"I see. From the Holy Land..." Daz Bones murmured, absorbing the report.
"I hadn't heard a thing about this flag's pirate crew. In fact, I only learned they were pirates because of the recent high bounty," Tesoro added, leaning back in his chair.
A member of the Family—one responsible for managing Shamrock—brought news that was deemed urgent, so Daz Bones had personally come to Shamrock. Taki was directing the medical treatment of the injured and their temporary accommodation, while Daz and Tesoro showed the representatives of the Fish-Men and Merfolk into the salon's reception room to hear the details.
...A conference room might be too sterile and make them wary, so a reception room is better to show a stance of hospitality, huh? ...Tesoro's instincts for this are truly helpful.
Daz secretly sighed in relief at the presence of the Fish-Men, who were gradually, albeit slowly, lowering their guard.
"Indeed, one wouldn't think the boy in the suit who was in the Holy Land... was a pirate," the Fish-Man representative said heavily.
"You—You as well. To think you're worth over a hundred million at that age," he added, glancing between Daz and Tesoro.
"It's thanks to the strategy the Captain left behind and the allies we forged backing us up," Daz replied stoically.
"Hmm. Seeing the wanted poster before arriving here... honestly, despite that boy's words, I needed resolve to come here ...and yet."
The Fish-Man receiving treatment, with bandages wrapped in places—a man naming himself Fisher Tiger—looked out the window with a complex expression. Tuna Fish-Men were carrying the ship's cargo. Perhaps somewhere on the ship floating on the large waterway was broken; Fish-Men and Merfolk were repairing it from above and below the water, and as refreshments, the human owner of the ship was bringing them food from a stall.
On the other hand, humans were assembling houses for Fish-Men to live in, and the Fish-Men were chatting while carrying the lumber.
"...I never thought there was a town where Fish-Men and humans coexisted," Fisher Tiger whispered.
"We are still far from coexistence in the true sense, and there are mountains of issues to solve, though," Tesoro admitted.
Many Fish-Men lived on hidden islands fearing humans, and humans living in inland towns and villages feared Fish-Men excessively. Solving this was the daily headache of the internal affairs officers.
"So, what exactly happened?" Daz asked, steering the conversation back to the issue.
"...That Captain of yours—Kuro, was it? After being saved by him, I fell into the sea and escaped, aiming for Fish-Man Island."
Kuro had said there was a safe zone in the West Blue, but Fisher Tiger couldn't believe those words. Unlike humans, the fact that he could live in the sea without a ship was a major factor. His body, tormented as a slave, and the wounds from the Golden Lion's attack hurt terribly... but somehow he managed to flee into Fish-Man Island.
"Fortunately, it seems no search was conducted for me. It's a terrible story, but likely many slaves died in that burning Holy Land, and those who burned were treated as missing."
At the fate of the slaves, both Daz and Tesoro furrowed their brows.
"Although there was some trouble along the way, I somehow managed to reach Fish-Man Island. I reported the sequence of events to the King... Queen Otohime seemed very interested in Kuro and the hidden island Kuro mentioned... but never mind that. The problem started there."
Fisher Tiger pressed down on his scars over the bandages he wore.
"I was healing my wounds in Fish-Man Island... but this happened just the other day."
By the time he arrived here, it had mostly closed up, but it was definitely still there—a gunshot wound.
"The Celestial Dragons came..."
–
Fish-Man Island. The only country in this vast world where Fish-Men can live in peace, a 'submarine' island located directly beneath the Holy Land.
"Please! Please, everyone calm down!!"
Fish-Man Island, home to approximately 5 million Fish-Men—no, the 'Ryugu Kingdom' has a considerable land area. Naturally, disparities arise in the regions; if there is a high-class residential area, there is also a slum that is the complete opposite. The center of the incident was that slum.
The largest slum, Fish-Man District. Not many people approach that place, which is inhabited specifically by the poor and cannot be called safe even as a compliment, except for those who see value in those who live there.
"Don't screw with us! These guys tried to take us as slaves!" one Fish-Man roared.
"Staying hidden! Enduring it all was useless! In that case—!!!" another screamed.
A giant merman holding a trident—King Neptune—was shouting toward the Fish-Men barricaded in the slum. Behind the King, Ryugu Kingdom soldiers were lined up, paying close attention to the slum. On all their faces, not anger, but fear and terror were visible.
"What is the meaning of this! You people!!!" a voice shrieked from within the barricade.
The residents of that slum—all of them tattered, some bearing gunshot wounds—were holding down a large number of people wearing unnecessarily luxurious white clothes that didn't fit the slum at all.
"We just came to replenish the slaves we were short of due to the recent incident!" a Celestial Dragon wailed. "It takes more time and money than the Human Shop, but we came all the way here to select and take them directly, and this is how you treat us!! Release us immediately and come to the Holy Land!!"
—Attention Fish-Men! Release the Celestial Dragons immediately and surrender!!
And there were those pointing guns at both the Fish-Men barricaded in the slum and the Royal Army trying to calm them down. Soldiers clad in pure white military uniforms, bearing the two characters for 'Justice' on their backs.
"Don't screw with us, humans!"
"If you want them released, release our people first!!"
Jeers were returned at the words of the officer, who wore a particularly fine coat and appeared to be in command.
"Release our captured brethren and get off this island!!" a Fish-Man shouted.
"Do you think you can leave here without facing retribution for treating those who did nothing as slaves!!"
The Fish-Men holding the Celestial Dragons hostage barricaded themselves in, glaring with eyes full of hatred at the warship docked in the distance. At the cage-like boxes where those who had committed no crime, captured simply for being there, were still imprisoned.
"Release our brethren first! Do you have any idea how many hostages we have!!" the leader of the slum Fish-Men, a shark Fish-Man named Arlong, bellowed.
"We're just going to be enslaved or killed anyway! In that case—"
Arlong, holding down an elderly Celestial Dragon—called Saint Pluming—reached his thick hand toward the noble's throat.
"Stop it! Don't touch me with your filthy hands! I am—I am important, you know!? To do this—" Saint Pluming shrieked in terror.
"Shut up! That thing of yours! That 'thing' is what did this to us...!!!"
The Celestial Dragons had been held captive like this for several days now. They had visited Fish-Man Island with soldiers to gather strong slaves for the reconstruction of the Holy Land. And because they occupied the towns on the island to catch them indiscriminately—they were captured after a desperate counterattack by the Fish-Men of the slum district who rose up in arms.
For the past few days, they had consumed only water and meager food. Sensing the approach of death, they resisted with all their might, but they had no strength left.
"Arlong!! Please! Please stop!!! If you do this, everything will be!!" King Neptune shouted desperately, but his voice did not reach the ears of the shark Fish-Man.
"Musketeers, aim!" the Marine commander ordered.
"B-But if we hit Saint Pluming... Besides, there are other Celestial Dragons being held hostage!" a subordinate hesitated.
"Then we have to gamble now! All ranks Captain and above, prepare to charge!"
The Celestial Dragons scattering anger at the Fish-Men and Marines while trembling in fear. The Kingdom Army wanting to avoid bloodshed at all costs. The Navy needing to save the Celestial Dragons no matter what.
Collision was no longer avoidable. The Marines took aim, and the shark Fish-Man put strength into his arm to kill at least one Celestial Dragon first—
— BOTH SIDES, LOWER YOUR WEAPONS!!!!!!!!!!!
Suddenly, a tremendous impact flew from the sky. A blow that gouged out the vast open space in front of the slum district where the three-way standoff was taking place.
Dirt and dust rose, obscuring vision. The Fish-Men felt something like a sudden chill, or perhaps lightning, run down their spines, rendering them immobile. The soldiers of the Ryugu Kingdom didn't even understand what had happened, bewildered...
As the dust settled, they finally realized there was a single human standing there. A boy of about 14 or 15, wearing a black suit like a government official.
"I'll say it once more. Please, both sides, lower your weapons. Continuing like this will only result in sacrifices and solve absolutely nothing."
The boy spoke quietly, but with a voice that carried, addressing both sides. The Fish-Man side couldn't move. In the first place, they didn't know who this boy was.
But—
— It-It's the Black Cat...
The Marine soldiers gradually began to stir.
"The Black Cat is here..."
"Is it the real thing!?"
"No mistake! That suit with the three-clawed cat embroidery, those scars, that face! It's the real thing!"
What started as mere noise grew louder with each passing moment. To the point where most Fish-Men realized that this man they didn't know was no ordinary person.
The Strategist of Ten Thousand Plans has arrived. Captain Kuro has arrived.
–
I could tell by looking that the Marines had clearly suppressed the entire Fish-Man Island area... but to think they were barricaded in with Celestial Dragons as hostages.
Fortunately, Kuzan is nowhere to be seen. The other Admiral-class figures are probably all incapacitated, so it can't be helped. They seem to have called in a lot of standard forces to make up for it, but...
Fish-Men and Merfolk are captured just as the Celestial Dragons are. That's why neither side can move, and there's no trigger to break the stalemate.
The Celestial Dragons... The Celestial Dragons are too much of a nuisance!! You guys really only do unnecessary things, don't you!!!?
The Marines... at least 5,000... no, that estimate is too low. If things go wrong, there might be around 10,000 of them?
I've had Hina and the others fall back with the ship. It's a precaution to protect the ship and allow for withdrawal at any time, but I really can't drag them into this. The Marine group is already in a precarious position, and this could actually get them killed.
Vice Admiral-class figures are crawling all over the place, and many of the soldiers are just... not soldiers. Specifically speaking, I sense guys who would panic and fire against orders—ugghhhhhh.
Issho could probably handle himself, but I can't drag a mere guest into a death trap like this and turn him into a wanted criminal.
Damn it, can't all those screaming Celestial Dragons over there just die of a sudden illness? If that happened, we could disperse in the confusion... No, judging by the situation, they've been barricaded in for quite a few days. That won't work.
Is the Fish-Man side's unified weaponry from the island's military? But given the situation, they can't make a move. Repeating negotiations to somehow buy time is the best they can do, huh?
And there are quite a lot of Fish-Men barricaded in the run-down town. The numbers are almost the same as the Marines. They are slightly outnumbered, but they have the advantage in physical ability and terrain. That's precisely why the Marines are doubly on edge; it looked like they could explode at any moment.
Yeah. In that case, I'm the only one who can stop this.
That's why I steeled myself and struck a blow right in the middle of this battlefield.
Black Cat Pirates. One member. Captain Kuro has entered the fray.