Hody Jones' years of effort crumbled into nothing—erased by Chiga's single thought. Whatever ambition or pride he held was shattered far more deeply than the wound in his abdomen.
Even the piercing agony from his gut didn't compare to the hollow devastation now consuming his heart.
His face turned pale. Wrinkled skin spread rapidly across his once-youthful features, the toll of the Energy Steroids finally surfacing. His body, exhausted and broken, was halfway into the grave.
Yet, Chiga felt not even a shred of pity.
Hody Jones had always been scum—born to ruin, fueled by hate. Even Arlong, for all his crimes, at least showed concern for his fellow fish-men.
But this man? Always screaming about the future of Fish-Man Island, yet in truth, he didn't care if the island burned—as long as he could claim it in the ashes.
In the anime, he even attempted to crash the ship Noah onto Fish-Man Island, showing utter disregard for the lives of his own kind.
So from the moment Chiga set foot on the island, he had already decided—this man wasn't leaving alive.
The only reason he had let Hody live this long… was because there were still words he needed to hear.
Now, the time was right.
Chiga knelt beside the broken man, grabbed his now shriveled bald head, and leaned in close.
"Got any last words?"
Hody trembled, barely raising his head to meet Chiga's cold gaze. In his eyes, hatred warred with fear—but both were hollow now.
In front of this man, everything—his plans, his power, his ideology—was just a sad joke. A clown's performance for Chiga's amusement.
Even with the Energy Steroids coursing through him, he had been utterly humiliated.
To Chiga, his face showed only calm indifference. But to Hody, it was mockery in its purest form.
A mockery of his power.
A mockery of his dreams.
A mockery of his existence.
Tears welled in Hody's aged eyes and streamed down his weathered cheeks. He was sobbing—like a child scolded by a parent.
Chiga's eyes flickered with brief disgust. He had expected at least a little defiance. But this?
This was just pathetic.
Shaking his head, Chiga sighed. There was nothing more to gain from this wreck of a man.
Still, he wouldn't let him off easy.
Forcing Hody to look directly into his Rinnegan, Chiga activated a basic Genjutsu—no elaborate technique was needed. Hody's mental defenses had collapsed; even a weak illusion would seize control of his mind.
Under the spell, Hody released his grip on his bleeding wound, allowing the blood to pour freely. Slowly, almost robotically, he rose from the ground and turned toward the crowd.
From below, King Neptune and Jinbe looked on with furrowed brows. They had no idea what madness Hody might attempt next.
Farther back, Princess Shirahoshi stared at the wounded, pitiful form of Hody Jones. Her large, expressive eyes filled with quiet sorrow.
That was just her nature—overly kind. Too gentle.
But would she still feel that way after hearing what he was about to say?
On the platform, Chiga raised his hand and used the More More Fruit to amplify both his and Hody's voices, ensuring their exchange echoed across the plaza.
Especially to Shirahoshi.
Turning his eyes back to Hody, who stood frozen in Genjutsu, Chiga asked clearly,
"Hody Jones… do you remember Queen Otohime?"
At the sound of her name, Hody slowly tilted his head—then nodded.
"I remember. She wanted peace between Fish-Man Island and the humans of the surface."
"What did you think of her vision?"
"Tch. Ridiculous. Queen Otohime was a traitor. A disgrace. I hated her."
Gasps echoed throughout the crowd.
Though opinions had been divided about Otohime's beliefs, no one doubted her sincerity. She had worked tirelessly for peace, endured ridicule, and in the end, gave her life for her cause.
For that, the people respected her—not just as a queen, but as a martyr.
And if the common people revered her… then what about her daughter?
Princess Shirahoshi, just a child when she lost her mother, had only memories filled with gentle warmth and quiet smiles.
She had always known who killed her mother. The giant shark, Megalo, had told her the truth long ago.
But Queen Otohime's last request had been clear: "Do not hate the one who did this."
So Shirahoshi buried it deep inside her heart. She forgave. Or tried to.
But deep inside… how could she not feel hate?
Now, to hear Hody Jones mock her mother even in death…
The pain in Shirahoshi's heart burst into something darker. Her breath trembled. Her eyes turned bloodshot with grief and fury.
Chiga glanced at her from the corner of his eye.
Yes—this was the moment he had been working toward.
He needed Shirahoshi's emotions to reach their peak. He needed her to awaken. To summon the Sea Kings. To face her power, and her pain.
It was harsh. Even cruel.
But it was better than years of bottled agony. Better to bleed now… than live with the wound forever.
He turned back to Hody and continued,
"If you hated her so much… then tell me. Was Queen Otohime's death your doing?"
A wicked smile twisted across Hody's face. Though trapped in illusion, his tone turned gleeful.
"Of course. I assassinated her myself—while she was collecting those damn signatures. That traitor died by my hand. It was easy. Too easy. I am the hero of Fish-Man Island!"
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