500 Starting from One Piece

"Cry? Kaito-sama, I haven't cried in a long time. Jinbe-san can testify to that for me!"

Kaito said with a smile.

"That's good. A birthday feast should be spent with a smile."

Next, Kaito and his group walked toward the royal palace surrounded by the crowd. When they reached the palace gates and passed by Mermaid Plaza, a huge statue of Kaito drew everyone's attention.

The statue's pair of Rinnegan were specially carved from amethyst, shimmering with a strange purple glow under the sunlight.

A trace of nostalgia appeared on Kaito's face. Thinking about it, he truly hadn't used the Rinnegan for quite some time. After all, eye techniques were merely another form of power for someone who already possessed the Dragon God's strength.

Upon entering the palace, the entire grand hall was already covered in decorations, creating an extremely festive birthday atmosphere.

On one of the banners, Kaito even caught a glimpse of a doodle showing two heads leaning together, both making a peace sign.

Looking closely, it was obvious that one of the heads was Kaito, and the other was Shirahoshi.

As for who drew it—there was no need to guess. It was definitely Shirahoshi herself.

Kaito pointed at the doodle to show Shirahoshi, and she let out a tinkling laugh. Perhaps it was a racial talent of the merfolk, but her laughter sounded as pleasant as singing.

If the Celestial Dragons still existed, seeing Shirahoshi like this, they would probably destroy Fishman Island just to obtain her.

Shyarly, dressed as a shrine maiden, swayed her smooth, tender fish tail and approached gracefully. As the island's only fortune-teller, her status on Fishman Island was quite high. Naturally, she was invited to the palace for an occasion like this.

Shyarly looked at Kaito with reverence, then bowed slightly and softly said,

"King, it is an honor to see you again."

Kaito's impression of Shyarly was quite deep. He couldn't help asking,

"Last time your crystal ball exploded because of me, right? Can you still perform divinations now?"

Shyarly's body stiffened. She hadn't expected Kaito to remember something like that. She mysteriously pulled a new crystal ball from her arms and said,

"Thank you for your concern, King. I have already found a new crystal ball."

Kaito thought for a moment, then placed his hand on the crystal ball in Shyarly's hands. A brilliant multicolored light flashed, and the crystal ball became even more clear and flawless.

Shyarly widened her eyes and murmured,

"This…"

Kaito said with a smile,

"I've improved this crystal ball. Try using it when you get back. It'll definitely work better than your previous one."

Shyarly nodded blankly. With her high talent in this field, she could clearly feel the profound power contained within the crystal ball. Compared to her old one, it was like heaven and earth.

With this crystal ball, anything she divined would become far clearer.

If the Fortune-Telling Old Lady from the Dragon Ball world saw this crystal ball, she'd probably drool in envy.

But for Kaito, this was nothing more than a casual gesture.

Shyarly lifted her head, trembling as she said,

"King, I truly… don't know how to thank you…"

Kaito waved his hand and casually said,

"No need to thank me. You're a good mermaid. You deserve it."

Although Shyarly was Arlong's sister, she didn't have Arlong's disgusting racial ideology. Kaito quite liked her mature and cool older-sister aura.

Receiving a "good mermaid" card from Kaito made Shyarly feel a bit strange inside. Shirahoshi beside her couldn't help asking,

"Kaito-sama, what exactly is my gift? Can you show it to me now?"

Kaito thought for a moment and said,

"Sure, but you'll have to come with me somewhere more private first."

Shirahoshi froze for a second. She clearly misunderstood. A blush spread from her cheeks down to her neck. She rubbed her hands together and whispered,

"A… private place? Kaito-sama, do you mean…"

Kaito smacked her head lightly and said irritably,

"What are you thinking? You should look at this gift yourself first—others can see it later."

"Ah? Oh—okay! Then let's go to my room. It's very private!"

"Mm. But first go tell your father. We'll be gone for a bit."

Shirahoshi nodded vigorously, then turned and swam toward Neptune.

Neptune was chatting with Garp. The two had known each other since Roger's era and always had a good relationship.

Garp held a senbei in his hand, eating as he said,

"Neptune, things sure have changed around here!"

"Hahaha! Thanks to the King, Fishman Island's economy is better than ever, and no one dares cause trouble anymore. The island's future will only get brighter!"

"Yeah. I remember before, I always had to help you catch human traffickers. Today feels much better. Most importantly, the residents here don't hate humans at all now. That's rare!"

"Mm. For that alone, we must drink well later. Sigh… if Otohime were still here, it would be perfect. Everything now is what she dreamed of seeing…"

At the mention of Otohime, Neptune's face dimmed. Seeing this, Garp sighed silently. He tucked the half-eaten senbei into his pocket and gave Neptune's waist a heavy pat—his way of offering comfort.

Neptune pressed down his grief and softly said,

"Look at me… Why say such things on such a happy day? As long as I can see Shirahoshi and the others living happily on this island, I'm already satisfied!"

While he was speaking, Shirahoshi ran over from Kaito's side. She first greeted Garp politely, then said to Neptune,

"Father, I'm taking Kaito-sama to my room for a bit. Kaito-sama prepared a gift for me~"

Neptune froze. He wasn't worried at all about Kaito's intentions in taking Shirahoshi to her room. In his eyes, Kaito's character was saintly. Thinking anything else would be disrespectful.

He was just curious—what kind of gift required showing Shirahoshi alone? And a gift from the King must be incredibly precious!

Seeing Neptune dazed, Shirahoshi asked in confusion,

"Father? What are you thinking about?"

"Ah, nothing. If the King wants you to go, then hurry along. And remember, when you receive the gift, you must thank the King properly. This is an enormous blessing!"

"I know! No matter what Kaito-sama gives me, I'll be very happy! I'll go now—see you at the banquet later~"

Shirahoshi's big round eyes curved into crescent moons. After saying goodbye, she quickly swam back to Kaito's side. Neptune smiled helplessly.

"My daughter has really grown up!"