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The flames dancing in the air seemed determined to burn away all of Queen Otohime's hopes. Watching as the signed petitions were consumed by fire, her heart was torn apart, and for a moment, she stood frozen, unsure of what to do.
"Quick, put out the fire! Those are incredibly important documents!"
After a few seconds of shock, Queen Otohime finally reacted.
With a look of urgency, she completely disregarded her own safety and rushed toward the flames.
"No, Your Majesty! It's too dangerous! Please stay back and let us handle the fire!"
The accompanying guards immediately stepped in, blocking Queen Otohime's path.
Their orders were strict—under no circumstances could they allow any harm to come to her!
"This is no time for that! Move aside! We cannot let the efforts of the people go up in smoke!"
Queen Otohime grabbed a bucket of water from the hands of one of the guards and, without hesitation, poured it over herself.
Barely obtaining a thin layer of protection, she charged into the flames, enduring the searing pain as her hands were burned by the fire, carefully cradling the petitions that had been half-burned.
Even though she knew it was a futile effort, her determination pushed her to do something—anything.
For the future of Fish-Man Island, she didn't care if she died in the process!
The sudden fire threw the entire plaza into chaos, with Fish-Man Island residents either fleeing or running to fetch water, turning the scene into utter pandemonium.
Zyhark stood calmly in a corner, observing the familiar sight of Queen Otohime's desperate struggle with indifference.
If everything went according to plan, then at this moment...
His Observation Haki quietly spread out, covering the entire plaza.
Soon, Zyhark detected a human and a fish-man soldier armed with a spear on a hill at the edge of the plaza.
That was Hody Jones, the future captain of the New Fish-Man Pirates, who harbored extreme hatred for humans and was the mastermind behind this "accident"!
Despite knowing what was about to happen, Zyhark remained expressionless, making no move to intervene.
While Fish-Man Island's overall combat strength was average on land, it could play a significant strategic role in most of the seas, making it a valuable ally.
To win over this force, the simplest and most straightforward way was to appear at the critical moment!
Moreover, letting these people who lived 10,000 meters under the sea see the darker side of humanity wasn't necessarily a bad thing.
"I didn't expect the king of Fish-Man Island to be such an idiot, and the queen too," Aqua muttered, her eyes fixed on Queen Otohime's blackened hands, showing an uncharacteristic seriousness.
As she grumbled, she took a step forward, a pale blue magic circle glowing beneath her feet.
After all, she was the Goddess of Water. Seeing these merfolk in such dire straits, she decided to lend a hand.
However, just as she was about to act, Zyhark, who had anticipated this, reached out and pulled her back beside him. "Not yet, Aqua."
"What do you mean?" Aqua blinked in confusion.
Thinking Zyhark was worried she might cause trouble, she waved her hand confidently. "Don't worry, Zyhark, I'm going to do something super serious and good!"
"I know, so just stay put for now."
"???"
The clueless goddess scratched her head, her expression adorably bewildered.
With Zyhark's firm tone, King and Meowth, who weren't particularly warm-hearted, kept silent. As for Kanna, she was purely focused on trying to get a better view of the scene, bouncing around with excitement.
—In her human form, she was still too small.
After successfully stopping Aqua, Zyhark then lifted Kanna and placed her on his shoulder.
"Thanks, Zyhark~" Kanna chirped, her view finally unobstructed.
As the unexpected situation unfolded, Jinbei, who had been following them, quickly excused himself and rushed to help extinguish the fire.
Although he hadn't explicitly stated it, Jinbei, who hoped for a better future for Fish-Man Island, leaned towards supporting Queen Otohime's efforts.
Just as Jinbei arrived at the scene, a gunshot rang out, silencing the chaotic commotion in an instant.
What followed was a deathly silence.
A splash of crimson blood flew through the air as Queen Otohime, who had been frantically trying to save the petitions, was shot and collapsed, her face pale, into a pool of blood.
"Your Majesty!"
"Who was it?! Who fired that shot?!"
Everyone was shocked by the sudden attack, their eyes wide with fear and anger as they turned to look in the direction of the gunshot.
There stood a filthy pirate, trembling as he held a flintlock pistol, the cold muzzle still emitting faint traces of smoke.
"A human! A damned human!!"
"That bastard pirate shot Queen Otohime!!"
"Kill him! We must kill this damned human!"
Immediately, the crowd was filled with rage. Whether guards or civilians, their hatred for humans skyrocketed in an instant.
"Mother!!!"
Princess Shirahoshi and her two brothers, who had arrived on the Shark Submarine, witnessed this heart-wrenching scene firsthand.
The three siblings stumbled as they ran to Queen Otohime's side.
"Humans! It's humans again! I swear I'll tear them apart!!!"
The eldest prince, Fukaboshi, clenched his fists so tightly that veins bulged on his forehead, his shark teeth bared in a ferocious expression completely opposite to his usual gentle demeanor.
"Fukaboshi, calm down. Don't make such a terrifying face."
Queen Otohime turned her head, her voice gentle but weak.
She did not blame the human who shot her; instead, she immediately sought to calm her children's emotions.
"But Mother!"
Fukaboshi, whose eyes were bloodshot, knew all too well the efforts his mother had made. Despite his young age, he forced himself to breathe steadily, trying to regain his composure.
"Mother... Mother..."
Shirahoshi curled up in a corner, her pupils glazed over with tears, her massive body trembling uncontrollably.
Having witnessed her mother fall right before her eyes, her mental defenses were on the verge of collapse.
Knowing the severe consequences if Shirahoshi lost control, the two princes, despite their own deep sorrow, quickly ran over and made all sorts of silly, exaggerated faces.
They desperately tried to calm their sister, who had the power to summon giant Sea Kings.
Their tear-filled efforts were not in vain. Shirahoshi, still very much a child at heart, sniffled and began to calm down.
As the three siblings scrambled in confusion, on the hilltop overlooking the plaza, the mastermind behind this attack, Hody Jones, slowly stood up.
"Heh, well done, you filthy human pirate."
Hody Jones retracted the spear he had pressed against the pirate's back, then grabbed the man with his large hand.
Just as this human-hating fish-man cleared his throat, ready to step into the public eye and make a declaration of hostility...
Zzzap! From the sky above Fish-Man Island, 10,000 meters beneath the sea, a never-before-heard rumbling thunder echoed.
Then, a massive bolt of lightning struck down, precisely hitting Hody Jones and the pirate...
Reducing them to ashes!
"Zyhark the Thunder!"
Jinbei, who was rushing over, halted, looking up sharply at Zyhark, who stood amidst the crowd.
Having attended the meeting in Mary Geoise, Jinbei was naturally well aware of Zyhark's powers and instantly recognized the source of the lightning!
Crash, crash.
Under the overwhelming power of the lightning, the fragile coral mountain shattered, crumbling into countless pieces that fell to the ground.
The loud noise left the entire crowd stunned once more.
"It's your turn now, Aqua. Go do what you were about to do earlier."
Zyhark clapped his hands, pushing Aqua forward.
Compared to doing it himself, letting Aqua, with her natural affinity for the sea, play the role of "savior" had greater benefits.
"Damn it, Zyhark! What do you take this goddess for?!"
Aqua was clearly displeased with being bossed around like that.
Despite her complaints, she stepped forward, waving her goddess staff toward the center of the plaza where Queen Otohime lay.
Hum.
A brilliant blue magic circle slowly appeared above the plaza, tracing out intricate patterns.
"You idiot! What are you doing?!" Zyhark's face twitched.
"Didn't you tell me to do what I was about to do earlier? I was going to use a flood to put out the fire!" Aqua declared firmly.
"...So this is your idea of a 'super serious good deed'? Are you serious? You're serious, right?!"
After some stern "guidance" from Zyhark, the foolish goddess finally realized that saving people should come first.
Seeing another human approaching Queen Otohime, the enraged guards and residents quickly stood up, exuding intense hostility.
They initially intended to vent all their anger on the blue-haired woman before them, tearing her to pieces.
But for some reason, when the clear water began to flow around Aqua and the soft, holy blue light shone from her, the overwhelming hatred in their hearts dissipated.
Almost instinctively, as if driven by their oceanic nature, they lowered their weapons and opened a path straight to the plaza's podium for Aqua.
Surrounded by the densely packed fish-men and merfolk, Aqua's light, graceful steps made her look like a true goddess.
The Goddess of Water was in full display!
Under countless gazes, Aqua smoothly approached Queen Otohime.
Whoosh! A golden trident suddenly blocked her path.
"Human, no matter what your intentions are, you'd better not get close to my mother!" Shark Star shouted angrily.
"You stupid fish, get out of the way for this goddess!" Aqua's response immediately shattered the rare sacredness of the moment.
"Let her through, Fukaboshi. I feel a warmth and kindness from her," Queen Otohime, still lying on the ground, spoke gently, persuading Fukaboshi to step back.
Her Observation Haki was strong enough to easily sense the complex emotions of those around her.
"You're an idiot, Fukaboshi. You can't even tell friend from foe," Aqua taunted as Fukaboshi's eyes widened in fury. Just as he was about to retaliate, the sight before him made his pupils contract in shock.
The blue-haired human merely waved her hand, and a radiant blue light enveloped Queen Otohime's bullet wound.
The blue light shimmered briefly and then disappeared. When it had faded, Queen Otohime's fatal injury was completely healed, and even the blood-stained pale skin had returned to its original state!
For the foolish goddess who could even use resurrection magic, this level of healing was nothing at all!
"All done! And just so you know, this goddess doesn't provide free treatment. The payment is one crate—no, two crates of fine wine!" Aqua quickly held up two fingers, stating her demands, fearing that Zyhark might interfere.
This upfront request for wine was something she had long wanted to do, given her lack of a personal stash of money!
She was slightly overthinking it, as Zyhark was already quietly standing behind Princess Shirahoshi, smiling while holding down the shoulder of a sleazy-looking fish-man.
"You'd better not do anything extra, Flying Pirates, Vander Decken."
"Wh-who are you?!" Vander Decken stammered in terror.
He had been planning to take advantage of the chaos to kidnap Shirahoshi but hadn't even realized when this person appeared!
More importantly, as a robust tiger shark fish-man, he felt a palpable sense of death looming over him.
It was a primal instinct!
"No need to ask questions. Just understand that if you make a move, you'll die on the spot," Zyhark continued to smile with a chilling calm.
"N-no, you've got it all wrong! I would never think of something so dirty!"
Vander Decken forced a grin.
"Then scram."
"Right away!"
Relieved, Vander Decken turned and fled.
It wasn't until he had escaped to a secluded area far from the crowd that a bolt of lightning struck down, obliterating him on the spot.
Zyhark had no sympathy for scum like him; the only reason he hadn't acted sooner was to avoid scaring the still-childlike Princess Shirahoshi.
Meanwhile, Aqua, who had just saved Queen Otohime, easily secured three crates of fine wine.
She returned to Zyhark's side, hopping with joy.
"Jackpot, jackpot!"
Aqua boasted proudly, "Zyhark, this goddess is now the proud owner of her very own wine cellar!"
Easily satisfied, this foolish goddess…
Zyhark silently mused, glancing over the shocked and awestruck merfolk and fish-men.
After saving the beloved Queen Otohime, the next steps would be much simpler.
With the facts laid bare and Aqua's natural advantage as the Goddess of Water, winning over these simple-minded believers was a matter of course.
After this event, the residents of Fish-Man Island had a more nuanced understanding of humans.
—Not all were purely evil, nor were they all good; humans were a complex race that required careful observation over time to judge!
The bad news was that many people withdrew their signatures from the petitions.
The good news was that they now had a more comprehensive understanding of humans and would be more cautious in considering the feasibility of moving to the surface.
And so, the incident of Queen Otohime's assassination was resolved relatively perfectly.
(End of Chapter)