Above Fish-Man Island, the royal convoy—its carriages drawn by gigantic seahorses—moved forward at an unhurried pace, gliding through the island's brilliantly colored coral forests.
Lipo leaned over the edge of the carriage, her pink eyes glittering with excitement as her rabbit ears bounced with every movement.
"Gern! Look over there!" She pointed toward a glowing cluster of jellyfish drifting within the Sea Forest, her voice filled with delight. "They change colors! Like a rainbow!"
Gern smiled faintly, his gaze sweeping across the dreamlike world of the deep sea.
Tesoro sat quietly nearby, the camera in his hands continuously capturing the scenery along the way. His expression was gentle, as though he were already imagining traveling these waters together with Stella.
"How are the shots coming along?" Gern asked, turning his head slightly.
Tesoro nodded softly, the corners of his mouth lifting. "Stella will definitely love this place."
"Really?! Let me see!" Lipo immediately squeezed over, pointing excitedly at the camera screen."This one! You have to print this one! And that mermaid bay over there—I want a photo there too!"
"This camera was a special gift from Stella. I'm not letting you touch it!"
"Don't be so stingy~"
Watching the scene, Gern couldn't help but chuckle. He reached out, grabbed Lipo by the back of her collar, lifted her up, and set her onto his thigh. Ruffling her hair, he said with a smile,
"Once the talks are done, we'll have plenty of time.And didn't you want the biggest, shiniest pearl carrot? I'll mention it to Neptune later."
"That's right! My pearl carrot!" Lipo's eyes lit up, and her grin never faded.
Tesoro, hearing this, clicked his tongue quietly, already thinking about getting a set of Fish-Man Island–exclusive accessories for Stella as well.
After all, Stella was a full-fledged military spouse who often chatted with other families at Marineford.If his wife had jewelry like that, she'd definitely be thrilled.
With that thought, Tesoro suddenly looked at Gern, pursed his lips, and said,"Rear Admiral Gern… I can act cute too, you know~"
"Tesoro, don't make me give you a real deep-sea drop right here."
Tesoro: "..."
—
At the same time, inside the royal carriage at the front of the convoy, Neptune frowned slightly, his gaze heavy with thought.
He turned toward Fisher Tiger, who sat beside him, and asked in a low voice,"Tiger, what do you think that Marine Rear Admiral's true purpose on Fish-Man Island is?"
"Hard to say." Tiger crossed his arms, his voice deep. "He says it's a 'visit,' but there's meaning behind his words.Especially that line about Fish-Men needing his justice… I don't understand what he means by that."
"I see…" Neptune pondered for a moment. "How strong is he?"
"Very strong." A trace of gravity flashed through Tiger's eyes. "If he decided to move, no one on Fish-Man Island could stop him.
His title 'Heaven-Shaker' in the Marines isn't just for show.He forged that reputation step by step, starting from the day he cut down Golden Lion.
Across the seas, aside from those three legends and a handful of other monsters, no one dares claim they can defeat him outright.
If this were a few months ago, before the Roger Pirates left Fish-Man Island, then maybe—thanks to your relationship with Roger—we could've forced him to sit down and talk properly…"
"But Roger has already left," Neptune said, his frown deepening."And the Marines—no, the World Government—suddenly taking an interest in Fish-Man Island… it can't be that simple."
Tiger nodded. "The World Government has never truly cared about Fish-Man Island.Now that Marines have actually landed here, there must be a reason."
"In that case…" Neptune took a deep breath, his eyes firm. "No matter what, we probe his intentions first.If he's after something, we need to prepare early."
—
The convoy passed beneath an enormous coral archway, and the outline of Ryugu Palace gradually came into view.
The golden palace shimmered beneath the deep-sea light, like a castle straight out of a fairy tale.
Lipo's eyes widened in awe. "It's so pretty! Even more magnificent than Marine Headquarters!"
Gern, however, focused his gaze on the defensive structures surrounding the palace, thinking to himself,
Fish-Man Island's defenses are tighter than I expected…
The convoy finally came to a halt before the grand gates of Ryugu Palace.
Neptune stepped down from his carriage and turned to Gern and the others."Welcome to Ryugu Palace, Rear Admiral Gern. Please, come inside so we may discuss matters in detail."
Gern smiled politely and nodded.
—
Upon entering the palace hall, Gern swept his eyes across the surroundings.
Beneath the splendor and ornate decorations, tension lingered in the air.
The guards' gazes were sharp and wary, their distrust toward these "uninvited guests" obvious.
Neptune took his seat upon the throne and gestured for Gern and his companions to sit.
Servants brought out tea and snacks made from deep-sea specialties. Lipo took a curious bite, her eyes lighting up instantly.
"Delicious!"
Neptune smiled faintly, then looked directly at Gern, getting straight to the point.
"Rear Admiral Gern, Fish-Man Island has always kept a distant relationship with the World Government.This sudden visit by the Marines—what guidance do you bring?"
Gern set down his teacup, his tone calm yet resolute.
"Your Majesty Neptune, Fish-Man Island is a World Government–affiliated nation,yet it has long suffered harassment from pirates—often even serving as a transit point on their way to the New World.
This is a situation the Marines cannot simply ignore."
As if we don't know that already.Neptune kept his smile, but inwardly scoffed.
That's exactly why Fish-Man Island maintains a pirate-friendly policy.Most pirates treat it as a sightseeing stop on their way to the New World rather than settling here for long.(Large-scale mermaid trafficking only really exploded in the later era of great piracy.)
With that thought, Neptune's eyes sharpened slightly as he continued smiling.
"So… the Marines are here to 'clean up' Fish-Man Island?"
"Clean up Fish-Man Island"?Neptune, do you dare imagine that? Even the World Government wouldn't.
Ten thousand meters under the sea, directly beneath the Holy Land of Mary Geoise—with this geography, it's practically untouchable.
After that brief internal jab, Gern shook his head.
"No. I'm here to establish cooperation.Fish-Man Island needs real protection—and the Marines can provide it."
Tiger let out a cold snort. "Protection? Or control?"
Gern turned his gaze to Tiger, his expression open and unflinching.
"Fisher Tiger, you've traveled the world for many years. You understand human prejudice—and the hardships Fish-Man Island faces.
If the Marines truly intended to control Fish-Man Island, they wouldn't have sent only me.This visit is entirely my own initiative and has nothing to do with the World Government. You don't need to overthink it."
Neptune and Tiger exchanged a glance and chose silence.
Seeing this, Gern continued,"My proposal is simple. I—personally—will establish a formal diplomatic relationship with Fish-Man Island.You will fly my flag."
Neptune pondered for a moment. "And what does Fish-Man Island gain from this?"
Gern smiled slightly and was just about to answer—
When a woman's voice suddenly cut through the hall.
"Wait! We don't need benefits!!"
"Fish-Man Island doesn't need any benefits at all. We're willing—as long as we can live peacefully with humans."
At the sound of that voice from outside the hall, both Neptune and Fisher Tiger froze.
Oh no.
The embodiment of idealism—Neptune's wife, Fish-Man Island's idealistic queen—
had arrived.