"Oh my..."
On the deck, Hancock and her two sisters looked up at the "blue sky and white clouds" above them. They should not have been there, yet they were clearly visible. They also saw the roots of the Sunlight Tree Eve floating high above, giving off a warm light.
Their mouths fell open in surprise.
Was this really the bottom of the sea?
If not for the fish swimming by from time to time, they would have thought they were back on land.
"Welcome to Fish-Man Island, human friends from the land."
Someone spoke from the pier.
The notified soldiers of Neptune's Army lined up neatly.
At the front stood a large whale shark Fish-Man wearing a black-and-white patterned yukata, with two lower teeth that looked like fangs.
Jinbe.
He was still a young man right now. He did not yet have the famous reputation of the "Knight of the Sea" that he would have in the future, but he already carried himself like a veteran soldier.
As the captain of Neptune's Army, he was in charge of welcoming this group of special guests.
Aiden led everyone down the gangway.
"Nice to meet you, Jinbe."
Aiden nodded to him with a smile.
"I have heard your name."
Jinbe was a little surprised that this human seemed to know him. However, he did not ask more. He bowed respectfully and turned to Coral behind Aiden.
"Coral! That is great... It is really great that you are okay!"
Seeing his companion return safely, Jinbe finally relaxed.
"Jinbe..."
Coral sniffled and almost cried.
After calming Coral down, Jinbe turned back to Aiden and studied him for a moment.
As a strong fighter from the Fish-Man District, Jinbe had very sharp senses. He could tell that the young man in the black coat in front of him was not ordinary.
But he did not recognize who Aiden was.
Fish-Man Island was ten thousand meters underwater. It was almost cut off from outside information. News Coos from the outside world could not fly down here. All newspapers and information could only be brought by passing human ships.
The big news of Aiden killing a Celestial Dragon and then being locked up in Impel Down had not reached this place.
So, to Jinbe, Aiden was just an adventurer with good intentions.
"Thank you very much."
Jinbe brought his hands together and bowed deeply to Aiden.
"Thank you for your help. You saved our people from those despicable slave catchers. Fish-Man Island will remember this favor."
"It was no trouble."
Aiden smiled. He did not say more about this topic, nor did he reveal his current sensitive identity as a Marine.
"This is not a place to talk."
Jinbe stepped aside and gestured for them to move forward.
"King Neptune and Queen Otohime already know you are here. They are preparing a banquet in Ryugu Palace right now. Before that, if you do not mind, I can take you on a short tour of Fish-Man Island."
Hearing this, Hancock perked up at once. She had been a little nervous before.
Hancock had grown up on the isolated Amazon Lily. To her, this colorful underwater world was full of magic.
She tugged Aiden's coat and leaned forward, waiting for him to agree.
The group walked through the busy streets of Fish-Man Island with Jinbe as their guide.
Compared to Ryugu Palace, where they were heading, the streets in the lower district were more crowded and noisy. But they were also full of life.
Beautiful coral buildings stood close together. Colorful schools of fish swam through the waterways in the air. The light of the Sunlight Tree Eve shone on every corner. The streets looked peaceful at first glance.
"Are those humans?"
"Why are humans here?"
However, the residents watched the newcomers with curiosity, caution, and sometimes open hostility.
Not only that, down in the shadows of the street below.
Arlong, who had a long, jagged nose, had a cigar in his mouth. He wore a gold chain around his neck and watched the humans pass with clear disgust.
His disgust carried something uglier: envy for the human world.
He had secretly gone to Sabaody before. He had seen the amusement park and the sunlight there. His longing for those beautiful things and his anger that humans had them mixed together in his heart, turning into a twisted obsession.
"Tch... They are such a weak, lower race, yet they take up all the best resources on land."
Arlong spat hard on the ground.
"Why let these dirty creatures enter the sacred Ryugu Palace? That old fool Neptune and that naive, stupid Otohime... They will get Fish-Man Island killed sooner or later."
Deeper in the shadows behind Arlong.
A teenage great white shark Fish-Man, who looked only fifteen or sixteen, leaned quietly against the wall.
Hody Jones.
He did not speak, nor did he curse like Arlong. He stayed silent, colder than Arlong despite his young age.
He had never experienced persecution from humans himself. But he absorbed Arlong's hatred without questioning it.
That pointless and pure malice was even more chilling than Arlong's curses.
In fact, the moment they stepped onto this street, Aiden's Observation Haki had already picked up the malice from the shadows.
But to Aiden, Arlong and Hody were not worth stopping for.
He did not want to ruin Hancock and her sisters' rare good mood because of those two.
However, this malice was so thick and obvious that it still triggered Hancock's tense nerves, even though Aiden did not say anything.
"Huh?"
Hancock, who was looking at jewelry, suddenly froze.
As a future user of all three types of Haki, her instincts were frighteningly sharp.
The hostility from the corner made her uncomfortable.
"No... Don't look at me..."
Hancock went pale and took half a step back. She reached out with a shaking hand and grabbed the bottom of Aiden's coat tightly. Her knuckles turned white from the force.
"Heh..."
Aiden's hand paused.
Those bugs he had planned to ignore had actually scared the children under his protection.
For a moment, he wanted to cut them down. But he did not choose to fight here. That would scare the children next to him and ruin Queen Otohime's banquet.
Aiden quietly shifted his body sideways, blocking the view from the dark corner.
"Don't be afraid."
Aiden spoke quietly.
"I'm here. No one is going to hurt you. They're nothing but gutter rats. Don't be afraid."
With Aiden standing in front of her, Hancock slowly calmed down.
"Yeah!"
She nodded quickly, but her hand still held on to his coat.
"Aiden..."
Issho, who had been following behind them, also stopped and frowned.
"That kind of hatred is hard to listen to."
Aiden looked away and took Hancock's hand. He continued walking forward.
"Pay no attention to them."
Aiden did not say more, but in his mind, he had already decided those two would not be ignored forever.
"Ahem... Aiden, everyone, please go this way."
Jinbe, who had been guiding them, seemed to notice the heavy mood. He stepped forward at the right time to break the tension. Although Jinbe looked serious, he was surprisingly thoughtful.
"King Neptune and Queen Otohime's banquet should be almost ready by now. We can take the island's special transport to get there."
"Thank you."
Aiden let the matter drop for now and nodded slightly.
Under Jinbe's lead, the group walked through winding, beautiful coral corridors. They took the eye-catching flounder elevator and slowly went up to the highest point of Fish-Man Island.
As they went higher, the noise of the lower district slowly faded away. It was replaced by a wider view and purer sunlight.
When the elevator stopped, a grand palace wrapped in a giant bubble appeared in front of them.
Huge shells and corals made up the main body of the palace. They reflected bright light under the glow of the Sunlight Tree Eve. The ground was covered in white sand and pearls. Everything showed royal dignity and luxury.
"Welcome to Ryugu Palace, human friends."
King Neptune, the Great Knight of the Sea, was a tall man holding a golden trident. He stood at the palace doors with a group of ministers to welcome them.
Neptune was in his prime right now. His long red hair and beard made him look imposing.
He greeted Aiden with a polite smile, but he was clearly curious about him.
"I am Neptune. Thank you for saving our people from those despicable slave catchers."
Neptune asked directly.
"However, excuse my rudeness. Judging by how you carry yourself, you do not seem like a normal person. May I know your name?"
Aiden bowed slightly. He did not directly give his title of Marine Rear Admiral, which would make the mood awkward.
After all, he was currently a fugitive, and Fish-Man Island's attitude toward the Marines was also somewhat complicated.
"I am Aiden."
Aiden smiled and gave an excuse he had prepared beforehand.
"I'm just a traveler who wants to see the New World with his own eyes."
"An traveler? Hahahaha! Good!"
Hearing this, Neptune relaxed a little and let out a loud, hearty laugh.
Although the name Aiden was currently very famous on the seas, as he had not only killed a Celestial Dragon but also made a lot of big news before that, Fish-Man Island was ten thousand meters underwater. Outside information was very limited here.
Coupled with the World Government's intentional suppression and blockades, King Neptune had hardly attended the Levely in recent years. This made the Great Knight of the Sea unaware of newly famous people on land.
To him, this was just a young human who could be seen anywhere on the sea.
"This sea needs brave young people like you! No matter who you are, since you saved my people, you are an honored guest of Ryugu Palace!"
Just then.
"Coral!!"
A worried shout came from inside the palace.
Next, a small figure rushed out.
It was Queen Otohime.
She had long, wavy blonde hair and wore a fancy orange dress. Even though she was small and looked a bit weak, she was already crying before she reached Coral.
"Queen Otohime!"
Before Coral could bow, Queen Otohime grabbed her and hugged her.
"That is great... Wuuu... It is really great! I thought I would never see you again!"
Queen Otohime lost control of her emotions instantly. Tears streamed down her face, and she did not act like a queen at all. She hugged Coral tightly with both hands.
Crack.
A clear sound of a breaking bone suddenly rang out.
"Kyaaaahhh!!!"
A second later, Otohime suddenly let go. She held her wrist, let out a loud scream, and fell backward.
"Queen Otohime?!"
The Minister of the Left and the Minister of the Right were terrified. They skillfully pulled out bandages and rushed forward.
"Oh no! Queen Otohime hugged too hard and broke her wrist!"
"Quick! Call the doctor!"
The place instantly fell into chaos.
Seeing this, Aiden's mouth could not help but twitch.
Was this the legendary Queen Otohime who had an extremely strong Observation Haki that could hear other people's inner feelings, but whose body was so weak that she would break a bone just from sneezing?
She really lived up to the rumors.
"I-I'm fine..."
After a chaotic emergency bandaging, Queen Otohime stood up strongly with one arm in a sling and a snot bubble on her face. Even though she was gritting her teeth in pain, she still wore a happy smile.
"As long as Coral returns safely, this little injury is nothing!"
After she spoke, she turned to Aiden.
Still crying, she walked quickly up to him and held out her good left hand.
"You are the one who saved Coral, right?"
Aiden reached out his hand automatically.
Clap.
Otohime's soft, small hand tightly grabbed Aiden's large hand.
"Thank you..."
As she spoke, she excitedly shook Aiden's hand hard.
"Thank you for saving Coral. Thank you for proving to us... that there are bright people like you among humans!"
Crack.
Another clear sound rang out.
Otohime's smile froze on her face.
Then she fainted on the spot.
"Ahhhh! Queen Otohime! This time her fingers are broken!!"
"Doctor!! Get the doctor back here!"
Looking at Ryugu Palace falling into chaos again, Aiden stood completely still. He kept his handshake pose and did not even dare to use any force. A drop of cold sweat slid down his forehead.
Was this... Was this really not a scam?
He had not dared to move the whole time, afraid that a little bit of force would hurt this weak queen. But she had shaken his hand and broken her own bones?
However, after this crazy mess, the mood, which had been a bit tense and serious, melted away as if by magic.
"Coral..."
Otohime woke up with her hands completely wrapped in bandages. She did not care about her injuries and turned to Coral again.
Coral, who had been hugged tightly, also cried. She sniffled and carefully lifted the glass case in her arms. She held it out to Otohime like a treasure.
"I am sorry... for making you worry. I just... I just wanted to find this for you..."
She gently took off the dark cloth covering it.
In an instant, a soft and pure glow lit up inside the grand hall.
Inside a delicate pressurized glass case, a flower giving off a faint silver light bloomed quietly.
A Moonflower.
It was a miracle that only existed on land and only bloomed in the moonlight.
"Is this... a Moonflower from the land?"
Otohime was stunned.
She looked at the delicate flower, then at Coral, who had almost become a slave but was still trying to smile. Her body shook hard.
"Was this for me..."
Otohime reached out her bandaged hand. Her fingertips touched the cold glass case, as if she were touching Coral's sincere heart.
A second later.
There was no moved smile as expected.
The emotional queen suddenly covered her face and began crying without holding back. Because she was too emotional, her legs went weak, and she sat right on the ground.
"I am sorry... I am sorry..."
Otohime held Coral's hand. Her tears soaked her clothes, and she could barely get the words out between sobs.
"It is all because of me... It is all because I always talk about moving to the land, and talk about wanting to see the sun and the flowers on the land..."
"I got you hurt! If it weren't for my wishes, you would not have gone to such a dangerous place, and you would not have almost been taken away!"
"It is my fault... I am the queen, yet I almost got my own people killed..."
Coral panicked. She reached out in a rush to help the queen up.
"No! That is not true! I wanted to go myself..."
Watching this, King Neptune standing nearby also looked helpless and heartbroken. He wanted to go comfort her but could not find a chance to speak.
Aiden stood to the side, watching this woman cry without holding back.
She was weak, sensitive, loved to cry, and was even a bit neurotic.
But she believed in her dream with everything she had.
This was Otohime.
"Queen Otohime."
Aiden stepped forward and spoke before Otohime could sink further into blame.
He crouched down, took the potted Moonflower from Coral's hand, and put it back into Otohime's hands.
"This flower did nothing wrong. Your wish to have Fish-Men and humans live in peace is also not wrong."
Aiden faced Otohime directly and said it plainly.
"You are not the one who is wrong, and neither is Coral."
"The ones who are wrong are those bad people who reach their greedy hands toward innocent people."
Aiden pointed to the flower blooming in the faint light.
"Coral did not want to bring this flower back just to watch you cry and blame yourself. She hoped that this flower from the land would give you the courage to keep moving forward."
"Accept it. This is the way she chose to support your dream."
Otohime froze.
At this moment, her Observation Haki, which could hear people's inner emotions, felt that he truly meant what he said.
"Th-Thank you..."
Otohime wiped her tears and carefully hugged the pot of flowers tight. It was as if she were holding the hope of the whole world.
She looked up.
Even though her face was still covered in tears, she finally smiled through them.
"Thank you for saving Coral."
...
To treat their lifesaver, Ryugu Palace held a grand banquet.
Shell chandeliers gave off soft light. The long dining table was full of delicious food special to the deep sea. There was a wide variety of shellfish, seaweed dishes, and special desserts.
"So good! This is good too!"
Hancock and her sisters completely let loose. Each of them held a sea beast steak in their hands, eating until their mouths were covered in oil. For them, who grew up on the poor Amazon Lily island, this was a feast beyond anything they had eaten before.
Around them, three Fish-Man princes of different sizes were moving around curiously.
They were still teenagers: Fukaboshi, Ryuboshi, and Manboshi.
Right now, they did not have their future dignity. Instead, they were like three big boys who had not seen the world. They were very curious about these few human girls.
"Hey, do you humans on the land really walk on your feet?"
"How do you breathe without gills?"
Manboshi danced a funny dance while asking all sorts of silly questions. He made Marigold giggle.
Aiden sat in the main guest seat. He held a cup of top-quality sake brewed in Ryugu Palace.
Aiden watched the warm scene. Then he raised his cup and looked at King Neptune next to him.
"The three princes are very energetic. It seems Ryugu Palace's future is in good hands."
"Wahahahaha! That is right!"
Neptune's face was completely red from drinking. Hearing this, he laughed loudly. The sound made the palace shake. He watched his three silly sons play with Hancock and her sisters, and his expression softened.
Then he sighed with a bit of regret and said drunkenly,
"But these three boys are too rowdy... The Queen and I actually always wanted a daughter! A gentle and cute daughter like the Queen!"
"If we could really have a princess, everything would be perfect!"
Hearing the sigh of this future doting father, Aiden had a thought.
Counting the time, there should still be a few years before the birth of the Mermaid Princess Shirahoshi, the legendary Ancient Weapon Poseidon.
"You will get the chance."
Aiden smiled meaningfully. He raised his cup, clinked it with Neptune's, and said with a smile,
"I have a feeling that you and the Queen will definitely have a unique princess. A princess... who can change the world."
"Oh? I will take your word for it! I will take your word! Wahahahaha!"
Although Neptune did not understand the deep meaning in Aiden's words, he was clearly very happy to hear this blessing. He tilted his head back and drank the wine in his cup in one gulp.
"Aiden."
Queen Otohime, who was sitting nearby, suddenly spoke, breaking Aiden's thoughts. She was still holding the pot of Moonflowers in her arms as she asked with open hope,
"You have been to many places, right? Do you think... my dream, the dream of having merfolk and Fish-Men move to the land and live under the real sun... Can it really come true?"
The banquet hall grew a bit quieter.
King Neptune, holding his giant cup, paused slightly. Neptune was clearly conflicted. As the king, he knew better than his wife about the greed and cruelty of humans on land. But he loved his wife, so he had always quietly supported this seemingly naive dream.
Aiden put down his cup.
He looked at this queen, who had noble goals but would one day meet a sad end. He did not laugh at her naivety, nor did he give her cheap, fake encouragement.
"The dream is beautiful, Queen Otohime."
Aiden answered carefully.
"Although the deep sea is dark, the dangers here are clear. And although the sun on land is bright, in the shadows where the sun cannot reach... hides greed and evil ten thousand times scarier than a deep-sea monster."
He was, of course, referring to the Celestial Dragons and the rotten World Government.
Otohime lowered her head for a moment, then lifted it again with more resolve.
"That is exactly why! That is why we must try harder to talk and understand! I believe that as long as our hearts connect..."
However.
Queen Otohime had not finished speaking.
BOOM!!!
A second later, a huge explosion went off without warning.
This loud noise came from the streets of Fish-Man Island below. Even though they were far away, the terrible shaking still moved up the foundation to Ryugu Palace.
The beautiful coral decorations on the ceiling of the banquet hall rattled.
"What is going on?!"
Neptune and Jinbe stood up suddenly. Their faces changed at once.
They quickly walked to the window and looked down.
They saw that the Fish-Man District below was now a sea of fire. Thick smoke rose into the air, blocking the light of the Sunlight Tree Eve.
"An enemy attack?! Who dares to attack Fish-Man Island?!"
Right after that.
An arrogant voice came through some kind of powerful speaker. It spread from the street below across the whole Fish-Man Island, reaching Ryugu Palace clearly.
"Listen up, you cowards hiding up there!!"
"I am 'Broadside' Jackson, a pirate with a bounty of 110 million Berries!!"
Hearing the name, Aiden frowned slightly. It sounded familiar.
"Commander."
Kane, who had been standing guard behind Aiden, noticed what he was trying to remember and stepped forward.
"He is one of this year's Super Rookies. You asked about him on the sea earlier. I did not expect him to show up here."
Aiden understood, and his face turned colder.
At the same time, the arrogant voice over the broadcast kept shouting,
"If you know what's good for you, hand over ten pretty young mermaids and all the treasure in Ryugu Palace! If you don't..."
BOOM! BOOM!
Two more cannon shots rang out, followed by screams from the streets below.
"I'll blow these filthy Fish-Man streets apart!!"
The banquet hall fell silent.
Queen Otohime's face went pale. It was not only fear. She had heard her people screaming outside.
---------------------------------------------------
Now you can read 10 chapters ahead of this novel for FREE. Don't forget to follow me.
LIZBETH1242