One Piece : Winged Dragons of the Beast Pirates

Ryugu Palace is located above Fish-Man Island, encased in a massive, independent bubble.

However, of course, the bubble containing Ryugu Palace is still connected to Fish-Man Island through several huge pipes.

These pipes span the entire Fish-Man Island, with fast-flowing water inside. Fishmen and mermaids can use these pipes to travel quickly to different parts of Fish-Man Island.

The palace is quite a massive and luxurious structure, not much smaller than Onigashima in size.

The most striking feature is the huge sculpture of an azure dragon perched atop the palace, lifelike with its whiskers and mane. The massive head is positioned directly above the palace, its mouth open in a silent roar.

"Is that Dad?"

Yamato gazed at the dragon, stunned. "So you guys are fans of Dad?"

In this world, when the azure dragon is mentioned, it's obviously a reference to Kaido.

Neptune's face clearly showed a hint of embarrassment.

What should he say at this moment?

If he denies it, claiming it's just a symbol passed down through generations of Fish-Man Island, would that anger them?

Ian chuckled softly.

Vegapunk once said that Devil Fruits originate from the desires of people's hearts.

Then, could the first user of the Azure Dragon Fruit have come from Fish-Man Island?

The Dragon God, a legend passed down by the island's residents?

No matter what, it's still the highest underwater city—Ryugu Palace.

Later...

Inside a banquet hall of Ryugu Palace, a welcome feast for Ian and the others is being held.

Whether out of fear or politeness, Neptune's actions are impeccable in Ian's eyes. His attitude toward them is extremely respectful.

Even though Ian isn't familiar with Fish-Man Island, he can tell that the scale of this banquet is quite high.

The dining table in front of them is filled with various unfamiliar foods, including a fair amount of fish. Fun fact: mermaids don't eat fish.

On the central stage, beautiful mermaids are gracefully dancing.

Most of Ryugu Palace's senior officials are present, each one cautiously holding their breath, afraid of offending Ian and the others.

In addition, Neptune's family is also here, including his eldest son, Fukaboshi, who has blue hair.

And—

"Welcome to Fish-Man Island!"

The one speaking was a woman sitting beside Neptune. She wore a long dress adorned with goldfish patterns, and her hair, golden as the sun, was styled into two buns on top of her head, resembling rabbit ears. Her round cheeks gave her a dignified yet kind appearance.

Otohime.

The Queen of the Ryugu Kingdom.

A woman who was both fragile and strong.

She raised her glass toward Ian. "Guests of the Beast Pirates, I hope you enjoy the banquet to come."

Ian smiled and raised his glass in return.

Otohime stood at just over two meters tall, while her husband, Neptune, was a towering figure, a giant fish-man standing over ten meters tall. The difference in their sizes was astonishing.

Could it be that Neptune also knows of Life Return Technique?

Now that I think about it, Queen Otohime is truly impressive. After all, Princess Shirahoshi, when she grows up, will be even larger than her father. Even as an infant, she's probably already larger than Queen Otohime.

Neptune looked at the joyful scene and couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief.

Although Fish-Man Island was under the protection of the Whitebeard Pirates, their good brother Whitebeard was too far away.

If this Ian the Skyfire truly meant to do something, they would be powerless to stop it.

It seemed like he was here to discuss business.

But what exactly did Ian mean by the "immigration plan"?

He hoped it wasn't some overly harsh demand.

Neptune took a deep breath.

While he was filled with worry, Ian's companions were wholeheartedly enjoying the banquet.

The unique delicacies from the ocean floor amazed everyone.

Yamato ate with great enjoyment, and Jack silently devoured his food.

Even Black Maria wore a happy and contented smile, while Law even remarked, "Too bad Sanji didn't come."

And then there was Viola, who was trying her best to shrink into the corner, lowering her presence. Her eyes darted left and right, everything on Fish-Man Island was a new experience for her. It was her first time leaving Dressrosa, and all of it amazed her.

At this moment...

"So, Lord Ian," Princess Otohime started the conversation, "What exactly do you mean by the immigration plan?"

Finally, they got to the main topic.

Ian wiped his mouth and said seriously, "It means exactly what it sounds like, Princess Otohime. Our Beasts Pirates wish to relocate a group of Fish-Men or Mermaids from Fish-Man Island to Wano Country."

Ian was planning to make Wano a second homeland for the Fish-Men and Mermaids.

This way, not only would they receive a huge boost in power,

But more importantly, they would gain the right to claim control over the Sea Kings.

"What!?"

Neptune immediately lost his composure, almost knocking over the table in front of him.

His face turned bright red in an instant.

He was so close, so close to cursing out loud.

What a nonsense immigration plan! Isn't this just a ploy to come to Fish-Man Island and enslave people?

Saying it so grandly, but in reality, isn't it just human trafficking?

But...

"Really?"

Princess Otohime's eyes lit up, and she even stood up. Having passed thirty, she now had legs, and she hurried over with eager steps, looking at Ian with hope in her eyes. "Ian! Is what you're saying true?"

"Princess Otohime?"

Neptune cried out in disbelief.

You can't seriously believe this guy!

In fact, Ian was taken aback for a moment. He almost instinctively replied, "Of course it's true. I have no reason to lie to you."

"Wano Country has a vast inland sea, and even many underwater ruins. There's no other island in the sea as suitable for the fish man to live on."

"Mm-hmm, mm-hmm!"

Otohime nodded repeatedly, her eyes filled with emotion.

Ian raised an eyebrow, recalling this woman's abilities.

No wonder.

"But why is that?"

Neptune, seeing his wife looking so dazed, couldn't help but ask, "Why are you doing this?"

"We, the Beast Pirates, are preparing to form an underwater army. The fishmen and mermaids are the best candidates," Ian said bluntly. "Also, the sea floor holds a vast treasure, filled with resources. To mine these, the fishmen and mermaids' help is indispensable."

In fact, they could even assist in exploring the seabed of Wano, checking where the Ancient Weapon Pluto might be hiding.

"An army?"

Neptune gritted his teeth.

So, they really just wanted to use Fish-Man Island after all.

"Wonderful!"

Princess Otohime even shed tears, saying, "This is truly wonderful!"

Not just Neptune, but even Ian's companions were stunned by her exaggerated reaction.

What's up with this woman?

She believed it that easily?

However, this princess of Fish-Man Island wiped her tears and turned to her husband, saying, "Neptune! It's true! What Ian said is true! He's serious! He really wants to migrate some of our people to Wano and make them part of that country!"

Neptune froze.

He remembered his wife's abilities.

At this moment, Ian was also amazed. Truly, the Observation Haki was extraordinary.

Otohime was a natural-born wielder of Observation Haki.

Her Observation Haki had the ability to sense the emotions of others, allowing her to easily empathize with others. In other words, she was a born "Saint."

So, of course, she could easily tell whether Ian was lying or not.

What was even more astonishing was that she could force others to empathize with her, to feel her own emotional changes. To some extent, she could even directly change a person's values—basically, a form of mind control.

"Please agree, King Neptune!" Otohime cried out loudly. "This is the best opportunity! Ian doesn't discriminate against us. He truly wants to help us reach the open sea!"

She had always believed that Fish-Man Island's future lay in venturing to the open sea.

They couldn't stay forever in this dark, deep ocean!

Should they let their children never know what sunlight and sea breeze feel like?

Faced with his wife, who was shedding tears, Neptune fell silent.

Though Otohime was his wife, he didn't entirely agree with her stance.

Fish-Men and Mermaids were far too weak compared to humans.

Blindly heading for the open sea would only lead to endless persecution by humans.

However, seeing his wife's firm belief, Neptune began to waver.

And when he looked at Ian, that hesitation turned into something else.

If the goal wasn't achieved, Ian wouldn't let it go, would he?

**********

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