<h4>Chapter 153: Chapter 153: Shyarly?</h4>


    While udius and his group were meeting with King Neptune at Ryugu Pce, the transfer of the freed mermaid ves from the Prometheus was sessfullypleted.


    At that moment Nia had just exited the pce and was standing near Jinbei, the stout, blue-skinned merman who was also King Neptune''s trusted subordinate. The two seemed to be engaged in some light conversation, and udius happened to notice them as he stepped out of the pce.


    Upon seeing udius, Nia quickly approached to give her report. After hearing that the handover had beenpleted without issue, udius nodded in satisfaction. The rest, he figured, was up to Fish-Man Ind to handle. There was no need for him to concern himself further with such minor details.


    As they made their way back to Coral Hill, udius took in the sights of the ind with a growing sense of admiration.


    Although he couldn''t help but criticize Fish-Man Ind''s "submissiveness" over the past 800 years, he had to admit that the ind itself was breathtakingly beautiful. The dreamy, otherworldly scenery, with its glowing coral and shimmering waters, felt like something out of a fairy tale.


    "What a wonderful ce," udius murmured to himself, clearly impressed.


    Hearing this Nia smiled and suggested, "Your Highness, if you like it so much, why don''t we establish some property here? After all, it''s not far from Mariejois, a trip would only take a day at most. If Your Highness enjoys this ce, you coulde here to rx whenever you please."


    udius chuckled and asked, "Property? You mean like real estate? A manor?"


    Nia nodded matter-of-factly and said, "Yes. I''ve heard there''s an area called Euphory Hills, considered the most prestigious residential district on Fish-Man Ind. It has several beautiful estates avable for purchase. While the manors there are said to be expensive, it''s hardly an issue for us."


    Nia''s confidence was apparent, her tone brimming with the self-assurance of someone who knew their wealth could solve any problem. To her, buying a luxurious vi seemed no more difficult than picking out a new coat.


    And, truthfully, she wasn''t wrong.


    udius had built up an impressive fortune over the years. In his younger days, he had been far more restrained with his spending, carefully managing his limited funds. But now? Now he was wealthy beyond imagination.


    Whether it was the "tributes" he regrly received from underworld figures like Umit, the generous annual allowances from the World Government, the vast sums of heavenly tribute owed to the upper-echelon Celestial Dragons, the profits generated by Happy Street under Stussy''s management, or the earnings funneled through his alliances with pirates like Crocodile and Domingo, money was something udius no longer needed to worry about.


    Hearing Nia''s suggestion, udius stroked his chin thoughtfully before smirking. "You''ve grown quite attached to Mero and Lenny, haven''t you? Is that why you want to buy a property here?"


    Nia''s cheeks turned slightly red, and she looked away, embarrassed. "Well, Lenny and Mero are leaving, but..."


    "But you''ve be good friends with them over the years," udius said, his tone teasing yet kind. "You''ve spent so much time together that you''re like family. Now that they''ve returned to Fish-Man Ind, you''ll want to visit them from time to time, and for that, you''d need a ce to stay. Am I right?"


    Caught off guard by how easily udius had guessed her thoughts, Nia lowered her head in bashful silence.


    udius chuckled at her reaction, amused but also touched. "Nia, you''re the person I trust most. You don''t need to ask for my approval for something as trivial as this. If you want to buy property here, go ahead. And if it''s what you want, we''ll purchase all of Euphory Hills!"


    Nia''s eyes widened in shock, and she quickly waved her hands. "No, no, Your Highness! There''s no need to go that far! A small manor would be more than enough."


    udiusughed. "If you say so, but make sure it''s one of the best manors on the ind. No need to settle for second-best. Take your time and pick one you really like."


    Seeing the sincerity in his words, Nia''s initial embarrassment was reced by warmth and gratitude. "Thank you, Your Highness. I''ll take care of it."


    As the group continued walking, Stussy, who had been quietly observing their conversation, smiled. She and Nia shared a close bond, so she wasn''t surprised by how easily udius indulged her.


    Meanwhile, Sengoku, who had been walking a short distance away, couldn''t help but feel a twinge of envy. "Celestial Dragons really live on apletely different level," he thought with a sigh. "They can just casually decide to buy the best property on an entire ind, as if it''s nothing."


    Still, Sengoku quickly consoled himself. "It''s fine. Marine will soon be flush with resources after all these new developments. Maybe I''ll propose building a nice Marine base withfortable amodations. Surely an Admiral deserves a decent ce to stay..."


    Had udius been aware of Sengoku''s musings, he would''ve likelyughed and remarked on the creeping "corruption" in the Admiral''s thoughts. But all of this was just yful banter in his mind. Sengoku, despite his asionalints, remained an upright and disciplined leader.


    Eventually, udius and Nia arrived at Coral Hill, where they spotted Lenny and Mero walking around with a young mermaid girl. The girl was noticeablyrger than Lenny and Mero, and her shark-like features hinted at her being a rare shark mermaid.


    When Lenny spotted udius, she immediately waved and called out, "Your Highness!"


    udius smiled and waved back as the group approached him. "You seem happy. Is it because you''re back home?" he asked.


    After exchanging a few pleasantries, Mero introduced the young shark mermaid. "Your Highness, this is Shyarly. She''s the daughter of a dear friend of ours... well, her mother isn''t with us anymore. She''s only fifteen, so Lenny and I thought we''d take care of her together. Is that alright?"


    udius blinked in surprise. "Shyarly? A shark mermaid?" He couldn''t help but feel that the name and her appearance were familiar, though he couldn''t immediately ce why.


    Still, he smiled warmly and said, "You don''t need my permission for something like that. You''re free now, aren''t you?"


    Hearing this, Lenny touched the mark on her arm, abination of the Celestial Dragon''s Hoof and the Donquixote family crest. Originally, the mark had been branded onto her when she was enved, but the addition of the family crest hadeter, symbolizing her bond with udius.


    "Even though we''re free, this crest means we''ll always belong to you, Your Highness," Lenny said with a grin.


    "Wise words, little one," udius replied, stroking his chin with mock seriousness.


    "We''re not little!" Mero chimed in indignantly. "We''re older than you by a few years!"


    As the groupughed and chatted, Lenny suddenly perked up and said, "Oh! Your Highness, Shyarly has an amazing ability, she can predict the future! Why don''t you let her try it for you?"


    ***


    For every 500 PS = 1 extra Chapter. Support me on patreon to read 45+ advanced Chapters: /Blownleaves.