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The delivery arrived at the Marine G-5 Base—a notorious outpost in the New World known for its brutality—not via a diplomatic vessel, but by a simple, unmanned scout boat drifting on the current. When Vice Admiral Vergo (acting under his dual cover) ordered the crate opened, the stench was so potent it caused the surrounding soldiers to gag.
Inside, buried beneath layers of rotting offal and fermented fish guts, lay the shredded remains of the World Government's golden invitation. The official seal of the Five Elders was smeared with grime, rendered unrecognizable.
The message was not written in ink, but in the sheer audacity of the act: Fish-Man Island no longer fears the gods of the Red Line.
When the news reached Pangaea Castle, the atmosphere was no longer cold and calculating; it was explosive.
"Preposterous! Utterly preposterous!" Saint Jaygarcia Saturn slammed his cane into the marble floor, the impact cracking the stone. "A king of a mere underwater grotto dares to insult the dignity of the World Government in such a primitive fashion?"
Saint Ethanbaron V. Nusjuro's hand gripped the hilt of his Shodai Kitetsu so tightly his knuckles turned white. "It is not Neptune who did this. Neptune is a coward who trembles at his own shadow. This is the hand of Auguro. He has stripped away Neptune's hesitation and replaced it with his own arrogance."
"The plan backfired," Saint Shepherd Jū Peter admitted, his voice tight with suppressed rage. "We intended to sow discord. Instead, we have consolidated their alliance. By forcing Neptune to choose, we have turned a 'subordinate state' into a 'fanatical loyalist.'"
The Five Elders stood in the center of the Room of Power, the silence between them heavy with the realization that their psychological grip on the world's monarchs was slipping. For 800 years, an invitation to the Reverie was seen as the ultimate grace. To have it returned in a box of filth was a declaration of war that surpassed mere territory—it was an assault on their divinity.
"We cannot let this stand," Marcus Mars spoke up, his eyes narrow. "If other Affiliated Nations see that a kingdom can insult us and still thrive under the protection of the Holy Spirit Empire, the entire structure of the Heavenly Tribute will collapse. We must make an example of Fish-Man Island."
"And how?" Nusjuro countered. "To attack them now is to engage the Holy Spirit Empire in a total war for which we are still preparing. Auguro is waiting for us to overextend."
While the World Government fumed, Auguro was not resting on his laurels. He had moved from his palace in Water Seven to the actual site of the migration project—the massive elevator systems and bubble-tethering arrays being constructed near the G-7 naval routes.
The sea was teeming with activity. Hundreds of thousands of Fish-Men and Merfolk were assisting the Empire's engineers. It was a marvel of labor and technology; the Fish-Men provided the underwater strength, while the Holy Spirit Empire provided the steel, the logistical planning, and the sheer political will.
Auguro stood on the deck of his flagship, the Imperial Sovereign. Beside him stood Prince Fukaboshi, who had traveled to the surface to personally oversee the transition and to further distance himself from his father's earlier blunder.
"The World Government will not take the 'fish guts' incident lightly, Emperor," Fukaboshi said, his gaze fixed on the horizon. "My father was... expressive, once he realized the trap. But I fear for the civilians once the move is complete. On the surface, we are targets."
Auguro looked at the young prince. "Do you know why the World Government has ruled for 800 years, Fukaboshi?"
Fukaboshi hesitated. "Their military power? The Ancient Weapons they might possess?"
"No," Auguro replied, his voice carried by the sea breeze. "It is because they convinced the world that there is no alternative. They made the sea believe that without them, there is only chaos. My Empire is the alternative. I am not just moving your island; I am moving the world's perspective."
He pointed to a massive structure rising from the waves—a fortress-hub that would serve as the new "Gateway" for Fish-Man Island.
"Once your people are settled, I will establish a permanent garrison of the Holy Spirit Army here. Any Marine ship that enters these waters without my seal will be treated as a pirate vessel. Any Tenryuubito 'hunting party' that approaches will be sunk before they see the shore."
Fukaboshi felt a shiver of awe. This wasn't just protection; it was a total redrawing of the world's borders.
As the Holy Spirit Empire's influence expanded, other players were watching from the periphery. On a hidden island in the Grand Line, Monkey D. Dragon, the leader of the Revolutionary Army, stared at a series of reports.
"Fish-Man Island has officially rejected the Reverie," Sabo remarked, leaning against a stone pillar. "That's a first in history. Auguro is doing in months what we've been trying to do for decades—he's dismantling the Government's prestige."
Dragon remained silent for a long time, his tattooed face grim. "Auguro is not a liberator, Sabo. He is an Emperor. He is replacing one sun with another. The World Government is a tyrant of the past; Auguro is a tyrant of the future."
"But he's helping the Fish-Men," Sabo pointed out. "He's giving them the surface."
"At the cost of their absolute autonomy," Dragon replied. "Look at Neptune. He tried to have a foot in both worlds, and Auguro nearly cut his legs off. There is no middle ground with a man like that. Soon, the world will have to choose: the decaying order of the Five Elders, or the iron peace of the Holy Spirit Empire."
Back on the Imperial Sovereign, Auguro turned to his chief of staff. "How is the progress on the 'Sea King's' training?"
The staff officer bowed. "Princess Shirahoshi is being carefully guided. Her emotional control is improving, though she remains frightened of her own power. However, with the Holy Spirit Empire's psychologists and the royal guards working together, we believe she will be able to summon the Sea Kings on command within the next few months."
Auguro nodded. Poseidon was the ultimate deterrent. Once the Fish-Men were on the surface and the Princess was under his direct supervision, the World Government's navy would become obsolete. What use were battleships against monsters that could swallow islands?
"Tell Neptune to stop hiding in his palace," Auguro commanded.