"Master... are you a minotaur?"
Shirahoshi looked curiously at the long horns on Caesar's head and timidly asked in her heart.
Caesar, sitting on the ground, immediately darkened his expression.
A thunderous roar echoed in Shirahoshi's mind.
"What minotaur? I could smash one with a single punch!"
The sudden roar in her mind frightened the timid Shirahoshi, making her shrink back and hide behind Neptune while secretly observing Caesar.
'So it's an ability—how peculiar. Then, was that giant sea king that descended upon Fish-Man Island earlier also transformed by Caesar? I've heard that Devil Fruit users cannot enter seawater, but Caesar's ability seems rather unique.'
Neptune quickly accepted this fact.
After all, if such a powerful Fish-Man truly existed among their race, how could he, the king of the Fish-Men, know nothing about it?
To put it bluntly, if Caesar were really a Fish-Man, he could kill Neptune on the spot right now and, with his overwhelming strength, ascend to the throne as the Fish-Man King amid the hopes of countless Fish-Men!
With such an invincible king leading them, why worry about the Fish-Man race not setting foot on land one day?
Caesar remained noncommittal, still sitting opposite Neptune.
Seeing that Caesar didn't respond, Neptune wasn't angered but instead grew serious.
"Then, may I ask, esteemed Captain Caesar, what brings you all the way to our Fish-Man Island? If you wish to make Fish-Man Island your vassal state, then I..."
Before Neptune could finish, Caesar raised a finger to stop him.
Because Caesar's finger was pointing at Shirahoshi, who was perched on Neptune's shoulder.
Shirahoshi's small mouth hung slightly open, looking utterly foolish—a pure, naive airhead.
"Did Master come to Fish-Man Island for me?"
In her innocence, she had completely taken Caesar's earlier words to heart.
However, if Caesar weren't her master, then why did she feel an unprecedented warmth and sense of security whenever she was near this strange man?
It was a peculiar feeling, one she had never experienced even with her father and brothers.
Moreover, without speaking, they could hear each other's thoughts about one another.
Fukaboshi's face showed a flash of anger.
Neptune took a deep breath, restraining his impulsive eldest son, and spoke gravely to Caesar.
"So, you've come for Shirahoshi? May I ask why?"
A mocking smile curled at the corner of Caesar's lips. "Haven't you known all along? Shirahoshi is the Poseidon, isn't she?"
Caesar's words sent a shudder through Neptune's body, stirring a tempest in his heart.
Although he had already suspected as much, hearing it directly from Caesar shattered the last sliver of hope in Neptune's heart.
Indeed!
Just as Rayleigh and the others had said a few days ago, this Caesar had truly come for Shirahoshi!
Caesar watched as Neptune's expression shifted like a kaleidoscope, constantly changing hues.
"Why do you think no one knows this secret? Let me tell you, this secret was told to me by the Celestial Dragons."
Caesar's mocking voice came through, causing Neptune's expression to change drastically once again.
"Impossible!" he blurted out involuntarily.
But soon, Neptune deflated like a punctured balloon.
He knew that someone of Caesar's caliber would never stoop to lying.
Since he said he heard it from the Celestial Dragons, it must be true.
"Don't look like you just lost your parents."
Caesar grinned, but his words made Neptune pale with shock.
Caesar pointed at Shirahoshi and said with a smile: "I will marry your daughter, and you, as the king of the Fish-Man tribe, will bring the entire Fish-Man race under my command. I will take you to Tottoland. From now on, the Fish-Man race will be my subordinates, and you can live safely without worrying about being harmed by anyone or any force."
"No! I won't leave Fish-Man Island! Caesar, could you please spare Shirahoshi, she..."
Neptune's face changed dramatically as he spoke anxiously, while Fukaboshi beside him clenched his fists until they cracked.
Caesar's expression immediately darkened, his smile disappearing.
His voice turned gloomy. "You need to understand, Neptune, I'm not discussing this with you. What I, Barbarossa Caesar, have decided, even if the Celestial Dragons wanted to change it, I would crush them to death! So, you only have two choices."
"First, resist stubbornly. The consequence is that I will destroy this beautiful island, making your Fish-Man race completely lose their deep-sea kingdom."
"Second, obey willingly. The result would naturally be harmonious and pleasant coexistence for everyone."
As he spoke, Caesar pointed to the ground beneath him:
"Moreover, I'm not just taking a few of you to Tottoland, but I'm going to move this entire Fish-Man Island to the waters of Totto Land."
"At that time, your Fish-Man race will live beneath the waters of Totto Land. If you wish, you can come up anytime to live in my territory. I will provide an island for you then."
Neptune, Fukaboshi, and Shirahoshi were all stunned on the spot.
"Move Fish-Man Island to the surface? You... you're not joking, are you?" Prince Fukaboshi's eyes actually revealed a kind of light they had never seen before.
Caesar could tell - it was a kind of longing.
It could be said that not just him, but Neptune, Shirahoshi, and even all the Fish-Men had this longing in their eyes.
The longing to go to the surface, to contact this vast world, to live under the sky with the sun and moon!
"I never joke. I've transported a country with an area a hundred times larger than Fish-Man Island. Perhaps you know it - that's Wano Country."
Caesar continued.
Neptune swallowed hard, feeling his lips go dry.
"Wano Country, I know, that's a country with an enormous area, once an extremely powerful nation."
Caesar shook his head: "You're talking about ancient Wano Country. Anyway, transporting a mere Fish-Man Island is just a small matter. So, what do you say? Doesn't your entire Fish-Man race hope to one day live under the sun and moon? I'm giving you that opportunity now!"
Shirahoshi's eyes shone, her face revealing a look of longing.
Ever since her last visit to the Holy Land Mary Geoise, Shirahoshi had yearned to set foot on land once more.
She hoped for an opportunity to live in a kingdom on the surface for a while, to see how it differed from the Fish-Man Island deep beneath the sea.
Neptune's breathing grew heavy as he stared at Caesar, his expression shifting constantly.
"Your wife, Queen Otohime, died because of such matters, didn't she? Now that this opportunity is within your grasp, why hesitate? Must I resort to force?"
Hearing Otohime's name, Neptune slumped completely, sighing deeply.
"If... if you can guarantee that our Fish-Man race will not face discrimination from humans in your territory, then I, Neptune, King of the Fish-Men, on behalf of the entire Fish-Man race, am willing to accept your proposal!"
A smile finally broke through Caesar's composed expression.
"Don't worry! If anyone dares to discriminate against you, I'll smash their head in!"