"The fight just now was only a small interruption."
Tiberion's voice echoed like thunder across Fish-Man Island.
"Now, the true wedding between Tiberion Hanma… and Princess Shirahoshi officially begins."
Still wrapped in the shadow of the destroyed hall's debris, he lifted his gaze toward the dark sky beneath the sea.
"King Neptune! Bring your daughter and hand her over to me!"
Everyone swallowed hard, unsure whether they should protest or retreat. They all knew what had happened. The Whitebeard Pirates, with their eight commanders, captains, and hundreds of crewmembers, had failed miserably. Not only had they been unable to defeat Tiberion—they hadn't even managed to truly wound him.
And now, with the island's morale in shambles, there was no one left strong enough to stop what was about to happen.
At that moment, Neptune felt a new clarity hit him with the weight of an undeniable truth.
The days of resistance were over.
What remained… was to make the most beneficial decision for his people.
His face, though aged, was tense. But behind his eyes, a spark shone.
'If we couldn't fight against the current… then it was better to let it carry us.'
And then, with a calm he didn't feel, the bold idea took shape in his mind.
'If we can't resist this man… then why not make him our shield?'
After all, Shirahoshi loved him—Neptune knew that. He had seen it in his daughter's distant gaze, in her reactions when she heard his name.
"Let them marry."
If Tiberion Hanma became the prince consort of Fish-Man Island, not only would the threat disappear, but the island would gain a monstrous backing—one even the World Government couldn't ignore.
Would Whitebeard leave? Probably. But it no longer mattered. Tiberion was more than an army on his own.
But not everyone shared that view.
"Father… is there no other option?"
Fukaboshi's voice interrupted his thoughts. The three princes were present, visibly shaken. They were their sister's protectors, and seeing her handed over to a man like Tiberion was something they simply couldn't accept.
"This is madness!" Ryuboshi roared. "How can you even consider giving Shirahoshi to such a savage and cruel human!?"
"Father! Please! We can't do this! We're not an island without allies! We're part of the World Government now!!" Manboshi added. "We could ask for help…!"
"Yes! They could step in! Maybe we still have a chance! We don't have to… we don't have to do this!"
Neptune lowered his head for a second. Then, with a deep breath and a stern face, he spoke in a tone that allowed no reply:
"No!"
"We cannot allow the World Government to focus too much of their attention on Shirahoshi."
His words fell like a bucket of ice water.
"If they find out about her true power… they'll lock her away, use her, or kill her."
A chilling silence fell over the princes. They all knew exactly what their father meant.
"By being at Tiberion's side… even if it's not what we want, at least she'll be protected."
At least she'll stay alive.
The princes closed their eyes in helplessness, as the weight of their father's words crushed their spirits.
"So that's our only choice!?" Ryuboshi growled, his voice heavy with rage and tears.
From the ruins of the hall, Tiberion slowly turned his head.
He had been listening the entire time.
And upon meeting their gazes, filled with hate and frustration, he returned them a wide, mocking grin.
The message was clear.
"Are you going to fight? Are you going to resist?"
"Do whatever you want… in the end, you'll hand her over anyway."
Shortly after…
The gigantic figure of Princess Shirahoshi slowly emerged from the depths.
"..."
A heavy silence took hold of the place.
And it was no wonder.
Shirahoshi was wearing a white wedding dress, specially designed for her, delicately tailored to the colossal silhouette of her mermaid body.
The massive bodice was adorned with countless iridescent crystals that shimmered with every movement of her torso, subtly fitted around her generous breasts.
Her long pink hair fell in soft waves over her shoulders, crowned by a tiara, from which two enormous gathered pigtails flowed.
At her waist, a skirt made of layers of white tulle with pearlescent reflections covered part of her scaly tail, while she held a beautiful bouquet of flowers in her hands.
The image was as beautiful as it was surreal. Her appearance couldn't be described with ordinary words. She wasn't just a princess. In that moment, Shirahoshi looked like a descended deity.
Neptune nearly broke into tears upon seeing her, but quickly lowered his head slightly.
"Since we've come to this point… I won't make any move against you," he said solemnly, trying to maintain his composure in front of all the witnesses. "I just hope you treat her well…"
"Shirahoshi is a good girl… innocent, kind, sweet. And I can clearly see that she doesn't distrust you. On the contrary… she cares for you deeply."
"Maybe… maybe this is fate, a predestined union…"
But in his heart, each word felt like a stab.
Fate? What kind of cruel joke was that!? This wasn't love, nor justice, nor destiny. This was domination. A raw and total victory of power over morality.
But he had millions of citizens to protect. And Tiberion's gaze reminded him every second: resistance meant extinction.
"Don't worry," Tiberion said, crossing his arms with confidence. "Any woman who belongs to me… I will protect with everything I have."
"Then… fine. But you said it!" Neptune growled bitterly. "Millions of Fish-Man Island inhabitants heard it! You'd better keep your word!"
Right after, he awkwardly pushed his daughter's arm.
Shirahoshi, still trembling with emotion and nervousness, didn't resist. And Tiberion, without saying another word, simply picked her up.
Yes, he lifted her with a single hand, as if she weighed nothing, raising her over his shoulder with total ease.
And began to walk away.
"W-wait!" Neptune gasped, "You haven't even held the ceremony yet!"
Tiberion didn't even turn around.
"There's no need for all that. Everyone already knows Shirahoshi is my woman. So I'm taking her… straight to the wedding night."
"…" Neptune was left frozen, not knowing what to do.
"…" The crowd was speechless as well.
However…
Among them, one person smiled.
Shyarly.
A small smile bloomed on her seductive lips.
Because no matter how wild, how brutal, or how dominant Tiberion was… there was something else about him.
Something uncontrollable.
Something that—painful as it was to admit—made him terribly irresistible.
In her heart, without understanding why, she wished for Shirahoshi—and for Tiberion—a happy honeymoon.
Meanwhile, Gion was biting the inside of her cheek, trying not to explode with rage.
Her gaze was fixed on Tiberion, and beneath that cold façade, her mind boiled with insults that wouldn't stop coming, one after another:
Beast… animal… pig, monster! Filthy bastard!
Inside, she was a storm of hate, one she wanted to spit in his face with every fiber of her being. She couldn't understand how someone so savage, so despicable, so brutal could exist in this world.
He didn't even have the decency to respect a mermaid as pure, as large, and as fragile as Shirahoshi!
And worse still, the night before marrying her, that bastard had dared to rape her—the Vice Admiral! Where was morality? Where was the slightest shred of respect?
What kind of monster could enjoy something so vile, so soulless?
As she watched Tiberion walk away with Shirahoshi, a part of her soul tore apart. She wanted to lunge at him and slice open his back. To make him scream. To return every second of humiliation.
But she clenched her teeth tightly.
It wasn't the time.
Because even though a small corner of her heart had wanted to believe that the Whitebeard Pirates could hold their own in a bloody draw against that animal, the reality was the complete opposite. Tiberion hadn't just crushed them. He humiliated them.
His strength wasn't normal.
It was then that Tokikake's voice beside her brought her back to reality.
"Vice Admiral Momousagi, it's our turn. Whitebeard's remnants are exhausted."
Gion lowered her gaze for a second and took a deep breath.
This wasn't the time for personal revenge.
"Then… let's move," she said coldly, slowly drawing her meitō blade, regaining her composure.
And just like that, like a swarm of contained shadows, the marines hidden among the crowd began to move.
One by one, they emerged from the ranks of civilians, armed and perfectly coordinated.
"Don't move!" an officer shouted. "We are forces from Marine Headquarters under the direct command of Vice Admirals Momousagi and Chaton! You are completely surrounded! Lay down your weapons immediately or force will be used!"
The surviving members of the Whitebeard crew, dazed, bleeding, and barely able to stay on their feet, began to instinctively step back.
Whitey Bay frowned in frustration.
"Tch! Pathetic dogs of the World Government! No matter where we go… they're always sniffing at our heels!"
But deep inside, she knew how screwed the situation was. Most of their brothers were on the brink of collapse. And now, facing two vice admirals in that state… was a death sentence.
At that moment, Vista appeared, staggering.
His face was pale. His left arm, severed, hung wrapped in an improvised bandage. His gaze was downcast, but firm. His presence still commanded respect, and when he spoke, it was with the echo of dignity:
"…I can convince half of our men to surrender," he murmured, swallowing hard, "But the other half… they have to get out of here alive. That's my only condition."
"Heh? You want half to surrender… and the other half to just walk away?"
Tokikake laughed. But it wasn't a joyful laugh. It was the reaction of a Marine officer who, for a moment, thought he was being played for a fool. He adjusted his hat with a finger, and his gaze sharpened.
"A mere group of pirates thinks they can set conditions before the Marines?" he scoffed in disbelief. "You're finished! Capturing all of you won't even take the slightest effort!"
However, before he could continue boasting, a much colder voice interrupted him.
"That was also the will of Tiberion Hanma."
"He promised me personally. No one can go against his decisions," Vista continued with a stern voice. "Or do you… intend to challenge him?"
"..."
Tokikake pressed his lips together.
Vista's words weren't just an excuse to buy time. They were a warning.
A warning born from the fear they all shared—but none dared admit.
Vista wasn't a fool. He had faced strong enemies. He had been through real wars in the New World. And he knew how to recognize something else.
Tiberion Hanma was a monster.
And if that monster had said that half of them could live… and hadn't personally killed the other half… that meant he had deliberately left that decision to the Marines.
Why?
Vista didn't fully understand. Nor did he question it. Was it a trap? A twisted way to display superiority?
But what he could never have imagined—not even in his most cynical thoughts—was the truth behind that decision:
Tiberion didn't do it out of mercy. Or strategy.
He did it for Gion.
Not out of love, not out of guilt. Not even out of respect.
He did it because she was his. Because he had marked her, taken her. And in his mind, allowing her to capture a few pirates was his way of saying:
"You didn't come all this way for nothing, woman."
A strange kind of compensation. As if giving her some power over the outcome made the fact he raped her somehow acceptable.
A thought like that… not even Vista or Tokikake could have conceived it.
But Gion understood it perfectly.
As she listened from a few steps behind, her back straight and her lips tightly pressed together, her eyes fixed on the ground.
And her mind boiled.
So that's what you're doing, Tiberion? You want to "compensate" me?
After what you did to me?! You think this erases anything?! A BLOODY HANDOUT IS SUPPOSED TO MAKE ME FORGET?!
She clenched her fists so tightly her nails nearly pierced the skin of her palms. Her throat ached. The pain in her chest mingled with rage and a sickening sense of helplessness.
Because she understood what was happening.
And because she hated understanding it.
You had the nerve to take me… and now you're trying to redeem yourself by handing me wounded pirates.
You're an animal, Tiberion Hanma… But if you think that'll make me hesitate to kill you, then you're sicker than I thought.
Tokikake, still holding his steady gaze, seemed to be wavering. For a moment, judgment hung by a thread.
"…Heh…" he muttered with a half-smile, "Looks like this Tiberion Hanma left us this 'gift' on purpose," he reflected aloud. "But it also seems like he doesn't want to give us everything. You can't help but think he's testing us… to see how we react to him."
He slowly turned his head, looking toward his partner.
"Tell me, Vice Admiral Momousagi… what's your decision?"
Gion lifted her head.
Her face was briefly shrouded in shadow—but her eyes… those eyes burned with fury.
"Tch… You can fear Tiberion Hanma if you want. But I… I don't."
"I represent the Marines. And when a Marine crosses paths with pirates, they don't let an opportunity like this slip away."
Then, with her sword drawn and raised high, she declared:
"Everyone, on my signal!" she ordered in a voice that brooked no argument. "Capture every last one of them! And anyone who resists… kill them!"
________
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