A sign was erected in Gyogyo Square.
The fishmen, who had already been attracted by the formal and grand farewell ceremony held by the Ryugu Kingdom, were immediately drawn to it.
The person sitting at the table was none other than Jinbe.
As Reddy had said... "I don't have much time to waste here. You have more credibility among the fishmen, so it's happily decided that you'll handle this."
Jinbe had no objections to this temporary task. He sat at the table with meticulous care, patiently answering the questions of the fishmen who approached him.
"Are you really not going to arrange personnel to maintain order?"
King Neptune watched as Jinbe was quickly surrounded by curious fishmen, his face filled with worry.
After that battle, Jinbe's reputation on the island had clearly dropped significantly.
At that time, many fishmen could not understand why Jinbe would help Reddy, a human, carry out such a brutal purge of Fishman Island.
Now, most of the fishmen who had held grudges back then had come to understand Jinbe, but there were still many who had not moved on from the past.
If someone were to impulsively attempt to assassinate Jinbe... King Neptune grew uneasy at the thought, worried that it might provoke Reddy's displeasure toward Fishman Island.
"What are you worried about... King Neptune?"
Reddy gave King Neptune a strange look. "Are you worried that I might hold Fishman Island responsible for some accident?"
King Neptune smiled awkwardly, clearly having his thoughts exposed.
The three princes, Fukaboshi and the others, exchanged glances, seeing helplessness in each other's eyes.
Human discrimination against the fishmen had long been deeply ingrained.
This was a critical moment for Fishman Island's reintegration into human society, and they could understand their father King Neptune's cautious attitude.
But understanding was one thing. Seeing their father acting so timidly made them feel deeply uncomfortable.
Shirahoshi, still young, did not understand her father's thoughts. She only felt that Reddy was truly terrifying and wanted to hide back in the Hard-Shell Tower.
Reddy shook his head and chuckled. "Compromise cannot earn others' respect. It will only make them push further."
King Neptune froze.
Fukaboshi and the other two princes also froze.
Even the left and right ministers, who had remained silent all along, froze.
Reddy lost interest in continuing the conversation.
King Neptune's behavior had struck a chord with him, reminding him of his homeland.
Originally, Reddy had not given it much thought, and his previous interactions with King Neptune had been superficial. But now, after truly understanding King Neptune's inner thoughts, he realized that Fishman Island and his homeland were indeed very similar.
In the world where his homeland was located, white people were the mainstream.
In this world, humans were the mainstream.
His homeland had always strived to integrate into the world's mainstream, just as Fishman Island had always strived to integrate into human society.
His people faced discrimination abroad, just as the fishmen were also a discriminated group.
The difference was that his homeland did not bend over backward to please the mainstream. Instead, while maintaining its own identity, it extended the greatest goodwill to the outside world.
King Neptune, on the other hand, had not first recognized his own identity. Instead, he believed that as long as they could integrate into human society, it was fine to endure some humiliation.
Of course, there were also clear differences between the two.
For example, Fishman Island lacked strategic deterrence.
In this messed-up world of pirates, this was the original sin.
His homeland was different—it had already developed enough power to make the mainstream world learn to listen.
"Father, what Lord Reddy said makes a lot of sense."
After a brief moment of distraction, Prince Fukaboshi mustered his courage and softly voiced his thoughts. "You and Mother have been working hard for Fishman Island, but what has it gotten us?"
"After Mother was assassinated, what kind of insults did you suffer when you attended the World Council?"
"Fishman Island is indeed a member nation of the World Government."
"But!"
"The fishmen are still discriminated against by most humans."
"Humans fear us. They see us as monsters!"
"This is wrong!"
"Humans simply don't understand us!"
"Just as Lord Reddy said... fear comes from the unknown!"
"Only if we dare to step out and let humans see our true selves can we truly understand each other."
"Father, times have changed!"
Prince Fukaboshi poured out all his thoughts in one breath, feeling a weight lift off his shoulders. His gaze toward Reddy became firm.
That's right!
Fishman Island should not beg humans for acceptance. Instead, it should show humans the true nature of the fishmen and prove that they are not monsters but beings with emotions just like humans.
Now, there was a perfect opportunity.
Not getting recognition from all humans in the world?
That didn't matter!
Progress must be made step by step!
Fishman Island only needed to start by gaining acceptance from the humans of Loguetown.
He firmly believed that with Reddy's support, Fishman Island could truly be understood and accepted by humans.
Princes Ryuboshi and Manboshi exchanged glances and quickly stood beside their elder brother, expressing their stance through action.
King Neptune looked at his three sons standing together with mixed emotions, a thought flashing through his mind.
Have I really been wrong?
While King Neptune was troubled, Jinbe had already completed the recruitment task.
"They are more eager for work than I imagined."
Jinbe handed the list to Reddy with a pleased expression, feeling deeply gratified by the enthusiasm of his fellow fishmen.
In just two hours, all one thousand slots were filled.
Some fishmen even asked when the next recruitment would be.
This was a good sign.
Thinking this, Jinbe turned to look at King Neptune, who happened to meet his gaze at the same time.
"Jinbe has already recruited enough people."
King Neptune saw the joy in Jinbe's eyes and solemnly turned to Fukaboshi and Shirahoshi. "You may have your own ideas. As for whether they are right or wrong... you can verify them yourselves."
"I understand."
Prince Fukaboshi nodded seriously, filled with confidence about the upcoming trip to Loguetown.
Shirahoshi, still naive, did not understand why her father was bringing her along but obediently nodded.
Before long, Jinbe led the newly recruited fishmen to the full-length mirror.
Most of the fishmen looked up at the huge mirror, their faces unconsciously showing unease.
Although they were only doing this for a living, the thought of leaving their homeland made them inevitably anxious about the unfamiliar future.
The remaining minority of fishmen had looks of longing on their faces.
They were younger and very curious about human society. Their purpose in applying was not just to make a living but to see human society for themselves.
They had no opportunity before, but now they did.
Standing in front of the mirror, Reddy saw the unease on most of the fishmen's faces and shook his head with a chuckle. He then led his secretary and maid into the mirror first.
The mirror's surface rippled.
The fishmen watched in surprise as Reddy and the other two stepped into the mirror, feeling a faint sense of anticipation.
"Let's go."
Jinbe nodded to Fukaboshi and Shirahoshi, who were accompanying him, and followed into the mirror.
Soon, under the lead of Fukaboshi and Shirahoshi, the one thousand fishmen orderly entered the Mirror World.
"What is this place?"
Shirahoshi's eyes swept over the many mirrors on the walls and ceiling, her curiosity almost bursting.
Fukaboshi was helpless.
Because this was also his first time entering the Mirror World.
Although he wanted to perform better in front of his sister, he simply didn't have the knowledge.
"This is the Mirror World."
Hearing Shirahoshi's curious question, Reddy, who was standing not far away, decided to explain to Fukaboshi and the others as well. "Every mirror here exists in this world."
"Amazing!"
Shirahoshi's eyes instantly lit up, and she couldn't help but exclaim in admiration.
"Follow me."
Reddy smiled and turned to step into a huge mirror on the nearby wall.
"What!"
Fukaboshi was instantly dumbfounded.
Even Jinbe hadn't expected things to unfold like this.
Step in, take a few steps, and then arrive?
Jinbe, after all, was older and better at controlling his expression. He chuckled calmly. "Follow me. Some things need to be experienced personally."
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