Fish-Man Island, within the Great Hall of the Royal Palace.
The vast palace was unguarded. Thick support pillars stood in solitary silence, and a heavy silence permeated the air.
"Jinbe... how should we handle Big Mom? That woman won't just let things go; she's merely preoccupied for the moment."
King Neptune rose from his throne, gripping his golden trident. He descended the long staircase and walked slowly toward Jinbe, his face filled with worry.
"Now that Newgate has been killed by the Marines, there is no one left on Fish-Man Island who can stop that old hag."
"...There is no need to worry. I just received a message from the Marines. Admiral [White Tiger] is already en route to Fish-Man Island."
Jinbe's eyes shimmered; he was not intimidated by Big Mom's reputation.
Although Atlas could not remain on Fish-Man Island permanently, if the plan he and the Marines had devised came to fruition, it would not only ease relations between Fish-Men and humans but also create a stronger buffer with the World Government.
Moreover, given the Marines' current momentum after completely wiping out the Whitebeard Pirates, that woman will undoubtedly be wary.
"White Tiger... that young Marine who defeated Newgate?"
Neptune looked hesitant. Seeming to recall something, he stared intently at Jinbe and asked:
"I heard rumors that he was involved in Tiger's arrest. If so, his attitude towards Fish-Man Island..."
"Where did you hear such a thing? I recall the newspapers reporting that the entire operation was orchestrated by Admiral [Kizaru]."
Jinbe's heart sank, though his expression remained unchanged.
He recalled that the members of Arlong's former crew who had been released from Impel Down were being watched by Aladdin and the others. It should have been impossible for news to leak.
Unless...
"I just happened to hear that rumor somewhere, though I've forgotten exactly where! Hahahaha!!"
Neptune laughed heartily, immediately tossing the matter to the back of his mind.
He trusted that Jinbe would never do anything harmful to Fish-Man Island.
"..."
Jinbe froze for a moment, then felt a wave of relief.
Neptune's serious expression earlier had almost made him forget that this man loved to ride Hoe around the island; he likely just overheard some gossip somewhere.
"You can rest assured. Although Admiral White Tiger stands with the Marines, as a human, he holds no prejudice against the Fish-Man race."
Jinbe seemed to recall his past conversation with Atlas, subconsciously touching his chest where his heart beat.
"I could sense it clearly. It wasn't the indifferent attitude of someone with immense power who ignores everything else. He genuinely recognizes the Fish-Man race as an intelligent species, equal to humans!!!"
"...Is that so? Then I am relieved."
Neptune looked at Jinbe's sincere eyes, and his anxious heart settled slightly.
The future fate of Fish-Man Island now rested entirely in the hands of that Marine Admiral he had never met.
...
Fish-Man Island, Mermaid Cafe.
This was a cafe that could be considered luxurious even on the beautiful Fish-Man Island. Beautiful mermaids swam back and forth with trays, accurately delivering coffee drinks to every customer.
The unique aroma and the dazzling sights constantly drifted through the customers' vision.
Among the patrons were plenty of vicious pirates.
Although the cafe did not serve the meat dishes pirates usually craved, the unique scenery combined with fine alcohol was still a major attraction for them.
Who knew? Maybe they could have a romantic encounter with a beautiful mermaid.
However, very few pirates dared to cause trouble here.
One reason was the owner's eccentric temper, but the other reason was the owner herself.
They had heard that this seemingly young woman had predicted Whitebeard's death half a year in advance.
When it came to mystical abilities like fortune-telling, even pirates who lived on the edge of a blade held a certain degree of superstition and fear.
Thinking of this, some observant customers boldly peeked toward the bar.
What entered their view was a mermaid of about twenty years old. She had short black hair, and her blue eyes looked exceptionally cold. With pale skin, purple nails, and a purple hooded top left mostly open, she exuded an air of cold, glamorous beauty.
She was the owner of the Mermaid Cafe—Shyarly.
A fortune teller who was both respected and feared, she was also a prominent figure whose fame had recently skyrocketed. Many people traveled from afar just to ask her for a reading.
But almost all of them were ruthlessly rejected by her.
In fact, she hated fortune-telling.
As early as age four, she had predicted the arrival of the Great Pirate Era, and not long ago, she had foreseen Whitebeard's death.
These were not things she wanted to see. An ability that always predicted bad events was truly hard to like.
However...
Shyarly stared fixedly at the transparent crystal ball in front of her, a massive question arising involuntarily in her heart.
Why was Whitebeard's death... premature?
This feeling made her very uncomfortable. Her intuition told her that many things in the world seemed to have been disrupted without anyone noticing.
Including the incident with Tiger; she had once secretly predicted Tiger's end.
Death. Undoubted death.
However, the final outcome had deviated massively from her prediction.
Although Tiger was captured and imprisoned in Impel Down, he had escaped the fate of death!!
That was her first failed prediction, and Whitebeard's premature death was the second!!
"Exactly... what is disturbing the trajectory of fate?!"
Unwilling to give up, Shyarly placed her hand, with its purple-painted nails, onto the smooth crystal ball once more. She was going to perform another divination.
A cold sensation washed over her. Shyarly skillfully closed her sharp eyes. A mysterious power emerged, and the images from the crystal ball were transmitted into her mind.
Crimson. Everything in sight was a wash of crimson. It was as if she were standing in a boundless purgatory, surrounded by a killing intent so sharp it felt as if it could slice open her skin.
Immediately following that, waves of screams reached her ears.
She struggled to identify the surrounding scenery, and her heart suddenly went cold.
This scene... was happening on Fish-Man Island?!!
Who is the killer?!
A thought suddenly flashed through Shyarly's mind as she tried her utmost to peer through the layers of fog.
The side profile of a cold, rugged young man appeared before her eyes. His chiseled features were like sharp, life-claiming blades, piercing fiercely into her heart!!!
Cold, gloomy, and a prevailing sense of loneliness saturated the deep sea.
The harsh environment and terrifying pressure meant that very few creatures could survive in these depths.
Suddenly, a massive island-ship pierced the darkness, intruding into this forbidden zone of life.
With smooth silver-white curves and the majestic, ferocious appearance of a giant beast, it seemed as though an invisible repulsive force surrounded the vessel. No matter how the darkness surged, it could not advance a single inch.
Splash—!!!
The tides rose and fell. Within the darkness, two enormous scarlet eyes suddenly appeared in the Marines' field of vision. The predatory madness within them made the Marines on board feel as if a bucket of ice water had been dumped over them in the dead of winter. A creeping, bone-chilling fear filled their hearts.
This thing...
"Hey, hey, hey!! What is that thing?!"
"It's a sea monster! The legendary giant beast that dwells in the deep sea—"
"The Kraken!!!"
Finally, prompted by others, a Marine recalled the legend.
[In the boundless gloom of the deep sea sleeps a sea monster hundreds of meters tall. Whenever a passing ship disturbs its slumber, it crushes the vessel instantly. No one has ever survived.]
Roar—!!!
A low roar echoed, and countless shipwrecks floated up with the current. A massive shadow instantly enveloped the ship, the White Tiger.
Through the seawater, which seemed to be held at bay, the Marines could clearly see every suction cup of the giant octopus monster. Its eyes, like giant lanterns, glowed with a scarlet light, making the Marines' hair stand on end.
"Brother Atlas..."
Smoker strode quickly to the bow, stopping beside Atlas, his eyes fixed on the massive sea monster that was gradually sinking to eye level with them.
"Ignore it. Everyone back to your posts," Atlas ordered without turning his head, his expression unchanged.
With his Rooster Talisman clearing the way, the Marines on board only needed to steer according to the Log Pose. As for the sea monster, the [Kraken]...
Vwoom—!!!
A terrifying aura erupted!
The dead silent water above instantly boiled. Countless undercurrents surged, and a suffocating pressure crashed toward the Kraken like a crumbling golden mountain!!!
Howl—!!!
The Kraken's pupils abruptly contracted to the size of pinpricks. Its massive body began to tremble uncontrollably, and its thick arms started to shake unconsciously, stirring up small whirlpools.
However, the surroundings of the White Tiger remained a paradise, unaffected by the Kraken's movements.
Clearly, Atlas's Rooster Talisman was at work again.
Glug glug glug~
Before the Marines could even exclaim in surprise, the Kraken's massive body suddenly stopped struggling. It sank helplessly into the darkness below, finally disappearing from sight without a sound.
To this day, no one has been able to explore the deepest parts of the ocean. Even Fish-Man Island, located 10,000 meters down, is not considered the absolute bottom.
Even a body as massive as the Kraken's was but a drop in the ocean compared to this vast sea.
Soon, as time passed, the distance between the White Tiger and Fish-Man Island grew shorter.
...
Inside Ryugu Palace.
Queen Otohime sat dejectedly in a soft chair. Across the wide conference table sat the tall [Great Knight of the Sea], Neptune.
"Otohime—"
Neptune looked at Otohime, who appeared dejected yet held a trace of determination, with a helpless look in his eyes.
"Have you still not given up?"
Although she traveled back and forth between Ryugu Palace and the plaza every day, the number of signatures in the petition box was decreasing rather than increasing.
Clearly, many citizens of Fish-Man Island no longer held any expectations for the future Otohime was trying to build.
"...Shut up!!!"
Otohime suddenly exploded, tears streaming down her face.
"Us!!"
"We, who can only survive in water!! We can only live in the vast ocean... in the boundless darkness of the seabed."
"Why must we choose to live in a place like this? Is it just because there's faint sunlight and air here?!"
"There is brighter sunshine on land!! There is a wider sky!!"
Queen Otohime stood up abruptly, her slender hands slamming onto the conference table as she glared indignantly.
"Why do the children sneak off to look at Sabaody Park?! There are clearly more beautiful places in the world!! There is no place we shouldn't be able to go!!"
"You just find reasons that you think are 'mature' to convince yourself, and then give up, don't you?!"
"Why can't you show the spirit befitting the King of Fish-Man Island and pursue what you want!! Even if the obstacle ahead is humans, can't we face it together?"
Otohime practically screamed the last sentence.
As the Queen of Fish-Man Island, she had to maintain a dignified and elegant appearance outside, as she represented Neptune's face and the dignity of the royal family.
But now, facing her husband, she could vent all her emotions without reservation, no longer needing to maintain her so-called queenly majesty.
"Otohime..."
A trace of heartache flashed across Neptune's face.
Like the other citizens of Fish-Man Island, Neptune had always been skeptical about contact with humans. Regarding Queen Otohime's advocacy, he had always adopted a silent attitude of neither support nor opposition.
But he hadn't realized that his wife, who usually seemed confident and cheerful, was carrying such a heavy burden.
"I promise you. From now on, I will fully support your dream!!"
Neptune looked determined as he made this promise to Otohime.
"Really? In that case, the future the children of Fish-Man Island live in might change a little!!"
Queen Otohime smiled through her tears. She walked around the chair and slowly approached Neptune.
Moved, Neptune reached out his giant palm and placed it gently on Otohime's face, caressing his wife with a smile.
For a moment, a rare warmth filled Ryugu Palace.
Bang—!!!
Suddenly, the heavy doors were slowly pushed open from the outside. A blue Fish-Man squeezed in. Seeing the scene before him, he awkwardly shrank back, mumbling incessantly:
"I'm so sorry, I didn't see anything, King Neptune!!"
"..."
The couple looked at each other and smiled, gently separating. Almost simultaneously, they called out to the blue figure retreating out the door:
"Jinbe, come in and speak. Is there something urgent?"
They knew that unless it was something important, Jinbe would rarely come to Ryugu Palace to find Neptune.