Manaphy, who had long been residing in the deep sea, also received an invitation from Neptune.
Because he was quite familiar with Shirahoshi and had a good relationship with her family, he was able to sit on Neptune's shoulder.
Both Neptune and Otohime were well aware of the terrifying power hidden within Manaphy's seemingly tiny body. That ability was on par with Poseidon; even the Sea Kings would show him respect.
Also present were Tiger and Jinbe. As soon as the Summit War ended, Jinbe left Marineford, whereas Tiger had already been on Fishman Island for some time.
During the days without Jinbe, it was Tiger who was responsible for protecting Fishman Island. As for the New Fishman Island, it had been entrusted to Mandrell and Nereus.
At this moment, Jinbe and Tiger were also present as entourage, waiting there.
"King Neptune, there's no need to worry. Nothing bad will happen. The Lord will not interfere in matters like this.
Even back when we flew Whitebeard's flag, the Beasts Pirates provided us protection; let alone now."
"I hope so."
In fact, Neptune was thinking much more deeply. He and Whitebeard were friends. The reason Fishman Island initially received Whitebeard's flag was precisely because of that friendship.
Whitebeard died at the hands of Kaido in a duel—that was Whitebeard's own choice, and Neptune couldn't say anything about it. But Whitebeard's final declaration left Neptune with complicated feelings.
That one sentence was bound to lead to more pirates appearing across the seas. And the increase in pirate numbers would inevitably impact Fishman Island.
Neptune could guess that Whitebeard had his own special reasons. From a personal standpoint, he could understand him, but as a king, he could not accept it.
"They're here."
Manaphy suddenly muttered to himself, then leapt off Neptune's shoulder. He took out a Bubbly Coral and flew toward the Genesis.
"My lord, long time no see! Strange, it's a bit cold on the ship…"
Upon arriving aboard the Genesis, Manaphy suddenly felt a chill, then spotted the half-dormant Regice.
After returning to the Genesis, Regice had grown sluggish and retreated into a corner, imitating an ice mountain.
Most of the cold energy had been reabsorbed into its body, but even so, Regice was still like a giant air conditioner.
Yamato didn't mind at all, but for Page One and Ulti, it was a different story; their bodily instincts drove the siblings to stay as far from Regice as possible.
For example, Page One was at the stern of the ship observing the deep-sea fishes, seemingly pondering the odds of a failed fishing attempt, while Ulti had gone to one of the cabins to rest. Even after Manaphy boarded the Genesis, neither of them returned to the bow.
"Long time no see, Manaphy. Does Neptune have any other plans?"
"No, he's just uneasy about the future of Fishman Island. That's why he's holding this banquet; he wants to sort out the flag issue as soon as possible."
"At least he's a king with a sense of responsibility."
"My lord, this way, please. Neptune has been waiting a long time."
Under Manaphy's lead, Arceus and his group followed Neptune to Ryugu Palace. In the banquet hall of the palace, Otohime was already there waiting with her children.
Kaido didn't care much about all the formalities; what he had his eye on was the strong liquor brewed on Fishman Island.
Liquor created in the deep sea carried a very unique aroma, and the brewing process wasn't all that complicated. After drinking, Kaido quickly agreed to lend his flag.
The Ryugu Kingdom had already prepared Kaido's pirate flag in advance.
Painting a pirate flag wasn't difficult—any artist with working limbs could finish one in few minutes, but hoisting a pirate flag required the other's acknowledgment.
If one rashly used someone else's flag without approval, they could expect retribution from the flag's owner later on.
Meanwhile, Neptune also brought up other matters.
"In addition to the previously agreed mining share, Fishman Island can also supply sweets; this is another specialty of ours and sells quite well in the market."
Islands that flew the flag of an Emperor of the Sea were considered vassal nations and had to offer tribute every year in exchange for protection. However, the Beasts Pirates weren't particularly interested in sweets.
They weren't like Charlotte Linlin, who had an obsessive fixation on food. It was the Fish-Men Mining Company that truly made the Beasts Pirates willing to lend their flag.
Still, the Beasts Pirates didn't reject Fishman Island's tribute. Unlike Charlotte Linlin, they didn't demand expansion of food processing plants; they were fine with things staying as they were.
Inside Ryugu Palace, mermaid dancers were gracefully dancing in the hall. Off to the side, Queen was already completely mesmerized.
Kaido, meanwhile, was working through Fishman Island's liquor reserves; half of the strong liquor at the banquet was consumed by him alone. Amidst this scene of songs and dance, the Ryugu Kingdom's Minister of the Left and Right had already arrived at the entrance, carrying the Beasts Pirates' flag.
"Be careful! First put away Whitebeard's flag properly!"
That flag had provided Fishman Island with protection for quite a long time. Although Whitebeard was now dead, and they had decided to switch to a new flag for the island's safety, the gratitude for that past protection had not been forgotten.
So the people of Fishman Island carefully and respectfully stored the flag away.
But before they could even raise the flag of the Beasts Pirates, a new group of uninvited guests arrived on Fishman Island.
Some pirates who had just entered Fishman Island suddenly turned hostile, attempting to attack the island's residents.
This was their true purpose for coming here. After hearing the news of Whitebeard's death, many pirates had set their sights on the territories he once protected.
And Fishman Island was no exception. The rarer something is, the greater its value. Merfolk had vanished from the market for years. If they could seize this opportunity to capture a few and sell them at auction, they'd never have to worry about money again.
However, the Minister of the Right, a seahorse, led the Neptune Army and promptly intercepted them, resulting in a tense standoff.
Most of the strong fighters on Fishman Island were currently attending the banquet at Ryugu Palace. Only regular Neptune Army was left outside, so the Minister of the Right didn't dare take rash action.
"Humans, do you even know what you're doing?"
The Minister of the Right stepped forward and angrily questioned the pirates in front of him.
"What are we doing? Obviously, we're here to catch slaves! Whitebeard's dead! That human traitor can't protect you anymore!"
Greed drives people to madness. Merfolk had always been incredibly valuable, and since Fishman Island had changed a lot in recent years, there hadn't been a single case of Merfolk trafficking for years.
Camie's incident didn't count; the way she was kidnapped was simply too absurd.
Whitebeard's flag had deterred many from making a move. But with news of his death spreading, these people's greed had reignited.
"You're that seahorse, right? Even though you're a male, you're still an exotic species and should fetch a high price. That catfish over there, though? Forget it. No normal person would be interested in a Merfolk like that."
The lead pirate cast a look of disdain at the dark-skinned, catfish Merfolk—Minister of the Left.
This disturbance quickly drew the attention of other nearby pirates. Some of them also began to stir with malicious intent, but less than a minute later, their attitudes abruptly shifted.
The insulted Minister of the Left didn't get angry. He simply picked up something from behind him and inserted it into its proper place.
Due to the unique environment, even within Fishman Island, wind currents could form. Since this wind is closely tied to the Sunlight Tree Eve, it is generally referred to as "tree wind."
Now, under the influence of the tree wind, the Beasts Pirates' flag fluttered in the air, and the new skull emblem revealed its menacing grin.
"Sorry for being a catfish Merfolk. But this flag… you recognize it, don't you?"
The Minister of the Left straightened his clothes and even pointed deliberately at the new flag, striking a rather smug pose.
"Apologies again, but plenty of people are still willing to protect us. Not all humans are as filthy inside as you."
"Beasts…Beasts Pirates?!"
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