Nap-One, the pure-white, sleek-lined luxury flagship, floated quietly in the "upper air" of Fish-Man Island.
Like a ghost ship from another world, it formed a strange contrast with Fish-Man Island's fairy-tale, coral architecture.
Its appearance instantly shattered the everyday calm of Coral Hill and the Mermaid Café.
"Waaah! Look! What kind of ship is that?!"
"S-So big… such a huge bubble! And it's… flying in the sky!"
"Is that a human ship? It looks so pretty!"
"Huh? There are people on it… humans? How did they even get in here?"
Countless mermaids leaned out from the café terraces, curiously waving their tails.
Fish-Man residents on the streets also stopped in their tracks, pointing and staring upward.
This ship was far too unfamiliar.
It flew no pirate flag, clearly not here to cause trouble.
It bore no Celestial Dragon hoof marks, so it wasn't a World Noble vessel.
It didn't even carry the Marine's seagull emblem, so it didn't seem to be official business either.
A top-tier luxury ship of unknown origin, an… illegal intruder.
...
Nap-One, captain's cabin.
"…Mm."
Renzo slowly sat up from his lounge chair, his gray, half-lidded eyes sweeping over the view outside the window.
Outside were brilliant corals, dreamlike light, and…
Countless mouths… chattering noisily.
"Tch."
Renzo frowned again.
"…Rehn."
"Here! Lord Renzo!"
With a heavy thump, Rehn came running back from the infirmary and snapped to attention.
His round, bulky body somehow looked exceedingly dependable.
"I hate tourist attractions," Renzo said flatly.
"Understood!"
Rehn instantly grasped his lord's intent.
"Tourist attraction" = "lots of people" = "noise"!
What Lord Renzo meant was: I don't want to be gawked at. Clear these people out and find a quiet place to dock.
"And," Renzo added. "Find someone 'professional.' I don't want to waste time in a place like this."
"Yes, sir!!"
Rehn's face split into a confident, consummate-lackey smile.
"Please rest with Admiral Kizaru for a moment. 'Navigation,' 'crowd control,' 'docking', these little chores, I guarantee they'll all be done within ten minutes!"
After bowing slightly, Rehn turned and left the captain's cabin.
His three-meter-tall, rotund body stepped out and landed with a heavy thud on the foremost deck of Nap-One.
...
"Wow! He came out!"
"He's… so fat… a human kid?!"
"What's he going to do?"
Under the curious gazes of fish-men and mermaids alike,
WOOO!!!
A piercing alarm ripped through the peaceful calm of Fish-Man Island!
"It's the Neptune Army!"
"The guards are here!"
Dozens of heavily armored fish-man soldiers riding Bon Chari buble bikes surged in from all directions, instantly surrounding Nap-One.
At their head stood what appeared to be a swordfish fish-man, sunglasses perched on his sharp, pointed nose, clearly not someone to mess with.
"Illegal human intruders!!"
The swordfish captain raised his trident and pointed it at Rehn on the deck, his voice booming.
"This is the Ryugu Kingdom! You have forcibly entered without permission, violating the Fish-Man Island Act!!"
"Immediately! Lay down your weapons! State your identities and come with us, uh…"
His voice… stalled.
Because…
He realized the fat guy on the deck had no weapon at all.
That round-bodied youth merely clasped his hands behind his back, looking down at them with casual interest.
That expression… was like he was watching a group of… "fast-swimming pets."
"…Human!"
Enraged by that look, the captain snapped, "Don't think that, uh…"
He froze again.
Because…
The door to Nap-One's captain's cabin slowly opened.
A ridiculously tall man in a yellow-and-white striped suit, brown-tinted sunglasses on his face, hands in his pockets, strolled out at an unhurried pace.
"Maaa~."
Kizaru squinted, basking in the warm light transmitted by the Sunlight Tree Eve, and sighed comfortably.
"What a treat... It's been such a long time. The 'light' of Fish-Man Island is still so beautiful~."
The swordfish captain… went dumb.
His sharp mouth hung open in a perfect "O."
He… he recognized that face!
"Ki… Ki… Ki…!!!"
With a clang, his trident slipped from his hands and fell into the sea.
"Kizaru?!?!!"
BOOM!!!
That name was more terrifying than Rehn's thunder prison!
The Fish-Man Island residents who had just been curiously watching erupted into earth-shaking panic the instant they heard Kizaru.
"Kizaru?! That Marine Admiral?!"
"How… how is he here?!"
"Is the Marine… attacking?!"
"Run!!!"
The port, moments ago packed with people, became utterly deserted within three seconds.
The "noise sources"… cleared themselves.
"Oh my?"
Seeing this instant "crowd control," Kizaru shrugged helplessly.
"My my… I'm not very popular~."
The dozens of Neptune Army guards stood frozen, neither daring to leave nor stay.
Their bodies trembled violently in the deep sea.
A Marine Admiral… "illegal entry"?!
What… what in the world was going on?!
Just then-
"Ahem."
Rehn's loud voice rang out at exactly the right moment.
He stepped forward, placing himself in front of Renzo and Kizaru, and announced in a perfectly proffesional tone:
"Gentlemen of the Ryugu Kingdom's guard, please remain calm."
A supremely "official" and "professional" smile spread across his round face.
"We… are not here to 'wage war.' We… are here on 'vacation.'"
"Va… vacation?" The captain looked like he was about to cry.
You call… a Marine Admiral suddenly appearing in another nation's territory… a "vacation"?!
"That's right." Rehn nodded, his smile widening.
"And," he emphasized, "today… there are 'two.'"
"T-Two?!" The captain froze.
"Rehn boy~" Kizaru lazily reminded from behind.
"Renzo-kun… he's still 'resting'. Don't be too loud~…"
"!!!"
The captain and all the guards' minds… crashed again.
'Renzo… Renzo?'
"Oh, I forgot to introduce us."
Rehn cleared his throat. A flash of fervent, almost fanatical pride crossed his otherwise jovial face.
He snapped to attention and pointed behind him at Nap-One.
"This ship is called Nap-One!"
"On board is the master of G-5, Marine Headquarters' Admiral Haiiroyo , Lord Renzo!!"
"And I," Rehn thumped his round chest, "am Lord Renzo's chief attendant and bodyguard, Rehn!"
"..."
"Admiral… Haiiroyo …?"
"Re… Renzo…?"
"T-T-Two… two Marine Admirals… arriving?!!"
The swordfish captain's eyes rolled back,
He nearly fell off his bubble bike in sheer terror!
'No wonder… no wonder even Kizaru had come…'
'So he was with that legendary, equally "lazy," equally "monstrous" Haiiroyo?!'
'It's over… it's over… the Ryugu Kingdom today is going to-'
"Hey."
Rehn's voice cut through the captain's near-death spiral.
"How much longer is your 'welcome ceremony' going to take?"
"Huh…?!"
"Lord Renzo… was just woken up… by your alarm."
Rehn still wore his cheerful smile, but in his unseen, beady eyes gleamed a terrifying chill that screamed: Say one wrong word and I'll electrocute you and this entire island through.
"He is in a very bad mood right now."
"H-He… he… his lordship…" The captain was on the verge of tears.
"What Lord Renzo means," Rehn delivered the final "divine decree,"
"is that he wants a 'vacation.'"
"He needs a 'professional tour guide.'"
"And he believes… your 'King'… His Majesty Neptune… is barely 'qualified.'"
'Barely… qualified?!''
'Having the King of Fish-Man Island personally act as a tour guide?!'
'What outrageous tyranny!!'
"So-" Rehn spread his hands with a you-get-it-now? look.
"are you going to… right now… immediately… go notify your King to roll over here, ah, no, invite him here… to welcome the 'two Admirals'…"
"Or…"
At Rehn's fingertips, crackle, a cluster of blue lightning arced to life.
"…would you prefer that I personally go to Ryugu Palace… and 'invite' him over?"
"AAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!"
The swordfish captain let out the most shrill scream of his life!
"I-I'll go!!! I'll go right now!!! I'll inform His Majesty immediately!!!"
"P-Please… please wait just a moment, Admirals!!!"
"No! Please don't wait!!"
The captain blurted frantically, "We, we'll immediately clear the quietest 'Royal VIP' port next to Ryugu Palace for you!!!"
"Oh?" Rehn nodded in satisfaction. "…Now that… sounds like human speech."
"MOVE!!! MOVE MOVE MOVE!!!"
The captain and his guards didn't even dare swim back,
They rolled back.
Men and bikes alike tore through the water, carving a dozen panicked white wakes,
Racing straight toward Ryugu Palace…