Seeing Ren's actions, Reisa felt touched.
He had rescued her when she was a slave and treated them all very gently, even though sometimes he did things that made them blush.
Compared to other Celestial Dragons, he was extremely kind.
Now, he was even going after the slave catchers for their sake.
Others might find it hard to deal with slave catchers, but for a Celestial Dragon like him, it was not difficult at all.
Understanding this, Reisa completely trusted Ren.
She would not hesitate to die for him if needed.
In the following two days, the mermaids had no interest in going out to explore.
Because Ren was a Celestial Dragon, the Sabaody Archipelago had become much quieter.
There were no auctions recently, and Ren didn't want to go out either.
In his previous life, he was a hardworking person with good morals, not an emperor.
He could not stand being worshipped every time he stepped outside.
One thing worth mentioning was that Crocodile's bounty had increased—to 200 million Beli.
He attacked a Celestial Dragon, and considering he was the strong Logia user, the bounty was raised to two hundred million.
However, the wanted poster showed a person lying on the ground, with their left shoulder empty, unconscious.
"LOL, if I had a bounty like this, I'd probably retire right away," Ren laughed while looking at the newspaper.
Reisa was busy massaging Ren, who was resting his head on her fish tail.
Her cheeks were flushed, but she was very happy.
Thinking about the beautiful women from various races around Ren—mermaids, Mink tribe, Fishmen, and so on—humans were actually the fewest.
This made her feel like she had a chance.
Crocodile's bounty had gone up but had become a joke worldwide.
Ordinary people knew there was a one-armed, unconscious man wanted for two hundred million.
Somewhere in the Sabaody Archipelago.
"Damn reporters."
Crocodile's face was dark.
Even if he became the Pirate King, he could never erase this shame.
From now on, every time he saw a reporter, he would kill them.
But who he hated the most was the Celestial Dragon Ren.
Ren looked down on him too much and defeated him with a single strike.
Still, Crocodile knew the huge gap between them.
He couldn't get revenge anytime soon.
Thinking about Ren's stunning slash and his ability to hit him, Crocodile started considering how to become stronger.
...
Out in the sea.
A ship kept diving deeper and deeper.
Ren was amazed by the sights before him.
His mermaid was happily swimming near the ship.
It grew darker and darker.
The sea was dark except for the light coming from the ship.
Many fish were attracted to the glow and gathered around.
The mermaids also returned to the ship.
They had been very happy these past few days.
They could play on land and swim freely in the sea.
They increasingly thought that Ren was an excellent Celestial Dragon.
They no longer wished for true freedom.
After all, as Ren's slaves, they would not be noticed or targeted while on the sea.
The journey was mostly safe, with no encounters with Sea Kings.
Following the compass, they arrived at a glowing spot deep in the ocean.
"Lord Ren, that is Fish-Man Island," Reisa said, pointing to the island deep underwater.
"You don't seem to welcome me very much," Ren smiled.
Suddenly, the mermaids on the ship broke out in cold sweat.
To be frank, Fish-Man Island was right beneath the Navy Headquarters.
If anyone really wanted to destroy Fish-Man Island, it would be very easy.
"Sorry, Lord Ren," Reisa bowed and apologized.
After all, she had left Fish-Man Island many years ago.
"It's fine. This is the gateway to the New World. If they weren't careful, Fish-Man Island would have been destroyed long ago," Ren said understandingly.
He knew that whether mermaids or fish-men, they were like walking Berries for pirates and slave hunters.
"Who are you people?" the fish-men saw the ship and immediately stepped forward to stop them.
In the deep sea, even reckless pirates dared not cause trouble before landing on the island.
They knew if the barrier was broken, they would face eternal disaster.
The guards knew it was their time to act.
They immediately announced the identity of their group.
This shocked the fish-men.
Not long ago, Fisher Tiger, who had escaped slavery, had told them about the evil deeds of the Celestial Dragons.
Among them, Lord Ren was different.
But the fish-men before them didn't recognize Ren.
Because of what their own kind had said, and the frequent troubles caused by pirates and slave hunters here, the Celestial Dragons were the villains.
Seeing the mermaids on the ship, how could they not feel angry?
"Hmph, think carefully before you act. Do you want Fish-Man Island to face destruction?" the guards saw through their suspicious intentions.
"Please wait a moment after landing," a mermaid guard quickly said as they headed toward the palace.
"Then we'll wait," Ren and his group finally landed on Fish-Man Island.
They didn't keep Ren waiting for long.
Soon, a group of fishmen arrived, led by King Neptune.
Further away, a group of fishmen watched silently.
Ren naturally noticed their hateful eyes.
"Please, everyone, follow me to the Ryugu Palace," Neptune gestured politely.
"Alright." Ren was the first to set off.
At the same time—
"Damn, how did a Celestial Dragon come here?"
"Hody, what are you planning to do?"
"Hmph, better not provoke him."
Hody didn't dare to make a move.
He truly hated humans, but he wasn't stupid.
If he acted, it would mean disaster for Fishman Island.
So, to keep things quiet, he planned to stay far away until Ren left before coming out.
Ryugu Palace.
"Sorry, Lord Ren. Because of my pregnancy, I can't greet you in person. I am Queen Otohime of the Ryugu Palace."
A fishwoman stepped forward.
She had golden hair and was very beautiful.
"No worries. Pregnant women should rest well. There's no need to make a fuss over such small matters."
Seeing Ren was not focused on his wife, Neptune breathed a sigh of relief.
"Lord Ren, do you think fishmen and humans can live in harmony?"
Otohime asked after hearing how kind Ren was toward fishmen.
She had a dream—
A hope that humans and fishmen could live peacefully together.
One day, they could live freely on the sea.
She had originally planned to give a speech to gain support, but because she was carrying Shirahoshi, she had to keep this dream in her heart.
But now, with the Celestial Dragon's appearance and Ren's kindness to fishmen, she knew this was a chance for change.
Even if it meant risk, she had to meet him.
"Before the chains of interest and slavery are broken, it's basically impossible," Ren said the harsh truth.
No one lives in harmony with walking wallets.
They only think about how to make money.
On top of that, racial differences make it even harder.
In my past life, this kind of discrimination was common across the globe.
Breaking down barriers and living in harmony? That's just a fool's dream.
"Won't gaining the support of humans work either?" Otohime's face turned pale.
"Queen."
"Be careful with your health. You're pregnant, so don't get too excited," Ren sighed.
But Otohime just looked at Ren, hoping to find an answer from him.
"Words and written agreements can be broken. To gain their support, you can't rely on words alone. Even if the higher-ups approve, the people below will still fight fiercely," Ren explained slowly.
Otohime had a rare Observation Haki ability and knew Ren wasn't lying. Her expression darkened, but then slowly brightened again. "Lord Ren, I will do my best."
"Even if the path ahead is dark?"
"I've made up my mind. Even if I fail because of this, I won't regret it. If I only understand some words and then cowardly run away, I would regret it for my whole life," Otohime said, strengthening her resolve.
"Queen, you are very strong," Ren acknowledged her.
Otohime was physically weak, but her determination to fight for equality for her race, even if it meant death, was unshakable.
He would never allow a cowardly fishman assassin who didn't even have the courage to face the Celestial Dragons to succeed.
**********
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