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When Byakuya and his group stepped off the giant flounder, they were greeted by a loud voice,
"Welcome, Vice Admiral Byakuya, to the Ryugu Kingdom!"
As they entered the palace, King Neptune, with his massive figure, stood up and warmly welcomed Byakuya.
He offered the best food, drinks, and entertainment, eager to avoid offending the Vice Admiral.
Byakuya did not reject Neptune's hospitality, as it's wise to be courteous to those who show goodwill.
Moreover, the Ryugu Kingdom was a member nation of the World Government, so Byakuya had no reason to act aggressively.
Doing so without justification would not bode well if word got out.
Meanwhile, chaos had erupted in Fish-Man District, a gathering place for outlaws.
Some Fish-Men, deliberately spreading misinformation, had twisted the events at Fish-Man Island's gates.
According to their version, King Neptune conspired with the World Government to send a Marine Vice Admiral to eliminate all the Fishmen in the Fish-Man District.
They claimed that the Fishmen of Fish-Man District opposed peaceful coexistence with humans and harboured extreme hatred toward them.
Over the years, King Neptune advocated for peaceful relations with humans, which the Fishmen of Fish-Man District consistently opposed.
They said this was the reason for the Marine Vice Admiral's sudden arrival on Fish-Man Island.
These rumours, combined with the deaths of the dozen Fish-Men at the island's gate and the secrecy with which Fukaboshi and the Ryugu guards had conducted themselves on the way, convinced most of the Fish-Men in Fish-Man District that this was the truth.
The Fish-Men became furious, many itching to storm Ryugu Palace immediately.
However, some remained sceptical and wanted to wait until Boss Jinbe returned before taking action.
Unfortunately, these doubters were few and largely ignored.
Not far from Fish-Man District, in a sunken ship, nine Fish-Men had gathered and were fervently plotting.
The Fish-Man sitting at the head of the group had long, black curly hair, wore a flat cap with a trident emblem, had a wolf-fur scarf around his neck, and a large tattoo on his left arm, including one that read "Arlong Pirates."
He was Hody Jones, the captain of the New Fish-Man Pirates, with a bounty of 190 million berries.
After learning of his defeat, Hody formed the New Fish-Man Pirates out of admiration for Arlong.
For Hody, the primary goal of the New Fish-Man Pirates was to carry on Arlong's will by slaughtering the lowly humans and establishing Fish-Men as the rulers of the world.
The rumours circulating in Fish-Man District were part of Hody's plan.
After learning about the events at the gate of Fish-Man Island, Hody deliberately distorted the facts and spread them, intending to incite anger among the Fish-Men against King Neptune.
His ultimate goal was to eliminate King Neptune, ensuring no voices advocating for peace with humans would remain on Fish-Man Island.
And it seemed his plan was progressing smoothly; most of the Fish-Men in Fish-Man District were already discontent with King Neptune's actions.
All Hody needed to do was fan the flames a bit more to set his plan in motion.
One of the New Fish-Man Pirate officers asked, "Boss, when will we take action?"
Hody Jones replied with a sinister grin, "No rush. To ensure everything goes smoothly, we'll let this situation simmer for a while."
"Then we'll contact any forces we can ally with. When the time comes, we'll strike together and kill Neptune, ensuring nothing goes wrong."
"Boss, are you planning to contact Vander Decken IX of the Flying Pirates?" the officer inquired.
"Exactly. That guy might be a scumbag, but at least he's a Devil Fruit user. He could be useful when the time comes," Hody answered.
"But what if he refuses?" the officer asked.
Hody sneered, "Don't worry. Just tell him that if we succeed in killing Neptune, Princess Shirahoshi will be his. With that, he won't dare refuse."
Hody knew Vander Decken IX's obsession with Princess Shirahoshi bordered on the pathological.
If getting Shirahoshi was on the table, there was nothing Vander Decken wouldn't do.
As the meeting drew close, Hody Jones stood up, feeling excited.
"Brothers, the time to kill Neptune and take control of Fish-Man Island is nearly upon us!"
"Once that happens, how far off can our dream of leading the Fish-Men to the surface and slaughtering every human be?"
Inspired by Hody's words, the New Fish-Man Pirates officers had their eyes gleaming with excitement.
They felt a rush of bloodlust as if they could already see themselves ruling over humans, treating them as slaves to be tortured at will.
Hody Jones, satisfied with the enthusiasm of his subordinates, shouted, "For revenge on Boss Fisher Tiger! For revenge on Brother Arlong!"
"Revenge!" "Revenge!" The officers echoed his cry with fervour.
Under Hody Jones' deliberate manipulation, nearly 90% of the Fish-Men in Fish-Man District believed that King Neptune, in league with the Marine Vice Admiral, intended to wipe out all the Fish-Men in Fish-Man District.
Hody had also secretly contacted the families of the Fish-Men who had been killed, encouraging them to lament the crimes of the Marines publicly.
This further stoked the sympathy and anger of their fellow Fish-Men, making even more of them believe the rumour was true.
With the victims' families now stepping forward, even those Fish Men who had been uncertain before began to accept the rumour as fact.
Since nearly all fishmen harbor hatred toward humans, it's natural that they instinctively believe the worst when confronted with such a reality.
The chaotic events unfolding in Fish-Man District were largely unknown to Neptune and his group, as their attention was entirely focused on Byakuya.
They were so concerned with not offending the Marine Vice Admiral that everything else seemed insignificant compared to the impending destruction of Fish-Man Island.
After a satisfying feast, Byakuya and his group were treated to the graceful dances of the mermaids and the unique songs of Fish-Man Island.
King Neptune's hospitality was flawless, leaving nothing to criticize. Seeing the satisfied smile on Byakuya's face, Neptune finally felt relief.
After all, they had ensured Byakuya was comfortable; surely, he wouldn't suddenly decide to go on a rampage.
With a beaming smile, Neptune asked, "Vice Admiral Byakuya, now that the banquet is over, may I ask when you plan to leave? I'll arrange for Fukaboshi to escort you."
For Neptune, the sooner Byakuya left, the better. Only when Byakuya was truly gone could they finally relax.
Byakuya responded with a sly smile, "Is King Neptune trying to send me away?"
These words startled Neptune, who quickly waved his hands, saying, "Of course not!"
"I was just thinking that, as a high-ranking Marine, you must be very busy, and I wouldn't want to take up too much of your time."
"Oh, so I misunderstood King Neptune then. You're right. When I reach the New World, there will indeed be a pile of tasks waiting for me," Byakuya replied.
Hearing this, a flicker of excitement crossed the eyes of those present. It felt like a moment they had long awaited was finally here, a dream finally realized.
But their joy was short-lived, as Byakuya continued, "However, with so much to deal with, a few days sooner or later won't make much difference."
"I might as well stay in the palace and continue enjoying the delicacies of Fish-Man Island. After all, not every day one gets to visit this place."
The excitement in the room quickly vanished, replaced by a heavy atmosphere.
With a pained expression, Neptune asked, "Vice Admiral Byakuya, if you delay handling your duties, won't that harm you?"
Byakuya proudly patted his chest and said, "King Neptune, you're so considerate to think of me like that."
"But don't worry, my uncle is Fleet Admiral Sengoku, and my mentor is the Marine's Chief Instructor Zephyr."
"Even if I don't handle my duties, no one in the Marine would dare do anything to me."
Seeing Byakuya's confident demeanour, the others almost burst into tears. "Good heavens," they thought, "so he's also a Marine aristocrat!"
Neither soft words nor hard tactics would work against someone like him, leaving Neptune and his group at a complete loss about what to do next.
As Neptune pondered this, Byakuya suddenly stood up, nearly causing the towering Neptune to stumble in shock.
He thought the Marine aristocrat might suddenly turn hostile.
However, feeling drowsy, Byakuya stretched lazily and asked, "King Neptune, where is the resting area you prepared for us? I'm feeling a bit tired now."
Inwardly, Neptune complained, "Tired? You think you're tired? If anyone's tired, it's me! You're tired from eating, while I'm tired from the stress!"
Despite his frustrations, Neptune maintained a calm smile and said, "Everything has been prepared for you, Vice Admiral Byakuya."
Please show Vice Admiral Byakuya and his group to their rooms." In truth, Neptune and his group had hoped Byakuya would leave immediately after the meal and had not prepared any rooms.
To buy time for his subordinates to clean and prepare suitable resting quarters quickly, Fukaboshi acted as their guide and led Byakuya and his group on a palace tour.
As they walked down a corridor, Byakuya noticed a tall tower made of hard shells in the distance.
The tower bore countless marks from swords and axes, and some sharp weapons were deeply embedded in it as if it had been under attack for some time.
Byakuya immediately recognized that this tower was the "Hard Shell Tower," the room of Princess Shirahoshi, also known as Poseidon, which doubled as a shelter to protect her from assassination attempts.
Fukaboshi noticed where Byakuya was looking and couldn't help but show a trace of sadness in his eyes, sighing quietly.
He had promised his deceased mother that he would protect his sister at all costs.
Although he had succeeded in keeping her safe, it had come at the cost of her freedom.
At that moment, a dark shadow suddenly flashed across the sky, accompanied by the faint sound of a sharp object cutting through the air.
As it got closer, it became clear that the shadow was a gleaming axe, its blade flashing in the sunlight.
The axe was headed straight for the Hard Shell Tower. Seeing the flying axe, Fukaboshi became furious.
"Again? When will this end?" he shouted, angrily swishing his fish tail and brandishing his golden trident as he charged toward the axe.
But before he could reach it, a deep green sword slash swiftly swept past him, striking the axe in mid-air and slicing it in half.
Fukaboshi quickly turned around and saw that the attack had come from a bespectacled girl standing beside Byakuya.
Fukaboshi was surprised—was even this seemingly frail girl a swordsman of extraordinary skill?
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