Fisher Tiger was one of the most respected individuals on all of Fish-Man Island.
Fish-Man District had always been a chaotic place.
But as its leader, Fisher Tiger was different from the others. He had an excellent relationship with Neptune and Queen Otohime. The mutual respect between them was strong.
Whenever something came up, Fisher Tiger would always inform Neptune in advance, and Neptune never held any prejudice against him due to the nature of the Fish-Man District.
You could say that the tensions between Fish-Man District and the rest of the island were only mitigated—or even resolved—thanks to that relationship.
In fact, it could even be said that Fisher Tiger single-handedly created the peace and unity within Fish-Man Island.
Not only was he beloved by the people, but Neptune also always consulted him before making any major decisions.
From that, it was clear how deeply Fisher Tiger cared for Fish-Man Island.
And precisely because he cared so much, he understood something very clearly…
This dreamlike, beautiful place called Fish-Man Island was now on the verge of complete collapse.
One misstep, and the entire island would turn into another Fish-Man District…
So…
"No matter who it is, please save this island…"
Fisher Tiger muttered to himself as he swam toward the surface.
...
"Halt! Navy!"
"This is Ryugu Palace! The royal palace of the Ryugu Kingdom! What business do you have here? State your purpose!"
When Michael and Garp arrived at the outskirts of Ryugu Palace with a unit of Navy soldiers, they were immediately blocked by several fish-man and mermaid guards.
Though their tone was polite, their eyes were filled with vigilance and suspicion.
"Tell Neptune that Garp is here to see him!"
"Ahem, old man, if you don't know how to talk, just step back a little."
Michael pinched the bridge of his nose and shoved Garp back.
The Navy soldiers behind them all tried to stifle their laughter.
Aside from Admiral Sengoku, this guy was probably the only one who dared to treat Garp so casually.
Come to think of it, only people from Admiral Sengoku's family seemed to be able to rein Garp in.
Garp wasn't angry, but he was secretly surprised.
Michael's physical strength had become increasingly monstrous.
No wonder he was the most promising monster in Garp's eyes.
"I'm Rear Admiral Michael of the Navy Headquarters." Michael nodded to the soldiers and continued, "Vice Admiral Garp and I have come to the Ryugu Kingdom to help resolve the situation on Fish-Man Island. We respectfully request an audience with Neptune and Queen Otohime."
Michael's courteous tone made the soldiers visibly relax.
They nodded and replied:
"Please wait a moment, sirs. I will report your arrival and escort you inside Ryugu Palace."
The mermaid soldier hurried away.
Michael shook his head. Judging from the guards' reaction, some other Navy personnel must've come here earlier.
And their behavior likely wasn't great—otherwise, the guards wouldn't have been so on edge just now.
Fortunately, the chaos above hadn't yet fully reached Ryugu Palace.
Which meant that although Fish-Man Island was teetering on the brink, Michael had arrived just in time—before everything truly fell apart.
Even so, Michael found the situation here quite troubling.
Technically speaking, the king of a member nation should outrank the Navy.
But a bunch of regionally self-righteous Navy officers were already throwing their weight around over the Ryugu Kingdom, and the kingdom hadn't fought back at all.
Queen Otohime always advocated for peace and the right to live under the sun. Her ideals were noble, but her methods were terribly flawed.
The saying "a weak nation has no diplomacy" was painfully true.
If you're powerless and still try to negotiate with tyrants who hate you from the start...
Isn't that just handing over the keyboard and signing away your fate with a smile?
A death wish!
Soon, the soldier who had gone to report returned quickly.
He gestured toward Michael and Garp with a respectful "please."
"King Neptune and Queen Otohime welcome your visit."
Michael nodded in return, then dragged Garp forward.
At the same time, he cleared his throat—twice—to signal the others.
The Navy soldiers behind him paused for a second, then followed Michael and Garp's lead, giving a small bow to the fish-man guards as a sign of respect.
Only then did they continue forward.
The fish-man guards left behind looked at each other in confusion.
"Did they… just salute us back?"
"Uh… if I'm not mistaken, I think so?"
"...They're totally different from those terrifying guys from before."
Their eyes were filled with disbelief.
But somewhere deep inside, something called "hope" had begun to take root and sprout.
...
Ryugu Palace's structure was similar to that of all Fish-Man Island—protected by a double-layer bubble membrane.
But instead of an air buffer in the middle, this palace used seawater as its defensive layer.
Basically, it functioned like a full-coverage moat.
As they walked through the entrance corridor and looked up under the sunlight filtered through the Sunlight Tree Eve...
Schools of fish swam to and fro, while breathtaking coral reefs and colorful marine life shimmered in the water, creating a dreamlike fairytale scene.
A smile finally returned to Michael's face.
This was probably the most refreshing thing he'd seen since arriving on Fish-Man Island.
A place like this—kids would love it, wouldn't they?
Michael thought of the three little girls from Amazon Lily, then of Nojiko and Nami, and finally of his five nieces and nephews…
Once this situation was resolved, he'd definitely bring them all here for a visit.
As they continued forward, the full grandeur of Ryugu Palace finally came into view.
The massive front gates were dozens of meters away.
Inside the palace, two figures were already waiting on the throne.
King Neptune and his wife, Queen Otohime.
"Ahahahaha! Neptune! Long time no see!"
Surprisingly, it was Garp who spoke first in such a formal setting.
His social approach was, frankly, a bit too blunt.
But sometimes, this kind of straightforward manner—clearly not an attempt to cozy up—was even more effective.
Especially when used by someone as legendary as Garp.
"That's right, Garp! The last time we met, you were still chasing after Roger!" Neptune laughed heartily, clearly recalling old times. "It's been more than ten years already!"
"Yeah, yeah!"
"Ahem. Garp, old man… Vice Admiral, can we save the reminiscing for later?"
Michael cleared his throat and cut in.
But Queen Otohime's gaze had remained fixed on Michael the entire time.
She could feel that this time, the one who truly held the reins… was this young Navy officer.
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