"Who are you?" Dos shouted sternly, pointing his massive hammer at Kaguya.
"Who am I?" Kaguya glanced at him coldly. "Just a small fry. Not qualified to know my name."
"You're looking for death!"
With a roar, Dos stomped the ground, causing it to crack. He charged at Kaguya with his giant hammer raised high, and brought it down with force.
Boom!
A dull thud resounded.
Dos' pupils contracted sharply.
His hammer—was stopped by a slender, delicate hand.
"Why are so many people so eager to die?" Kaguya said coldly, easily holding the hammer. "Since you want to be reincarnated as a fish, I'll grant your wish."
With that, her fingers clenched. The steel hammer, forged from solid metal, crumpled like clay in her grip, then shattered into fragments. She flung the shards casually.
Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!
The sound of flesh being pierced rang out. Blood sprayed in every direction. Dos was instantly riddled with holes and hurled backward, crashing heavily at Hody's feet.
Hody's eyes narrowed. His subordinate was defeated so easily.
Cough cough!
Dos coughed violently, his face twisted in terror. His bloodied hand clutched at Hody's clothes as he wheezed, "S-save me..."
Hody's face darkened, veins bulging on his forehead. He raised his foot and brought it down—hard—on Dos' neck.
Crack!
Dos' eyes bulged, his neck twisted at an unnatural angle. His body slumped, lifeless.
He had killed his own subordinate.
A fierce gleam flashed in Hody's eyes as he said coldly, "Useless trash. You couldn't even beat a woman. No point in living anymore." Then he turned and said grimly, "Since you caused my subordinate's death, you won't be leaving here so easily."
Hody reached into his coat and pulled out a black and red capsule, swallowing it in one gulp.
Kaguya's eyes narrowed. Was that what she thought it was?
If she remembered correctly, she had destroyed all of those things twenty years ago.
Hody's muscular body suddenly expanded, his muscles bulging with explosive strength, like marble sculptures. A savage aura burst forth, and his skin turned pale.
"Power... it's surging through me!" Hody shouted madly, eyes wide with frenzy. "Yes! This is it!"
Just as she suspected. That was the energy boost from the Energy Steroids—no doubt about it.
Officer, we got a case of group drug abuse here.
Wait, why did that line sound so familiar?
"You feel nothing!"
In a flash, Kaguya appeared in front of Hody and kicked him straight to the ground.
Everyone stared, dumbfounded, jaws nearly hitting the ground.
Such speed!
They hadn't even been able to react.
"Damn you!" Hody roared in rage, leaping up from the ground. "You dare act so arrogantly?! I'll tear you to shreds!"
With a stomp, he shot forward like an arrow, his arm swinging upward as a surge of water enveloped his fist. His muscles bulged, and he unleashed a ferocious water-imbued punch.
"Fishman Karate: Water Shot!"
"Such a pathetic trick, and you dare show off with it? Where did you get the courage?" Kaguya snorted. "Go ahead and turn into grilled fish."
"Fire Release: Great Fire Annihilation."
As the words left her lips, a searing stream of fire erupted from Kaguya's mouth. Carried by the wind, it expanded into a vast inferno, surging toward the New Fishman Pirates like a tidal wave.
Hody's pupils shrank.
The scorching heat rushed toward them. The approaching pirates panicked, turning to flee in terror, scattering in all directions. They weren't thinking of treasure anymore—all they wanted was to escape with their lives.
But no matter how fast they ran, they couldn't outrun the fire.
In an instant, the inferno reached them. Amidst blood-curdling screams, the pirates were consumed by flames.
Smoke billowed. Fire soared into the sky.
Neptune's eyes widened as he stared at the graceful figure in the distance.
Yes, it was her. He had seen her more than a decade ago. Her peerless beauty had left an unforgettable impression. But now, more than ten years later, her appearance hadn't changed at all—as if time had no effect on her, as if age couldn't touch her.
But that wasn't what Neptune was thinking about now. What mattered was: they were saved.
No one understood Kaguya's strength better than Neptune. She was someone even Whitebeard couldn't defeat. As long as she was here, none of these enemies could be her match.
The hellish screams lasted only a dozen seconds before everything fell silent. All that remained was the crackling of burning flames and the nauseating stench of charred flesh.
When the fire finally died down, a horrifying scene was revealed.
The ground was scorched black. Charred, twisted corpses lay strewn everywhere—some still in the posture of struggling, mouths agape, faces contorted in agony, thin trails of smoke still rising from them. It was bone-chilling.
"Overestimating yourselves," Kaguya said coldly with contempt.
Just as she was about to turn around, a figure suddenly shot out from the dirt and slammed into a massive valve in the distance.
Boom!
The valve shattered instantly.
"No!" Neptune gasped. "That was the main water valve!"
Suddenly, torrents of seawater burst from the ground, creating monstrous waves that surged forward and instantly submerged a large area.
Hody, covered in burns, grinned wickedly. "It's far too soon to think you can kill me. Let's see how you handle drowning."
With another roar, a massive tidal wave surged forth, engulfing the entire palace in seconds.
Just as the flood was about to sweep Kaguya away, a massive figure suddenly appeared before her. Five fingers reached out and grabbed her, quickly swimming upward toward the top of the palace.
It was Shirahoshi.
"W-Wait—" Kaguya started to speak, but before she could finish, she was stuffed into a soft, squishy place, her words muffled back.
"S-Sorry!" Shirahoshi said in a panic. "I'll get you out of here!" With that, her tail swished rapidly, propelling them through the water at high speed.
"Mmgh—"
By then, Hody had noticed the disturbance. His expression darkened. "Trying to escape? Die!"
He grabbed the surrounding seawater with both hands, then threw his arms forward. Two streams of water surged ahead, transforming into numerous vicious sharks with gaping maws, lunging toward Shirahoshi.
Shirahoshi's face turned pale with fright, her large, beautiful eyes welling with tears as she swam even faster.
But the sharks were much faster. In the blink of an eye, they were right behind her.
Boom boom boom!
A series of explosions erupted underwater, waves churning and currents swirling violently, kicking up sediment from the seafloor and clouding the once-clear waters.
"Hahaha! Pathetic humans! The ocean is my domain! Your fragile bodies are powerless here! Drown in the deep! Hahaha!"
Hody laughed maniacally as he watched the palace and surrounding lands submerged beneath the flood.
"Excuse me, but what exactly made you think I can't survive underwater?"
A familiar voice suddenly echoed out, making Hody's pupils shrink.
Not far away, floating calmly in the water, was Kaguya, watching him with a faint smile.
And behind her, the massive figure of Shirahoshi.
"Impossible!" Hody stumbled back in disbelief. "You were just—"
"Yes, yes," Kaguya sighed. "I almost suffocated earlier."
Shirahoshi's dainty cheeks instantly flushed red.
This level of water was no threat to Kaguya at all. She could survive in a vacuum, let alone underwater. She hadn't expected Shirahoshi to act on her own and try to save her.
It also gave Kaguya a new appreciation for something others might dream of—the so-called "foamy cushion" could actually be lethal. Anyone else might have suffocated by now.
Thinking this, Kaguya glanced at Shirahoshi's impressive chest. Round, full, and... how did it get so big?
Don't get the wrong idea. Kaguya meant her body size.
Those who thought otherwise, go reflect in the corner.
"Stop bluffing! There's no way a human can survive underwater!" Hody's bloodshot eyes gleamed with savagery. "If that's the case, then let me send you to hell myself!"
With that, Hody began wildly waving his arms. Streams of water visibly gathered around him and then shot forward, transforming into countless sharks that swarmed toward Kaguya.
"Water Heart Shark Pack!"
Seeing the wave of sharks bearing down on them, Shirahoshi turned pale and trembled. But beside her, Kaguya smirked in contempt.
"This? You call this a shark?"
"Your bluffing won't save you now," Hody sneered, baring his sharp fangs. "I'll tear you apart piece by piece and feed you to the sharks!"
"Utter stupidity," Kaguya said coldly. "What's wrong with you? Forgot your meds or took the wrong ones? Still dreaming of such absurd fantasies... But fine. Let me show you what a real shark looks like. Yours? Just plastic toys."
As soon as Kaguya finished speaking, she casually waved her arm. The surrounding seawater began to spin violently, forming a surging current. In a flash of white light, countless sharks materialized in the ocean.
"Water Release: Infinite Sharks."
"What is this..." Hody's eyes widened in disbelief.
Was it a hallucination?
All around him, a dense swarm of sharks appeared, baring their fangs and glaring at him with bloodthirsty eyes.
Kaguya looked at him coldly. "Enjoy your shark feast, idiot."
The words had just left her mouth when the entire school of sharks charged toward Hody.
BOOM!
A series of deafening explosions echoed across the seafloor. The shockwaves became roaring currents, tearing through everything like a storm, pulverizing everything in their path. Even the buildings underwater were shredded to pieces.
A trail of blood drifted along the sea current, gradually thinning, until it vanished entirely into the depths.
And so, the leader of the New Fishman Pirates and the instigator of Fishman Island's chaos, Hody, was effortlessly slain—not even a trace of his body remained. Justice served.
—The Next Morning—
"Y-You're leaving already?" Shirahoshi bit her lip and nervously fiddled with her dress hem, clearly reluctant to part.
"Yes, I have important things I need to take care of. I have to leave soon. I'm sorry," Kaguya said, smiling at the towering figure in front of her.
Shirahoshi was incredibly beautiful, with bright eyes and pearly teeth, adorably gentle like a bunny. But the truth was—she was just too big.
Kaguya looked up at her mountain-like frame, speechless. How on earth did Neptune and Otohime have a daughter this massive?
"I really envy you," Shirahoshi said softly.
"Envy me?" Kaguya asked curiously.
"Mhm," Shirahoshi nodded. "You get to go outside and see the world. You can do what you love without any worries."
Shirahoshi had lived inside the Hard-Shell Tower her entire life. It really was a lonely existence.
"Ah, sorry!" Shirahoshi quickly waved her hands. "I didn't mean to bring up something so gloomy. Please don't take it to heart."
"Is that so..." Kaguya suddenly looked up and said, "If I told you I could make your wish come true, would you be willing?"
Shirahoshi froze, her big eyes widening. "Really?"
"Of course," Kaguya replied.
"Then..." Shirahoshi hesitated, bit her lip, and finally nodded. "Yes, I'm willing."
"Since you're willing, then I guess I have no choice but to grant your wish," Kaguya said, sounding like a shady uncle luring in a naive girl. "But can you agree to one condition first?"
"Anything!" Shirahoshi said earnestly. Compared to that, the outside world was just too enticing.
"Are you really sure?"
"I'm sure!"
"Alright, then... can I touch your chest again?"
"..."
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