The words spoken by Sasaki hit the room like a sudden bolt of lightning. King Neptune and his ministers felt their hearts sink as their expressions twisted into masks of shock and dread. Even Madam Shyarly, who had been struggling desperately in Jack's massive arms, froze instantly. She stared at Sasaki and Jack with wide, surprised eyes, her resistance momentarily forgotten in the face of such a terrifying revelation.
At that moment, King Neptune's face turned incredibly grim. The weight of the situation finally pressed down on him with full force. He understood the true, dark purpose behind this visit from the Beasts Pirates. They hadn't come for a simple diplomatic meeting or a casual threat; they were here for the Road Poneglyph of Fishman Island.
A heavy silence filled the air before Neptune finally spoke, his voice tinged with a strange mix of regret and relief. "I am sorry, but it seems you might be too late," he said. In his mind, he felt a brief flicker of gratitude toward a decision he had made years ago.
"Too late?" Jack and Sasaki both barked at the same time. Their brows furrowed, and their faces darkened with immediate displeasure.
"What exactly do you mean by that?" Jack growled, his grip tightening slightly.
Neptune did not try to hide the truth or play games. He knew the stakes were too high for deception. "It is true that we once kept a Road Poneglyph here on Fishman Island," he explained calmly. "However, five years ago, a pirate known as Red-Haired Shanks passed through our waters. When he left, he took that Road Poneglyph with him."
The revelation hit the two pirates like a physical blow. Jack and Sasaki both widened their eyes in disbelief. "Red Hair!" Sasaki shouted. "Are you honestly telling us that Red-Haired Shanks took the Road Poneglyph from this island?"
Jack let out a low, dangerous chuckle that sounded more like a threat than a laugh. "Hey, hey, don't think you can fool us so easily, Neptune. Do you really think using the name of Red Hair is enough to scare the Beasts Pirates? We aren't children who hide when a Yonko's name is mentioned."
Neptune shook his head, his expression remaining somber and serious. "No, you have misunderstood me. I have absolutely no reason to lie to you. While that stone is incredibly precious to the rest of the world, it is effectively meaningless to the people of Fishman Island. We have no use for the path to the Pirate King's throne."
Jack and Sasaki exchanged a long, searching look. They were looking for any hint of a lie in the King's eyes. Before they could speak, Shyarly spoke up. Realizing how dangerous the situation was becoming, she added her voice to the King's. "His Majesty is telling the truth," she said softly. "That stone was taken away a long time ago. It simply isn't on Fishman Island anymore."
Hearing her confirm it, the two members of the Beasts Pirates began to believe the story. However, their expressions did not soften; instead, they grew even more irritable. Even though it wasn't their fault that Shanks had beaten them to the prize, they knew that failing a mission from Big Brother Kaido was a serious matter. They felt as though they had let down the trust of their captain.
Jack glanced over at Sasaki and gave him a sharp, meaningful look. Sasaki caught the signal instantly. Without a word, he turned on his heel and walked back into the ship's cabin to make a call.
The atmosphere on the coast became heavy as everyone waited in a tense silence. Shyarly, still trapped in Jack's powerful grasp, felt the awkwardness of the position. She shifted slightly and whispered, "Um, if you don't mind, could you please put me down now?"
Jack looked down at the woman in his arms. For a brief second, a rare flash of something resembling gentleness crossed his rugged face. But his voice remained as hard as iron when he replied. "Don't even think about running away. There is nothing in this world that Jack wants and doesn't get. You're staying right here."
Shyarly went silent, completely at a loss for what to do next. She felt trapped, not just by his arms, but by the circumstances of her birth.
Jinbe, who had been watching the interaction with growing anger, finally stepped forward. He couldn't stand to see a citizen of the island treated like a trophy. "Shyarly, if you don't want to be there, you can refuse," Jinbe said firmly. "You are Arlong's sister, and as a soldier of this sea, I will protect you."
Jack's eyes instantly filled with fury. He turned his gaze toward Jinbe, and the air between them seemed to crackle. These were two of the strongest fishmen on the sea, and neither was willing to back down. They both began to release their powerful Haki, the invisible pressure weighing down on everyone nearby.
Shyarly desperately wanted to refuse. No woman wanted to be forced into such a situation by a man she had only just met. But as she felt the tension rising and looked out at the five massive pirate fleets anchored behind Jack, she felt a cold shiver of fear. Those ships represented the power of a Yonko, one of the Four Emperors of the New World. She knew that if she chose her own freedom, the entirety of Fishman Island might be burned to the ground in a war with the Beasts Pirates. She hated that such a massive burden was being placed on her shoulders.
Fortunately, the standoff was interrupted when Sasaki walked back out of the cabin with a wide, confident smile on his face. Seeing this, Jack immediately turned his attention away from Jinbe. "Well? What did Big Brother say?" Jack asked.
The hearts of everyone from Fishman Island tightened. There was only one person in the world that a man as strong as Jack would refer to as "Big Brother." That was Kaido of the Beasts, the Governor-General of the Beasts Pirates and a literal force of nature.
Sasaki was clearly in a wonderful mood. He looked directly at Neptune and chuckled. "You should consider yourself very lucky, King. It turns out Big Brother isn't interested in the Road Poneglyph that Red Hair took. He already knew that stone was gone. He sent us here to take the other one."
Neptune's face went pale. The shock was so great that he actually stumbled back a step. "What!?" he gasped.
As the King of Fishman Island, he couldn't believe his ears. How could Kaido possibly know about the existence of that specific stone? It was a secret kept hidden from the world, known only to a tiny handful of people within the royal palace.
Seeing Neptune's panicked reaction, Jack realized that Kaido had been right all along. Fishman Island really was hiding a second stone. The realization made Jack roar in a fit of sudden rage. "So that's how it is! You actually have another Road Poneglyph hidden away? Neptune, were you trying to play me for a fool?"
"No... no, that isn't it!" Neptune quickly tried to explain, his voice shaking with the effort to keep the peace. "Lord Jack, I did not intend to hide it from you to be deceptive. It is simply that this particular stone is a sacred treasure of our island. The information recorded on it has nothing to do with the location of Laugh Tale or the title of Pirate King. That is the only reason I didn't mention it."
Sasaki stepped forward, his hand resting on the hilt of his blade. "Whether it is related to the Pirate King or not isn't for you to decide," he growled. "Big Brother Kaido said that if you hand over that stone today, Fishman Island will officially be under the protection of the Beasts Pirates. But if you refuse... well, then we will just have to take it by force!"
Neptune's expression became incredibly dark. He was caught between a rock and a hard place. Jinbe, standing nearby, finally reached his breaking point. He stepped out in front of the King and let out a roar of his own. "Even if you represent the Beasts Pirates, this is going way too far! You cannot simply demand the treasures of a sovereign nation!"
"Too far?" Sasaki laughed mockingly. "Hey, 'Knight of the Sea' Jinbe, is this really your first day being a pirate? How can a man like you say such naive things? In this world, the strong take what they want. That's the only rule that matters."
"You..." Jinbe's veins bulged on his forehead as he fought to keep his temper under control. He wanted to strike out, but he knew that he was currently just an ordinary fishman without a crew to back him up. He had to be smart. He tightly clenched his fists and looked the two monsters in the eye.
"Since you want to act like pirates, then let's resolve this the pirate way," Jinbe declared. "I will challenge both of you at the same time. I will fight you alone. If I win, the Beasts Pirates will leave their flag here to protect this island, and you will leave in peace. But if you win, you can take the Road Poneglyph and do as you wish!"
After he finished, Jinbe turned and bowed slightly to Neptune. "Your Majesty, please forgive me for being so bold and making such a decision on your behalf."
Neptune looked at Jinbe and nodded slowly. He knew his friend was trying to save the island from a full-scale invasion. "I understand, Jinbe. I am counting on you."
The group turned their eyes toward Jack and Sasaki, waiting for an answer. Jack and Sasaki realized they had been backed into a corner. Jinbe had used their own logic against them. By offering a two-on-one fight, he had made it impossible for them to say no without looking like cowards. If word got back to the New World that two top officers of the Beasts Pirates were afraid to fight a single fishman, their reputation would be ruined.
"Hmph!" Jack snorted. He was about to step forward when Sasaki moved ahead of him.
Sasaki looked at Jinbe with a dangerous, predatory glint in his eyes. "Big Brother Jack, let me handle this first. I want to see for myself just how powerful the so-called 'Guardian God' of Fishman Island really is."
Jack glanced at his comrade and nodded, understanding the plan. "Fine. Go ahead, but don't be careless. He isn't a rookie."
"Don't worry about me, Big Brother!" Sasaki drew his sword with a sharp ring of steel. He focused his mind, and a layer of pitch-black Armament Haki flowed over the blade, making it shine like polished coal. "To get a chance to fight a master like this... I can feel my blood pumping already!"
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