Chapter 199: Cleansing the Depths
With the truth laid bare, Queen Otohime refused to back down. She pressed Zeo harder, drawing out every ugly detail of his crimes. As he spilled his confessions, her heart grew heavier. She'd glimpsed the horrors before, but hearing the full scope left her reeling.
When Zeo finally fell silent, Otohime crumpled into Ross's arms, tears streaming down her face in silent grief.
"In just three years," Otohime murmured, her voice trembling, "at least a thousand humans slaughtered, dozens devoured alive. One hundred forty-eight female mermaids murdered. And dozens more tangled in black-market slave rings..."
She'd never dreamed one man's operation could run this deep, this wide.
"So, what now?" Ross fixed his gaze on her, probing. "Set them free? Let the cycle spin on?"
The moment of truth had arrived. He wanted to see if she'd cling to naive mercy—or grasp the harsh reality.
"Once you cross that line," Otohime said, drawing a steady breath, "there's no turning back." Her eyes met his, steel in her resolve. "Please, Mr. Ross. End them. All of them."
Not a soul among these fish-men was clean. Zeo might spare his own kind, but the ones who'd stuck around? They were in it for the blood money, loyal to the trade.
"As you command," Ross replied.
Surprise flickered in his eyes. He'd figured she'd need another brutal lesson—maybe let Arlong walk and watch him strike again—to drive the point home. But Otohime had surprised him with her steel.
He snapped his fingers.
His Devil Fruit power surged, unleashing high-pressure water jets that sliced clean through every fish-man's neck.
Sizzle!
They dropped like stones, blood pooling in the cavern.
Ross noted how Otohime didn't flinch or look away. She forced her eyes wide, watching the end. In that instant, she seemed... transformed.
The first lesson had hit harder than he'd anticipated.
"Still clinging to your old ideals?" he asked abruptly.
"Why wouldn't I?" Otohime swallowed her nausea, the metallic tang of blood thick in the air. She stared at the sprawl of corpses, her jaw set. "Fish-men can be villains. Mermaids too. Humans as well. If they're blocking the path to peace, wipe them out."
A bit extreme. Was she veering too far?
Ross arched a brow. Her words hinted at peace through the blade—a dangerous path. He didn't give a damn about racial harmony, but if Otohime turned into a zealot, it'd burn through resources and make her a liability.
"No need for that kind of fire," he said evenly.
"Then what do you suggest, Mr. Ross?"
She turned to him, hope in her eyes. Sparing lives would be ideal, but words alone had failed her. Her ability could force truth from Zeo, but reshaping his rotten core? That was a marathon, not a sprint. Months, maybe a year, for one soul. And while she preached, how many more would suffer? How many new monsters would rise?
"Think bigger," Ross said with a grin. "You once dreamed of bringing fish-men and mermaids to the surface, didn't you?"
He saw Otohime's potential eclipsing Fish-Man Island itself. Whether as its future queen or something more, she was worth more than the whole 5-million-strong lot. Sure, numbers impressed, but his empire could swell that fast with the right push. Fish-men and mermaids had their uses in the seas—agility, strength—but with his ocean mastery and eventual command over Sea Kings, they were footnotes.
Otohime's eyes lit up. "Split the island? Let those who want peace follow me to a new home, while the rest... stay buried in the dark?"
Before, she'd have fought to save every last one, standing shoulder-to-shoulder. But these days had cracked that shell. Some roots ran too deep, too poisoned. Left unchecked, they'd drag the innocent down.
"Exactly." Ross nodded. "Your power makes it simple—vet every heart that joins you. And I'll back you up. An island on the surface, plus an underwater haven nearby. Yours to shape."
It served him too. Building it would hone her leadership, tighten their alliance. Once done, reeling her onto his crew would be child's play—a grand gift, laced with subtle chains. Trust was fine, but Ross always hedged his bets. Betrayers lost what they loved most. That was his way.
"I'm grateful, Mr. Ross. Truly."
Otohime's words rang sincere, no hidden layers. A new haven, woven into human society—that was her lifelong fire. His aid? It vaulted her dream light-years ahead.
"No sweat," Ross said, his lips quirking. "I've got my angles too."
"Angles?" She blinked, caught off guard by his candor. But after sharing meals and secrets, curiosity won out. "What kind?"
"Nothing that clashes with your vision. Once the new Fish-Man Island stands, you'll run it—but also rep my family. Handle Sabaody Archipelago and other key spots."
Otohime waved her hands frantically. "I couldn't! You don't have to prop me up like this. I'm not ready for that weight."
This wasn't selfishness on his part; it was a lifeline. As a mermaid tied to the Ross name, barriers with humans would crumble.
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