The arrival of Doflamingo and his crew immediately drew the attention of the many fish-men and merfolk on the island.
While they were no strangers to pirates passing through, it had been a long time since they had seen a crew as large and infamous as the Donquixote Pirates.
"Young Master, all the beautiful mermaid ladies are looking at us!" Buffalo couldn't help but exclaim.
"They're probably just looking at how weird you are," Enel said with his usual sharp tongue.
"Giggle."
The women burst out laughing at Enel's jab, and even Law and the others couldn't hold back a smile.
"Lord Enel, why couldn't you have said they were looking at how handsome I am?" Buffalo whined.
"You?" Enel stared at him critically. "If you were talking about Doffy or me, I might believe it. But you? Forget it."
"Hahaha!" The group's laughter grew even louder.
"Lord Enel, that's just mean," Buffalo said dejectedly.
"Alright, Buffalo, you need to have a realistic view of yourself. Enel's not wrong," Diamante said, patting him on the shoulder.
"Yes, yes, Lord Diamante," Buffalo conceded with resignation.
The moment Doflamingo set foot on Fish-Man Island, King Neptune in the Ryugu Palace was informed of his movements.
At this time, Queen Otohime was still alive, and with Jinbe's assistance, Fish-Man Island was relatively peaceful—if you didn't count the residents of the Fish-Man District, who scoffed at the Queen's talk of living in harmony with humans.
Inside the Ryugu Palace, Neptune paced anxiously, waiting for Jinbe to arrive.
"What should we do? Doflamingo is here! Shouldn't we take some precautions?" Neptune asked his wife, Queen Otohime.
"It will be alright, my dear. Doflamingo and his crew are likely just passing through," Otohime said, trying to soothe him.
"Where is Jinbe? Hasn't he arrived yet?" Neptune asked. Jinbe's status as a Warlord of the Sea was one of the few things that brought him any comfort.
"He is on his way now. Please, do not be so anxious," Otohime said gently. In truth, she felt a sense of powerlessness as well. Against a pirate of Doflamingo's strength, their island had no means of resistance. If it weren't for the fact that most pirates feared Whitebeard's name, Fish-Man Island would have been a ruin long ago.
While Neptune was waiting for Jinbe to devise a plan, Arlong and his crew in the Fish-Man District also received news of Doflamingo's arrival. When it came to gathering intelligence on pirates entering the island, no one was more proficient than the residents of the Fish-Man District.
"Boss Arlong! Boss Arlong! I just got word! Mr. Doflamingo and his crew have officially landed on the island!" the octopus fish-man, Hachi, reported excitedly.
Arlong, seated on his throne, broke into a wide grin.
"Doflamingo? Who's that?"
The question came from a fish-man with black hair, a flat cap bearing a trident emblem, a wolf-pelt scarf, and a large tattoo on his left arm.
"Shahahaha! Hody, it's no surprise you don't know Mr. Doflamingo," Arlong said, his tone admonishing. "If it weren't for his help, I might not have been able to come back here. I may hate humans, but Mr. Doflamingo did me a great favor. I won't allow you to disrespect him. He's the only human I admire."
"I understand, Boss," Hody Jones replied with a nod, though his curiosity about this Doflamingo was piqued.
"That goes for the rest of you, too! Mr. Doflamingo is our great benefactor! Show some respect!" Arlong barked at the other fish-men present.
"Yes, Boss!"
Since parting ways with Doflamingo, Arlong and his crew had felt a certain shame about returning to their homeland. They had expected to be met with insults from their own people, but to their surprise, they were welcomed back. The reception left them feeling undeserving, but for the sake of his grand ambition, Arlong had launched into a series of impassioned speeches, trying to win the support of the fish-men and merfolk.
Unfortunately, while many fish-men supported him, most remained rational and stayed out of it. With the influence of Jinbe and the royal family, Arlong's plans had gained little traction. After all, Neptune and his family were the true rulers of Fish-Man Island; Arlong and his crew were just a bunch of thugs. How could their influence possibly compare to Queen Otohime's?
Though he hadn't gained a large following, Arlong had found support in some, and the addition of Hody Jones was a particularly pleasant surprise. It was a match made in the gutter. Hody was an absolute racist who greatly admired Arlong and had always wanted to be his right-hand man. To support Arlong, he had resolutely left the Neptune Army, a clear sign of his twisted devotion.
"Hachi, where is Mr. Doflamingo now? We promised we'd give him a proper welcome," Arlong asked.
"Boss Arlong, Mr. Doflamingo is heading toward your sister's place, the Mermaid Cafe," Hachi reported.
"Shyarly?" Arlong asked.
"Yes, that's right!" Hachi confirmed.
"Alright. Let's all go pay them a visit," Arlong said, rising from his throne.
In truth, while Shyarly was his sister, their relationship wasn't particularly close. Otherwise, she wouldn't have left the Fish-Man District to open a cafe on her own. Arlong paid little attention to her life; if Doflamingo hadn't been there, he wouldn't have bothered to visit. His heart was now filled with a "greater love" for his cause; he had long forgotten the bonds of family.
While Arlong and his crew were on their way to the Mermaid Cafe, Doflamingo and his group had already arrived. It was one of Fish-Man Island's most famous attractions; of course he had to see it.
Though Madam Shyarly's prophecies were said to be profound, Doflamingo wasn't here for a fortune-telling. He had always believed only in the power in his own hands. Relying on vague predictions was not the way to achieve greatness.
"I didn't expect to find a cafe here," Robin remarked, pleasantly surprised. As a budding intellectual, coffee was her drink of choice.
"I heard the owner can tell fortunes," Baby 5 added, leaning in.
"How do you know that?" Robin asked.
"All the beautiful mermaid ladies told me," Baby 5 said, pointing to the mermaids who were watching them from a distance.
"Fortune-telling? What a rare skill. I'd love to see that," Robin said, her interest piqued. The idea of an ability she had only read about in books was incredibly fascinating.
"Fortune-telling, prophecies... I don't believe in any of it," Diamante scoffed. Most of the crew shared his skepticism.
"What about you, brother?" Robin asked, turning to Doflamingo, eager to know his thoughts.
"My future is not something she can predict," Doflamingo stated flatly.
"Yahaha! That's our Doffy, always so confident!" Enel praised with a laugh.
Monet and Ibes gazed at the charismatic man before them, their hearts swelling with pride at his words. This was the man they had chosen.
Doflamingo's declaration stunned the others for a moment. He was right. Destiny was something you had to seize for yourself. Why place your hopes in a nebulous future?
"Alright, let's go and meet the famous Madam Shyarly."
With that, Doflamingo and his crew entered the Mermaid Cafe.
At the same time, Jinbe arrived at the Ryugu Palace.
"Jinbe, you know the situation?" Neptune asked.
"Your Majesty, Your Highness, I have been informed," Jinbe said respectfully.
"Jinbe, are you confident you can handle Doflamingo?" Neptune asked urgently.
"To be honest, Your Majesty, I am no match for him," Jinbe admitted. "Even two Marine Admirals working together couldn't capture him. My humble strength would mean nothing to him."
"I don't believe Doflamingo will do anything to us," Queen Otohime said. "After all, we still have Whitebeard's protection. He wouldn't dare to act recklessly."
"Her Highness is right. But even if Doflamingo does make a move, I will protect you both with my life," Jinbe vowed.
"Then what should we do? Just let him roam free?" Neptune's anxiety was palpable. "I know what you're saying, but having such a powerful pirate in our kingdom... I cannot rest easy."
"Your Majesty, I will personally follow them. I will ensure they do not cause any trouble on Fish-Man Island," Jinbe promised.
"At this point, that's all we can do," Neptune sighed, feeling the weight of the situation. Queen Otohime gently comforted him.
Having received his orders, Jinbe immediately set off for the Mermaid Cafe to meet the man who was currently the talk of the seas.