In Taro's eyes, this piece of paper was useless. Whether it was him or Luffy, they would help people fulfill their long-cherished wishes even without it.
He took a step forward, intending to wipe out Hody Jones and his remaining cadres, but King Neptune stopped him.
"Taro, don't be impulsive! That thing is very important to us!"
Taro was dismissive. "I know what it is. I don't need that thing to fulfill our agreement!"
"But the Fishmen won't believe it!" Neptune's expression darkened.
"The gap between Fishmen and humans is too deep. It's precisely because of this document that some residents are willing to trust humans. If..."
Neptune stopped there and didn't continue, but Taro understood what he meant.
Before trust was established, this piece of paper carried the last shred of the Fishmen's confidence in humans.
"Then what do you plan to do?" Taro sighed.
"Don't interfere. The internal affairs of Fish-Man Island will naturally be resolved by us!"
After saying this, Neptune swam forward a bit. "Hody, you can't do this! You're destroying the future of Fish-Man Island!"
Hody's face was cold, and he gave a sneer.
"The future of the Fish-Man Race will be created by ourselves!"
As he spoke, he exerted force with his hand, intending to tear the paper.
Neptune was shocked, and his thick fish tail swung wildly as he rushed toward Hody.
Just then, a figure leaped high from the platform and kicked Hody in the side.
"Ugh, ah!"
Hody let out a muffled groan and was sent flying sideways, crashing into the rock wall with a "boom."
The Blue Fatty, Jinbe, reached out and caught the slowly drifting paper, sighing deeply.
"You shouldn't have done that, Hody!"
Taro looked at Jinbe, his heart stirring. No wonder he felt like someone was spying earlier; it turned out the Blue Fatty had already returned to Fish-Man Island!
"Boss Jinbe!"
"Big Brother Jinbe!"
"..."
This sudden turn of events left the Fishmen present astonished, while Madam Shyarly swam into the center of the plaza with Xiao Ba and the others.
Neptune looked at Jinbe, somewhat surprised and somewhat moved.
"Jinbe...!"
Jinbe walked slowly to Neptune and returned the paper to the King without saying another word.
Hody Jones jumped out of the cracked rock wall, patted the dust off his clothes, and walked back to the plaza step by step.
"Jinbe, so you've come!"
Hody didn't seem to respect Jinbe as much as the other Fishmen did, saying disdainfully:
"I thought you had left Fish-Man Island after resigning from the Warlord of the Sea. Jinbe, the you who was once a pirate is the one I know! Now... humph!"
Saying that, he looked at Taro again.
"Marine, this guy named Jinbe is a great pirate wanted by you, isn't he? Since such a guy has appeared on Fish-Man Island, shouldn't you arrest him first?"
Sherman and Grant looked at each other, instantly understanding Hody's sinister intentions.
Not long after the Marineford War ended, Jinbe first refused the World Government's summons, then resigned from the Warlord of the Sea in front of Sengoku, and fought against the Marines to rescue Ace.
Furthermore, not long ago, he assisted Luffy in returning to Marineford to ring the bell sixteen times.
Every single one of these actions was a slap in the face to the World Government and the Marines; the Marines had already put out a new warrant for Jinbe.
Taro knew even better that Hody even wanted to frame Neptune as an accomplice for harboring Jinbe.
How could he let Hody have his way!
"Are you trying to tell me how to do my job?"
Taro raised an eyebrow and said lazily, "Are you worthy?"
He cracked his neck and then continued, "If I heard correctly, you and your lackeys call yourselves the 'New Fish-Man Pirates,' right?"
Taro's voice gradually turned cold.
"Since you're all pirates, I'll just round you all up!"
"Awoo~ Great!"
Sherman let out an excited cry and was about to move past Taro to strike.
Taro extended a leg and kicked him over, then glared at him.
"Get lost! I haven't even moved yet, and you dare to run ahead of me?"
Hearing Taro's stance, Neptune turned around and looked down at Taro.
"Taro, I said, this is the internal affair of Fish-Man Island!"
Before Taro could speak, Grant stiffened his neck.
"They are pirates, so this isn't an internal affair of Fish-Man Island. We Marines..."
Before he could finish, Taro kicked him directly, sending him flying as well.
"You talk too much. Are you the Vice Admiral, or am I?"
Taro kicking away two of his subordinates left everyone a bit bewildered, unsure of what his actual attitude was.
"King Neptune, do you mean that you don't need the Marines to intervene, and you'll capture the pirates yourselves?"
Taro looked up at Neptune and winked at him.
Neptune nodded. "Yes."
"Understood!"
Taro turned back to his subordinates and ordered:
"All Marines, return to the ship! Blockade the exits of Fish-Man Island. Everyone entering or leaving must have their identity verified. Any pirates encountered are to be arrested without exception! Don't let a single person escape!"
The Sergeant Major immediately saluted and took the order, then left with the group of Marine Soldiers.
Seeing that Grant and Sherman were still standing there, Taro raised his arm, making a move as if to hit them.
"You two go as well!"
The two of them were extremely unwilling and dawdled, thinking of ways to stay behind. Taro gave them another push.
"Beat it!"
Once all the Marines had withdrawn, Taro took off his military cap, scratched his hair, and pulled out the "Fish-Man Island Protection Agreement," waving it with a light chuckle.
"This agreement has been signed and is now in effect. It was signed with my name. Now, as the Protector of Fish-Man Island, I'll stay here. Any problem with that?"
Everyone's gaze focused on the agreement in Taro's hand.
Shark Star also took the opportunity to pull out a den den mushi and read the contents of the agreement aloud. The extremely simple terms were broadcasted across the entire island.
"This Marine didn't want anything from Fish-Man Island? Isn't that just like Whitebeard?"
"Exactly! But isn't he an enemy of Whitebeard?"
"Because of his relationship with Whitebeard, I thought the terms of the agreement would be very harsh."
"Yeah, looking at it now, this agreement is quite..."
"..."
People all over Fish-Man Island were discussing the contents of the agreement. The residents felt that the agreement sounded very beneficial to Fish-Man Island, and for a moment, they were swayed.
"Don't be fooled by this human!"
Hody Jones was also a bit shocked when he heard the contents of the agreement, but he soon roared again.
"The fact that he wants nothing only shows that he wants even more!"
To hell with that! Treating my good intentions like garbage!
Taro's mouth twitched, and he was about to retort when Madam Shyarly, wearing a hooded cloak, swam over.
"Fish-Man Island is shrouded in mist, and not a single soul can be seen!"
She looked at Taro and said something nonsensical.
Taro was startled. This fortune-teller seemed to be Arlong's sister, too. "What did you say?"
Madam Shyarly held a pipe in her left hand and exhaled smoke.
"That is my prophecy. Fish-Man Island is a field of mist, devoid of any life!"
Taro was dumbfounded!
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