After leaving the chaotic cafe area, the atmosphere of the group heading to Ryugu Palace became extremely strange. The heavily injured Arlong followed behind them, supported by two guards after his wounds had been simply bandaged. However, he seemed like a completely changed man, showing none of the resentment or defiance he had displayed before.
His face was twisted and bruised from his recent injuries, but his eyes were filled with an almost pathological fervor. He kept his gaze fixed on Takuro's back as they walked, looking at him as if he were staring at a walking deity. Arlong completely ignored the severe pain racking his body. Every few minutes, he would lean forward and eagerly ask in a hoarse, broken voice:
"Takuro, when are we going to attack Mary Geoise?"
"Takuro, do you want me to start gathering people? I know plenty of brothers who are brave and willing to fight!"
"Takuro, will you let me personally slaughter a few of those Celestial Dragons when we get there?"
"Takuro..."
At first, Takuro found the transformation of the blue-skinned Fishman to be somewhat interesting. However, after being asked the same types of questions seven or eight times, his tiny bit of interest was completely worn out. He suddenly stopped in his tracks, turned around, and glared at Arlong. His eyes were full of a dark threat that made the surrounding air feel heavy.
"If you make another sound, I'm going to sew your mouth shut," Takuro snapped impatiently. "You're being way too noisy, Long Nose! Attacking the surface is my business. Do you really think you need to worry about the timing? Look at yourself. What can you even do in that half-dead state? Go get your injuries treated quickly and just wait for my notice!"
Arlong flinched at the harsh rebuke, but there wasn't a trace of fear on his face. Instead, he became visibly excited when he heard the words "wait for my notice." It was as if he had just received a sacred decree from a higher power. He nodded his head repeatedly. Because his movements were too large and sudden, he pulled at his open wounds and winced in pain. He didn't dare to shout loudly again, though. He simply lowered his voice and spoke to the guards who were holding him up.
"Quick... take me to the best doctor right now!" he urged them. "I need to recover as fast as I can. I can't afford to delay the Boss's important matters!"
Takuro watched as the guards led Arlong away toward the hospital. Only then did he feel like his ears were finally starting to clear. He turned his head toward Fisher Tiger, who was standing beside him with a very solemn expression on his face.
"Hey, Tiger, what's the actual situation at Ryugu Palace?" Takuro asked casually. "How is your 'persuasion' work going so far?"
When he heard the question, Fisher Tiger's rugged face showed a hint of bitterness and helplessness. He looked down and replied in a low, steady voice.
"Takuro, to be honest, the situation is not ideal," Fisher Tiger explained. "I found an opportunity earlier to privately explain your power to Queen Otohime. I subtly suggested that perhaps we could use your strength to fight for the future of Fish-Man Island with a more assertive stance. I even mentioned that a necessary military deterrence might be needed."
He paused for a moment, and his voice deepened as he continued. "However, Her Majesty the Queen was firmly opposed to the idea. She believes that using force only breeds more hatred and bloodshed. In her mind, violence cannot bring true peace or coexistence between our races. She firmly believes that only through enlightenment and the ideal of moving to the surface can the Fish-Man race win a true future. To her, my suggestion is a dangerous thought that goes against everything she stands for."
Takuro scoffed loudly. He showed extreme disdain for what the Queen called "enlightenment" and "ideals." To a warrior, such things felt like empty words.
"However," Fisher Tiger continued, "although the Queen opposes using force, she seems to have sensed that you are an extraordinary person. Between my description of you and that strange deep-sea tremor from earlier, she is curious. She said that she hopes to talk with you in person. She believes that even if your ideals are different, communication and understanding are still necessary."
"She wants to meet and talk?" Takuro asked, stroking his chin. A playful expression grew on his face. "Alright then. I'd like to see what kind of tricks this naive Queen thinks she can use to talk me into her way of thinking."
At the same time, the atmosphere was just as heavy inside the majestic Ryugu Palace. The throne room was magnificent, constructed from giant coral and shimmering gold, but the mood was dark. Queen Otohime, a petite mermaid with immense conviction, was frowning deeply. Her face was full of worry. She clutched a signed petition for "relocating to the land" tightly in her hand, but her mind was clearly somewhere else.
"Neptune, I have a very strong sense of unease," Otohime said. Her voice was ethereal and trembled slightly as she spoke. "That human Fisher Tiger brought back... no, according to the urgent message I got from Shyarly, he might not even be human at all. His power, and that strange aura of destruction and conquest he carries with him, really frightens me. I worry that his arrival will completely disrupt the peace of Fish-Man Island. I'm afraid he might even push us into an abyss we can't return from."
King Neptune was seated on the huge throne, holding his golden trident. He looked composed, but a hint of solemnity was hidden deep in his eyes. He was a Tier 3 world-class power, but even he felt the weight of the situation.
"Otohime, I understand why you are worried," Neptune said in a deep, booming voice. "The news from Fisher Tiger is indeed astonishing. They say the aftershock of a single punch shook the entirety of Fish-Man Island and that he easily defeated Arlong. Such power is unheard of for a single person. Since we don't know his true purpose, he is undoubtedly a huge variable in our future."
He paused and looked at his worried wife. His tone softened with a hint of reassurance and a king's resolve. "However, there is no need for you to worry excessively. This is Fish-Man Island, and it is our home. If the situation truly develops into the worst possible scenario, and if this Takuro truly has malice in his heart and tries to conquer us by force..."
Neptune's gaze sharpened, and he tightened his grip on his trident.
"I am not without a backup plan," Neptune declared. "I can always notify my good friend, 'Whitebeard' Edward Newgate! He is a Yonko, a Tier 4 Galactic Emperor whose influence spans the entire sea. He once promised to plant his flag on Fish-Man Island to protect us from any intrusion. With his power, even this mysterious Takuro would never dare to easily provoke the strongest man in the entire world!"+1
When Whitebeard's name was mentioned, Neptune's tone was full of absolute trust and confidence. The Whitebeard Pirates' flag had indeed shielded the island from many disasters in the past. To the King, the protection of a Yonko was the ultimate defense.
Queen Otohime's brows did not completely relax, even after hearing that. She believed in Whitebeard's strength and his kindness, but for some reason, she couldn't stop thinking about Takuro. Whenever she pictured his scarlet eyes—eyes that seemed to disdain all rules and authority—the unease in her heart remained. She wondered if relying on another person's protection could truly resolve a crisis that felt so utterly different from anything they had faced before.
It was in this heavy atmosphere of worry and preparation that the guards' announcement finally echoed from afar.
"Report! Fisher Tiger and the guest Takuro's party have arrived outside the palace!"
The curtain of Ryugu Palace was about to rise. The clash of ideals and the ultimate test of power were about to unfold intensely in the deep-sea throne room.
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