"What?"
Kuzan was slightly surprised. Peering through the window at the moving Sea Kings, he asked, "Jinbei, do Sea Kings migrate like this?"
"That, I don't know!"
Jinbei's expression grew serious. "But I have a bad feeling about this!"
"Brrr-brrr-brrr!"
At that moment, the Den Den Mushi suddenly rang.
It was Jinbei's Den Den Mushi. He hesitated for a moment, then quickly grabbed it and answered.
"It's me!"
Jinbei immediately spoke.
"Jinbei!"
A voice came from the other end of the Den Den Mushi, a voice that Jinbei knew very well.
"Fish-Man Island is under attack!"
"What?"
Jinbei froze for a moment, then hurriedly asked, "What exactly happened, Tiger!"
Kuzan's eyes narrowed.
Fisher Tiger was still alive, and now he was living quietly in the Fish-Man District of Fish-Man Island.
This was something Kuzan only learned long after joining the Beasts Pirates.
But that didn't matter now. The key was understanding the situation on Fish-Man Island.
"A group of pirates found out you guys were on the move, so they tried to take the opportunity to attack Fish-Man Island!"
Tiger's voice on the other end of the line was tense.
"We were caught off guard!"
"And the result?"
Jinbei pressed for more details.
"The situation has settled,"
Tiger's tone suddenly turned strange.
"Anyway, you should come back as soon as possible."
Jinbei frowned immediately.
What exactly was happening?
Well, things on this side were already under control. He might as well head back quickly.
Fish-Man Island.
Tiger put down the Den Den Mushi.
He lifted his head and gave a wry smile as he looked around at the huge faces surrounding him.
Of course, they weren't human faces—they were monstrous faces.
They weren't floating in the air, but beyond Fish-Man Island, outside the enormous bubble.
Even so, each of those faces filled half the sky, showing just how massive they truly were.
"Unbelievable," he muttered, lowering his head to look at the girl in front of him, gradually stopping her tears under the comfort of her parents.
Time rewinds to a little earlier.
When the pirates broke through the gates of Fish-Man Island, Tiger was in the middle of a class.
Compared to fighting alongside Jinbei, Tiger preferred nurturing the children of Fish-Man Island at this moment.
He had no understanding of literature, history, math, physics, or chemistry.
What he taught was Fish-Man martial arts, along with lessons on how to live honorably.
When he received news of the pirate invasion, he immediately gathered his men and rushed to the scene.
Although he had retired from active duty, his influence on Fish-Man Island was no joke.
Whether it was the soldiers of Ryugu Palace or the remaining fighters from Jinbe's underwater squad, everyone followed him as they advanced toward the site.
But the situation there was far more complicated than Tiger had imagined.
Queen Otohime was giving a speech!
Even now, the queen would occasionally leave Ryugu Palace to deliver various speeches across Fish-Man Island.
The content of her speeches, naturally, still centered on peaceful coexistence with humans. At present, it specifically meant coexisting with humans under the rule of the Beasts Pirates.
After all, even now, there were still some extreme and stubborn factions on Fish-Man Island.
And of all times, during this very attack, Queen Otohime had brought Princess Shirahoshi to speak here, making them the first to be targeted by the pirates.
It seemed that these pirates had known in advance that a group of others would attack Fish-Man Island.
But they didn't act with the others. Instead, they hid their presence, concealed their pirate flags, and quietly waited in the waters near Fish-Man Island.
Only when Jinbe mobilized the underwater troops did they brazenly launch their assault.
By the time Tiger arrived in a hurry, all the Ryugu Palace soldiers protecting the queen had already been defeated.
The ruthless pirates, seeing the unusually large Princess Shirahoshi, excitedly tried to capture her.
Queen Otohime, in her effort to protect the princess, was accidentally struck by a pirate's blade, and blood immediately flowed.
Tiger's eyes burned with rage.
Just as he prepared to annihilate the pirates, a terrifying event occurred.
Princess Shirahoshi cried.
A little girl crying might not seem like a big deal.
But with her tears, the sea itself began to stir.
The waves surged, and the ocean roared!
Around Fish-Man Island, enormous Sea Kings emerged.
The pirates were instantly terrified and fainted on the spot.
But the ordeal wasn't over yet.
At least, what exactly were these gigantic Sea Kings?
Tiger couldn't comprehend it.
It wasn't only the pirates who were shocked—he himself was stunned.
Even as a fish-man who lived in the deep sea, he had never seen Sea Kings of such colossal size!
Honestly, if these Sea Kings had charged at Fish-Man Island, they could have caused tremendous destruction.
But thankfully, they showed no intention of attacking the island.
Though heart-stopping, disaster had, for now, been averted.
Even when Jinbei returned to Fish-Man Island with his troops, the Sea Kings had already dispersed. The island seemed to have regained its calm once more.
But everyone knew that it wouldn't truly be peaceful until they understood exactly what had happened.
Jinbei, accompanied by Kuzan and the younger members, rushed to the Ryugu Palace immediately.
"What's going on now?"
He asked urgently. "How is Queen Otohime? Have the Sea Kings dispersed? What exactly drew them here?"
The young ones looked curious as well, as if they had encountered something intriguing.
"Queen Otohime is fine—just a few minor injuries. After treatment, she has already fallen asleep."
Tiger glanced at Neptune. "As for—"
Neptune looked at his obedient little daughter sitting by his side, biting her lip as if feeling a bit upset.
The king who ruled the Ryugu Kingdom let out a soft sigh.
"I originally thought it was just a legend, but I never expected it to be true."
"A legend?"
Ace was astonished. "What legend?"
"Legend has it that every few hundred years, a special mermaid princess is born on Fish-Man Island."
Neptune gently stroked his daughter's hair. "She will have the ability to control the Sea Kings."
"What?!"
At that moment, everyone was shocked.
**********
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