499 Starting from One Piece

Jinbe showed no restraint at all, grabbing a roasted fish and biting into it.

Ace watched Jinbe eating with oil dripping down his chin and couldn't help asking,

"Eh? Fishmen can eat fish too?"

Jinbe paused for a moment, wiped his mouth, and muttered,

"Of course we can. Merfolk are the ones who don't eat fish."

Ace was quite interested in things related to Fishman Island, so he and Jinbe began chatting back and forth. The two got along extremely well, and after finishing the meal, they even started calling each other brothers.

Kaito snapped his fingers, and the trash on the ground vanished instantly. Everyone patted their slightly swollen stomachs before leaving one after another.

...

On the morning of Shirahoshi's birthday, Kaito's personal warship was already docked at the harbor.

At this point, this a warship was almost inaccurate—it resembled a mobile luxury palace, and just the extravagance of its exterior made people click their tongues in astonishment.

Once Kaito and the high-ranking Marines boarded, the ship set off.

Although the ship looked incredibly heavy, it moved at an astonishing speed. As Kaito's personal warship, it was naturally made perfect inside and out.

No one complained about wastefulness—after all, everyone knew who this ship belonged to.

Before noon arrived, the warship had already reached Fishman Island. Standing on the deck, Sengoku gazed at the Fishman Island floating on the sea surface and sighed,

"Truly unbelievable… I never thought the Fishman Island that once lay ten thousand meters under the sea would one day appear on the surface."

Ace and the others, who didn't know Fishman Island's history, couldn't help asking about it. When they learned that Kaito was the one who brought the island up, they were instantly stunned.

While they were still in shock, deafening cheers rose from below.

They looked closely and saw that the coastline was already packed with dense crowds of Fishman Island residents. Several palace soldiers were struggling to maintain order.

Neptune led the princes and stood at the front of the people. Shirahoshi stood alone at the very front, her hands clasped before her chest, looking up at the warship with eyes full of anticipation.

Under everyone's gaze, a large number of Marine Headquarters soldiers poured out from the ship. They quickly lined up, forming a human passage.

When Kaito's figure appeared at the end of the passage, the atmosphere exploded again. Countless mermaid girls screamed wildly, while the soldiers maintaining order were drenched in sweat.

They too wanted to turn around and admire the king's presence, but the crowd's enthusiasm was simply too overwhelming. If they made even one mistake and left an opening, everything would descend into chaos instantly.

Walking behind Kaito, Luffy looked around in confusion and said,

"What a grand welcome! Is all this for us?"

Sabo beside him shook his head and whispered,

"This has nothing to do with us. They're welcoming the king."

As they spoke, Neptune and the others had already reached Kaito. Although he was the king of Fishman Island, before Kaito—the true king—he immediately prostrated himself and offered a deep bow in front of all his subjects.

Shirahoshi stared blankly at her father and brothers' actions. Her pink tail curled slightly as she also tried to imitate their bow.

Kaito suddenly waved his hand, and a strong wind swept past. Neptune and the others were lifted up from the ground.

He smiled at Shirahoshi and said,

"Today is Shirahoshi's birthday. These formalities aren't necessary. We're only here as guests."

Neptune mentally adjusted his wording, just about to speak, when Shirahoshi had already dashed toward Kaito.

"Kaito-sama!"

Shirahoshi was now nearly twelve meters tall. Even Kaito, who was three meters tall, looked like a tiny child in front of her.

She immediately pulled Kaito into the softness of her chest, causing the eyebrows of the Marines behind them to twitch wildly.

Aokiji pushed up the visor of his eye mask and said with envy,

"Ah la la… are the ladies of Fishman Island always this affectionate?"

Akainu folded his arms and grunted,

"Don't get ahead of yourself. Their affection is only for Fleet Admiral Shikiryū!"

Kizaru stretched his neck and said with curiosity,

"Oh is Fleet Admiral Shikiryū able to breathe like that? It looks quite uncomfortable, ne?"

Zephyr rolled his eyes and muttered,

"You know nothing! You'll understand once you find yourself a female gorilla!"

Kaito enjoyed the "facial wash" treatment for a moment, then wriggled his way out of Shirahoshi's embrace and said with a smile,

"Shirahoshi, you've grown taller again—and even more beautiful."

Shirahoshi had just reached adulthood today, and she no longer had to stay locked inside a tower like in the original timeline, so naturally she was more mature now.

Hearing Kaito's compliment, her cheeks flushed slightly. She said shyly,

"Really? I've always been troubled by my height though… I'm a bit too tall, and a lot of things become inconvenient..."

There was nothing to be done—appearance and height always take after at least one parent.

Shirahoshi should be grateful she didn't inherit Neptune's looks. For reference, her brothers were perfect examples.

But height was trivial to Kaito. His other identity was a Dragon God—there was almost nothing in this world he couldn't accomplish.

After hearing her concern, Kaito reached out and placed his hand on her smooth, soft pink tail. A golden light appeared, and under everyone's astonished gaze, Shirahoshi's size gradually shrank until she became about the same height as Kaito.

Shirahoshi stared blankly at the now-much-larger surroundings. When she realized she had become smaller, she let out a startled cry and threw herself into Kaito's arms again.

"Kaito-sama, this is incredible! I really became smaller!"

She lifted her face. Because her body had shrunk, her already breathtaking features became even more delicate. In those large, watery blue eyes, innocence and allure intertwined, releasing a mesmerizing charm.

Fortunately, Kaito's self-control was strong. He gently pushed Shirahoshi away and said softly,

"You're not a child anymore. You need to learn to be more reserved—especially around men."

Shirahoshi nodded obediently and said,

"Don't worry, Kaito-sama. I've learned a lot from Shyarly-san. I know how to protect myself. But if it's Kaito-sama… then I don't think I need to worry about those things!"

As she spoke, she lowered her head slightly, as if too shy to meet Kaito's eyes.

Kaito didn't think too deeply about it. With a smile he said,

"That's good. Oh, right—I've prepared a birthday present for you. But let me make this clear first: you're not allowed to cry later!"