Seeing Neptune bow, Roldy smiled faintly and stepped forward to help him up.
"The Great Knight of the Fish-Men, King Neptune—I've long heard of your name."
The brutality etched into his bones could never be erased.
But neither could the upbringing instilled in him since childhood.
Roldy did not consider himself a good man.
Nor a villain.
He had his own bottom line.
And to the king of this nation—
He offered respect.
Noticing that Roldy did not cast the greedy gaze so common among pirates upon the Fish-Men, Neptune and the ministers behind him visibly relaxed. Their attitude immediately grew warm and welcoming.
However—
Their reception of Crocodile was noticeably colder.
Subtle.
But unmistakable.
Crocodile frowned.
Shane seemed to notice. While Roldy and Neptune chatted, he swaggered over and nudged Crocodile with his elbow.
"What, curious why they're looking at you funny?"
Crocodile shot him a sidelong glance and sneered.
"Why would I waste curiosity on something so trivial? A kingdom of weaklings unable to defend themselves."
"Tch. What a boring woman."
Shane clicked his tongue, flipping his hair with exaggerated annoyance.
He had grown up in Fish-Man Island as an orphan. Though it was his birthplace, he preferred being by Roldy 's side.
He often teased Moria into emotional collapse.
Even Mihawk would occasionally scowl in irritation.
But Crocodile?
He never managed to win verbally against her.
Still—
Crocodile's mind had already shifted elsewhere.
"Fish-Man Island is wealthy… Their monthly protection payment must be substantial."
As the one managing finances, Crocodile quickly assessed the kingdom's prosperity.
It rivaled major surface nations.
In fact—
Few surface kingdoms could compare.
She was already considering whether to raise the tribute.
Or perhaps negotiate alternative forms of compensation.
Though Fish-Man Island lacked top-tier powerhouses, the average Fish-Man was born with five times the strength of a human.
Excellent soldiers.
Roldy and Neptune spoke pleasantly.
Soon, Neptune warmly invited them to the Ryugu Palace.
Along the way, countless Fish-Men stared curiously.
But—
Many gazes were not friendly.
"That's normal," Shane explained quietly.
"Fish-Men are often captured and sold as slaves. The ones auctioned at Sabaody are considered premium goods. Most are trafficked into the Underworld and sold to nobles."
Even if he had left—
It was still his homeland.
The bitterness lingered.
Crocodile's expression darkened further.
"But why are those bastards staring at me like that?"
The hostility was clearly directed toward her and the subordinates behind them—not Roldy .
Even children glared.
Shane grinned widely.
"You really didn't figure it out?"
"The Fish-Men's hatred is toward humans."
"Of course they'd be hostile to you."
"But our boss is different."
"He's not human."
"He's got noble Mink and Giant blood flowing through him."
Crocodile: …
She had genuinely forgotten that.
So that was the reason.
Their captain—
Wasn't human.
Soon they arrived at the palace.
If Fish-Man Island itself was breathtaking—
Ryugu Palace was dazzling beyond belief.
Several of Roldy 's subordinates revealed undisguised greed.
Many of them were former pirates.
And in their hearts—
Still were.
Only Roldy , Shane, and Crocodile entered the main hall.
The others were seated elsewhere.
Neptune spared no expense.
Rare treasures of the deep were served one after another.
Present were:
King Neptune
Queen Otohime
Their three sons
Their daughter had yet to be born.
When Roldy caught sight of the queen's figure—
Even with his composure—
Even knowing Fish-Men biology differed—
His expression almost cracked.
He cleared his throat and looked away.
After the banquet, Neptune returned to royal duties.
Having gauged Roldy 's temperament, he understood the man was not capricious.
Thus, he assigned his eldest son—
Prince Fukaboshi—
As their guide.
Fish-Man Island offered many attractions.
But the one Roldy showed particular interest in—
Was the Mermaid Café.
Ahem.
He was in his thirties.
Perfectly normal.
"Hmm? What's this?"
Roldy paused before a young shark-mermaid.
Judging by her appearance, she was still in her teenage years.
But what caught his attention—
Was the crystal ball in her hands.
The mermaid blinked shyly, clutching it tighter.
"This… is my divination crystal…"
Her voice was soft.
Prince Fukaboshi explained:
"She is Madam Shyarly. Though young, her prophecies have never been wrong."
Roldy 's eyes narrowed slightly.
Prophecy.
Interesting.
He crouched down to her level.
"Mind if I take a look?"
Shyarly hesitated.
Then nodded.
The crystal ball shimmered faintly.
Water-like light rippled within.
And suddenly—
Her pupils constricted.
The crystal flashed violently.
A terrifying image surfaced.
Fire.
Collapsing structures.
A massive figure standing amid ruin.
Fish-Man Island—
Engulfed in destruction.
And at its center—
Roldy .
Shyarly gasped, dropping the crystal.
It cracked slightly on the floor.
"You… you…"
Her face turned pale.
"In the future… you will destroy Fish-Man Island!"
Silence fell.
Shane's smile froze.
Crocodile's eyes sharpened.
Fukaboshi stepped forward instinctively.
Roldy blinked.
Then—
He laughed.
"Is that so?"
His tone was light.
Almost amused.
He stood up slowly.
"Well."
"Let's see whether your future… survives long enough to happen."
The air grew heavy.
Yet his smile remained.
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