In front of Carlo, Magnus naturally wouldn't outright say that his son Neptune was too weak and that he had no intention of taking him aboard.
"Carlo, your son's only twelve, right? What I'm about to do is extremely dangerous. Let's talk again when he's older."
Hearing the polite refusal, Carlo could only sigh.
"Sigh, I was too impatient."
True enough—if the roles were reversed, he wouldn't let a twelve-year-old join a pirate crew either.
Still, the White Wolf Pirates were one of the rare crews who didn't discriminate against Fishman Island and were on good terms with them. With their power, they could fully protect Neptune.
If Neptune could make a name for himself under their banner, it would benefit him greatly when he returned to inherit the throne of Fishman Island.
In other words, it was a way to "polish his credentials."
But Carlo's thinking was too naive—being a pirate wasn't child's play. And Magnus' newer recruits were not exactly gentle, humble types.
Rocks got along well enough with Newgate and Linlin because both were prodigies—so gifted that even Rocks couldn't claim he could outpace them if they had started on equal footing.
Ripley's talent was lower than theirs, but her role had shifted from a frontline fighter to a logistics coordinator. With the Mini Mini no Mi, her value in operations was undeniable.
And in the White Wolf crew's internal matches, Rocks still hadn't beaten Ripley.
As for Stussy? She was a doctor—combat strength wasn't the expectation.
Toki? Just another face in the crowd.
If a completely ordinary person boarded, they might manage at first—but over time, without proving their value, they'd face cold shoulders from the rest.
Magnus wasn't about to let a new recruit be frozen out by his own crew.
That's why his recruitment standards were so strict.
At the very least, a new member had to withstand pressure from the likes of Rocks.
Could Neptune do that? Magnus doubted it.
It would be better for Neptune to stay on Fishman Island, meet Princess Otohime, and eventually have an adorable daughter named Shirahoshi.
Magnus didn't plan to linger long on Fishman Island.
The scenery was pleasant, and the merfolk were certainly a unique sight—but he hadn't forgotten the true purpose of his trip.
Still…
Just as he said Neptune couldn't handle the pressure of Rocks—someone who could handle it arrived.
[Sea Calendar 1483. Already a famed great pirate, you encounter the equally notorious Golden Lion Shiki on Fishman Island.
When powerful figures meet, a clash is inevitable.
Having just secured goodwill with Neptune, the current king of Fishman Island, you will never stand by while the Golden Lion's crew kidnaps its people!]
I've secured goodwill with Neptune? Magnus glanced at the eight-meter-tall boy, who looked at him meekly and called him "Uncle Magnus."
…Fine, system, you're right.
"Although we're in a hurry to get back to the first half of the Grand Line, my Observation Haki tells me you've got a small problem."
Seeing Carlo's expression change, Magnus smiled.
"Since you've decided Fishman Island will bear my name, then any pirate causing trouble here is insulting me.
And in the New World, pirates value reputation more than life."
Coral Hill.
A bustling town in the southeast of Fishman Island, where many merfolk and fishmen worked by day and returned home at night.
But when darkness fell—
Some pirates, merchants, and even fishmen in disguise would prey on isolated mermaids.
Even though, thanks to Magnus' recommendation years ago, many fishmen had escaped Fishman Street, trained, and been employed by the royal family as guards—or taken lesser security jobs—there were still many without steady work.
And in the face of huge profits, some fishmen turned to targeting mermaids, selling them to slavers.
"Haha, ordinary humans are worth a mere hundred thousand Beli. Dwarves, Longarm Tribe, similar. But giants and mermaids? Male giants fetch ten million, female mermaids fifteen million. That's top-tier merchandise!"
A human pirate slapped the shoulder of a fishman beside him.
"Thanks for the route—without you, we'd never have avoided your people's patrols and caught such a prize."
"Cheh, just pay me."
The fishman knocked his hand away. Helping humans catch mermaids didn't mean he liked them—he saw both humans and merfolk as pests crowding out fishmen.
If they were both hated, he'd make money off them.
Behind them, a mermaid girl was bound and glaring at them, struggling to break free.
The pirates didn't care.
"Oi, Shiki, get her back to the ship. We're not stopping at one mermaid—while Fishman Island's defenses are light, we're going to clean up!"
The ringleader, Captain Butler, laughed. He didn't know who the king had gone to meet, but with the king and his guards gone, the island's defenses were thin.
It was the perfect chance.
"One mermaid's fifteen million Beli. Grab a few and forget the New World—I'll retire in luxury on Sabaody!"
Butler, worth fifty million, wasn't weak even in the New World—but he lacked ambition, preferring easy money. His crew thought the same.
Danger in the New World? No thanks. Sabaody was enough. If funds ran low, they could always hit Fishman Island again.
Only the newest crew member, Shiki, was expressionless.
Garbage!
I went to sea to challenge the world—to take Magnus' place as White King—not to be some two-bit slaver!
But he'd barely set sail before being beaten by his current captain in two moves. Now he was stuck working under him, boiling with frustration.
He'd bide his time.
They didn't know he was a Devil Fruit user.
He could escape at the right moment—but he'd never forgive himself if he fled without killing his captain first.
Soon, he wouldn't need to decide.
Because they didn't get far before being stopped.
"So you're the ones kidnapping mermaids on Fishman Island?"
A young man's voice came from nearby.
Shiki turned—and his pupils shrank to pinpoints.
"The Child of Calamity—Rocks D. Xebec!"
With his usual messy black hair and an annoyed look—clearly dragged into this as an errand boy—Rocks rested his hand on his sword.
"The old man said Fishman Island's under our protection now.
Anyone who dares kidnap a mermaid here…
Dies."
(End of Chapter)
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