Ten thousand meters directly beneath the Holy Land of Mary Geoise, at the junction between the first half of the Grand Line and the New World, lies Fish-Man Island.
Despite being located in the deep sea, Fish-Man Island still enjoys sunlight and an open sky thanks to the Sunlight Tree Eve. If not for the coral, starfish, and seaweed visible everywhere along the streets, one might even mistake it for a country on the surface.
On the main street of the Marlin Shopping Center, two figures whose aesthetics differed significantly from the locals stood in a tense standoff. Unlike the notorious Fish-Man District, the security on Fish-Man Island itself was quite good; as a result, this rare commotion had attracted a sizable crowd of curious onlookers.
On one side of the confrontation stood a Lion Mink dressed in a pink suit and sunglasses. His appearance was fierce, giving off the distinct impression of someone not to be trifled with.
As for the other...
She wore an exquisitely tailored black suit that perfectly accentuated her ethereal temperament. Her flawless face held a calm expression, though it was laced with a subtle sense of majesty that could not be ignored. Her emerald-green eyes were as clear as water, and her dazzling blonde hair was tied into a ponytail, with her trademark "ahoge" cowlick standing as defiantly as ever atop her head.
Without a doubt, this "beautiful woman in men's clothing"—capable of charming both men and women alike—was the pure White Knight herself, the "White Knight" Lily.
Judging by the blushing cheeks of the mermaid maidens surrounding her, Lily's current attire made her look like a peerless, elegant young man. Anyone who wasn't close to her would likely fail to recognize her at first glance.
"Hey, little girl, do you have any idea who I am? Gaooo!"
"I am a combatant under the command of 'Four Emperors' BIG MOM—Pekoms!" The golden-maned lion stuck out his long tongue and licked his lips before pointing at a large bag by Lily's side.
"If you're smart, you'll hand over that bag of Fish-Man Island's secret-recipe snacks. Otherwise, I'll definitely... I'll..."
Pekoms paused, reaching up to lift his sunglasses, revealing two tiny, beady eyes.
"...I'll tear you into ten thousand pieces!!! Gaooo!"
(He looks so cute once those glasses come off...) The surrounding Fish-Men, who were watching the scene, all deadpanned in unison. They hadn't expected that under such a fierce exterior, this guy would have such ridiculous "dot eyes."
(This lion is actually quite cute...)
Lily's emerald eyes instantly lit up, and a faint blush rose unconsciously to her fair cheeks. It seemed the White Knight had quite a fondness for lions.
However, fondness was one thing; there were certain matters of principle that Lily would never compromise on.
"I refuse!" the White Knight answered decisively.
"Hah?" Pekoms was stunned at first, then his expression grew increasingly grim. "Did you not hear what I just said? Garoar!"
"These snacks were specifically requested by Mama. Are you really trying to steal the sweets Mama intends to eat?"
(Speaking of which, if 'Silver Hair' hadn't recommended how delicious Fish-Man Island's snacks were to Mama over and over again, the old lady probably wouldn't have sent me all this way to buy them,) Pekoms grumbled inwardly.
Hearing this, Lily shook her head. "As a knight, I will never plunder what belongs to another. However, these snacks were clearly purchased with my own money; therefore, they belong to me."
"Furthermore, according to Article 257 of the Englant Royal Knight's Code: 'Never engage in battle on an empty stomach!' All the more reason I cannot hand my lunch over to you!"
The White Knight spoke with absolute righteousness, her fair face fearless. She radiated the proud, domineering aura of a ruler saying, "I shall not give, therefore you shall not take."
Except...
(What do you mean "Never fight on an empty stomach"?! What country has that in their Knight's Code? Young lady, are you sure that isn't a Glutton's Code?!) The crowd collectively thought.
(Also, "lunch"??)
The onlookers glanced silently at the bag beside the beautiful woman—which was nearly half her height—and then at Lily's slender frame. Their expressions became increasingly strange.
"Eek! She's even handsome when she's being stubborn!" The mermaid maidens, who seemed to have been completely swayed by Lily's masculine charm, screamed in unison.
(Th—This brat!)
Pekoms took a deep breath, his lips twitching slightly. He began cracking his wrists as he said menacingly, "It seems you have no intention of cooperating. A pity. I really didn't want to start trouble on Whitebeard's turf, Garoar..."
"..." The White Knight's expression remained indifferent as her right hand moved inconspicuously toward the hilt of the longsword at her waist.
The air was thick with the scent of gunpowder. It seemed as though a violent clash would erupt at any second.
Whoosh— Sensing the shift in atmosphere, the crowd took several steps back in unison.
The battle was about to begin!
However, just then...
"Ah! Boss Jinbe!"
"Boss Jinbe is here!"
Following a series of exclamations, the crowd of onlookers parted with practiced coordination, revealing a somewhat portly blue figure.
(Is he the member of the Seven Warlords of the Sea that Miss Walnut mentioned? "First Son of the Sea," Jinbe?) Lily silently observed the tall Fish-Man walking slowly toward them.
He had eyebrows and sideburns shaped like wild winds, piercing eyes, and two large tusks protruding from his lower jaw, along with a coarse, black goatee. He possessed a natural majesty that commanded respect without the need for anger. His bulky frame was wrapped in a patterned yukata, and the red sun-shaped tattoo on his chest was extremely striking.
(This man is very strong.)
Though it was their first meeting, the White Knight could clearly sense the terrifying power hidden within this serious-looking Fish-Man.
"Jinbe? Are you planning to protect this girl? Garoar!" Pekoms' expression changed slightly.
"No, I am only here to give you a piece of information." Jinbe stood between the two of them, arms crossed, and said calmly, "She belongs to 'Silver Hair'."
"Silver Hair?!" The crowd gasped.
The area immediately fell silent, as if the breath had been choked out of them, as though that name held some sort of magic.
The gazes everyone directed at the White Knight turned complex—shock, gratitude, hostility... Even someone as mentally resolute as Lily felt uncomfortable under such bizarre scrutiny.
"Silver Hair... You mean she's a newcomer? Garoar..."
Pekoms glanced at the White Knight in surprise. He scratched his golden mane, hesitated for a moment, and then muttered under his breath:
"The Silver Hair Pirates did a great service for my homeland, Zou. I can't exactly lay a hand on her now... Whatever. If I'm late, I'm late. I'll explain it to Mama myself."
With that, the sunglass-wearing lion cast a resentful look at the large bag of snacks beside Lily and departed without looking back.
(Eh? I didn't expect Silver Hair's "face" to be so effective...)
Jinbe, who had prepared several arguments, hadn't expected the guy to be so easy to talk to. Then, remembering that Silver Hair had studied under Red-Haired Shanks for a time, he felt relieved.
"Alright, everyone disperse. There is nothing more to see here."
After sending the crowd away, Jinbe turned to the female knight and offered a kind smile. "You must be the 'White Knight' Lily?"
"Yes, I am," Lily nodded. Then, her expression shifted as she asked in confusion, "Um, may I ask... Why did the Fish-Men here look so strange the moment my Master's name was mentioned?"
"That..."
Jinbe seemed to have anticipated this question. He opened his mouth, but didn't know where to begin. Finally, he let out a long sigh and said gloomily, "Sigh... It's all a misunderstanding. In truth, everyone knows she is not like those other people, and that 'incident' couldn't possibly have been her doing. It's just that some people can't wrap their heads around it."
(Tiger-bro...)
Looking up at the blue sky and white clouds of Fish-Man Island, a flash of regret crossed Jinbe's eyes. Though many years had passed, the "First Son of the Sea" still felt an immense weight in his heart whenever he thought of it.
"Forget it, let's not mention that for now. I'll take you to the Mermaid Cafe first."
With that, the large blue Fish-Man turned and walked away as if escaping, his wooden geta sandals clicking clearly against the stone ground.
(A misunderstanding? What kind of misunderstanding could it be?)
Lily tilted her head in confusion, then picked up her large bag of snacks and hurried to follow him.
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