To think Queen Otohime would actually come here, just as in the original story...
The rumors spread like wildfire. The sharp-eared and the opportunistic were already moving in the shadows the moment they heard the news.
As a result, we Marines were kept frantic trying to suppress them. The Queen of Fishman Island, arriving alongside a Celestial Dragon—the public's curiosity was insatiable.
But where there is curiosity, there is malice. Fishmen fetch high prices on the black market, and a member of the royal family—someone who almost never surfaces—was a target beyond compare for those with wicked intent.
The Navy was stretched thin, occupied with flushing out those attempting to infiltrate Mary Geoise illegally and arresting shady characters already within the holy land.
Since Otohime's arrival hadn't been announced in advance, there was no security plan in place. We were effectively playing a desperate game of damage control.
Meanwhile, I had been requesting an audience with Queen Otohime, but the red tape was endless. Knowing what was at stake, I paced my office, teeth gritted, running through the mental checklist of "canon" events.
In the original timeline, Miosgard set sail for Fishman Island to reclaim the slaves who had been pardoned and released following Jinbe's appointment to the Warlords.
He shipwrecked, was treated by the fishmen, and was eventually escorted back by the Queen herself.
In this timeline, the number of Celestial Dragons has been drastically reduced due to a certain "plague."
Because of that, I thought I had secured them—assigning "guards" to each individual to ensure they stayed within Mary Geoise. It was a soft house arrest, and I had grown complacent, thinking I had the situation under control.
I was wrong. Complacency is a killer, and now the flow of history has snapped back to the original track.
Of course, I've already thrown Captain Governor—the idiot responsible for this mess—into a solitary cell on charges of insubordination.
I suspect that if I start digging into his history, a lot more filth will come to light. Eventually, I plan to make an example of him and toss him into Impel Down.
But regardless of the guard's fate, the sequence remains: the Celestial Dragon's disaster, the drifting to Fishman Island, the rescue by the Ryugu Kingdom, and Otohime accompanying him back. If things continue as they are, the tragedy will follow.
Otohime will tirelessly persuade Miosgard until he finally signs a pledge supporting friendship between fishmen and humans.
That document will then trigger Hordy Jones, leading him to orchestrate the "Assassination of Queen Otohime."
Hordy will craftily frame a human for the crime, creating a deep, festering rift between the two races that will last for over a decade—until the Straw Hat Pirates eventually arrive.
My true desire is to stop this, but...
"Of all the times to be ordered to the New World, it had to be during this critical turning point..."
If I have to send someone in my stead... the most likely candidate would be Tesoro. I've already fed him "future predictions" (my canon knowledge), and he has some rapport with the residents of Fishman Island. Unfortunately, he's currently away from Sabaody on business and can't return immediately.
The next choice would be Gin, but he's still standing watch back on Faus Island.
I racked my brain, desperate for a solution, when a realization struck me.
"That's it! There's a perfect person for the job!"
They are currently staying in Sabaody. They possess significant combat power. They are on our side. And most importantly, they know the interior of Fishman Island better than anyone else. I couldn't have asked for a better proxy.
The Ryugu Trump Card:
"So, what is it you need to talk about, Krieg? I saw the news about Jinbe; looks like you handled that smoothly."
In the dead of night, within a safehouse in the Sabaody Archipelago, Fisher Tiger sat across from Krieg. To the rest of the world, Tiger was a dead man, but here he lived under the protection and guarantee of the man who had faked his demise.
"Sorry for the late hour, Skull. I have something... well, something incredibly serious to discuss."
To maintain his cover, Tiger now went by the name "Skull." Since his "death," he had been operating as one of Krieg's "Masked Skulls"—acting as the shadow operative for the Rear Admiral's hidden agenda.
Lately, his work involved disrupting illegal slave traders who had managed to evade the Marine's recent sweeping audits of the archipelago.
Krieg leaned forward, his face grim as he laid out information that was of the utmost importance to Tiger.
"What?! A possible assassination attempt on Queen Otohime?! What are you talking about, Krieg?!"
"Calm down, Skull. It's not a certainty yet. This is intelligence compiled from various sources I have planted across the board. It's a strong possibility, but we can't ignore it."
"Tell me everything. It's better to be informed than blind."
"First, the recent news. Queen Otohime succeeded in persuading Saint Miosgard, putting her own life on the line to do so. It seems Miosgard has decided to act as a bridge for friendship between humans and fishmen."
"If that's all, then it's wonderful news... Truly, Queen Otohime is... she is a remarkable woman. So, where does this suspicion of an assassination come from? What's the reasoning?"
"Are you familiar with the radicals on Fishman Island?"
"…Certainly. It's a fact that such factions exist. But Arlong, the most prominent human-hater, isn't so ungrateful as to do that. Besides, I heard that after he was released from Impel Down as part of Jinbe's Warlord pardon, he left the Sun Pirates—just like Macro—and drifted off somewhere."
"No, I said radicals on Fishman Island. I'm not talking about Arlong. Do you know a man named Hordy Jones? He's a young man, not even twenty yet."
"…No, the name doesn't ring a bell. Is he the one leading the radicals?"
"Yes. Hordy Jones is currently serving as a soldier in the Ryugu Kingdom's army. But according to my shadow investigations, he's been secretly attacking humans and even 'disciplining' fishmen who try to get along with them.
Now, put yourself in his shoes. Queen Otohime is moving toward peace, backed by a written pledge from a Celestial Dragon that could actually make it happen. Do you think a man like that will just sit back and watch?"
"…So the will that was never supposed to be passed to the next generation still lingers. What should I do? You said yourself it isn't certain the assassination will happen.
But if Fishman Island—if the Ryugu Kingdom—loses that woman now, a deep chasm will open between our races once again."
"That's why, Skull, I need you to head to Fishman Island. Unfortunately, both Tesoro and I are tied up with other duties."
"How much freedom do I have to act?"
"The absolute priority is that Fisher Tiger's survival must not be leaked. If it becomes absolutely necessary, you may reveal yourself only to Queen Otohime and King Neptune, but you must secure a guarantee of their absolute silence.
Otherwise, staying 'the Masked Skull' is fine. Your mission is the protection of the Queen. I'll be sending a formal 'gift' to the island in the name of human-fishman friendship as a distraction, but that won't be enough to guarantee her safety."
"Understood. When does the Queen return home?"
"She arrived five days ago and is scheduled to depart in two days. I was going to suggest you sneak onto her ship, but…"
"I don't need a ship. Who do you think you're talking to?"
"…Right. I forgot. The sea is a fishman's backyard. I'm counting on you. I have Marine duties that will keep me in the New World for a while, so I can't be there to back you up. As long as your identity stays hidden, use your own judgment."
And so, the mission of Fisher Tiger—now "Skull"—to Fishman Island was set.
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