Kaido downed the wine in his glass in one gulp and suddenly said, "Neptune, I'm just passing through this time. But since I'm here, I plan to recruit a group of Fish-Men on this island to join my crew. I trust you have no objection!"
Neptune's glass trembled slightly in his hand, his smile stiffening on his face. The atmosphere in the entire banquet hall instantly froze solid. Even Queen, who had been stuffing his face, stopped to look nervously at his captain.
Whitebeard planted his naginata on the ground with a dull thud. "Kaido, Fish-Man Island is my territory. Trying to poach people here... are you looking down on me too much?"
Kaido grinned, showing his gleaming white teeth. "Whitebeard, Fish-Man Island is your territory? I wasn't aware. And even if it were, so what? Don't think the title 'Strongest Man in the World' can scare me. In the world of pirates, the strong rule!"
The Haoshoku Haki of the two men clashed once more. Glassware in the banquet hall began to crack. Marco immediately stood up, blue flames igniting around him. "Oyaji..."
Whitebeard raised a hand, signaling him to stand down, his gaze fixed intently on Kaido. "Don't get too cocky, apprentice brat. The Fish-Men aren't merchandise. They have their own choice."
Just then, the doors to the banquet hall were thrown open. Fisher Tiger strode in with Jinbe, followed by several warriors from the Fish-Man District. Tiger's red skin looked particularly striking under the light. "Kaido, Fish-Men will not become slaves to anyone!"
Kaido turned his head to look at Tiger, a flash of contempt in his eyes. "Mere Fish-Men dare speak to me like that?"
The entire banquet hall was on the brink of a fight. Three factions formed a tense standoff. Queen quietly shuffled behind Kaido, whispering, "Boss, should we retreat for now? Whitebeard plus these Fish-Men... not easy to deal with..."
Hearing this, Kaido burst into wild laughter. The wine gourd in his hand was crushed to pieces, amber liquid dripping from between his fingers onto the carpet. The crystal chandelier in the banquet hall shook violently with his laughter, casting fragmented light and shadow.
"Retreat?" Kaido wiped the wine from the corner of his mouth. His spiked club, the Hassaikai, thudded heavily on the ground. "Today, I want to see exactly how much the so-called 'World's Strongest' weighs!"
Whitebeard's naginata, the Murakumogiri, suddenly erupted with a dazzling shockwave. The entire Ryugu Palace began to shake violently. Spiderweb cracks appeared on the banquet hall's domed ceiling; seawater seeped through the gaps, forming small waterfalls. "Gurararara... brat, it seems I need to give you the final lesson you missed back on the Rocks ship."
"Interesting!" Kaido's pupils suddenly turned vertical. Azure scales began spreading from his neck. "Since we're fighting, let's make it big—" His form began to expand before everyone's horrified gazes. The banquet hall's ceiling was completely torn off.
Whitebeard's cloak billowed without wind. The power of the Gura Gura no Mi coalesced into a white orb of light around his fist. "Marco, get the children back!"
Neptune hurriedly stood up. "Please, everyone, remain calm! Fish-Man Island is a neutral zone. We do not wish to see any conflict! Mr. Kaido, I agree to your condition, but it must be with the Fish-Men's voluntary consent."
The moment Neptune finished speaking, the atmosphere in the banquet hall became even more bizarre. Whitebeard frowned slightly, his eyes sweeping between Neptune and Kaido. Kaido's half-dragonized body paused slightly, emitting a low chuckle. "Oh? The Fish-Man King is quite sensible."
Fisher Tiger whirled around, looking at Neptune with disbelief. "Your Majesty! How could you..." His fists clenched tightly, nails digging deep into his palms. Jinbe also showed a shocked expression but quickly regained his composure, though a complex emotion flickered in his eyes.
Whitebeard sheathed his naginata, but the Haki around him hadn't dissipated. "Neptune, are you sure about this?"
Neptune took a deep breath, the wrinkles on his face seeming to deepen. "Lord Whitebeard, Fish-Man Island needs to survive. If having some of our people follow Mr. Kaido to sea can buy peace for the entire island..." His voice grew lower and lower, almost turning into a mutter.
"Hahaha!" Kaido fully reverted to his human form, laughing heartily and slapping Neptune on the shoulder. "Now that's more like it! Don't worry, I won't mistreat your people." He turned to look at Whitebeard, raising an eyebrow provocatively. "Looks like I win this round, Whitebeard."
Marco couldn't help but step forward. "Oyaji, we can't just..."
Whitebeard raised a hand to stop him, looking deeply at Neptune. "This is your choice. I won't interfere. But remember, Fish-Man Island will always be under my protection." Having said that, he turned and strode out of the banquet hall, with Marco and the others quickly following.
Tiger stood in place, his expression shifting uncertainly. In the end, he gave Neptune one last deep look before silently leading the Fish-Man District warriors away. Jinbe hesitated for a moment but stayed, positioning himself behind Neptune.
Queen wiped cold sweat from his brow, muttering softly, "Finally over..." He stole a glance at Kaido and found his captain staring at Neptune, a dangerous glint in his eyes.
"Alright then," Kaido sat back down, casually picking up a new glass. "Shall we discuss the specific terms?"
Neptune forced a smile. "Of course, Mr. Kaido. But I need time to prepare..."
"Three days," Kaido held up three fingers. "I'll give you three days."
A flicker of hesitation passed through Neptune's eyes, but it was quickly replaced by resolve. "Agreed."
After the banquet, in the corridors of Ryugu Palace. Jinbe finally couldn't hold back. "Your Majesty, are you truly decided..."
Neptune stopped walking, leaning wearily against the wall. "Jinbe, you know the situation Fish-Man Island is in. Whitebeard is powerful, but he cannot protect us forever. We need more... options."
"But Kaido, he..."
"I know," Neptune interrupted him. "But sometimes, we must make difficult choices."
Meanwhile, on the other side of Fish-Man Island, aboard the Whitebeard Pirates' ship. Marco asked, puzzled, "Oyaji, we're just leaving like this?"
Whitebeard stood at the ship's bow, looking toward the distant Fish-Man Island. "This is Neptune's choice. We must respect it. However..." A sharp glint flashed in his eyes. "...if Kaido dares harm the Fish-Men, I'll make sure he knows the consequences."