The banquet hall fell into a full minute of dead silence.
The air was filled with a thick smell of blood, rust… and the faint scorched odor coming from Rehn, who had been "contaminated" and was now burning with anger.
"Waa… WAAAHHHHH!!!"
The first to break the silence was Princess Shirahoshi.
But this time her cry was neither fear nor gratitude.
It was-
"Bleurgh!!!"
Her enormous body trembled inside the bubble as she stared at the mosaic-like remains in the middle of the hall. After being confined for ten years, the princess had just witnessed such an "efficient" yet utterly "primitive" method of garbage disposal for the first time…
She… threw up.
"…."
Renzo's brow immediately twisted.
"So noisy!"
"And now… even dirtier!"
He shot up from the floating sofa, his face clearly saying I've had enough.
"Neptune!"
He barked at the king, who was equally pale and desperately suppressing nausea.
"Y-Yes! Lord Renzo!"
"Immediately! Right now!"
Renzo pointed at the mess on the floor, then at Rehn still attempting "self-purification," and finally at Shirahoshi still vomiting.
"Clean this place!"
"Drag that fat guy out and wash him!"
"And your daughter too, take her away!!"
His patience had clearly reached its limit.
His wonderful vacation had first been interrupted by "noise," and now ruined by "trash disposal."
"I need rest!!"
He pointed toward the side corridor.
"Monet! Take me to that Ryugu bath place! Kizaru! You too!"
"Until the noise and smell are completely gone, I'm not coming back to this hall!"
"Yes! At once!!"
Neptune felt as if pardoned from death. He now understood, this savior's bad mood upon disturbance was ten thousand times scarier than Vander Decken's axes.
"Guards! Clean the scene!"
"Fukaboshi! Take your sister back to the Hard-Shell Tower, no, to her chambers!"
"Ryuboshi! Escort Lord Rehn to the bath! Highest standard!!"
The king issued orders with royal efficiency.
Half an hour later, Moonlight Spring.
Steam rose gently again.
Renzo and Kizaru soaked in the milky white, soothing waters.
"Maa~," Kizaru lazily sighed while holding a glass of Sea King wine, "what an… exciting after-dinner entertainment."
Renzo ignored him.
He leaned against the rocks with closed eyes, trying to erase the "visual pollution" from his mind.
"Still though, Renzo-kun," Kizaru continued, "you solved Fish-Man Island's ten-year nightmare just like that. King Neptune probably worships you as a true god now."
"So what?" Renzo replied lazily.
"Better he worship me than beg Big Mom."
"At least I only ask for 50 kilos of desserts. That old hag asks for ten tons."
"Oh my what a merciful lord~."
Renzo didn't bother responding.
Vander Decken was gone.
Shirahoshi's trouble was temporarily resolved.
The protection of Fish-Man Island had been secured.
Everything was becoming quieter and easier.
Except-
"Sniff… sniff…"
A faint, suppressed crying sound came from the hot spring entrance.
Renzo frowned again.
"Who?"
"L-Lord Renzo…"
Princess Shirahoshi had somehow come to the entrance of the Moonlight Spring.
Her enormous body couldn't enter the cave, so she carefully stuck her gigantic tear-covered head inside.
Renzo and Kizaru both looked up.
At the huge, pink, crying… head.
"Maa what a… big surprise~."
A vein popped on Renzo's forehead.
"Why are you here?"
"And didn't you just finish vomiting? Why are you crying again?!"
His patience was nearly gone.
"I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean to!"
She cried harder from the scolding but still looked at him with huge watery eyes.
"I… I came to thank you!"
Her massive head attempted to bow.
Thunk.
She hit the rock entrance.
"Ow! Waaaah…"
Renzo inhaled deeply.
He looked at this gigantic troublemaker.
She wasn't noisy anymore, but she cried too much.
And when she cried, it sounded like thunder.
Even louder than Decken's axes.
"Stop crying," Renzo said coldly.
"Y-Yes… but I can't… sniff…"
"I… I'm free now… I just… can't stop…"
"...Tch."
Renzo stood up from the spring, water sliding down his well-proportioned body. He walked up to her.
He looked up at the crying giant face.
She looked down at him nervously.
"I saved you," Renzo said flatly, "because that lunatic disturbed me."
"Yes…"
"I protect Fish-Man Island because I like the desserts here… and the quiet."
"Yes!"
"And you-"
He pointed a finger at her nose.
"-are ruining that quiet."
Her crying instantly stopped. She covered her mouth in terror.
"Listen carefully, Shirahoshi."
His voice became like a divine decree.
"Your ten-year nightmare is over."
"From now on, you can leave the Hard-Shell Tower and go wherever you want."
"Sunbathe. Play with fish. Do everything you couldn't do these ten years."
Her eyes shone with joy.
Freedom.
She was truly free.
"But-"
Renzo changed tone.
"I have one condition."
"Yes! Anything! I agree!" she shouted.
"My condition is…"
"…Don't cry."
"…Eh?"
She froze.
"Your crying is too loud," Renzo said with genuine disgust.
"Louder than Sea Kings fighting."
"From today on, during my protection period, as long as I'm on Fish-Man Island, or at least in a good mood…"
"I don't want to hear you cry. Not once."
"Can you do it?"
Shirahoshi stood stunned.
The price of freedom... was… not crying?
Kizaru muttered while wiping his face, "That's an even harder order than 'don't laugh'~."
"I… I… I'll try!"
She nodded fiercely.
"Good."
Satisfied, Renzo returned to the spring and gave Neptune, who was waiting nervously outside, another decree.
"Your Majesty."
"Y-Yes, Lord Renzo!"
"Your daughter," Renzo said, "is noisy, but… at least tolerable now."
"Starting tomorrow"
He closed his eyes and made a final decadent declaration:
"Have her come with the five mermaid guides… and sing for me."
"…Huh?!"
Neptune turned to stone.
Meanwhile, in a luxurious palace bathroom,
"AAAAAHHH!!!"
Rehn was soaking in a giant tub full of disinfectant, frantically scrubbing his face.
"My sacred face! My efficiency! All polluted by that garbage!"
"No! I must become stronger! More alert!"
"I will never allow any trash to explode in front of Lord Renzo again!"
"From today onward, I, Rehn, am Lord Renzo's priest!"
"His… first cleaner!!"