Chapter 81

Amidst the shock of the people, a flash of lightning quickly streaked from the port, merging back into Arthur's body and disappearing into his back.

Arthur's mastery of the Thunder Fruit had now reached perfection. Unlike Enel, who might not have been able to fully harness the power of 200 million or 300 million volts to kill Vander Decken IX or the Sea God, Arthur had learned to exploit the unique properties of thunder and lightning to their fullest.

Even if someone like Luffy, who could normally withstand electrical attacks, faced Arthur, he would still be in grave danger. After all, even if you're immune to electricity, can you withstand temperatures of thousands of degrees?

Behind him, Shirahoshi covered her pink lips, staring in horror at the blackened remains of Vander Decken IX, who had been reduced to a pile of ashes by the powerful lightning.

"Lord Arthur, you... killed Lord Vander Decken!" Shirahoshi exclaimed, a mix of fear and shock in her voice. This was only the second time she had witnessed someone die before her eyes—the first being her own mother.

Arthur turned around, his expression calm and unbothered. "No, I simply teleported him away."

"Huh?" A question mark seemed to appear over Shirahoshi's head as she tried to process what Arthur had just said.

After a moment of silence, the surrounding fish-men and mermaids suddenly erupted into cheers.

"Great, that scoundrel got what he deserved!"

"Now, Princess Shirahoshi doesn't have to stay locked up in the Hard-Shell Tower anymore. She can finally go out freely."

"This is wonderful! It's something to celebrate. It seems we really misunderstood that human."

The entire crowd began to celebrate, their joy palpable. Shirahoshi was cherished by nearly all the islanders—not just for her kindness, but also because of the deep respect they held for her late mother, Queen Otohime.

Noticing that Shirahoshi still seemed a bit conflicted, Arthur realized that this kind-hearted girl was struggling with the idea of killing someone, even a villain like Vander Decken IX.

Arthur couldn't quite understand the mindset of people in this world. "Shouldn't you immediately eliminate the one who caused your mother's death?" he thought. "Why stay in hiding, unable to come out? Shouldn't you feel relief at the opportunity to end the threat?"

However, recognizing that Shirahoshi was just a young girl, Arthur spoke to her gently. "Don't worry, Shirahoshi. When a bad person dies, it means fewer good people will be hurt. If the bad person lives, more innocent people will suffer."

Shirahoshi's beautiful eyes widened, her pupils losing focus as she pondered Arthur's words. No one had ever explained such a simple and straightforward truth to her, and she had never thought of it that way before.

"If that's true, have my actions caused more people to be hurt?" she suddenly questioned her decisions over the past few years.

Shirahoshi recalled the real reason for her mother's death. She had been following her mother's teachings, keeping the truth buried in her heart all these years in an attempt to prevent further hatred and suffering.

But now, Arthur's words made her question whether she had been right. Yet, even so, her intentions had always been for the sake of others.

"Shirahoshi? Let's go wherever you want," Arthur called out.

Shirahoshi snapped out of her thoughts, putting aside her previous concerns. She nodded happily, boarded Megalo, and said to Arthur, "Lord Arthur, I want to go to the Forest of the Sea, where my mother rests. I've always wanted to visit her."

"Alright, let's go. With me here, you can go anywhere on Fish-Man Island!" Arthur nodded, signaling for Megalo to start moving.

With the misunderstandings cleared up and Vander Decken IX defeated, the threat to Shirahoshi was finally over.

Next on Arthur's list was dealing with Hody Jones. Once that was done, Fish-Man Island would be free from any major threats. All that would be left would be to recruit and train the strong among the fish-men.

With a solid defense in place, even passing pirates would think twice before causing trouble on the island.

At the gateway to the New World, it was surprising how uncommon Armament Haki was. The lack of popularity was one thing, but it was also astonishing that so few people even knew how to recognize it.

As for Conqueror's Haki, when Luffy used it on Fish-Man Island, most people didn't even understand what kind of power it was. It seemed almost unbelievable how little they knew about these powerful abilities.

After the people realized that Arthur wasn't a villain who had kidnapped the princess, and learned that Shirahoshi was going to the Forest of the Sea, they quickly understood her intentions. With a collective sigh, they waved goodbye to the princess, wishing her well.

As they ascended back into the sky, the innocent smile returned to Shirahoshi's face. Her mother had always loved seeing her happy and disliked seeing her sad.

Shirahoshi had not seen much of the scenery on Fish-Man Island. Because of Vander Decken IX, she had spent so much time locked away in the Hard-Shell Tower, afraid to venture outside. Now, everything seemed fresh and exciting to her.

As she happily looked around, Shirahoshi asked Arthur about the world above, as her mother had once told her stories about the land. With every new piece of information, Shirahoshi's eyes filled with anticipation and longing. The land was not just her mother's dream, but it had become her dream too.

Before long, Megalo gently swam towards the edge of Fish-Man Island, and the Forest of the Sea came into view. Shirahoshi, who had been so cheerful, began to feel a wave of sadness.

"Shirahoshi, go ahead. I'll wait for you here," Arthur said gently.

Shirahoshi nodded, wiping the tears from the corners of her eyes. "Thank you, Lord Arthur."

As she rode on Megalo towards her mother's resting place, Arthur also entered the Sea Forest. His Observation Haki picked up on something unusual.

"Is that the ancient text with the confession?" Arthur mused.

Even though he couldn't understand the ancient language, Arthur felt compelled to take a look. He remembered a detail from the original story: Gol D. Roger, the Pirate King, was said to have been able to hear the "voice" of the Poneglyphs, which allowed him to understand the message despite not knowing the language.

"Could that be some special insight related to Haki? Or perhaps it's an ability that one gains when Observation Haki reaches a certain level, like how Charlotte Katakuri can see short glimpses of the future?" Arthur pondered, still puzzled.

Arthur had always been curious about what his own Observation Haki would develop into if he ever reached its peak. What kind of special ability would he gain?

The real question was, when would he reach that peak? His current range for Observation Haki was already an impressive 286 kilometers—almost 300 kilometers!

With these thoughts occupying his mind, Arthur walked deeper into the Sea Forest.

Meanwhile, at another part of the forest, Shirahoshi knelt before her mother's grave, recounting the events of recent years and expressing her thoughts. She also reflected on what Arthur had said earlier...

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