Shirahoshi

Neptune sat on the broad sofa with his tail coiled beneath him, fuming.

"Bright, you should be a little more polite when speaking to Neptune."

Jinbe looked somewhat awkward.

He and Neptune were old friends. Long ago, Jinbe had been one of the top figures in Ryugu Palace's military.

Now, the person he supported was clashing with his old friend like this, leaving him genuinely embarrassed.

"I'm doing this to dispel King Neptune's hesitation."

Bright spoke seriously.

Neptune froze for a moment.

"Change requires courage."

Bright said calmly, "Will change really bring good results? This is the fear every reformer feels when making a decision."

"Wouldn't it be better to follow tradition? Until they truly reach a dead end, people will always believe past experience has its reasons—until they crash headfirst into a wall."

"King Neptune, what I mean is," he said with a smile, "whether you want it or not, change is about to begin!"

"..."

Neptune's eyes widened, and even his beard trembled.

Jinbe rubbed his forehead helplessly. The reasoning was sound, but couldn't he have put it another way?

No matter what, the man before them was this country's king.

"Bright, you brat—"

Neptune finally sighed. "You may not look much like a fish-man, but that arrogance in your bones really could only have been raised in Fish-Man District."

"Perhaps Jinbe was right—"

He glanced at his old friend, then nodded heavily. "In that case, I can't let anyone look down on me either. Bright, I accept your request—"

"Wait!"

The door to the tea room was pushed open.

A slender woman drifted in as lightly as a cloud.

Her face was filled with seriousness.

"Otohime—isn't she supposed to be giving a speech at Gid Colon Plaza?"

Neptune immediately felt a headache coming on.

"Someone just threw leftovers at me..."

Her Highness the Queen of the Ryugu Kingdom immediately pouted, tears welling in her eyes as she said aggrievedly, "They told me not to go again. They're really too much..."

"That's why I said the last incident still hasn't passed. The people's impression of humans has only gotten worse." Neptune was helpless.

Every time, she went out full of high spirits, then came back dejected and hid alone in her room to cry.

"That's exactly why I need to keep going!"

The queen, who had been so downcast a moment ago, instantly became fired up. "We can't let hatred deepen any further!"

Neptune covered his face with one hand.

Wasn't she just asking for it?

"Queen Otohime really hasn't changed at all."

Jinbe spoke with a smile.

"Oh! It's Jinbe!"

The queen warmly greeted him. "Since you're here, stay for dinner before you leave. You can have a few more drinks with Neptune. Don't let that serious face fool you—he always complains in private that he has hardly any friends and feels lonely."

"Hey, Otohime—there's no need to say that." King Neptune looked embarrassed.

"Hahahaha! Then I'll gladly accept!" Jinbe laughed heartily.

Was I visiting relatives with Brother Jinbe? What was with this weird atmosphere?

Bright's mouth twitched.

Mermaid Otohime really was an extraordinary woman.

Both Neptune and Brother Jinbe's moods changed along with her.

"And then—"

Otohime turned toward Bright.

A brilliant smile appeared on her face. "I can feel it. What drives you is love and courage!"

"Huh?"

Bright was taken aback.

What was she suddenly talking about?

Love?

Courage?

What kind of romance manga setup was this?

Otohime floated briskly over, clasped Bright's large hand with both of hers, and said with a moved expression, "I can't feel hatred or anger in your heart. There is only love for this island and the courage to change it."

"This is wonderful!" She was almost crying. "There are still children like you on this island... Children like you are Fish-Man Island's future!"

Bright awkwardly pulled his hand out of hers. This queen was far too emotional.

She was practically like a child.

But—

What terrifying Observation Haki!

Bright sighed inwardly.

Otohime possessed naturally powerful Observation Haki. She could easily sense the emotions hidden deep within others' hearts.

She could even use her own emotions to influence others' wills by infecting them with those emotions.

Should he be grateful that she was a woman—and such a softhearted person?

"So, for Fish-Man Island's future, King Neptune, you agreed to my request, right?" Bright asked.

Neptune's eyes widened.

Amazing. He had completely ignored Otohime's commotion!

"Wait!"

The queen, who had just been sniffling and crying, suddenly perked up. She shouted, "This won't do! It will only cut off what little communication we already have with the human world! Fish-Man Island will become even more distant from the world!"

"If we want to close the distance between ourselves and the world, we don't necessarily have to move toward it. We can make the world come to us instead." Bright said calmly. "Once the plan to mine the seabed minerals is gradually implemented, the entire human world will go mad. By then, even if you don't want contact with humans, you won't be able to avoid it."

"That will only make Fish-Man Island the target of even more greed!" the queen retorted loudly.

So she knew Fish-Man Island was coveted by humans?

"Then, in order not to be preyed upon, contact with humans isn't the problem. The key is for us to become strong enough!"

Bright said seriously, "Strong enough that humans can't easily hurt us! After all, when we are harmed, are we supposed to place our hopes on infighting among the human upper class?"

"But wouldn't that intensify the conflict between both sides?"

"If the mountain won't come to me, I'll go to the mountain! Humans pursue profit. As long as the benefits are great enough, they can overcome even the fiercest conflict! But the prerequisite remains that we are strong enough!"

"Wow! What an awful way to put it! Fish-Man Island will never be able to integrate into the world above the sea like that!"

"Let's become strong first, then talk about everything else."

"Ah, what an annoying little brat!!"

After a fierce verbal battle, the queen went a little crazy and grabbed Bright's cheeks, tugging them hard.

Bright slapped her hands away.

What an annoying old lady.

Jinbe and Neptune exchanged glances and could only shake their heads helplessly.

Bright had no idea why, but somehow he had ended up arguing with Otohime.

Only after the argument ended did he belatedly realize that he might have been swept up by Otohime's emotions.

Terrifying Observation Haki!

"Enough, Otohime,"

Neptune finally stepped in. "I think Bright is right. It's settled, then. Let him take the lead in establishing an organization to inspect incoming and outgoing ships. We want to contact humans, but before that, we still need to ensure our own safety."

Bright let out a sigh of relief.

Neptune was fine. Otohime was simply too bothersome.

Upon hearing her husband's decision, the queen covered her face, her shoulders trembling.

"Hey—Otohime—" Neptune instantly broke out in a cold sweat.

Was she crying again?

"I'm so happy!"

The queen lowered her hands, revealing a radiant smile. "There are still children like you on this island! You haven't chosen to muddle through life like this. You haven't been blinded by anger and thought only of revenge. You're truly thinking about how to make this island, how to make our people, better!"

"I'm truly so happy."

Bright couldn't help but smile as well.

Call her saintly if one wanted, or call her naive and foolish.

There was no denying that, just like Brother Fisher Tiger, until her final moment, she hoped the children of Fish-Man Island would not have to live in a world filled with discrimination and persecution.

"Queen Otohime, my name is Bright." Bright introduced himself seriously.

"Hello, Bright."

The queen smiled brightly. "Next, shall we talk about the seabed minerals? Can they really attract a lot of humans?"

Using his limited knowledge, Bright explained how abundant seabed minerals were and how convenient Fish-Man Island was for mining them.

"Oh! So as long as we can provide high-quality, inexpensive minerals, humans will come rushing in?"

Queen Otohime said excitedly, "This is wonderful! In that case, perhaps we'll be able to speak with the higher-ups among humanity!"

Bright's mouth twitched, but he said nothing.

"But this is dangerous."

Neptune looked worried. "Humans are not creatures who will follow business rules when faced with astonishing profits."

"That is precisely the purpose of establishing the Immigration Bureau!"

Bright said seriously, "We'll handle this matter."

"That's exactly right!" Jinbe also nodded with a smile.

"You're both so reliable! Bright! Jinbe!"

The queen's eyes sparkled as she sniffled with emotion.

Bright turned his head away. He really didn't want to admit that, when he was younger, he had been quite fond of this aunt who always handed out snacks to children everywhere.

"Then I'll leave it to you!"

Neptune said solemnly, "In return, Ryugu Palace will handle the surveying and mining!"

At this moment, Bright said, "Mining ore will require a large workforce. I hope these workers can be selected from Fish-Man District first."

Fish-Man District was too poor.

Its population numbered in the hundreds of thousands, and the number of unemployed was likewise in the hundreds of thousands.

Poverty bred violence and crime.

Although mining was by no means a good job, at the very least, it was a way to make a living, wasn't it?

Neptune froze for a moment, then burst into laughter. "Of course there's no problem!"

"Let us announce its establishment today! The Fish-Man Island Mining Company! Its ownership belongs to every citizen of Fish-Man Island!"

His Majesty the King was full of vigor.

Change began today.

Later, in Ryugu Palace's banquet hall, a lively feast was held.

Bright and Jinbe, who had spent an afternoon talking in the tea room, entered under Neptune and Otohime's lead.

Just then, this kingdom's princes and Little Princess arrived as well, escorted by attendants.

"Mother!"

Bright watched as the huge little girl ran toward Queen Otohime with a beaming smile.

Pink hair, round eyes, and a round little face.

Princess Shirahoshi.

Bright smiled.

She was the greatest support the fish-men and merfolk had.

"Shirahoshi! Mother's good girl! Mother missed you so much!"

Otohime sobbed as she rushed toward her daughter.

They had been apart for only one day at most.

Was there really any need to be this excited?

Then—

Plop.

Shirahoshi fell onto the floor.

She had knocked her slender mother to the ground with her enormous body.

"Urgh!!"

Queen Otohime groaned. "My bones are broken—"

Was she really that fragile?

Thanks to "Can You Add Another Update" for the one hundred-point donation, and thanks to "Little Chen" for the five hundred-point donation. Thank you, thank you!