Takuro strode nonchalantly toward the throne of Ryugu Palace, not even sparing King Neptune a glance. His eyes swept across the opulent yet somewhat delicate architecture of the undersea palace. He spoke casually, but his words carried the weight of an absolute decree.+3
"I'm not here to give instructions; I'm here to inform you," Takuro said. "From today onwards, Fish-Man Island and this palace are under my protection. The rules Whitebeard established will stay in place, but you'll be answering to my 'Golden Group' now".+3
Despite being mentally prepared for this outcome, Neptune felt his heart clench with a mixture of fear and sorrow. Queen Otohime, however, mustered her courage and stepped forward. Her gentle voice trembled, but she held firm to the beliefs that had guided her entire life.
"Mr. Takuro, please reconsider!" she pleaded. "Conquest by force only brings fear and hatred. True peace requires understanding and empathy! Fish-Man Island yearns for the sunshine of equal coexistence with humans, not to cower in the shadow of another strong individual! Such rule will only breed new tragedies".+3
Takuro frowned slightly as he looked at her. The pure, almost naive kindness emanating from the Queen made him feel a sense of irritation. He had no patience for unrealistic idealists who didn't understand how the universe worked.+3
"Noisy," Takuro spat out coldly.+2
In an instant, he unleashed a terrifying aura. This pressure was far more condensed and profound than anything he had shown during his battle against Whitebeard. It pressed down on Queen Otohime like an invisible mountain, aimed directly at her spirit.+3
"Ugh!" Otohime groaned, her face turning ashen white. Her delicate body swayed as if she would be crushed by his cold, overwhelming will. Her powerful Observation Haki, which usually allowed her to feel the emotions of others, became a burden. She could "hear" the fleeting impatience and the chilling warning in Takuro's heart with terrifying clarity.
I've given you a chance already, his mind projected toward her. Next time won't be so simple. You wouldn't want me to destroy Fish-Man Island, would you?
It wasn't a threat; it was a simple statement of fact.+1
"Otohime!" Neptune cried out in alarm, rushing to catch his wife before she collapsed. He turned to Takuro, his voice filled with desperation. "Your Excellency Takuro! Please stop! We understand! Fish-Man Island accepts your rule"!+4
His voice was thick with humiliation, but he knew he had no other choice. Whitebeard had been defeated, and the World Government was far too unreliable to help them. Faced with a being who could destroy everything on a whim, surrender was the only way to protect his people.+4
Otohime leaned into Neptune's arms, gasping for breath. As she looked at Takuro, her eyes were filled with fear, but deeper than that was the despair of seeing her ideals shattered. She was kind, but she wasn't a fool; she knew that further resistance would mean the end for everyone she loved. Slowly and despairingly, she lowered her head and remained silent.
Takuro retracted his aura and nodded. "It should have been like this from the start".+2
Fisher Tiger, who had been following silently, stepped forward. His voice contained a suppressed, burning eagerness. "Mr. Takuro, when do we leave for Mary Geoise?" +4
Otohime looked at her former friend and didn't know what to say.
"No rush," Takuro said, waving a hand. He turned his gaze back to the shaken King. "Before the main business, there's a small matter. Neptune, does this island have a Poneglyph? Where is the stone?" +4
"A Poneglyph?" Neptune was startled by the question. He hesitated for a moment, but under Takuro's indifferent stare, he answered honestly. "Yes. It is a treasure the Fish-Man race has guarded for generations".
"Lead the way," Takuro commanded.+2
Neptune dared not refuse. Supporting Otohime, he led Takuro, Whitebeard, and the others toward the Sea Forest in a seahorse carriage. It was a fantastic place where coral forests intertwined with ancient shipwrecks.
Nico Robin followed closely, her eyes sparkling with anticipation. Finally, she would see another piece of the puzzle. The Sea Forest was tranquil and mysterious; schools of colorful fish darted through giant coral while sunlight filtered through the seawater, casting swaying patterns of light. In the center of the forest stood a colossal, time-worn stone tablet. It was covered in moss and water stains, a silent monument to eight hundred years of history.
"This is it," Neptune said solemnly. "Our royal family has guarded this for centuries, but the writing... no one can decipher it".+2
Takuro's gaze swept over the strange engravings. He pursed his lips, clearly unimpressed by the mystery. He turned to Robin and gestured toward the stone. "Go take a look".+3
Robin didn't need to be told twice. As the sole survivor of Ohara, uncovering the Void Century was the meaning of her existence. She stepped forward, her slender fingers brushing the cold stone surface. She began to softly recite the lost words, her focus so intense it seemed she was trying to pull the history right out of the symbols.
Time passed in silence, broken only by Robin's quiet murmurs. Neptune and Otohime waited nervously, while Whitebeard stood with his arms crossed, his gaze deep and unreadable. Gion tried to remain calm, but her heart was racing; she knew they were touching a domain strictly forbidden by the World Government.+4
Finally, Robin moved her hand away from the last character. She exhaled slowly, her face showing a mix of shock and disappointment.
"Well?" Takuro asked.+2
Robin turned back to the group. "This is... a letter of apology".+2
"An apology?" Neptune asked, astonished.+1
"Yes. It was written by someone named Joy Boy," Robin explained. "Eight hundred years ago, the Fish-Man race and the Merfolk reached an agreement with him. Joy Boy promised the Mermaid Princess of that era that he would lead the residents of Fish-Man Island to the sunlit surface world. But he failed to keep that promise, and the agreement fell apart. He inscribed this apology out of deep remorse".
Neptune and Otohime exchanged shocked glances. The secret their family had guarded for generations was simply a promise that had arrived eight hundred years too late.
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