Meanwhile, on Fish-Man Island—Mermaid Cove.
"Come quickly! Prince Neptune captured those damned slave traders!"
"Where?! Where are those human scum?!"
"At Mermaid Cove!"
The news spread rapidly.
From the once peaceful coral groves and shell houses, more and more fish-men and merfolk residents poured out.
Faces filled with rage and sorrow, they gathered from all directions until the shoreline became completely packed.
A brief conflict had only just ended, and the faint scent of blood still lingered in the air.
Several young mermaids with frightened expressions were being helped to their feet by companions, red marks still visible around their wrists where restraints had recently been torn away.
Nearby, Ryugu Kingdom guards in standard armor pinned over a dozen bruised and battered human men firmly into the sand.
"That's them! My little sister was taken away just like this!"
"My child… my poor child! You demons—give me my child back!"
For a moment, the crowd erupted with fury.
"Beat them to death!"
"Kill these beasts!"
"Let them taste the wrath of Fish-Man Island!"
The enraged residents grabbed anything they could throw and pelted the slave traders with it like rain.
The guards had no choice but to form a human wall to restrain the increasingly uncontrollable crowd.
"Step back! Everyone, step back! His Highness the Prince will deal with them fairly!"
"Don't act recklessly! Leave it to the laws of Ryugu Palace!"
Amid the roaring fury, one of the apparent leaders among the slave traders still craned his neck defiantly despite having his face pressed into the ground.
His eyes brimmed with vicious resentment as he shouted:
"Let me go! You damned stinking fish! Do you know who we work for?! Our boss is Spade from Sabaody Archipelago! He directly serves the noble World Nobles—the Celestial Dragons!"
"Touching us means slapping the Celestial Dragons in the face! Can you even bear the wrath of the Celestial Dragons?!"
"If you know what's good for you, untie us and respectfully escort us out of here! Otherwise—"
A towering shadow suddenly loomed over him, cutting off his threats mid-sentence.
Everyone looked up.
The newcomer was an extraordinarily imposing and handsome male merman holding a magnificent golden trident.
Compared to ordinary merfolk, his physique was far more robust, with thick curly orange-red hair and a matching beard.
He was the prince of the Ryugu Kingdom—
Neptune.
The moment he heard the words "Celestial Dragon," Prince Neptune's brows instantly tightened.
A cold fury flashed through his eyes.
Without the slightest hesitation—or even another word—he simply raised the trident high overhead.
"Prince Neptune! Please wait!"
An older guard hurriedly stepped forward.
"They claim to be acting on behalf of the Celestial Dragons. Shouldn't we escort them back to Ryugu Palace and allow His Majesty to decide—"
"Acting on behalf of the Celestial Dragons?"
Neptune's voice cut through the guard's plea.
He stared down at the slave trader still spewing filthy insults toward the fish-men.
The muscles in his arm bulged.
"Hmph! Criminals who abduct and traffic the residents of Fish-Man Island deserve no mercy whatsoever!"
"Do they think waving the name of the Celestial Dragons means they can do whatever they want on Fish-Man Island?"
"Dream on!"
Before the final word even fell—
The trident came crashing down with a fierce howl through the air!
BANG!
The unsharpened side of the trident slammed brutally into the slave trader leader's face, smashing his threats—and several teeth—straight back down his throat.
The impact made his eyes roll back instantly as he lost consciousness on the spot.
Clean.
Efficient.
Without the slightest hesitation.
For a split second, the surroundings fell silent—
Then deafening cheers exploded from the crowd!
"Prince Neptune is right!"
"That's exactly how these scum should be treated!"
"Well done, Your Highness!"
"WAAAAH—! Prince Neptune is amazing!!"
The gathered merfolk residents—especially the rescued young mermaids—were so excited their cheeks flushed red while admiration sparkled in their eyes.
Breaking free from their companions, they swam toward Neptune, grabbing onto his powerful arms emotionally.
One of them even quickly kissed his cheek.
"Prince Neptune, thank you! Thank you for saving us!"
"If you hadn't arrived in time, we don't even know where they would've taken us…"
A bright and hearty smile returned to Neptune's face.
Somewhat embarrassed, he scratched the cheek that had just been kissed and reassured them:
"Hahahaha! It's alright now, it's alright! You're safe already."
"Go home and get some rest. But remember—be more careful in the future. Try to travel in groups, and avoid remote sea areas whenever possible."
"Yes! We'll remember! Thank you, Prince Neptune!"
The mermaids nodded repeatedly.
After thanking the prince over and over again, they finally swam back toward their homes hidden among the coral groves, supporting one another as they left.
Watching them depart, Neptune's expression turned serious once more.
He issued his orders to the guards:
"Take this trash to the Prison Tower and keep them under strict watch."
"I'll continue leading patrols through the other bay sectors to ensure there are no stragglers left behind."
"Yes, Your Highness!"
The guards responded in unison.
The unconscious slave traders were tightly bound and thrown onto the back of a giant waiting oarfish mount.
At the rider's whistle, the enormous oarfish swayed its long body and swiftly carried the prisoners toward the towering Prison Tower at the edge of the island.
Neptune lifted his trident and prepared to lead the remaining guards toward the next patrol point.
Suddenly—
"REPORT——!!!"
An urgent shout came from the direction of the kingdom entrance.
A Ryugu guard riding a swift charging fish rapidly cut through the water at astonishing speed, his face filled with anxiety and tension.
He rushed directly before Neptune and leapt off his mount before it had even fully stopped, dropping to one knee.
"Prince Neptune! Emergency report from the kingdom entrance!"
"A large unfamiliar pirate crew aboard a very imposing ship is attempting to force their way through the entrance passage into Fish-Man Island!"
"The enemy numbers are considerable, their momentum is fierce, and… they are extremely powerful!"
"The entrance guard force is under immense pressure! The captain urgently ordered me to request immediate reinforcements and ask Your Highness to personally oversee the situation before it escalates further!"
Neptune's eyes sharpened instantly.
THUD.
The butt of his trident struck heavily into the seabed sand.
He had only just used thunderous force to crush a group of rats kidnapping people in the shadows—
And now another pack of sea wolves intended to forcefully storm the kingdom gates?
One wave hadn't even settled before another rose.
"Move!"
Without the slightest hesitation, Neptune leapt onto his massive killifish mount and pointed his golden trident forward.
"Guard unit, with me to the main entrance immediately!"
"All remaining guards continue patrolling according to schedule and ensure the residential districts remain absolutely safe!"
"Yes, Your Highness!"
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