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Only Poseidon, one of the three ancient weapons, has the power to command the Sea Kings. And in this era, Poseidon is none other than Neptune's youngest daughter, Princess Shirahoshi.
Yet now, mermaids were claiming that a human could control the Sea Kings and had even sent them directly to Fish-Man Island?
Since this involved Poseidon, the King of the Sea, Neptune couldn't ignore the report. His expression turned solemn as he gave a firm order:
"Summon the guards on duty!"
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
The soldiers flanking him responded loudly before two of them swiftly swam out of the palace to carry out his command.
Moments later, all the security personnel from the monitoring room were gathered before Neptune.
"Who reported this?" the Left Minister asked immediately.
A kissing gourami mermaid and a sunfish mermaid swam forward, their tails flicking nervously. "It was us..." they said in unison.
Neptune's sharp gaze locked onto them. "Did you truly see a human controlling the Sea Kings and sending them to Fish-Man Island?" His voice carried a heavy pressure, demanding the truth.
"Your Majesty, we swear on our lives that it's true!" The kissing gourami mermaid spoke earnestly. "And more than that… we took photos as proof. There's no way to fake them!"
"Photos?" Neptune's eyes widened in surprise. He turned to the Left Minister. "Minister Zunesha, what is this about?"
The Left Minister furrowed his brow, thinking for a few moments before murmuring, "Ah, now I remember! My memory really isn't what it used to be… The photos should still be in my office."
A few black lines appeared on Neptune's forehead in exasperation. With a wave of his hand, he signaled the guards to retrieve them.
Since the Left Minister's office was nearby, the task was completed swiftly. The Sea King's troops returned with the photos—along with the Right Minister.
Neptune quickly flipped through them until he stopped at one particular image. His pupils shrank in shock.
"This... This human is the 'Divine Emperor' Hikaru!"
"'Divine Emperor' Hikaru?!" The Right Minister's seahorse-like tail stiffened in alarm. "Why would he come to Fish-Man Island? Is he preparing to march into the New World?"
"A bounty of 300 million berries…" The Left Minister mused, rubbing his chin. "That's incredibly rare. In recent years, the only other person with a bounty over 100 million to pass through here was Portgas D. Ace, Whitebeard's Second Division Commander."
Unlike the inflated bounties of the future, 300 million berries in this era was already an astonishingly high amount.
Neptune's expression darkened as the weight of the situation settled on him. If Hikaru were a lawless pirate who decided to wreak havoc on Fish-Man Island, there would be few capable of stopping him.
"Where is Captain Jinbei? When is he expected to return?"
"Your Majesty, Captain Jinbei will be back either tonight or early tomorrow morning."
Neptune let out a quiet sigh of relief. No matter what happened, Hikaru wouldn't be able to wipe out all 500 million inhabitants of Fish-Man Island single-handedly.
Still, the ability to control the Sea Kings… That was too significant to ignore. Until he understood the truth behind this power, he wouldn't be able to rest easy.
"Issue an order," Neptune commanded. "Summon Shark Star, King Star, and Rollover Star immediately."
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
A short while later, the three princes stood obediently before their father, awaiting his instructions.
The Sea King's army had already retrieved Hikaru's bounty poster and handed it over. Neptune took a long look at it before turning to his sons.
"Shark Star, King Star, Rollover Star," he said, his tone heavy. "Take this bounty poster and seek out the 'Divine Emperor' Hikaru. Invite him to Dragon Palace City as an honored guest."
"Remember—under no circumstances should you provoke him. Be humble, be respectful. Show him the utmost courtesy at all times."
He paused before adding, "Hikaru is a Thunder Fruit user—his power is as devastating as a natural disaster. If he chooses to destroy Fish-Man Island, we will struggle to stop him without Jinbei here. We cannot afford to make an enemy of him."
"Understood, Father!"
With that, the three princes bowed and immediately departed.
They boarded a phoenix-tail carriage, accompanied by a unit of the Sea King's army, and began a careful, systematic search for Hikaru across the island.
Dragon Palace Kingdom – Mermaid Bay
Mermaid Bay was a breathtaking paradise, home to countless mermaids who lived together in harmony. It was the dream destination of mermaid enthusiasts across the world.
In the crystal-clear waters, graceful mermaids swam effortlessly, their melodious voices echoing through the bay.
Coral reefs of various shapes and colors were scattered throughout the bay, creating a dazzling underwater landscape. The mermaids moved elegantly between them, their shimmering tails reflecting the sunlight that filtered through the double-layered bubble shield above.
Hovering in the air, Hikaru took in the enchanting scene before him. The beauty of Mermaid Bay was mesmerizing—the way the sunlight danced on the mermaids' gleaming scales made them look even more alluring.
Taking in the view, Hikaru couldn't help but sigh in satisfaction.
"Now this is what I call the right way to start my visit to Fish-Man Island!"
It was a stark contrast to his rough arrival at Fish-Man Street, where he had to handle things with a few well-placed lightning strikes.
To be honest, he had always loved mermaids—especially Shirahoshi. In his eyes, she was the most enchanting female character in One Piece. Her delicate face, her gentle nature, and of course, that striking pink-and-red fishtail… everything about her was captivating.
Calming his thoughts, Hikaru considered something practical—there were no other humans in Mermaid Bay. That meant if he went down and talked to the mermaids, he wouldn't cause too much of a stir, right?
Without hesitation, he descended into the bay and approached a nearby mermaid.
"Hey there, miss mermaid?"
"Ah?"
The mermaid turned toward the sound of his voice, her large, curious eyes widening in surprise. She raised the diving mask resting on her forehead and blinked in disbelief.
"A… human?"
Her orange, curly hair shimmered in the water, and her glassy, translucent fishtail sparkled under the sunlight. From the looks of it, she was a glass damselfish mermaid.
"Wait—hey! How did you get here?!" she asked, utterly shocked.
"I—"
Before Hikaru could finish his sentence, a sudden outburst of chatter erupted around him.
"Look, everyone! There's a human here!"
"Really?! No way!"
"Could he be a poor boy abandoned by humans? I kind of want to take care of him~"
"This is the first time I've seen a human up close! I wonder… can he have mermaid babies?"
The mermaids whispered amongst themselves, giggling mischievously. Though their words were playful, they shyly avoided Hikaru's gaze, hesitating to approach him.
Hikaru smirked. It was clear these mermaids were very curious about humans. He decided to ignore their teasing and turned back to the mermaid in front of him.
"Miss mermaid, do you know where the Mermaid Cafe is?"
"The Mermaid Cafe?" The mermaid, whose name was Lulis, tilted her head slightly, eyeing him with intrigue. Then, with a bright smile, she answered, "It's in Coral Hill. I actually work there as a waitress! Are you planning to visit?"
"Oh? What a coincidence~" Hikaru grinned. Maybe his luck had finally turned around after leaving Fish-Man Street.
"Yeah, I've been wanting to visit the Mermaid Cafe for a while now. It's supposed to be one of the most popular places on Fish-Man Island. Can you take me there?"
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I could only find a few named mermaids, and there weren't many pictures available. So, I had to search for them one by one based on descriptions, and I think I matched them correctly~
If you can see the picture, don't forget to like it! That way, I'll know if it was successfully sent out~
Lulis: Petite and adorable, with big, expressive eyes—she looks like she'd be amazing to hold in your arms~ She has long, wavy orange hair and wears diving equipment. Her body is on the slimmer side, and from what I found, she seems to be a glass damselfish mermaid.
[The original photo only showed her from the back, so I couldn't upload it directly. I had to take a screenshot of her face instead. Hopefully, another mermaid in the background can share a full-body picture~]