After the banquet, Fisher Tiger stood alone on the coral reefs outside Ryugu Palace, lost in thought.
Rhett's words were knives in his heart—
"What you need isn't a stronger army, but the courage to fight desperately."
"You can't expect others to risk their lives for your race."
The words kept pounding against Tiger's conscience. He respected the king, believed the benevolent ruler could bring his people a better life.
"Big Brother Tiger..." Young Jinbe emerged from the shadows, followed by Arlong and other Fish-Man District comrades.
"We all heard it," Jinbe murmured. "That human...was he right?"
Tiger remained silent.
"He was absolutely right!" he finally answered.
Jinbe frowned. "But...can we really fight Navy Admirals? This might get countless of our people killed."
Tiger took a deep breath and slowly rose to his feet.
"Should we not fight just because we can't win?"
Gazing into the deep sea, his voice grew low and resolute:
"If we lack even the courage to fight desperately, then we deserve to remain slaves!"
Meanwhile, in Ryugu Palace's council chamber.
The aged king wearily sat on his throne as ministers argued before him.
"Your Majesty! That pirate spoke too harshly!"
"But he spoke the truth...we've been running away all along."
"Are you suggesting we send our race to die?!"
"Enough!" The old king slammed the table.
The chamber fell silent instantly.
The king's aged voice carried unprecedented determination:
"From this day forward, Ryugu Palace's military must protect every citizen!"
"Increase patrols in Fish-Man District. For all slave traders, we'll no longer issue warnings—"
"Execute them on sight!"
The ministers stared at their king as if seeing him for the first time.
The old king looked at his son Neptune: "I've been a failure of a king. Don't follow your father's example—this weakness that let our people suffer. I...always lacked the courage to resist."
The next day.
The old king led Rhett's group through the azure coral forest, where only the gentle caress of currents broke the silence. His Observation Haki rippled outward, sensing the ancient stone slab deliberately hidden away.
"Found it."
He stopped before a massive coral formation, fingertips brushing its surface as blood mist eroded the disguise. As corals flaked away, a giant red Poneglyph emerged—Fish-Man Island's fragment of history.
Among the Sea Forest's coral reefs, the red Poneglyph stood silently, its ancient script glowing faintly in the blue depths.
Roger pressed his palm against the cold stone and closed his eyes, listening to the Voice of All Things.
"Shahahaha..." He suddenly laughed, mirth tinged with resignation. "As expected, I still can't understand it."
Shanks and Buggy blinked.
"Huh? But Captain, you can hear the stones' voices!"
Rayleigh adjusted his glasses. "Hearing doesn't equate to comprehending."
Rhett stood arms crossed, gaze profound. "These are ancient characters. The Voice alone isn't enough—you need specialized scholars to decipher them."
The old king looked conflicted. "Even a man like you can't interpret it..."
Roger scratched his head cheerfully. "Don't worry! There's definitely someone in this world who can read it!"
Back on the Oro Jackson, Rayleigh unfolded a nautical chart.
"Rumors say scholars in West Blue's Ohara study ancient texts," he pointed at a location, "They might unlock the Poneglyph's secrets."
Roger's eyes lit up. "Hahaha no rush! Our adventure isn't over yet! Let's keep sailing first."
On deck, sea breezes brushed past as Rhett unfolded the latest newspaper. His eyes scanned the bold headline:
A faint smile touched his lips as he tapped the news photo of the old king's resolute face.
"Seems the old man finally grew a spine."
The storm brewing in the deep sea after Roger Pirates' departure surpassed all expectations.
The king's first decree upon returning was deploying all elite troops to guard the ports. That very night, when slave traders disguised as merchants approached the coral reefs, Fish-Man warriors ambushed them with coral-tipped spears, puncturing hulls. Amidst bloodied waters, the king personally tore a Celestial Dragon's contract to shreds.
"From this day forth—" his voice echoed island-wide through conch shells, "Any who traffic our people shall be executed on sight!"
The World Government reacted more violently than anticipated.
Three Navy warships loomed at the border, cannons aimed at the fragile bubble coating. But this time, Ryugu Palace's soldiers stood unwavering.
"Want Fish-Man Island? Then try taking it!" The king stood at the forefront, trident slamming down. "We'll destroy this island before surrendering it—let no pirate ever pass through again!"
This threat struck the World Government's weakest point—Fish-Man Island was New World's throat!
The standoff sent shockwaves through the Grand Line (though it wasn't called that yet).
First to respond were passing pirate crews—without Fish-Man Island's coating services, all ships would have to brave the Calm Belts. Golden Lion Shiki's fleet bombarded Navy G-1 directly, while Charlotte Linlin's crew publicly declared in papers: "Attacking Fish-Man Island means war with all pirates!"
Notorious crews like Wang Zhi's threw their weight behind the island too.
Not that these pirates had principles—without Fish-Man Island, only the Calm Belts or Navy-controlled ports remained. While this barely affected veteran pirates, rookies would be doomed. The pirate world couldn't allow fresh blood to stop flowing into the New World.
In Mariejois' meeting chambers, the newest Five Elders shattered teacups.
"Those filthy fish-men dare—"
"Silence!" The sword-wielding bald elder snapped. "Do you want every pirate blockading Red Line's base?"
When World Government Decree #712 was announced, Shanks was practicing swordsmanship by the railing. Buggy came screaming with newspapers: "Look! Mermaid trafficking's actually illegal now!"
Rayleigh chuckled while cleaning his glasses. "Never thought that meek old king would be first to crack the World Government's ironclad rule."
"Yeah." Rhett nodded. "Tiger called me a month ago—said he'd free slaves to prove his resolve."
"He led Fish-Man District and mermaid troops—thirty-seven slave ships sunk in three months. Heard many fish-men died."
As silence fell, Roger suddenly laughed, pressing down his straw hat: "Shahahaha! Isn't this great?"
"True. Their sacrifices now mean their children won't have to sacrifice later."
If laws alone could change things, why would Celestial Dragons exist? But at least Fish-Man Island took that crucial first step—earning the right to negotiate.