Chapter 291: A Young Girl's Heartbeat! The Stele of the Sea Forest and the Mystery of Poseidon
In front of Queen Otohime's tomb, Shirahoshi, having finished her prayers, was in no hurry to leave.
The princess, who had been trapped in the Hard-Shell Tower for a full ten years, was now like a baby full of curiosity about the world, clinging to Tatsuya and incessantly asking about all sorts of strange and wonderful things on the sea's surface.
From exactly what temperature the sunlight felt like on one's body.
To what shapes the myriad of strange islands on the great sea actually took.
And even asking about the various thrilling adventure experiences of the Straw Hat crew on the Blue Sea.
Facing this pure and kind Mermaid Princess, Tatsuya showed a rare level of patience.
In a gentle tone, he selected interesting anecdotes from the great sea, answering her questions that were full of childlike innocence and a yearning for the unknown world one by one.
However, as the conversation between the two deepened, the questions Shirahoshi asked began to get stranger and stranger, deviating further and further from the normal course of exploring the world.
In her clear eyes, which were like giant water lanterns, an unusual and brilliant light flickered.
After taking several deep breaths in succession, she finally, cautiously, squeezed out an ultimate question that had been circling in her heart for a long time:
"Um... Lord Tatsuya..."
Shirahoshi's voice was as thin as a thread, carrying a hint of an irrepressible tremble.
"Then you... what kind of person do you like?"
Hearing this sudden question, Tatsuya was slightly stunned, and his words, which had been telling adventure stories, came to an abrupt halt.
In this quiet Sea Forest, even the most obtuse person should have understood the young girl's romantic feelings in the little princess's heart by now.
To ease this sudden ambiguous atmosphere.
Tatsuya raised a hand to his lips and gave a light cough to hide his embarrassment, then deliberately pretended not to understand and asked back:
"Shirahoshi, why ask about things unrelated to adventure?"
Hearing this counter-question, Shirahoshi's giant cheeks instantly turned bright red.
Even her fair ears and slender neck were dyed with a charming color, like a ripe red apple.
Her huge little hands had nowhere to go and could only be nervously twisted together.
She lowered her head, stammering an explanation: "Because... because..."
After saying "because" several times, the deep-seated admiration and shyness intertwined, making it impossible for her to continue making things up.
The Mermaid Princess reached the peak of her shyness and directly covered her burning face tightly with both hands.
But those pure and flawless eyes, brimming with a pitiful misty glaze, peeked through the gaps between her giant fingers, stealing glances at him with expectation and extreme bashfulness.
Waiting for an answer that might make her heart stop.
Looking at Shirahoshi's bashful and cute appearance, Tatsuya sighed helplessly in his heart.
In an instant, he completely understood this heavy sentiment of a young girl.
As a man, being admired by such a peerless beauty who was also Poseidon, he couldn't help but feel a surge of inexplicable satisfaction.
But immediately after, this satisfaction was replaced by a sudden wave of guilt.
After all, although Shirahoshi's body was as huge as a small mountain,
her mind, due to long-term confinement, was truly pure, like a blank sheet of paper.
Looking at Shirahoshi's exquisite and flawless face, as well as her breathtaking and extremely full giant body, Tatsuya's mind began to wander uncontrollably.
In his mind, the secret Ninjutsu of the Akimichi clan from the Naruto world—the 'Multi-Size Technique'—involuntarily flashed by...
The system had just given him this skill blind box last night.
Encountering such a blood-pumping scene today, all these coincidences seemed as if they were deliberately arranged by the heavens.
Realizing what he was thinking, the corner of Tatsuya's mouth twitched violently.
He harshly scolded himself in his heart for being such a bold'scumbag'.
He hurriedly shook his head, forcibly dispelling these dangerous thoughts that could easily lead one astray.
Tatsuya composed himself, regained his gentle demeanor, and said softly:
"Alright, Shirahoshi, we've been out for a long time. Let's go find your father."
Hearing Tatsuya change the subject, a trace of imperceptible disappointment flashed in Shirahoshi's eyes.
But she still nodded obediently and did not continue to press.
She carefully took out the pink gemstone Tatsuya had just given her, treasuring it like a precious jewel as she tucked it into the deep cleavage of her giant chest, keeping it close.
Then, swaying her magnificent pink fish tail, she happily chased after the black figure ahead.
As long as she could be by Lord Tatsuya's side, she felt incredibly at ease.
...
Meanwhile, deep within the Sea Forest.
In this silent land overgrown with giant coral and seagrass,
Robin was looking up intently at the giant red square stone in front of her—the 'poneglyph'.
The surrounding seawater flowed quietly as Robin's slender fingers gently brushed over the ancient and complex characters on it.
After a period of careful study and deciphering, a rare flash of irrepressible bewilderment and shock crossed her usually calm and composed face.
Robin slowly turned her head to look at King Neptune and Knight of the Sea Jinbe, who had been waiting anxiously beside her, and explained to them:
"This stele... is different from any other poneglyph I've encountered elsewhere in the world."
"It doesn't record any historical information about the Void Century, nor does it specify the whereabouts of the Three Great Ancient Weapons..."
"What is carved on it is actually an 'apology letter'."
Hearing the words 'apology letter', King Neptune's tall body jolted, and he let out a deep sigh.
His heavy voice, saturated with the vicissitudes of time, slowly echoed in the Sea Forest, revealing the ultimate secret passed down through generations of the Fish-Man Island royal family:
"So that's how it is..."
"What is recorded here is indeed a letter of apology written eight hundred years ago by a human named 'Joy Boy' to the Mermaid Princess of that time."
"In the letter, he apologizes for being unable to fulfill his promise to Fish-Man Island."
"As for that massive noah, it was built so that one day, that unfulfilled promise could be kept."
Hearing this shocking secret,
Robin quickly connected the poneglyph information about 'Poseidon' she had seen on the Golden Bell of Skypiea with the letter of apology before her.
"To be treated so solemnly by a key historical figure like Joy Boy,
"and to be a Mermaid Princess with the ability to communicate with super-large Sea Kings..."
Robin's gaze turned to King Neptune:
"Combined with the ability to summon Sea Kings that Princess Shirahoshi unintentionally displayed earlier at Gyoncorde Plaza..."
"In other words, the Ancient Weapon Poseidon, which has always existed in myths and legends and possesses the terrifying power to destroy the world..."
"is Princess Shirahoshi herself, isn't it?"
King Neptune was instantly struck with terror, his face turning deathly pale.
His tall body swayed, and cold sweat instantly soaked his back.
If even a hint of this secret were to leak out, it would absolutely attract the frantic pursuit of the World Government and countless greedy pirates on the sea, and the entire Fish-Man Island would face total destruction.
Just as the atmosphere at the scene reached a peak of solemnity,
the coral thicket ahead was pushed aside, and Tatsuya and Shirahoshi happened to swim over from the direction of Queen Otohime's tomb.
On Shirahoshi's exquisite and giant face, there still hung a moving blush that had not yet completely faded from the earlier ambiguous probing.
She noticed the abnormality in the surrounding atmosphere, especially the expressions of her father and Jinbe, which looked very grim and stiff.
Shirahoshi blinked her large, star-like eyes and asked softly in confusion:
"What's wrong, Father? Has something happened?"
Hearing his daughter's voice, King Neptune shuddered all over.
He came to his senses as if waking from a dream and hurriedly let out a forced laugh, producing a few dry chuckles to desperately hide the turbulent waves in his heart:
"Hahahaha! It's nothing, it's nothing! Nothing happened at all!
"By the way, Shirahoshi, have you finished paying respects to your mother in the Sea Forest?"
Although Shirahoshi was still a bit puzzled, she nodded obediently. "Yes, I've finished the prayers."
Neptune took a deep breath, trying hard to suppress the intense unease about the future in his heart, and said with feigned ease:
"Good, in that case, let us head back."
Loving Book So Far Check Out 80+ Advanced Chapters At Pa Treon:
patreon.com/FicTonic1