Fish-Man Island was not under the protection of the World Government. Situated ten thousand meters beneath the surface, it was beyond the World Government's jurisdiction. However, as a vital passage for the vast majority of pirates heading to the New World, it was frequently swarming with them.
At the same time, the country's king did not reject pirates outright. After all, a large number of pirates could help boost Fish-Man Island's economy and its connections with the outside world.
The problem, however, was that while they were under the protection of the Whitebeard Pirates, even pirates with criminal intentions had to act cautiously, and most pirates dared not cause trouble.
After all, the more renowned a pirate, the greater their deterrent power. Once a pirate crew's flag was raised over an island, it signified that the entire crew would spare no effort to eliminate anyone who offended them, be they Marine or pirate.
The Emperors at the apex of the pirate world often used this method to claim territories and build their forces. They were less like pirates and more like regional warlords.
So, when pirates landed on an island, they might scoff at seeing Marines, but if they saw an island protected by pirates, they would be wary instead.
Because when a powerful pirate crew decided to retaliate and hunt someone down, the entire underworld would mobilize for them. Few could escape their pursuit.
Of course, not just any pirate crew had the ability to claim territory. Without sufficiently convincing achievements, fame, and overwhelming strength, claiming territory was nothing but a joke.
Thus, in the New World, it was generally accepted that only the Four Emperors had the capacity to offer protection. Other pirates did not have such rights. Even if they tried, they would have to be able to defend it, and their deterrent power was far inferior to that of the Emperors.
A few days prior, Charlotte Linlin, the Emperor Big Mom, had sent two envoys, Baron Tamago and Pekoms, to inspect the sweets factory. Meanwhile, Jinbe had expressed his willingness to join the Big Mom Pirates in exchange for the Emperor's protection over Fish-Man Island.
Regarding the other pirate crew, the envoys of Kaido of the Beasts, Jinbe had not engaged with them much. The Beast Pirates' brutality and oppressive rule were hardly news in the pirate world.
Furthermore, the late Whitebeard had disliked Kaido and had clashed with him multiple times. However, Wano Country's geographical location made large-scale amphibious landings difficult, which gradually allowed Kaido to build his reputation.
It could be said that Kaido's rise to power occurred only after he seized Wano Country. He rapidly developed warriors, a Devil Fruit user army, and weaponry...
These advancements propelled him to the level of an Emperor-level power. His own strength had also grown by leaps and bounds during this time.
To the point where even other Emperors of the same caliber found him difficult to handle.
The Beast Pirates had sent a delegation led by Page One, one of the Flying Six, with the same goal of bringing Fish-Man Island under their control.
After all, by controlling this location, Kaido could continuously absorb new pirate crews arriving from the outside world, thereby strengthening his own forces.
Of course, only a portion could be controlled. Most pirates were fiercely independent. But even that was sufficient. Intimidate some, recruit others; perhaps the Beast Pirates would only grow stronger.
The problem was that the sweets on Fish-Man Island were simply too delicious. Big Mom had issued a strict order: even if it meant going to war with the Beast Pirates, she would not back down. This left Page One with few options. They were not prepared for an all-out war with the Big Mom Pirates over a single island.
Boom! Inside a building, Page One transformed into a spinosaur and stomped a building to smashing it to pieces. "That old hag, making me go back empty-handed! Damn it, damn it... No, I can't leave like this. I have to find a chance to take out Big Mom's people. Maybe there's still a way to salvage this."
"Lord Page One, Lord Kaido said that if there's no opportunity, we should abandon the island. While Fish-Man Island is important, it's not worth going to war with that old hag over. I've heard she often destroys islands and countries for food..." a Gifters said nervously.
"So what? Since when did the Beast Pirates fear anyone? There's no island we can't take. If the king of this country agrees to cooperate with us, we can just give the sweets factory to that old hag. She only wants the sweets shop, right? Give it to her. What we want is territory. There's no conflict." Page One scratched his dinosaur head with his forelimb, and the more he thought about it, the more feasible it seemed.
"Well..." His subordinate hesitated. It did make some sense. They could try again. If it failed, there was no harm done.
Meanwhile, at the sweets factory office, Baron Tamago and Pekoms listened to their subordinate's report and smiled. "The former Shichibukai, Jinbe, has agreed to join our Big Mom Pirates in exchange for our protection. A wise choice. This is truly a double blessing..."
"Indeed. We've gained the formidable strength of a former Shichibukai while fulfilling Mama's request. But the Beast Pirates haven't made a move yet. I wonder if there will be any surprises." Pekoms nodded, though he was a bit worried.
"Them? No need to worry for now. Whitebeard's remnants are locked in a bitter struggle with the Blackbeard Pirates, and the Red-Haired Pirates are keeping an eye on the Beast Pirates. If they make too big a move, they might end up losing more than just Fish-Man Island." Baron Tamago analyzed calmly.
"That's good. Let's hurry and send the good news back to Mama..."
---
"Thank you, Lord Crocodile, for removing a cancer from our Fish-Man Island." Upon entering Fish-Man Island, King Neptune hurried over with the three princes. He seemed genuinely busy, having brought fewer than ten guards.
They had arrived quickly through the air using only bubble rings, without any ceremonial escort. For royalty, this was incredibly modest.
Moreover, the three princes, Shark Star, Crown Star, and Sea Star, appeared quite wary of the Dawn Pirates. With so many pirates around lately, even the now-famous Dawn Pirates, they couldn't afford the consequences if this crew decided to plunder their country.
Jinbe stepped forward and introduced both sides in detail, primarily introducing the king and princes to Crocodile. After all, Crocodile and his crew were now world-renowned; few were unaware of them.
"Report." But before they could exchange more than a few words, two swordfish fish-men hurried to the king's side with a report.
Neptune's expression changed slightly. He then looked at Rosen and the others with an apologetic expression, said there was an urgent matter to attend to, instructed the three princes to host Rosen's group, and left quickly with Jinbe.
"It's a shame for such a beautiful, dreamlike country." Rosen's ship docked. He looked at this world that resembled a fairy-tale kingdom, filled with vibrant colors and architectural styles from various cultures. Even the restaurants were exquisitely designed with shellfish motifs. He felt a touch of melancholy.
Mermaids here generally didn't eat meat or fish, whereas fish-men did. So even the restaurants were clearly separated. Various giant shellfish buildings, the ringed water city, the countless fish-men of all kinds, and the breathtakingly beautiful mermaids—it was all overwhelming...
Yet this country was being ravaged by pirates. Rosen could see people hurrying along the streets. Many human pirates openly loitered on the streets, harassing mermaids. Of course, that wasn't considered a serious crime.
The truly terrifying ones were the slavers who kidnapped mermaids, and they weren't always caught.
"Apologies for the haste. We haven't prepared transportation yet, so we'll have to travel on land." As the eldest prince, Fukaboshi spoke apologetically. For ordinary pirates, they wouldn't have even come to greet them, let alone be so courteous.
But as Mr. 5 had said, they had come to this country and helped solve a problem. By all rights, they deserved good hospitality.
In truth, even without that, they would have been well hosted. This way, the Ryugu Kingdom could keep tabs on their situation. Otherwise, if the Dawn Pirates also set their sights on mermaids and decided to make a profit, and the kingdom failed to react in time, the consequences would be severe.
"This is paradise." Mr. 5, Bonez, and the others walked along Fish-Man Island's streets, utterly captivated.
"This isn't paradise. I've been to paradise with Uncle. Uncle Enel was even the god of paradise, but he got beaten up badly. Still, this place is so beautiful! Look, there are mermaids swimming in that coral pool! I'm so jealous. I wish I had a tail too..." Natalie spoke without thinking.
Enel's forehead darkened. Could we not mention that?
"Oh?" Many looked at Enel with a mix of doubt and curiosity.
"You're from Skypiea too? Where are your wings?" Urouge asked curiously.
Enel's expression darkened further. This was a dark chapter in his history, one of the things he preferred not to discuss.
"Skypiea, huh?" Law was also surprised. So it really did exist. But a god?
"God?" Lucci and his group noted this internally. What god? Was there a story behind it? They would have to look into it later.
"I want to go shopping." Robin looked at the street ahead and suddenly spoke. In fact, Rosen had already told her the location of the Poneglyph on the way. She was just finding an excuse to slip away.
"I'll come too." Valentine was eager to go.
"I'll get off here too. Thank you all for your help along the way." Amy bowed in gratitude.
"I'll take little Amy back to her place on the way. Her injuries haven't fully healed yet." Robin said with a smile.
"Alright. Be careful." Rosen naturally had no objection.
"How nice... I want to go too..." Natalie's eyes sparkled.
"No, you don't. Didn't you hear Jinbe say the island is unsafe? With your strength, you'd have trouble protecting yourself." Rosen mercilessly deflated her enthusiasm.
"That's not true! Just you wait. I'll have a bounty on my head someday too. Hmph..."
"They don't seem like dangerous individuals, Crown Star." Sea Star leaned towards Crown Star and said. Crown Star nodded in agreement.
"But we should head back. Judging by Father's expression, the situation seems complicated." Crown Star said, a little worried.
"Yeah."
After walking for some time, Prince Shark Star led Rosen and the others to the base of Ryugu Castle. He sent transportation to bring them into the palace and arranged for them to stay in a very luxurious mansion.
This was somewhat unexpected for Rosen. The palace was a sensitive location. He had thought being arranged decent lodgings would be good enough, but King Neptune had directly arranged for them to stay in the palace itself. Weren't they afraid this crew might join forces and try to take over the kingdom?
"If you need anything, feel free to ask the attendants. You can also contact us through them. We'll take our leave for now. Of course, you are all free to enter and leave the palace as you wish. However, there are a few places we ask you not to enter uninvited... We hope you understand." Shark Star briefly explained the layout of the palace and a few restricted areas.
Rosen and the others naturally agreed. Their hosts were being so courteous and hospitable. They weren't bandits; they would abide by reasonable rules.
Only after the three princes left did Rosen let out a faint sigh. "What a naive king and princes."
"Indeed." Hathaway agreed wholeheartedly, yet she couldn't bring herself to dislike them.
"Find out where Fish-Man Street is. There's an ancient ship there, possibly related to the Ancient Weapon. Later, Enel and I will go take a look..."
(End of Chapter)