Chapter 141

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"Really!? Father, Arthur?" Shirahoshi exclaimed with joy, her delicate hands covering her mouth, eyes sparkling with excitement and hope.

Beside her, the three princes and Jinbe shared in her amazement.

Ever since they were young, Shirahoshi and her brothers had listened to their mother, Queen Otohime, talk endlessly about the surface world. The dream of one day seeing it with their own eyes had taken root in their hearts.

And today, that dream was about to come true.

Though Jinbe had long been familiar with the surface world, both through his role as a Seven Warlords and as a member of Whitebeard's crew, he was happy for his fellow fish-men and merfolk, who had long awaited this moment.

Everyone was excited, filled with happiness and eager anticipation for the future of Fish-Man Island.

"Arthur, thank you so much! If not for your help, Fish-Man Island wouldn't be where it is today!" King Neptune said, his voice heavy with emotion. He likely thought of his late wife, Queen Otohime. After a brief moment of sentimentality, Neptune wiped away the moisture in his eyes and bowed deeply to Arthur.

Seeing this, Shirahoshi, the princes, Jinbe, and others also bowed in gratitude.

Arthur smiled, waving off their formalities. "Neptune, Jinbe, everyone... we're allies, aren't we?"

"Haha, of course!" Neptune replied, straightening up with a grin.

But Neptune's gaze then shifted meaningfully toward Shirahoshi, and then back at Arthur. Arthur noticed this, but chose to act as though he hadn't.

"Now that the Reverie is over and there's nothing else holding us here, let's go. The sooner Fish-Man Island is relocated, the better," Arthur said, not wanting to linger any longer. "But I'll need the help of the merfolk for this."

"That's fine by me," Neptune replied happily. "I can't wait to share the news with everyone."

"No need to delay it. If you're ready, then Fish-Man Island is ready to leave the ocean depths," Arthur said with a knowing smile.

"Huh?" Shirahoshi looked puzzled. "But Mr. Arthur, relocating more than five million people will take time, won't it?"

"Not really. We'll have a little help that will make it much easier," Arthur laughed.

"Do you mean... Miss Jessica?" Jinbe asked, recalling the Lion Fruit powers he'd heard about during his time with the Whitebeard Pirates. Jessica, the new Lion Fruit user, was one of Arthur's trusted allies.

"Exactly!" Arthur nodded. "With Jessica's power, we can move the island in no time and keep the environment as close to what everyone's used to."

"That's wonderful!" Neptune beamed. "Thank you again, Arthur."

"No need to worry," Arthur reassured him. "Jessica is already waiting for us near Mary Geoise. Let's go."

The group made their way toward the exit of Mary Geoise, with Shirahoshi and her brothers chatting happily, frequently pulling Arthur into their conversations. Arthur could feel the joy and excitement radiating from Neptune and his children, though he couldn't help but notice that every time Shirahoshi got close to him, Neptune and the princes grew a little uneasy.

Outside Mary Geoise, the guards stationed by the bubble pods respectfully opened the way for them. After a short ride, they descended to the town below, where Jessica was already waiting.

"Jessica!" Shirahoshi and her brothers called out, waving at her enthusiastically. After brief introductions, the group set off.

"Jessica, I'll need you to find a small island—just a few square kilometers will do," Arthur said as he floated in the air beside her. "It'll replace Fish-Man Island's current location in the ocean."

Jessica looked puzzled. "Why not just relocate it directly? Isn't the point just to move it?"

Arthur chuckled. "It's about more than that. We can't let New World become too quiet."

By relocating Fish-Man Island, pirate traffic through the dangerous underwater passage to New World would decrease, potentially changing the power dynamics in New World. However, Arthur didn't want the Four Emperors to lose their grip so easily; a delicate balance needed to be maintained.

Several hours later, the group stood on a small island, surrounded by a thick coating of water. Thanks to Jessica's Lion Fruit abilities, they were able to create a water barrier around the island to replicate the mermaids' underwater environment.

Though the island was small, it felt vast under Jessica's control. As they descended beneath the waves, Fish-Man Island, in all its beauty, came into view.

For Neptune and the others, it was the first time they saw their homeland in such a light, from a new perspective. Neptune, overcome with emotion, wiped away his tears before hurrying to Ryugu Palace to announce the news.

Shirahoshi and her brothers rushed to the Sea Forest, eager to share their joy with the spirit of their mother, Queen Otohime.

Minutes later, Neptune's voice echoed throughout Fish-Man Island, carried by the sound of the royal trumpets. 

Everyone—merfolk, fish-men, children, and even infants—paused to listen in silence. Even the babies seemed to sense the magnitude of the moment, remaining quiet as they listened to the news that would forever change their lives.

Cheers erupted across the island as waves of joy spread from one side to the other. For many, there were tears—tears of happiness.

This day would be etched into the history of Fish-Man Island forever, and Arthur, their great benefactor, would be remembered for generations to come.

A few hours later, a massive island rose from the ocean, shimmering under the light of the surface, surrounded by bubbles. It was a breathtaking sight, a fairy tale-like world revealed for all to see. Fish-Man Island had floated to the surface for the first time, marking a new beginning.