Yami was also sizing up this Warlord of the Sea, the future helmsman of the Straw Hat Pirates.
Then, the corner of his mouth lifted slightly, and he revealed without concealing anything: "I came to Fish-Man Island this time for Shirahoshi. You all just saw that gift. I have no ill intentions."
Hearing this, Jinbe couldn't help but sigh in relief. He then bowed to Yami and said solemnly: "Thank you for saving Princess Shirahoshi, Your Excellency Yami."
At this time, the three Neptune brothers also noticed Yami and recognized his identity.
After hearing the conversation between Yami and Jinbe, the three Neptune brothers immediately dismounted from their sea beasts and, like Jinbe, bowed to Yami in salute: "Your Excellency Yami, thank you so much."
Compared to Jinbe, their tone was even more grateful.
After all, Shirahoshi was their sister. No one wished more than them and Neptune that Shirahoshi didn't have to stay in that damned Hard-Shell Tower.
That's why all these years, they had never given up searching for Vander Decken IX, they just hadn't had any success.
"You're welcome. I just couldn't let Shirahoshi stay in that dark place."
Yami smiled, then raised his head and asked Shirahoshi: "Shirahoshi, have you finished your prayers?"
"Mhm, mhm... Lord Yami, thank you."
Shirahoshi nodded vigorously, then reached out her hands to lift Yami up, rubbing her small face against his. She smiled sweetly, "A small Lord Yami is so cute!"
She had been held by Yami earlier, and in Yami's giant form, Shirahoshi felt a sense of security from being protected.
Now, seeing Yami in his small form again, her feelings had changed.
The sense of contrast!
Yami reached out and pinched Shirahoshi's small face, thoroughly enjoying her affection.
Immediately, he looked down at the three Neptune brothers and Jinbe below and said: "It's too conspicuous for Shirahoshi to go back with you. I'll take her back first."
After he spoke, Yami and Shirahoshi's figures vanished into thin air.
Seeing this scene, Jinbe and the three Neptune brothers were not surprised.
It was known to all that "Black Hole" Yami was an unprecedented, and perhaps even unique, multi-Devil Fruit user.
No one knew exactly how many Devil Fruit abilities "Black Hole" Yami possessed.
But among the few fruit abilities he had revealed so far was the Paramecia-type Teleport-Teleport Fruit.
Clearly, Yami had used the ability of the Paramecia-type Teleport-Teleport Fruit to take Shirahoshi and leave, bypassing the surveillance Den Den Mushi outside the Hard-Shell Tower.
Right now, they should be back in the Hard-Shell Tower or somewhere else in the Ryugu Kingdom.
Thus, the Neptune brothers and Jinbe immediately returned to the Ryugu Kingdom.
But when they returned to the Ryugu Kingdom, they saw Shirahoshi in the palace's main hall, but Yami was nowhere to be seen.
"Shirahoshi, where is His Excellency Yami?"
Fukaboshi, the eldest of the three Neptune brothers, couldn't help but ask.
"Lord Yami is speaking with Father-King alone."
Shirahoshi replied: "Father-King asked me to wait here for you, my royal brothers, and for you to arrange a banquet."
While speaking, Shirahoshi kept looking towards the entrance of a certain corridor, clearly Yami and Neptune were in a room in that direction.
...
Inside a certain reception room, Neptune was expressing his gratitude to Yami.
"Your Excellency Yami, thank you so much for saving my daughter."
Neptune said with great sincerity: "If it weren't for you, I don't know how long my daughter would have had to wait before she could come out of the Hard-Shell Tower."
"You're welcome. The reason I saved Shirahoshi is because I like Shirahoshi."
With Shirahoshi not around, Yami's attitude changed from gentle and friendly, becoming extremely forceful: "King Neptune, I want to take Shirahoshi to live on the surface and have her become my companion."
"..."
Neptune's expression froze slightly, and he then declined with a troubled look: "That's not good, is it? Shirahoshi is only eleven this year, and her status is not suitable for becoming a pirate."
If the person in front of him wasn't Yami, and if he hadn't saved Shirahoshi, Neptune wouldn't be giving him a pleasant look.
What a joke. Asking a nation's princess to go be a pirate with him?
He had to know, Shirahoshi wasn't just his most beloved daughter, but also the legendary [Sea King Poseidon], one of the three Ancient Weapons, possessing the power to save countless lives or destroy the world.
If she awakened that power while outside, Shirahoshi would definitely become a target for the entire world to fight over, or even assassinate...
As if seeing through Neptune's inner thoughts, Yami spoke faintly: "I have an archaeologist under me who can read the Poneglyphs. I know Shirahoshi's secret."
Hearing this, Neptune's expression changed.
Then, before he could speak, he saw Yami say with a disdainful look: "Ancient Weapons... I don't know how powerful those legendary things are, but I don't think my abilities are any weaker than an Ancient Weapon."
"Vander Decken IX's Paramecia-type Mato Mato no Mi has been taken by me."
"If I, possessing the Fuwa Fuwa no Mi, were to throw an island or an archipelago at someone, how would its power compare to an Ancient Weapon?"
With this last sentence, Yami looked at Neptune with a half-smile.
Meeting Yami's gaze, Neptune instantly felt a chill and broke out in a cold sweat.
Only then did he realize that the young man before him possessed a constitution that could break the world's rules, and the means to seize Devil Fruits.
Just imagining the scene Yami described, Neptune felt a wave of despair.
This kind of monster, in terms of strategic deterrence, was far more terrifying than his sworn brother, Whitebeard.
Seeing Neptune was intimidated, Yami's tone finally softened: "No need to be so nervous. The reason I'm telling you this is because I don't care about Shirahoshi's ability, nor will I treat Shirahoshi as a weapon."
"I simply like Shirahoshi and want her to be my companion, that's all."
Hearing this, Neptune's expression eased a little. He suddenly felt that Shirahoshi leaving with Yami wasn't so hard to accept after all.
Yami, sensing the change in Neptune's emotions with his Observation Haki, knew he was relenting and continued: "Whether you agree or not, I will be taking Shirahoshi. But I will also use my name to shelter Fish-Man Island."
"...I understand."
Seeing Yami's resolute attitude, Neptune knew there was no turning back. He could only compromise and lower his head, saying: "Your Excellency Yami, please take good care of Shirahoshi!"
"Relax, she will be the happiest girl in the world," Yami grinned, giving his guarantee.
That extremely sincere appearance actually made Neptune sigh in relief.
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