The massive Sea King crashed into the seabed, crushing several abandoned shipwrecks. Debris and mud churned up, making the already dim deep sea even harder to see.
Evan, protecting Queen Otohime, swam through the chaos. Seeing her pale and pained face, he thought she was scared of the Sea King and softly reassured her, “Queen Otohime, don’t worry. As long as I’m here, that Sea King won’t harm you.”
Queen Otohime didn’t respond. Her delicate fingers clung tightly to his arm, turning white at the joints. She trembled uncontrollably, her chest heaving with difficulty.
“It’s bad…” Queen Otohime said weakly, her eyes filled with urgency, pain, and worry.
“What’s wrong?” Evan asked, noticing her distress.
“My water… it broke…”
“Huh? Water?”
Evan was stunned, then realized with a jolt that it meant the baby was coming.
“She’s going into labor?”
Evan urgently confirmed, and Queen Otohime painfully nodded, enduring the severe pain of her water breaking. His face changed. This was terrible timing, and it seemed like premature labor caused by the turbulence. Without immediate help, both mother and baby were at great risk.
“We need to deliver the baby quickly, or both Queen Otohime and the baby are in danger.”
Evan’s heart raced with anxiety. Seeing the angry Sea King rising again, he concentrated his Haki into a powerful stomp, sending the beast crashing back down.
He then swam quickly to a safer area, where he used his spatial powers to create a solid platform within a bubble. He gently laid Queen Otohime on it.
“Queen Otohime, how are you feeling?”
Evan anxiously checked on her. She was deathly pale, her golden hair soaked with sweat, her breathing erratic. He felt completely lost—he had no idea how to deliver a baby.
“Wait!” Evan placed his hand on her cold forehead, channeling his life force into her. “Breathe! Keep breathing! Follow my rhythm! Inhale! Exhale—inhale! Exhale!”
As he exaggeratedly demonstrated breathing, Queen Otohime tried to follow his rhythm. Her breathing steadied slightly, and he encouraged her, “Good! Now, push with the rhythm! Keep pushing!”
“Ahhhh!”
Queen Otohime screamed in pain, biting her lip, her hand gripping Evan’s arm tightly. Despite her efforts, nothing happened.
“It’s not working! It won’t come out!”
Tears welled in her eyes, whether from pain or frustration. Her fragile body grew weaker, like a candle flickering in the wind. Evan’s transferred life force seemed ineffective.
“Don’t give up! Breathe with me! Push harder!” Evan urged, gripping her hand, feeling it grow weaker.
Seeing her face twisted in agony, her small body trembling, Evan realized she might not make it. Not killed by Hody, as in the original story, but dying from childbirth in this dark sea. All of this was because of him.
“Queen Otohime, don’t give up!” Evan shouted, but her spirit waned, her will be devoured by pain.
Think of something, think of something—
Evan’s mind raced, drenched in cold sweat. He couldn’t let her die, especially because of him. Letting someone so kind and hopeful die would be unimaginably cruel.
And she hadn’t even started realizing her dreams.
“Wait.” A thought flashed in Evan’s mind. He shouted, “You still have unfinished dreams!”
Queen Otohime’s blue eyes opened slightly. “Dre…ams?”
“Yes! You said you want peace between Fish-Men and humans!”
“You said you want Fish-Man Island’s residents to live in peace and freedom!”
“You haven’t started yet! You, as the queen, haven’t begun your reforms! Fish-Man Island is waiting for you to return and make changes! You can’t give up here! Don’t stop now!!!”
Evan shouted, gripping her hand tightly.
“Ahhh!”
Queen Otohime’s eyes widened, her will rekindled. She focused, accepting Evan’s life force.
She bit down hard on his hand, channeling her pain and strength, and then—
The baby’s cry, like an angel’s song, echoed clearly and powerfully through the deep sea.
“You did it, Queen Otohime.”
Evan sighed with relief, drenched in sweat. This was more nerve-wracking than any previous life-and-death battle.
He quickly separated the baby from the mother using his spatial cutting ability. Gently holding the struggling newborn, he smiled, transferring life force to stabilize the fragile life.
He then placed the tiny mermaid in Queen Otohime’s arms. Despite her weakness, she smiled.
“Queen Otohime, does she have a name?” Evan asked, looking at the little mermaid.
Queen Otohime, holding the tiny mermaid, thought for a moment and softly said, “If it weren’t for you, Lord Evan, we wouldn’t have made it. Could you name her?”
“Me? Really?” Evan asked, surprised, pointing at himself.
“Of course, it would be an honor.” Queen Otohime smiled.
Evan looked at the tiny mermaid, contemplating, and finally decided:
“Let’s call her Evanstar.”
Though just one character different from the original “Shirahoshi,” the name reflected his affection.
Queen Otohime nodded, gently stroking Evanstar’s head, smiling. “Then, the little princess will be named Evanstar.”
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