As expected, this subtly tense banquet ultimately staggered to its end amid King Neptune's nonstop inner catastrophizing and forced smiles.
During the meal, Mihawk clearly grew extremely impatient with the complicated, faintly resentful looks Neptune kept sending his way. After taking only a few perfunctory bites of Fish-Man Island's exquisitely prepared seafood, he stood up outright, tossed out a curt—
"I'm going for a walk."
—then, with the black blade Yoru on his back, strode out of Ryugu Palace alone under the nervous gazes of countless fish-man guards.
He intended to properly explore this peculiar deep-sea island by himself.
And perhaps, along the way, see whether there were any swordsmen here worthy of even a passing glance.
With Hawk-Eye's departure and the banquet's conclusion, the three princes and the still-shy little Shirahoshi were also escorted away by attendants to rest.
The once-lively banquet hall quickly fell quiet, leaving only Gern, King Neptune, and Queen Otohime behind.
Servants silently cleared away the leftovers and brought forth fragrant seaweed tea.
For a moment, the atmosphere grew heavy with silence—after all, those who held power did not exchange pleasantries. What remained were interests.
So this is where it starts…That ideal—astonishing, yet utterly exasperating.
Gern unhurriedly lifted his teacup, blew gently across the surface, and calmly looked toward Queen Otohime.
Sure enough, the very next second, Otohime folded her hands atop her knees and took a soft breath.
The beautiful, delicate face she wore now displayed the exact same expression as years ago—firm, resolute, and brimming with hope.
She smiled at Gern, her voice gentle.
"Admiral Gern, thank you sincerely for your protection of Fish-Man Island all these years.It is precisely because of your strength that our people have been able to enjoy this rare period of peace.And because of that peace, more and more of our citizens have begun to believe that not all humans are evil—that peaceful coexistence is truly possible."
"It's nothing," Gern replied with an awkward smile. "It was my decision back then."
"It is something!" Otohime immediately pressed on, her eyes growing even brighter, now carrying a near-reverent light."Because… I believe this is an extraordinary opportunity!
"Fish-Man Island cannot depend forever on the protection of a single powerful individual.What we truly need is formal recognition from the World Government—to step openly into the sunlight and engage with all human nations as equals!"
"Otohime…"Hearing this, Neptune felt a growing sense of unease. He had never heard his wife articulate this idea in such detail.
Originally, what the couple had discussed was taking advantage of Gern's visit to have him publicly issue a declaration on Fish-Man Island's behalf—A proclamation to the world that this deep-sea kingdom was now officially under the wings of the "Heavenly Calamity."
Back then, Gern had been only a vice admiral, yet merely leaving his flag behind had already shaken the seas.How much more intimidating would it be now, when every word and action he took could move the ocean itself?
What could possibly carry more weight than a declaration spoken personally by him?
Neptune had even invited the best reporters in advance!
And now you pull this instead???Backstabbing your own husband, are you?!
Facing Neptune's stunned, questioning gaze, Otohime merely glanced at him once—then continued regardless, her tone growing increasingly impassioned.
"So I humbly ask you, Admiral Gern!Would you be willing… to serve as my escort, in your capacity as a Marine admiral?
"I wish to go alone, in the name of the Ryugu Kingdom's queen, as a representative of an allied nation, to Mary Geoise itself—to meet the highest authorities.To personally convey Fish-Man Island's will and seek a true, permanent path toward reconciliation and coexistence!
"I believe that as long as we communicate sincerely, they surely will—"
"Pff—cough, cough!"
Neptune nearly spat out the tea he had just swallowed.
He broke into violent coughing, his massive face filled with shock and disbelief.
"Otohime! You—what did you just say?! You're going to Mary Geoise alone?! To meet the Five Elders?!Why was this never discussed with me?! I refuse!!"
He could hardly believe his ears.
Mary Geoise—what kind of place was that?
It was the very heart of the World Government's power.The dwelling place of the Celestial Dragons.
For fish-men and merfolk alike, it was not a holy land of hope—it was a nest of the darkest memories and greatest dangers.
His wife's idea was sheer fantasy—no, it was tantamount to walking straight into death.
Gern, however, was not surprised by Neptune's reaction in the slightest. He did not even raise an eyebrow.
He simply lowered the teacup from his lips and set it back onto the table with a soft clink.
That faint sound cut straight through Neptune and Otohime's brewing argument.
Gern lifted his head and looked at Queen Otohime.The gentle smile he had worn moments ago was gone.
In its place was a near-icy mockery.
"Heh."
That single cold chuckle was like icy water poured over Otohime's head, instantly dousing much of her fervor.
"Your Highness," Gern said calmly, his voice flat yet piercing,"it seems you have developed… certain unrealistic illusions."
He leaned forward slightly, his gaze sharp as it locked onto her.
"Tell me—what do you believe the source of Fish-Man Island's current, fleeting peace is?The reason some fish-men have begun to feel even a shred of goodwill toward humans—is it because of your tireless preaching of 'love and understanding'?"
"I—"
"No."Gern cut her off without hesitation."The root of it is me—Gern—standing here.
"The root of it is the 'Heaven-Shaking' flag hanging in your port, the one that sends countless pirates fleeing at the mere sight of it.The root of it is the World Government's fear of my strength—fear that keeps the Celestial Dragons, that keeps the auction houses of Sabaody Archipelago, from daring to openly sell mermaids—
"And because, for now, they still need me—this so-called 'Marine legend'—to maintain balance across the seas!"
His voice hardened, mercilessly tearing away the veil.
"Every bit of 'peace' and 'kindness' you see is built upon my absolute force.It is an extremely fragile—and profoundly false—equilibrium!"
Gern's tone was utterly unforgiving.
"What do you think the World Government is? A charity?Do you believe the Five Elders will sit comfortably in Pangaea Castle and patiently listen to a mermaid queen's speech about 'racial equality'?"
His sneer deepened.
"Don't be naïve, Your Highness.
"In their system, Fish-Man Island's value lies in its strategic location—in the Eve Tree, Sunlight Tree Eve.It even lies in the fact that fish-men and mermaids themselves can be sold as exorbitantly priced 'commodities.'
"They will never truly regard your people as equal members of the World Government."
"You want to go to Mary Geoise alone?"Gern shook his head, his eyes ice-cold.
"The best possible outcome is that they treat you as a harmless, foolish joke—and dismiss you with empty platitudes."(Just as would later happen when Otohime saved a Celestial Dragon and went to Mary Geoise.)
"And the more likely outcome…"Gern's gaze swept over Otohime's beautiful face and her human torso tapering into a fish tail. The implication needed no words.
"You become a brand-new, one-of-a-kind 'royal mermaid specimen' in the private collection of some high-ranking Celestial Dragon family.
"When that happens, your so-called 'path to reconciliation' will amount to nothing more than a tragedy of walking straight into the trap."
Each of Gern's words was like a razor-sharp blade, carving open the brutal reality beneath Otohime's idealism.
And he was not wrong.
If not for the extraordinary circumstance of having once saved a Celestial Dragon—something the World Nobles themselves did not wish to owe to a "lesser race"—If Otohime had gone to Mary Geoise with that same naïve expression, tricked into venturing deeper inside—
Even Gern himself could not be certain he would be able to rescue her.
Neptune listened in horror, his face drained of color. Cold fear crept up his spine as he tightly grasped his wife's hand.
Queen Otohime's face turned deathly pale. Her body trembled slightly.
She opened her mouth, wanting to refute him—Yet she found that before the blood-soaked reality Gern had laid bare, any words she could muster felt unbearably weak.
"Some ideals…" Gern said quietly,"can only ever remain ideals."
"Tiger understood this long ago."
"But Queen Otohime—you still haven't."