SailorStar9: With Chapter 168 uploaded, I present Chapter 169 this fic. For everyone who put this fic on your favorited and followed lists and/or story alerts, thank you, but remember everyone, a lot of authors (myself included) sustain on readers' reviews.
Pairings: Ace/Sasha, sibling Luffy/Sasha and Sabo/Sasha, Background Protector!Law/Sasha
Disclaimers: One Piece belongs to Oda EiichirÅ-sensei. Me, on the other hand, own absolutely nothing, except my OC, the pairing and the fic idea.
Chapter 169: Arc 12: Shirahoshi's Tears! The Straw Hats Finally Show Up!
"Boy, those two gave me a lot of trouble." Jinbe sighed. "We've wasted so much time. Let's go, Princess-sama."
"Okay." Shirahoshi nodded and the two boarded Megalo.
"Take care of Hachi, Camie." Jinbe instructed. "Go, Megalo." he told the shark who then took off towards the makeshift execution grounds.
"I already knew it." the captured and chained Shirahoshi teared after hearing Hody brag about his assassination of Queen Otohime.
"What?" Hody growled. "What do you mean you already knew that I killed your mother, Shirahoshi?"
"Father." the crucified Fukaboshi looked at his father. "Are you all right? Stay with us."
"A few years after it happened, Megalo told me secretly." Shirahoshi admitted. "Megalo was owned by Neptune's army back then and he witnessed everything that day."
"I can't believe it." the bound Jinbe was shocked. "Princess Shirahoshi, why didn't you..."
"If I told anyone...!" Shirahoshi cried out. "Someone would hold a grudge against Hody-sama, I thought. And that's not what Mother-sama wanted. That was the last promise we made with her. She told us that no matter who did it to her, we should not get angry or hate anybody."
"Shirahoshi, you..." Manboshi gasped.
"Don't tell me that you..." Ryuboshi was stunned.
"You did as Mother said to do 10 years ago and you have been keeping this to yourself all this time, alone in the Hard Shell Tower?" even Fukaboshi was taken aback.
"I wasn't alone," Shirahoshi made out through her sobs. "While there were times when I almost drowned in my sorrows, but a gentle aura that I think came from Sealed Treasure Room soothed my soul."
She tried not to harbor hatred for the one who killed her mother? Jinbe was astonished. Even though it was he dying mother's wish, it's almost unthinkable someone would be able to keep such a promise. She is such an obedient, admirable girl. And the Sealed Treasure Room deep in the Ryugu Palace... who else could have done such a thing, but Lady Sasha? Who would have thought that she was able to activate her powers at such a young age? "Stop laughing, you fool!" he barked at the chortling Hody.
"I can't help it!" Hody mocked. "Hey, Megalo? If you had cried out right there, you could've drawn everybody's attention and let them know that I was the one who did it. Si thank you for shutting your mouth. And thank you for confiding only in this dumb girl. If it were anyone else, we couldn't have come this far. You know, Shirahoshi, what you did was pretty stupid. That's what we call those actions in this world. Because you tried to stymie your hate for me, this kingdom will fall. Because of you, your father, your brothers, the citizens that refused to follow me and you yourself are all going to die. Shirahoshi."
"Don't listen to him, Princess-sama." Jinbe warned. "You did nothing wrong.
"No, it was definitely foolish." Hody laughed. "Shark Arrows!" turning, he fired off a wave of water bullets at the male royalty. Not letting up in his attack, Hody continued firing off his 'Shark Arrows' until all four collapsed onto the ground. "I need a sword." he held out a hand. "Our only concern was Jinbe and Shirahoshi, and we got them now. There is no reason for us to wait until the appointed time now. I'm going to execute these worthless creatures of the royal family." he poised the sword at King Neptune's head. "Listen you stupid citizens." he grabbed King Neptune's hair. "I'm going to proceed with the execution of the former King, Neptune, now. Watch very closely. As I cut former King Neptune's head off. Then this half-assed king without a drop of racial pride will be gone forever and the new Kingdom of Fish-Men will rise, which will dominate the pathetic humans. I'll put an end to the shameless Ryugu Kingdom. Farewell."
"Please save Father-sama!" Shirahoshi cried out. "Luffy-sama!"
Hody's sword was stopped when he spotted Megalo reacting strangely before spitting Luffy out. Less than a second later, Luffy sent a 'Second Gear' powered kick straight into Hody's stomach, the sheer force sent Hody flying back into the wall encampment.
"You're out already." Jinbe noted. "But I guess you had no choice. Hurry up, you all!"
"Don't worry." Nami assured. "We were ready from the beginning. Because we knew that Luffy would never sit tight as we had planned. Mirage, release." she released the 'Mirage Tempo'. "Is this it Jinbe?" she held out the parchment. "The letter from the Celestial Dragons? And I handed the key over to Robin." she grinned.
With her powers activated, Robin unlocked the royal family from their chains with her appendages.
"Robin-sama?" Shirahoshi blinked, looking around.
"Father, are you alright?" Fukaboshi hurried beside his father.
"Look up!" one of the Fish-Men pirates pointed. "What's that? A whale and a lion? No, wait. That's..." he stammered as the Thousand Sunny and Hoe came into view.
"Gaon Cannon!" on board the Thousand Sunny, Franky fired the ship's cannon. "Fire!"
Ace whistled lowly as he watched the wall in front of them crumble into debris.
"Now is your chance." Sasha turned to Hoe. "Hoe, go!"
"Princes, take the King and go!" Jinbe shouted, the whale stopping beside the wounded King Neptune.
"I won't let you do that!" Dosun ran forward, only to have his hammer meet empty air when Hoe hoisted King Neptune and the three Princes on his back to flee.
"What happened?" King Neptune muttered.
"I think Jinbe hatched a plan with the Straw Hats." Fukaboshi guessed.
"Fukaboshi-nii-san, this..." Manboshi gasped, seeing four glittering miniature golden statues floating slightly above Hoe's head.
"The fabled Sea General Scales of Poseidon..." Ryuboshi breathed. "But the only one who has the ability to unseal these is..."
"The one who placed the seals in the first place: the Dragon Empress herself." Fukaboshi finished. "Then, it is true; the One Queen has returned. Queen Selena... is this your intention for us to take up arms once again?" he inquired, as one of the statues, the Chrysaor Scale, floated over to his hands. The Sea Horse Scale was claimed by Ryuboshi, while the Cetus Scale was taken by Manboshi. The remaining Scale, the Sea Dragon Scale was given to King Neptune.
"Look how many people there are." Chopper remarked, in Walk Point as he looked out from the ship's deck.
"Are they all our enemies?" Usopp gaped.
"I think so." Sanji replied. "It looks like there are 70,000 or 80,000."
"No, definitely 100,000 of them." Ace corrected.
"That's a little tough, Ace-san." Brook chuckled.
"You can go take a nap or something if you want." Zoro shrugged. "I'll take care of them."
"What do you mean, you fool?" Sanji snapped.
"The two fo you never change, even after two years." Ace tsked.
"I can't wait." Franky smirked. "Let's go wild, everyone."
"Before that," Sasha corrected. "This is your stop, Ishilly." she looked back at the rescued mermaids. "You'd better get you and the others out now. It's going to get rough from now on."
"Thank you for saving us." Ishilly nodded and led the once captured mermaids off the ship.
SailorStar9: Any OOC-nes is regretted. *Sighs* Don't you just hate plot bunnies sometimes? Reviews are much appreciated.
