do you mean?"

He understood all too soon.

The frozen blades suddenly spun around and shot back toward him like arrows.

Vander Decken panicked, diving to dodge—but the knives homed in like they had minds of their own.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

A series of sickening impacts as the blades pierced his body. He was flung backward, blood spurting everywhere, his body riddled with knives.

Boom! He crashed hard onto the ship's deck.

Cough cough!

Vander Decken coughed violently, spitting blood and foam. Clearly, his lungs had been punctured. A pair of feet appeared before his dimming eyes. He looked up to see an outrageously beautiful woman.

"How does it feel to be used as a dartboard?"

"Heh... heh heh..." Vander Decken chuckled sinisterly. "Even if you kill me, you can't stop the ship. You... and Fishman Island... you're all going to die! Ha... ha..."

Before he could finish, a pale hand suddenly pierced his chest like lightning. Blood sprayed out in a crimson arc.

His eyes rolled back, blood oozing from his mouth and nose as he slumped weakly against the wall.

As his consciousness faded, he heard a clear, melodious voice.

"None of your damn business."

Kaguya had been worrying about how to collect all the Devil Fruits, and who would have guessed that this idiot would deliver himself to her doorstep? He practically begged to die, and such earnestness was truly touching. How could Kaguya refuse such heartfelt sincerity?

So, she didn't hesitate to eliminate him.

After absorbing the essence of the Devil Fruit within Vander Decken, the Noah began plummeting rapidly, on a direct collision course with Fishman Island's protective bubble.

This membrane was produced by Fishman Island's specialized bubble factory. It had extraordinary durability and breathability. Once installed, it allowed people to breathe inside and even ride bubbles as transportation.

However, no matter how tough the bubble was, it had its limits. A massive structure like Noah falling onto it would instantly shatter it. Then the entire Fishman Island would be crushed into rubble under the ship's enormous weight.

Panic had already broken out among the island's residents. Screams and cries filled the air. People ran in all directions, desperate to escape Fishman Island. But the nearest ships had already sailed off, and the few remaining couldn't possibly hold everyone.

And even if they escaped into the ocean, they risked being devoured by the Sea Kings lurking outside.

Just as despair gripped the people, the sky suddenly brightened. The shadow overhead vanished, and the sunlight returned. Everyone froze for a moment before looking up in disbelief.

Gentle rays of sunlight pierced through the sea, bathing the island in warmth and peace. There was no sign of the giant ship.

It felt like a dream. Had they imagined it?

But in truth, Kaguya had used "Heavenly Transfer" to teleport the Noah into her personal space. With the ship gone, the threat to Fishman Island disappeared as well.

Kaguya was curious about the mysterious Noah. Surely it had some special purpose. Perhaps it was tied to the New World or even Raftel, the fabled final island at the end of the Grand Line.

Regardless, Fishman Island was saved. Though King Neptune didn't fully understand what had happened, he let out a long sigh of relief.

Despite Neptune's best efforts to persuade her to stay, Kaguya chose to leave. She had more important things to do. But before departing, she told Neptune to change his son's name. It was too unlucky.

Tumbler Star?

What a joke. With a name like that, disaster was inevitable.

Neptune didn't quite understand what was so ominous about the name, but out of trust in Kaguya, he followed her advice.

Thus, Tumbler Star got a new name.

Yep, now he was "Hearse Star."

When Kaguya departed, Shirahoshi was tearful, on the verge of sobbing. Her pitiful expression could melt hearts. Only after Kaguya promised to return once her tasks were done did she reluctantly hold back her tears.

A crybaby, for sure, but not an annoying one.

Leaving Fishman Island, Kaguya rode the ocean currents toward the Sabaody Archipelago. Two days later, she arrived at the port.

Upon arriving at the Sabaody Archipelago, Kaguya immediately noticed signs of a recent battle. The streets were a mess, the ground was shattered and broken, and ruins of buildings lay everywhere. Even one of the massive trees of the archipelago had been snapped.

What kind of intense fight could have caused destruction on this scale?

Kaguya raised an eyebrow.

Come to think of it, the red trees of Sabaody had really been through a lot. Including the ones Kaguya had broken previously, four or five had now been destroyed. At this rate, in less than a century the archipelago might just go bald.

She walked into town and paused. After a moment of thought, she pulled out a card, pinched it between her fingers, and let it dissolve into a cloud of black mist that enveloped her. When the mist cleared, she had transformed into a petite golden-haired, golden-eyed girl—Artoria.

The streets of the Sabaody Archipelago were eerily quiet. All doors were tightly shut, and the occasional eyes peeking from windows darted away quickly, filled with fear.

Had something happened here again?

Not surprising—with the Navy focusing all its resources on preparing for Whitebeard's potential assault, the Sabaody Archipelago had likely been left unprotected.

Kaguya's eyes caught sight of a few wanted posters on a wall, and she stopped in her tracks. Turning, she walked over and tore one down.

"The Straw Hat Pirates, huh... how interesting," she murmured.

The person in the portrait was none other than Luffy, with a bounty of 300 million. Several other familiar faces appeared as well—Zoro, Sanji, Chopper, Usopp, Brook, and others. But Robin wasn't among them, suggesting she hadn't joined the Straw Hats.

The biggest surprise was Nami. Kaguya hadn't expected her to join a pirate crew. She remembered little Nami once saying she wanted to be a Marine.

"To think that after reeling in a few small fish, I'd run into a big one here. Quite the surprise,"

A deep voice suddenly echoed behind her.

Kaguya turned to see a tall, burly middle-aged man. His eyes were closed, and two deep scars ran across his face. The lines of age and hardship marked him deeply.

Kaguya raised a brow. "You know who I am?"

The man replied solemnly, "Though my eyes are blind, my heart is not. As for why you're here, and what you intend to do in this place, Artoria..."

"You know my name?" Kaguya's brows furrowed. A name flashed through her mind. "You're Fujitora."

"To think there are still those who remember an old man's name. I'm honored," Fujitora said, his deep voice resonating like a bell, making the ground tremble slightly. "But I'm afraid, if you'd like to chat with me further, you'll have to do it from inside a prison cell."

As he spoke, his hand moved to the hilt of his sword.

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