Suddenly embraced, Orochimaru's body tensed subconsciously; the unfamiliar touch made him uncomfortable.
And as Otohime's whisper reached his ears, Orochimaru's heart was like a stone dropped into a calm lake, rippling in layers, his thoughts drifting far away.
Jiraiya... those familiar figures flickered in the depths of his memory, seemingly sealed away by him for far too long.
He was somewhat stunned, a mix of emotions swirling within him; this feeling of being cared for, of being valued, was so alien to him.
Had he, unknowingly, changed so much?
Was his heart truly happy now? That was truly magical... Without much thought, Orochimaru's figure flickered, and he slipped out of Queen Otohime's embrace.
"Apologies... I have never liked physical contact with unfamiliar people," he said calmly.
As soon as Orochimaru finished speaking, the Straw Hat Pirates' gazes all focused on him.
Their eyes were fixed on Orochimaru's slightly reddened ears. He must be shy, definitely shy.
A group of people inwardly scoffed, 'What is this guy saying about not liking physical contact with strangers?'
Who was it that, upon first meeting, casually sat on Smoker's shoulder?
When he said that, did he not consider the feelings of those who were used as human cushions?
Ψ(・ω´・)Ψ Chopper stared blankly at Orochimaru, blinking his eyes, carefully observing Orochimaru's ears.
"Orochimaru... your ears are so red... are you sick?"
Ah... a group of people looked down, somewhat incredulously at Chopper. Was Chopper ever this blunt before?
Hearing this, Orochimaru's lips curved into a gentle smile.
He slowly squatted down, his gaze falling on Chopper.
"Chopper... have you been with the savages for too long? You need to learn to integrate into human society."
His hands seemingly gently rested on Chopper's shoulders, but then suddenly tightened, fiercely gripping Chopper's neck.
Chopper's neck was tightly squeezed by Orochimaru, and instantly, a shrill scream echoed all around.
"Ah!!! Help! A snake is trying to kill a deer!!!"
However, the surrounding group of people showed no tension at all; instead, they watched the two of them playfully with smiles.
Just then, Luffy unexpectedly sat down on the ground, clutching his stomach tightly, which continued to rumble. He looked utterly listless.
"So hungry... when will dinner be ready? What about the promised banquet?" he mumbled, his face full of longing for food.
Neptune and the others heard Luffy's shouts and suddenly snapped back to reality, realizing they had indeed lingered there for too long.
So, Neptune waved his hand and shouted, "Let's go! To Ryugu Palace, for the banquet! Thank you, heroes, for saving our country!"
A group of people excitedly turned and strode towards the sunny, eagerly discussing the delicious food they would enjoy at the banquet.
Zoro rubbed his chin, saying with a hint of anticipation,
"I wonder if I'll get to try some new sake this time." Sanji, with a cigarette dangling from his mouth, scoffed disdainfully.
"Hmph, I heard someone got locked up for drinking. Truly a third-rate Pirate Crew."
"Hm??"
Zoro and Sanji instantly glared at each other, as if tangible sparks flew from their eyes, and the atmosphere became tense.
Nami, seeing this, mercilessly punched both of them, knocking them down, then huffily dragged the two towards the sunny, muttering continuously,
"Don't embarrass us on Fish-Man Island, honestly."
Franky, Robin, and Brook couldn't help but mock the two.
Luffy, at the very back, got up from the ground, dusted himself off, placed his hand on his straw hat, and gave Queen Otohime a deep look.
"Hey, Coward Star's Mama, is Orochimaru really happy now?"
Queen Otohime wiped her red eyes, revealing a very happy smile.
"Very, very happy. He... is very fortunate."
Upon hearing this reply, Luffy's face instantly broke into a radiant, sun-like smile, "Is that so..."
Watching the Straw Hat Pirates gradually depart, Queen Otohime, along with Princess Shirahoshi and the Straw Hat Pirates, headed to Ryugu Palace to prepare for the banquet.
Neptune's smile slowly faded, his expression becoming serious and solemn. He cast his gaze upon the awakened Fishman and pirates; a trial was about to begin.
Minister Hippocampus looked at the released human pirates, his brow furrowed, and said to Neptune with great worry,
"Your Majesty, by releasing those humans captured by Hody, will their hatred for Hody not turn and be unleashed upon the entire Fish-Man Race?"
King Neptune sighed deeply after hearing this, and said in a low voice, "That is another matter to consider.
This island is inherently a place for pirates to sightsee and rest; they originally had no ill intentions, and we have no valid reason to detain them here.
Right now, what we need to deal with are the remnants of the New Fish-Man Pirate Crew."
The Fishman from Fish-Man Street all looked terrified, their bodies trembling uncontrollably, begging incessantly.
"I don't want to die... please spare us," a Fishman cried out.
"And we didn't know that the Queen was killed by Hody... and isn't the Queen alive now? We really were unaware," another Fishman quickly echoed, trying to exonerate himself.
"They're all truly insane, it's all their wicked deeds, it has nothing to do with us!" another Fishman shouted urgently.
"Exactly, exactly... it's all those guys' fault, we did nothing wrong!" The other Fishman also chimed in, arguing animatedly.
Neptune's face was stern, his gaze slowly sweeping over each of the Fishman's faces, an invisible pressure in his eyes instantly silencing them.
The previously noisy pleas and arguments abruptly ceased. They didn't dare to breathe, only lowered their heads in fear, awaiting the unknown outcome of the judgment.
"I will have all of you live on this main island of Fish-Man Island," Neptune announced sternly.
"Ah???" The Fishman, hearing this, immediately looked displeased and began to clamor.
"Are you making us live under the rule of law?" a Fishman said indignantly.
"I... I don't care, it's much better than Hody's rule," another Fishman mumbled softly, weighing the pros and cons in his heart.
The residents of Fish-Man Island, seeing this scene, also protested, their faces full of worry and reluctance.
"We cannot accept this, Your Majesty, with these guys roaming the town," a resident said loudly.
"It will scare us from letting our children go out," another female Fishman, holding her child, echoed, her eyes full of concern for her children's safety.
Seeing this, Neptune slammed his scepter onto the ground with a loud "bang," and everyone instantly fell silent.
"Of course, I will conscript them into my army, for labor and service. I will assign them suitable work, allowing them to utilize their strengths.
As for Fish-Man Street, which is inconvenient to manage, it will be completely sealed off starting today."
Neptune said with a firm tone, laying down this arrangement beyond doubt.
Thus, the Fish-Man Island invasion plan of the Pirate Hody Jones was completely crushed by the passing human Pirate Crew.
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