Having cut short the reunion between Neptune and Garp, Michael smiled and saluted the two on the throne with a Marine gesture before continuing.
"Your Majesty King Neptune, Queen Otohime, I am Rear Admiral Michael of Marine Headquarters, and also the commanding officer of the SWORD Special Forces."
"Queen Otohime, while you may not be familiar with the name of this classified special forces unit, I suspect you've heard quite a bit about its activities."
"Wait, you mean…" Queen Otohime paused briefly in thought before her expression lit up with excitement.
She even rose from her throne and stepped eagerly toward Michael.
"Are you saying your classified special forces are that mysterious Marine unit that has been relentlessly cracking down on gangs, slave traders, and pirates? The one that has disrupted smuggling networks and dismantled the slave trade on a large scale?"
"Indeed, that would be us," Michael replied calmly. "Over the years, we've also rescued quite a few fish-men and merfolk."
"Thank you… thank you so much, Rear Admiral Michael."
Overcome with emotion, Queen Otohime grasped Michael's hands in hers.
Feeling the warmth of her touch, even Michael was momentarily taken aback.
Such sincere gratitude—it was as if Michael had personally saved Queen Otohime herself.
Perhaps this was the true essence of "The Benevolent One"?
In the world of pirates, there were many villains, many who walked the line between good and evil, but true heroes were rare.
Even rarer were those who could be called saints.
Yet Queen Otohime was one such person.
She could truly be called a "saint."
But "saint" was never a derogatory term.
It was "hypocritical saint" that carried negative connotations—representing double standards and demanding sacrifices from others while doing nothing themselves.
A true saint, however, acted without words.
And in the original story, Otohime had given her life for the sake of Fish-Man Island.
Her genuine saintly radiance had even moved an irredeemable Celestial Dragon.
"Greatness" was barely sufficient to describe Otohime.
"Let's save the gratitude for after we've resolved all the issues facing Fish-Man Island," Michael said, steering the conversation straight to the point rather than following Queen Otohime's lead.
"After all, we can't let over five million people on Fish-Man Island be completely abandoned just because of a single decree from the World Government to remove its status, can we?"
"Exactly! You're absolutely right!" Otohime nodded fervently.
Born with the innate ability of Observation Haki, she could hear the voices in people's hearts, sense emotions, and even transmit them.
And Michael's inner voice matched his spoken words perfectly.
His heart and words were one!
In other words, he truly had come to find a way to save Fish-Man Island!
But his concern grew as he watched her nodding so vigorously.
After all, Otohime's health was notoriously frail.
Even slapping someone could cause her to suffer an injury.
He was worried that all this nodding might make Queen Otohime snap her own neck.
"The current problem is that the World Government has removed the Ryugu Kingdom from its list of affiliated nations, stripping it of protection from both the World Government and the Marines. As a result, it's gradually turning into lawless territory..." Michael summarized Fish-Man Island's predicament succinctly.
"Exactly," Neptune agreed. "Ever since the World Government issued its proclamation to the world, pirates and even some ill-intentioned Marines have flooded into Fish-Man Island... Though no major incidents have occurred yet, once they do, it will likely spiral out of control."
"This problem isn't actually too difficult to solve," Michael said with a smile so warm it felt like a spring breeze.
"Since the main issue is the loss of Marine protection, why not have the Ryugu Kingdom bypass the World Government and start cooperating directly with the Marines from now on?"
Michael's words instantly lit up the eyes of both Neptune and Queen Otohime.
That... didn't sound impossible.
"But the Marines are ultimately under the World Government's control, so any cooperation with Fish-Man Island must offer the Marines greater benefits than the penalties they'd face for defying the World Government."
"That makes sense."
Queen Otohime agreed with Michael's reasoning.
After all, the Marines weren't Fish-Man Island's parents—without its affiliated status, securing their protection would naturally require sufficient incentives.
Queen Otohime was a kind and compassionate soul, but she wasn't foolish.
In fact, her political instincts far surpassed those of Neptune, the king himself.
"So, how do you suggest we facilitate this exchange of benefits?"
"Simple—I want Fish-Man Island's people."
"What!? I refuse!" Queen Otohime's expression darkened instantly, and she rejected the proposal without hesitation.
"I would never sell my own people to buy temporary peace for Fish-Man Island!"
"What are you thinking...?" Michael shook his head. "What I mean is, have the warriors of Fish-Man Island join the Marines and establish a new Marine branch here—one entirely composed of Fish-Man Island's own fighters."
Queen Otohime froze, then looked at Michael in confusion.
Even so... wouldn't Fish-Man Island's defensive strength remain unchanged despite this nominal Marine branch?
"I understand your concerns..." Michael shook his head, "Establishing a Marine branch would essentially consolidate all the scattered armed forces across Fishman Island, making them far more powerful than operating independently. As you know, the Ryugu Kingdom's military alone could never protect the entire island. The only chance is to unite all forces that can be united, turning every citizen into a soldier, and focusing our strength in one direction to succeed."
"Of course, I'll contribute as well. Before the Marine branch is established, I'll conduct a thorough sweep of Fishman Island as a gesture of goodwill for the collaboration between the Marines and the Ryugu Kingdom... And rest assured, I can absolutely deliver—especially with Garp-san here."
King Neptune, who had initially been skeptical, immediately felt reassured after glancing at Garp.
Damn, the reputation of the "Hero of the Marines" was incredibly useful!
"Is this really the only way?" Queen Otohime asked with frustration.
"Queen Otohime, I know you've been rallying support across Fishman Island, collecting signatures to petition the World Government... That's both naive and foolish."
"The voices of the weak will never be heard by the strong."
"True kindness must be built upon strength—only then is it genuine."
Otohime froze, then after a long pause, shook her head.
"Rear Admiral Michael, your words... have given me much to reflect on."
Her convictions remained unshaken, but her methods would change.
"Queen Otohime! This Marine speaks the truth! As I've told you from the beginning—peace can only be achieved through strength first!"
A booming voice echoed from outside the palace.
Michael turned to see two towering fishmen entering—one red, one blue.
The red one was Fisher Tiger.
The blue one was the "Knight of the sea" Jinbei.
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