At this moment, Luffy, who was busy eating and drinking, suddenly stood up. Still chewing on a large piece of meat, he walked right up to Neptune. "In that case, let us take care of Vander Decken and his gang!"
Neptune hadn't expected Luffy to genuinely offer help, and for a moment, he was speechless.
"After all," Luffy continued, stuffing the rest of the meat into his mouth, even swallowing the bone, "you invited us to such a luxurious banquet, so a little help is our way of repaying you, Uncle."
"Captain Straw Hat, I didn't invite you to the banquet so you would do anything for me; I simply wanted to make friends..." Neptune stammered quickly.
"So we are friends then, right?" Luffy asked with a bright smile. "If my friend's daughter is being bullied, how can I just sit around? Uncle, don't worry about it. Just leave this whole thing to the Straw Hats. I promise I'll send that Vander flying!".
Luffy's words completely astonished Neptune. He had merely hoped to start a friendship with the Straw Hats, but he hadn't expected it to be so easy. He was simply invited to dinner, and the Straw Hat Luffy already considered him a friend. It was hard for him to believe. What Neptune didn't know was that it was his sincerity in extending the invitation that Luffy recognized, and sincerity was the most important quality to the young pirate.
Luffy turned to Carl. "Mr. Carl, where should we go to find that Vander guy?".
Carl answered casually, "You and Sanji should go straight to the Hard-Shell Tower. If you see a weapon flying, just follow its trajectory to find him. Remember to bring someone who actually knows what Vander Decken IX looks like, or you might hit the wrong person." Carl was very concerned about Luffy's poor ability to recognize people. This guy sometimes even mistook his own crewmates, let alone a random enemy. Bringing someone who knew Vander Decken would make the job much easier.
Neptune immediately offered, "Since that's the case, I will have my three sons and some soldiers cooperate with you. That will make it much easier for you to move around Fish-Man Island!".
With Neptune's consent, Luffy and the others prepared to leave immediately. Carl felt that it wouldn't take so many people to deal with one Vander Decken, so he didn't plan to join them. He stayed behind to continue drinking with Neptune. Law, Nami, and Robin also remained. Law was purely being lazy, Robin had a question to ask, and Nami was interested in the treasures of the Ryugu Palace.
Seeing Carl stay, Jinbe didn't leave either. He sensed Carl had something important to discuss, so he remained seated, waiting for the topic Carl would bring up.
Carl thought for a moment, then asked King Neptune to dismiss everyone else, including the two Ministers. Neptune immediately knew that the matter was serious, so he followed Carl's wishes, but he allowed Jinbe to stay.
Robin was the first to speak. "King Neptune, I read the primary text on the Sea Forest Poneglyph. I want to know who Joy Boy was, and who was the letter of apology written for? What is the story behind it?".
Neptune looked surprised. "You mean, you can understand the writing on that stone?". Even Jinbe was surprised, but then he immediately remembered Robin's identity and understood. However, Jinbe also didn't know the story behind that particular Historical Poneglyph, so he listened with curiosity.
Robin explained, "I am an Ohara survivor. If you don't want to tell me, that's fine.".
Neptune looked conflicted, clearly indicating that the Poneglyph held many secrets. Finally, Neptune grit his teeth and said, "This matter has been passed down through our royal family for generations, and we are forbidden to tell others. I must ask for your forgiveness; I cannot tell you. I am sorry!".
Carl, who was drinking, paused. He understood with a little thought. The situation was different from the canon story. In the original timeline, the Straw Hats had rescued Fish-Man Island, which earned Neptune's complete trust, prompting him to reveal the secret. Now, the Straw Hats had just arrived, and their bond was only a friendship forged over a banquet. They hadn't earned the same level of trust as in the original story, so it was natural for Neptune to keep silent.
Robin was a little disappointed but didn't push the matter. "If you have something you need to keep hidden, you don't need to apologize.".
It was Carl's turn to speak. "King Neptune, I know you can't completely trust the Straw Hats yet, and it's understandable that you can't reveal that story. But unfortunately, I already know it. I'm guessing the biggest secret you've kept in your heart—the secret of Poseidon—won't remain a secret for much longer!".
Neptune paled in terror and instinctively reached for the trident next to him.
Carl waved a dismissive hand. "You don't need to be nervous. I don't have any malicious intentions. I'm just warning you. Fish-Man Island is still too weak. Even with Whitebeard's protection, the World Government won't ignore you once the news of Poseidon gets out. I won't just stand by and watch, but I don't know if you are ready, King Neptune.".
Neptune suddenly struggled for breath, his face filled with anxiety and pain. He clearly did not want to accept that fact.
Then, Carl delivered the final sentence that broke Neptune's psychological defenses. "Why do you think Vander Decken IX harasses Princess Shirahoshi so relentlessly? It's only because Princess Shirahoshi's cry attracted the Sea Kings when she was a child. Vander Decken IX has already made a guess!".
"What?! So that was the reason..." King Neptune's eyes widened. A murderous intent flashed in his eyes, but it took a long time for it to fade. Finally, he sighed in utter defeat.
Jinbe immediately said, "Your Majesty, if you have any difficulties, please tell me. I will do my best to help you accomplish whatever is needed!".
Neptune shook his head. "Ah, Jinbe, this matter concerns the future of Fish-Man Island. I have never dared to act rashly. I never thought the secret was still out. That man, Vander Decken IX, actually knew about it! I don't know if he has told anyone else. But if I continue to hide it from you now, it probably won't make much sense.".
He then composed himself and began to answer Robin's original question.
"Joy Boy was a person who lived on the surface over eight hundred years ago. The text on the Poneglyph was written to the mermaid princess on this island at that time. It is his apology for failing to fulfill an agreement with Fish-Man Island. Although the details of the agreement have not been passed down, the legend says that one day, a person will come who will take Joy Boy's place and fulfill that promise. This is the legend that has been passed down through our royal family. We firmly believe this and have guarded the great ship, Noah, for generations.".
"Noah? What's that?" Nami asked.
"It's an enormous ship located near Fish-Man Island," Jinbe explained. Jinbe also felt a sudden understanding. He had known the royal family was protecting Noah, but he hadn't realized such a story existed—a story more than 800 years old. It was truly unimaginable.
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