Sea Circle Calendar, Year 1503.
Fish-Man Island.
The Donquixote trade convoy had returned once again.
This time, they brought back footage documenting Queen Otohime and the recent daily lives of the first wave of immigrants.
To help the residents of Fish-Man Island better appreciate the beauty of life above, a giant projection screen had been set up in the central Gyoncorde Plaza, broadcasting the recordings in a continuous loop.
Queen Otohime comforting frightened humans.
Merfolk walking freely through busy marketplaces, shopping alongside humans.
Merfolk at work.
Fish-men and humans... mingling happily together.
The more the people of Fish-Man Island watched, the more intense their longing for Skypiea grew. At the same time, dissatisfaction with their current homeland quietly began to take root.
"Skypiea looks absolutely beautiful! If I could live in a place like that, I'd die without regrets!"
"Humans! So many humans—and they're all kind and gentle!"
"Look at their houses! They don't have to squeeze into crowded underwater apartments like we do.
Each family gets their own building and gets to enjoy endless sunlight as much as they want."
"And they don't even have to pay extra rent! This must be paradise!"
"As long as you work, you can have all of this. Can we apply to immigrate to Skypiea now?"
"You're asking me? How should I know—that's something only Ryugu Palace and His Majesty the Heavenly Yaksha can decide..."
"..."
While the people were buzzing with excitement, another group on Fish-Man Street—led by Arlong—was equally thrilled.
They were waving newly upgraded weapons around, testing their power against the surrounding coral reefs.
Even some officer-level members like Hody Jones had gotten their hands on laser dials and impact dials.
Boom boom boom boom!
Continuous bursts of gunfire and explosions shattered coral reefs that had stood for who knows how long.
"Whoa whoa whoa whoa!"
"This is incredible! So this is the work of the Donquixote Family?!"
"Arlong-aniki! This stuff is amazing!"
"Selling the Noah was truly a brilliant move."
"Hahahaha~ Of course it was."
Their praise made the now noticeably plumper Arlong beam with pride, nodding enthusiastically.
Dismantling and selling that useless Noah had indeed been a stroke of genius.
It hadn't even been that long, and already Fish-Man Street had gone from slingshots to cannons.
Everyone had bulked up and gotten stronger!
"King Neptune should've abdicated long ago. Arlong-aniki, you should be the one ruling Fish-Man Island."
Arlong's number one fanboy, Hody Jones, licked his sharp teeth and leaned in to whisper in his ear.
"Hahahaha, you said it. Neptune's sitting on a mountain of treasure and doesn't even know it!"
Arlong agreed wholeheartedly, his expression growing more smug by the second.
Who else but him was qualified to be king of Fish-Man Island?
The Noah had just been sitting at the bottom of the sea for who knows how long. Generation after generation of Fish-Men had guarded that worthless ship.
But its materials? They were made from Sunlight Tree Eve, a match for the Treasure Tree Adam itself.
Just a small portion of Adam could sell for nearly 200 million Belly on the black market.
And just by selling off a few deck beams, Fish-Man Street had suddenly become wealthy.
If Neptune had had the brains to make use of this ancestral treasure, Fish-Man Island wouldn't have been living in such poverty all this time.
Now, with upgraded weapons in hand, a murderous resolve spread among the Fish-Men. Their new equipment had given them overwhelming confidence.
They looked expectantly toward Arlong at the head of the group, voices rising in fervent cries.
"And with the Donquixote Family behind you, Arlong-aniki, lead us to war against Ryugu Palace!"
"As for Whitebeard, who made that pact with Neptune, he only promised to protect Fish-Man Island—he won't get involved in our internal affairs."
"That's right, that's right! Take us to war, Arlong-aniki!!"
"...."
"Hold it!"
Arlong raised one finger skyward, silencing the crowd.
He looked around at the many eyes fixed on him—eyes full of trust and belief. Satisfied, he stood tall and spoke with thunderous conviction.
"No need to rush. Once the Donquixote people leave, we'll strike Ryugu Palace, overthrow Neptune's oppressive rule, and fully liberate Fish-Man Island."
Though arrogant, Arlong hadn't lost all reason.
The Donquixote Family wasn't the benevolent ally Hody and the others imagined them to be.
They weren't a source of support for the Fish-Men—just partners in a transaction, nothing more.
But his words still ignited the hearts of the Fish-Men. They raised their weapons and roared.
"Whoaaa!!"
"Down with Neptune's tyranny!!"
"Liberate Fish-Man Island!!!"
...
"Hahahahaha!"
Arlong burst into loud laughter.
Jinbei... look at the way our crew mates rally behind me.
You go on walking the path of a slave.
I, Arlong, am the true savior of Fish-Man Island.
The one walking the righteous path!!!
...
Evening.
The golden banquet hall of Ryugu Palace sparkled brightly.
Food, wine, desserts—everything was on full display.
Elegant mermaids swayed with the music in the grand hall.
On the shell-shaped central stage, they danced seductively, their alluring movements captivating.
A scene of sheer luxury and indulgence.
Yet Neptune had no appetite. Everything tasted like wax.
Since their marriage, he and Queen Otohime had never been apart for so long.
On top of that, their two sons, Fukaboshi and Ryuboshi, were constantly pestering him with questions and complaints.
Fish-Man Island had no shortage of Den Den Mushi, but even they couldn't ease his longing.
After a few rounds of drinks, Neptune immediately turned to the guest below and asked anxiously:
"Señor Pink-san... do you know how Otohime is doing...?"
Down below, floating in a bubble, Señor Pink nodded slightly and replied,
"Rest assured, King Neptune. Queen Otohime and the first group of Fish-Men have adapted very well to life in Skypiea."
"Once the second and third groups follow, and eventually the entire Fish-Man population relocates to Skypiea..."
"The New Fish-Man Kingdom will rise and thrive in the skies."
It was natural that Neptune missed his wife.
And Queen Otohime certainly missed her two sons who were now a world apart from her.
But that wasn't Señor Pink's concern.
Anyone the Boss wanted to keep behind... wasn't going anywhere.
A family reunion? Impossible.
Before Neptune could even react, the Left Minister and Right Minister, clearly moved by Señor Pink's words, jumped up in excitement.
"Congratulations, Your Majesty!"
"Glory to Your Majesty! Under your leadership, Fish-Man Island will surpass even our ancestors!"
"...."
Even Neptune started to feel himself floating a bit, as if he could already see Fish-Men spreading across the world.
No king could resist the temptation of a stronger nation.
Suppressing his lovesick thoughts, Neptune straightened his expression and solemnly asked,
"Señor Pink-san... when will the second wave of immigration begin?"
"Mm!"
At that moment, Kuro—standing beside Señor Pink—suddenly clutched his stomach.
"Forgive me, King Neptune. I seem to have a stomachache. Would you mind if I..."
"Honored guest, please follow me. I'll take you there."
The Left Minister, leaning on his ram-horn staff, stepped forward and made a courteous gesture.
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Fanfic is finished 527 chapters in total on p@treon/tambeerg