Evening.
Ryugu Palace.
Located at the very top of Fish-Man Island—where sunlight could still be seen—the palace was a magnificent complex built from massive coral reefs, shells, and various other materials. A colossal dragon coiled around the structure, making it look both majestic and awe-inspiring.
This was the royal stronghold of Fish-Man Island.
After riding a giant flounder equipped with an enormous bubble membrane up to the palace, the Marines were completely stunned by the sight before them.
The banquet hall was unbelievably vast and tall. At its center stood a shell-shaped stage, surrounded by an overwhelming spread of delicacies—every dish dazzling, every aroma irresistible.
But what truly set the Marines' hearts racing were the mermaid ladies weaving gracefully through the hall. Each one was stunning, smiling warmly at them as they passed.
"This… this is heaven, isn't it?!"
"No doubt about it—this is absolutely heaven!"
The Marines quickly took their seats.
Karl, Ain, and Smoker were seated closer to King Neptune, with Jinbe sitting opposite them.
"Thank you, Marines, for capturing the despicable criminal Hody Jones on behalf of Fish-Man Island," Neptune said solemnly, raising his cup.
"As king, I toast to all of you!"
The Marines instinctively turned to look at Karl.
After all, Karl was notoriously strict when it came to drinking. Last time on Amazon Lily, he'd only allowed them a single cup—on the grounds that they still had work the next day.
"What are you all looking at me for?" Karl waved his hand.
"Drink!"
"OHHHHH!!!"
And just like that, the banquet officially began.
After everyone had eaten a little, Neptune arranged a song-and-dance performance. Several beautiful mermaids took the stage, singing and dancing together, instantly igniting the atmosphere.
"Ain, why aren't you eating?" Karl asked.
Ain glanced around, then leaned closer and whispered in his ear.
"I've eaten too much seafood these past few days. It's starting to make me feel sick. Don't worry about me."
That only made it worse.
Once she said it, Karl suddenly felt a wave of nausea himself—especially when he looked at the mountain of clams piled high on the table.
"Rear Admiral Karl, allow me to introduce you," Neptune said.
"This is my eldest son—Fukaboshi."
A tall male merman with blue, wave-like long hair and dignified features smiled shyly at Karl, then quickly returned to a composed expression.
Karl nodded.
"The eldest prince is very steady. I imagine he'll become a king worthy of admiration in the future."
Neptune smiled.
"You flatter him. Fukaboshi still has much to learn."
"Ah, and this is my second son, Ryuboshi. And this one is my third son, Manboshi."
"Rear Admiral Karl! Thank you for everything you've done for Fish-Man Island!" ×2
Karl nodded politely to each of them.
The three princes were all quite young—Fukaboshi, the eldest, was probably only around sixteen, while Manboshi looked barely over ten.
The only one who looked remotely "human" was Fukaboshi.
As for the other two…
Well. Let's not go there.
"Your Majesty has excellent successors," Karl said casually.
"By the way, I heard you also have a daughter. Why haven't I seen her?"
Neptune scratched his head awkwardly.
"Well… Rear Admiral Karl, you may not know this. When Shirahoshi was six years old, a deranged man began stalking her—using threats every day to 'court' her."
"I've ordered his capture many times, but we've had no success. With no other choice, I built a special residence to protect Shirahoshi and keep her from being harmed."
Ain, who was enjoying dessert, looked up.
"Is that pirate named Vander Decken IX?"
Neptune nodded.
"Yes. The captain of the Flying Pirates."
Vander Decken IX—
the user of the Mark-Mark Fruit.
Once he marked a target, anything he threw would unerringly追 them to the ends of the sea—unless intercepted or blocked by an obstacle.
If Karl remembered correctly, washing the hand that performed the marking would cancel it.
Which meant—
This guy hadn't washed his hands in over a year?
How disgusting would that be?!
Curious, Ain asked,
"Your Majesty, how exactly has Vander Decken IX been harassing Princess Shirahoshi?"
Standing nearby, Fukaboshi spoke up.
"He claims to be cursed by the Mark-Mark ability. During the chaos when Mother was shot by Hody Jones, he took advantage of the confusion to touch Shirahoshi."
"From that moment on, Shirahoshi became his target."
"At first, he only threw letters proposing marriage. Later, it escalated—hammers, swords, axes, all kinds of weapons."
"To protect Shirahoshi, Father had no choice but to build the Hard-Shell Tower, forcing her to live inside it to avoid that bastard's attacks."
After finishing, Fukaboshi suddenly bowed deeply to Karl.
"Rear Admiral Karl, please—find a way to capture that vile man!"
"Shirahoshi has been unable to see the sun for over a year now!"
The other two princes followed suit, bowing earnestly and asking Karl for help.
Ain and Smoker also turned to look at him.
After all, Shirahoshi was far too pitiful. A child barely six or seven years old being targeted by a pervert like that—how much psychological trauma would that cause?
"Rest assured," Karl said calmly.
"We are Marines. We'll do everything we can."
As he spoke, inspiration suddenly struck.
Karl turned to Ain.
"Your Return-Return Fruit—could it revert Shirahoshi to a previous state? If so, Vander Decken wouldn't be able to target her anymore."
Ain slapped her palm in realization.
"That's right! At the very least, I can try!"
Hearing there might be hope, Neptune was overjoyed.
"Really?! Wait—Return-Return Fruit? What is that?"
Ain patiently explained her ability to him.
"I see… I understand now," Neptune said solemnly.
"Miss Ain, then I'll be counting on you."
Ain hurriedly waved her hands.
"Your Majesty, you're too kind. I can only promise to do my best."
After the banquet ended, Smoker led the Marines back to the warship to rest.
Karl and Ain, meanwhile, followed King Neptune to the Hard-Shell Tower.
It was a tall, tower-like structure—mostly steel from the outside, layered with armor-like plating.
Calling it a turtle shell tower wouldn't have been an exaggeration.
Looking at the swords, axes, and hammers embedded all over its exterior, it was obvious that Vander Decken hadn't been holding back in harassing Shirahoshi.
"Rear Admiral Karl, Miss Ain—this is where my daughter lives," Neptune said.
"She's a bit shy around strangers. Please wait here for a moment while I go in and talk to her."
"Of course. No problem."
After Neptune and Fukaboshi—plus some other -boshi—went inside, Ain snorted angrily.
"That Vander Decken IX is a complete lunatic. Shirahoshi is barely over seven years old, right?"
That's not just criminal—
That's the maximum sentence for a criminal.
Seeing Karl stay silent, Ain glanced at him.
"What are you thinking about?"
Karl stroked his chin, eyeing the weapons stuck into the tower walls.
"If your ability really works," he said slowly,
"do you think that guy would completely lose his mind?"
Ain's eyes lit up.
"That actually makes sense! If he dares to step onto Fish-Man Island, I'll make sure he never leaves alive!"
That said, everything still depended on just how obsessed Vander Decken truly was with Shirahoshi.
News of the Marines' presence on Fish-Man Island should have spread by now.
If he had even a shred of intelligence, he wouldn't come anywhere near this place.
But then again—
How could you judge a pervert by normal standards?
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