The escort arrived, and I led my subordinates toward Ryugu Palace, the royal residence of the Ryugu Kingdom.
The main Fish-Man Island and the bubble containing Ryugu Palace are separate. We passed through the only connecting passage, the "Contact Corridor," aboard a massive, chartered Fish-Bus.
After clearing the "Grand Gate," we were greeted by a sprawling, magnificent castle with a unique, colorful design that commanded the horizon.
Seeing it for the first time in person, I couldn't help but let out a sigh of genuine admiration.
Once through the palace's main gate, the "Gomon," we were officially inside. Still encased in our individual bubbles, we disembarked from the bus and were led to a massive hall.
A lavish feast had already been prepared. Robin and I were ushered to a terrace-like seating area that overlooked the main hall where the rest of the crew would eat.
"Marines! Welcome!! I am the King of this country, Neptune, jamon!!"
"Everyone! Thank you for traveling all the way from the surface to these deep waters. We have prepared many of the specialties our Ryugu Kingdom is proud of, so please, enjoy yourselves!"
A moment later, two figures floated down through the air, encased in a large bubble. One was a massive merman, and the other was a much smaller mermaid by comparison.
They were King Neptune and his wife, Queen Otohime.
As I listened to their greetings, I mentally sifted through the intel I'd gathered since arriving.
King Neptune: Sovereign of the Ryugu Kingdom. He's a coelacanth merman—I'd always assumed he was a whale merman, but I stand corrected.
In his youth, he was a fierce knight who defended the kingdom from invaders, earning the title "Great Knight of the Sea." Looking at him now—a towering figure with a powerful, inverted-triangle physique, long red hair, and a majestic beard—it wasn't hard to see why.
Though he's known now as a gentle and thoughtful ruler, that martial history is etched into his frame.
Notably, as he mentioned over the Den Den Mushi, he has a long-standing friendship with the Great Pirate "Whitebeard"—one of the current Three Great Pirates (formerly the Four Emperors).
Thanks to that bond, Fish-Man Island is currently under Whitebeard's protection. While kidnappings have dropped drastically since he claimed the territory, attempted abductions still occur.
Mermaids, especially young ones under thirty, fetch exorbitant prices on the surface. Some fools are willing to risk Whitebeard's wrath for that kind of payday.
Seriously, if it's your territory, keep a tighter lid on the slave traders, I grumbled internally, but I moved on to the next profile.
Queen Otohime: A goldfish mermaid. (I won't even question how there are killifish and goldfish mermaids.) Her life's ambition is to end the discrimination against her people.
She's currently gathering signatures for a plan to migrate the Ryugu Kingdom to the surface, and she frequently descends to the town to deliver impassioned speeches.
Despite her frail physical health, her self-sacrificing spirit and dedication to others have made her deeply beloved by the citizens.
The piece of information only I possessed, however, was her fate: at an unspecified point in the future—after Jinbe joins the Warlords—she will be assassinated as part of a plot by Hordy Jones while he is still a soldier in the royal army.
Besides the royal couple, they have three sons and one daughter, the famous Mermaid Princess.
While these facts cycled through my mind, Robin and I enjoyed the local delicacies: sea beast meat, fresh shellfish, seaweed, and sweets unique to the island. Eventually, Neptune and Otohime approached our table and took their seats.
"Thank you for hosting us today," I said politely.
"Ho ho ho! Think nothing of it, jamon! I am Neptune. It is a pleasure to finally meet face-to-face, Rear Admiral Krieg."
"And I am his wife, Otohime. It is a small gesture of hospitality from us. Please, make yourselves at home."
"Thank you. I am Krieg, Rear Admiral of the Navy Headquarters. And this is my associate, the brilliant scholar Nicola Olivier."
Robin gave a polite bow.
"Now then," Neptune began, "regarding the matter you inquired about. That giant anglerfish you mentioned... it is seen moving between the first and second halves of the Grand Line every few years. It was last spotted about four years ago. If luck is on your side, you may encounter it within the next few weeks."
Talk about luck. If I'd missed the lead here, I'd have been searching the open ocean indefinitely.
"I see. Thank you for looking into that for us. If it's not too much trouble, we'd like to stay for a few weeks to intercept it."
"Umu! You are more than welcome, Jamon! My people have told me of your deeds—capturing those who mistreat the citizens and suppressing the rowdy elements in the Fish-Man District!"
"Yes," Otohime added. "We are very grateful for your hard work. If you have the time, perhaps you could meet the children? They would love to hear stories of the surface."
"I would be honored to, if my stories are of any interest. Speaking of the surface, Queen Otohime... I've heard you are leading a signature campaign to move the kingdom to the surface."
Otohime's expression clouded slightly. "Does the Navy... oppose this movement?"
"It's not so much that the Navy opposes it," I said carefully, "but personally, I think it's a noble goal. However..."
"However?"
"The slave liberation by Fisher Tiger."
Both of them flinched slightly.
"Because of his attack, the kingdom's standing has worsened. You likely won't be able to participate in the upcoming Reverie—not next year, and perhaps not for some time.
Don't get me wrong; I have no personal grudge against him. Between us, I don't hold the World Government or the Celestial Dragons in high regard.
But my point is: signatures alone might not be enough. You might need another strategy in place."
The royal couple looked somber. Perhaps I'd been too blunt. But the chasm between humans and fish-men is deep.
Even as a member of the World Government, if this kingdom moved to the surface without proper protection, it would become prey for the greedy—just as it was before Whitebeard claimed it.
We spent the rest of the evening discussing the island and the Fish-Man District. I watched my subordinates making a raucous scene in the hall below and sighed, but when the King offered to let us stay at the castle, I gratefully accepted.
Later that night, I stepped out onto a balcony to clear my head.
"Hmm? You cannot sleep either, Krieg-dono, jamon?"
I turned to see Neptune standing there with a bottle of sake in his hand.
"Your Majesty? What brings you out so late?"
"Just a nightcap, jamon. Care to join me?"
"I'd be honored."
Neptune called a servant to bring glasses and snacks—smoked shellfish. As we drank and talked about the kingdom, a thought occurred to me.
"Your Majesty... are you familiar with the 'Ancient Weapons'?"
Neptune's expression sharpened. "I know the names, Jamon. I am a King, after all."
"I don't know everything myself, but the three weapons that bear the names of gods: Pluton, Uranus, and... Poseidon."
Neptune's gaze grew piercing. "Weapons that existed long ago with the power to destroy the world, though their purpose is unknown, jamon. What of them?"
"The true identity of the Ancient Weapon 'Poseidon' is the power to command the Sea Kings."
Neptune's eyes widened in genuine shock. "You! Where did you hear that...?"
"Oh, just a bit of personal research. It was difficult to dig up information from over eight hundred years ago—the Void Century—but I'm a persistent man."
"Umu... well, you are correct, Jamon. Poseidon is the power to command Sea Kings... or, as we say, the power to speak with them.
We fish-men and merfolk can speak to sea creatures, but most can only talk to fish. The larger the creature, the rarer the gift.
I am one of the few who can speak to whales, but speaking to Sea Kings is a gift held by only one person in history: Poseidon."
"The Mermaid Princess of that era," I noted. "Though that doesn't mean it won't manifest again."
"Whether that power is born to a man or a woman, a merman or a fish-man, no one knows, Jamon. That is a story for the distant future."
"If the princess of the Void Century was Poseidon, it's highly likely to reappear in the royal bloodline... in a mermaid. For example, your children. Perhaps your youngest daughter?"
Neptune let out a hearty laugh. "Ho ho ho! Impossible, jamon! The legend of Poseidon has been passed down, yes, but it is just that—a legend. No one with that power has been born in centuries. Its truth is a mystery, jamon."
Right. Shirahoshi hasn't awakened her power yet, so of course, he thinks that.
"Well... just keep it in the back of your mind. If such a power ever did manifest, the whole world would want it."
"Indeed, jamon. If such a power existed, the Government, pirates, and every other faction would stop at nothing to seize it."
I set my glass down. "Forgive me for bending your ear so long. Thank you for the excellent sake and snacks. I'll take my leave now."
"Umu, forgive me for keeping you up for my nightcap, jamon. As for your stay, feel free to use the rooms provided as you wish."
"Thank you again, Your Majesty. I'll take you up on that."
Well, it won't be that simple, I thought as I walked back to my room.
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