A moment later, looking at the giant Sea Kings gazing fondly at Shirahoshi, Jinbei's face was completely numb. As for the Sea God Army that followed, they looked worriedly at their mounts that had broken free from their control.
Darting joyously around Shirahoshi.
"Is this the power of Poseidon?"
Neptune exclaimed, his eyes wide with astonishment. As the king of Fish-Man Island, he knew very well the terrifying nature of those giant Sea Kings.
If ordinary Sea Kings were a disaster for ships, then the existence of the giant Sea Kings, without a doubt, posed a catastrophic threat to islands.
And these creatures, which could be considered moving natural disasters even in the New World, were now harmoniously gathered around Shirahoshi.
"Shirahoshi, can you communicate with them?"
Ignoring the horrified looks of Neptune and the others, Nicholas approached Shirahoshi.
Almost simultaneously with Nicholas' movement, the previously harmless-looking Sea Kings all stared fixedly at him, the aura of top deep-sea predators filling the surrounding waters.
"Who is this guy?"
"Should we take him out?"
"But it seems like he knows the King?"
"We cannot allow anyone to harm the King."
Hearing the thoughts of the surrounding Sea Kings, Nicholas felt a bit helpless. Although he could directly communicate with these creatures, they probably wouldn't pay attention to him since he wasn't a Sea King.
"Mr. Nicholas."
Hearing Nicholas' words, Shirahoshi immediately showed an embarrassed expression.
"Well, not yet."
When she said "not yet," Shirahoshi's face inadvertently turned red. After all, everyone had high hopes for her, but she still hadn't achieved it. She felt so useless.
"My dear princess, if you don't tell those guys that I'm your friend, they might eat me."
Nicholas smiled as he said something that shocked Shirahoshi.
"No, Mr. Nicholas!"
Shirahoshi exclaimed in horror, grabbing Nicholas and holding him tightly to her chest with her arms.
Seeing this sudden turn of events, Nicholas was a bit dumbfounded. The giant Sea Kings, who had been emitting a faint hostility, were also thrown into confusion.
After all, this human seemed to have a relationship with their King.
"No one can harm Mr. Nicholas."
While the giant Sea Kings were still hesitant, a gentle but firm voice suddenly echoed in their minds.
"King!"
"King."
"I hear the King's voice!"
"I hear it too."
As Shirahoshi's voice spread, an invisible wave quickly emanated from the seabed, spreading throughout the surrounding waters.
...
East Blue.
Not far from Windmill Village, on a cliff, Luffy sat with his knees hugged, looking out at the distant sea.
Clearly, the recent events in the Goa Kingdom had left this teenage boy a bit bewildered.
He had often visited the royal city of the Goa Kingdom with Sabo and Ace when he was younger.
But when he went there again, it had become a ruin. The restaurant where the three of them once dined and dashed had also burned down.
Because of that attack, there was no one left to collect the bodies in the vast Goa Kingdom. Corpses were scattered among the ruins, and packs of wild dogs and wolves roamed the once-prosperous town, with crows and vultures perched on the broken buildings.
The abundance of food meant these beasts had no need to fight each other.
"Shanks, is this the true nature of pirates?"
A breeze came from the distant sea, and Luffy held his hat, mumbling to himself.
Suddenly, he looked towards a direction where a massive creature broke through the previously calm sea surface, leaping high.
Even Luffy could sense its excitement.
New World.
"Oh, has the Sea King awakened?"
Saying this, the figure continued walking into the dense forest, where a gigantic mountain stood.
...
Fish-Man Island.
"I want to invite you to join my pirate crew, Jinbei."
Nicholas directly invited Jinbei, who was giving him a tour of Fish-Man Street.
Jinbei looked at Nicholas, who sincerely invited him to join, and his face slowly showed a look of surprise.
Honestly, he wanted to stay on Fish-Man Island and be part of its protection.
But with Shirahoshi's demonstrated power to command the giant Sea Kings, Jinbei realized that Fish-Man Island now had a force capable of truly protecting it.
Originally, he planned to protect Shirahoshi well.
But he didn't expect Nicholas to extend an olive branch to him.
"It would be an honor to be part of the Nicholas Pirates."
Coming to his senses, Jinbei accepted the olive branch extended by Nicholas.
He also knew from King Neptune about the agreement between Nicholas and Fish-Man Island, and since Nicholas had a great debt of gratitude to Fish-Man Island, how could he refuse when the other party needed him?
Seeing this, Nicholas smiled.
In Nicholas' view, inviting Jinbei to join the pirate crew shouldn't have been difficult.
But he didn't expect it to go so smoothly.
Jinbei's strength was rare even in the New World. He could briefly contend with a Yonko-level opponent in the sea. Combined with the Fish-Men's affinity for the ocean and his extraordinary steering skills, his addition greatly bolstered the crew's naval combat abilities.
With his addition, the overall combat power of the Nicholas Pirates would significantly increase, which would undoubtedly be beneficial for the upcoming war.
Jinbei also thought seriously about what benefits his joining the Nicholas Pirates could bring to Fish-Man Island.
Undoubtedly, his joining would strengthen the ties between Fish-Man Island and the Nicholas Pirates.
Moreover, his presence could serve as a bridge for communication between both parties, which was why he accepted Nicholas' olive branch without hesitation.
After touring Fish-Man Street, Jinbei headed to Ryugu Palace.
Before leaving Fish-Man Island with Nicholas, Jinbei had to inform Neptune and Tiger.
In a side hall of Ryugu Palace.
The three princes and Princess Shirahoshi were lying by the window, eavesdropping on the conversation in the hall.
"Jinbei is going to join Nicholas' pirate crew..."
Hearing the commotion inside, Princess Shirahoshi and the princes looked at each other, each showing a look of shock.
The three princes didn't want to see Jinbei, a powerful and reliable force, leave Fish-Man Island. Having experienced the dark times of Fish-Man Island, they knew the importance of a strong protector.
But they also felt that Jinbei joining the Nicholas Pirates would be good for Fish-Man Island, as it would deepen their connection.
Shirahoshi didn't think too much about it.
Perhaps on a whim, she walked out of the side hall.
"Mr. Nicholas, I want to join you too!"