Anime Girls are Moist

Chapter 1157 1,156: Next Stop, Vegapunk!

Beneath the sea, ten thousand meters down, sunlight filtered through the bubble membrane and spilled across Fish-Man Island's coral reefs.

The harbor, which should have been bustling with noise, was now so silent you could hear a pin drop.

The pirate alliance that had been churning up the sea moments ago, along with the remnants of the Marines who had been looting amid the chaos, and even their warships, had all been reduced to drifting dust in the seawater in the blink of an eye, without leaving behind the slightest trace.

Rei Ao's figure faded from the sky above, leaving only his voice echoing beneath the dome of Fish-Man Island.

"Shirahoshi is mine from now on. Fish-Man Island is under my protection. Anyone who has a problem with that can sink to the trench and feed the Sea Kings."

The entire island remained locked in dead silence.

On the balcony of Ryugu Palace, King Neptune's massive body swayed. He had to brace himself with his tail against the ground just to stay upright.

The hand gripping his trident bulged with veins, his knuckles turning white.

That sentence was still ringing in his ears, while shock, fury, and helplessness surged through his chest so violently he could barely breathe.

The treasured daughter he had protected in the palm of his hand for over ten years had just been publicly claimed like that?

"Father!"

Prince Fukaboshi hurried forward to steady him, his brows tightly knit as he lowered his voice.

"That man is far too arrogant. Should we—"

"Enough."

Neptune cut him off, his voice hoarse, like stone grinding against stone.

His gaze stayed locked on the direction of the Hard-Shell Tower, every muscle in his body drawn tight.

He had seen it clearly just now.

Dozens of pirate warships equipped with heavy cannons, along with two great pirates worth over a billion berries each, had been wiped out without even the chance to lift a hand in front of Rei Ao.

That kind of power was simply beyond anything Fish-Man Island could resist.

Forget rebellion. Even one disrespectful word might be enough to turn this thousand-year-old island into ruins on the ocean floor in an instant.

Ryuboshi and Manboshi exchanged a glance, and both saw the same horror in each other's eyes.

They had wanted to rush forward too, but just a trace of the aura leaking from Rei Ao had been enough to suppress them so completely they couldn't even use Fish-Man Karate.

That overwhelming difference in existence itself left them utterly incapable of even thinking about resistance.

"Father, are we... really just going to let this go?"

Fukaboshi still could not accept it, and asked through clenched teeth.

Neptune closed his eyes and let out a long sigh, slapping his tail heavily against the floor.

"Let it go? And if we don't, what then? That man's power is already far beyond our understanding."

"If he can wipe out invading enemies with a casual gesture, then he can wipe us out just as easily."

"As long as he can protect Shirahoshi and protect Fish-Man Island, what other choice do we have?"

He knew it very well. From the moment Rei Ao spoke, the fate of Fish-Man Island had already been tied to that mysterious man.

Inside the Hard-Shell Tower, in a palace carved from coral, the attendants moved about lightly with trays of fruit and pastries in their hands.

Shirahoshi sat on her giant shell bed, watching the situation outside through a visual Den Den Mushi. There were still faint traces of moisture clinging to her long lashes.

Just then, the air twisted slightly, and Rei Ao's figure appeared without warning in the center of the hall.

"Ah!"

The attendants shrieked in fright. The trays slipped from their hands and hit the ground with clatters, fresh sea fruits rolling everywhere as they dropped to their knees, trembling all over.

Shirahoshi's body trembled lightly as well, her gaze falling on Rei Ao, who had suddenly appeared.

Her eyes were full of admiration and gratitude so deep they seemed impossible to dissolve, while the tip of her tail carried the faintest trace of shyness.

Through the projection just now, she had seen everything clearly—how Rei Ao had effortlessly saved Fish-Man Island, how he had blocked those fearsome enemies with ease.

And that declaration that had resounded across the entire island still had her cheeks burning.

Clutching the hem of her dress, she lowered her head slightly. Her voice was soft and delicate, with the faintest, almost imperceptible tremor in it.

"Th-Thank you... Rei Ao-sama..."

The moment the words left her lips, her heart began racing even faster.

She understood it clearly in her heart. It was the man before her who had stepped forward when Fish-Man Island was at its most desperate, who had saved her father, saved her three brothers, and saved all the people of the island.

It was also he who had given Fish-Man Island a form of protection it had never known before.

From this day on, no Celestial Dragons would ever come to abduct them again. No pirates would ever come to plunder them again. They would never again have to live in fear and anxiety.

She did not know how she could ever repay such a debt.

At her words, a faint smile curved Rei Ao's lips as he slowly walked to her side.

He raised a hand, and his fingertips gently came to rest atop her head, softly stroking down through her hair.

"There's no need to thank me."

His voice was gentle, but carried a certainty that allowed no doubt.

"After all, from today onward, you are my very own mermaid."

Shirahoshi's face instantly grew even hotter. She practically buried her head into her chest, her long lashes trembling nonstop, her breathing turning shallow, yet she did not dare avoid his touch.

It felt as though a little fish were darting wildly around inside her chest—sweet, flustered, and a little panicked all at once.

She did not know how to respond to those words, so in the end she could only give a tiny, quiet hum of acknowledgment.

By the coral pillar nearby, Gion stood leaning there with her arms crossed, her wine-red hair falling over her shoulders as the heels of her shoes tapped lightly against the smooth floor.

Watching the scene, she rolled her eyes without the slightest attempt to hide it.

Inside, she was furiously complaining: This shameless playboy just dragged me away, and now he's already here flirting with another young woman on Fish-Man Island.

One minute he's turning the World Government upside down, and the next he's busy building a harem. What exactly is his brain made of?

His strength was absurd, and his womanizing was just as absurd.

A moment later.

Above the sea surface, ten thousand meters overhead, Rei Ao and Gion appeared out of thin air.

The seawater around them automatically parted, without even a single splash rising.

Looking at the magnificent ocean below, Gion could not help asking,

"Go on, then. Where are we heading this time? Don't tell me you really plan to take every woman on this sea who catches your eye?"

Rei Ao smiled. His fingertips brushed across the sea's surface, and an invisible force instantly frightened the Sea King charging toward them into turning around and fleeing.

"Not quite. Only the ones who suit my taste."

He spoke lazily.

"The World Government just fell, and the whole sea is a mess right now. The Four Emperors won't be jumping around for much longer, and the Revolutionary Army is scrambling everywhere to seize territory. We might as well find something entertaining to do."

"I've heard Vegapunk's Egghead Island is pretty interesting—packed with futuristic tech, and a few interesting people too. Let's go take a look."

"Egghead Island?" Gion froze for a moment, then quickly caught on.

"Vegapunk's laboratory? What are you going there for? Don't tell me you've taken a liking to old man Vegapunk too. Let me say this in advance—I'm not accepting men."

Rei Ao laughed at that and reached out to pinch her cheek.

"Relax. I have no interest in old men. I'm only going there to pick out a few collectibles that suit my taste."

He had already planned it all out in his head.

After all, there were quite a few very interesting people on Vegapunk's Egghead Island.