As the day of the celebration drew ever closer, the conflict between Mermaids and Fish-Men showed no signs of easing. Instead, it only grew fiercer, spiraling further and further out of control.
It was hard to say what Shirahoshi had done in all this.
She had merely quietly leaked news of the Fish-Men's intention to cause trouble at the celebration to the Mermaids.
That was all.
The Fish-Men were dissatisfied with the Mermaids, and naturally, the Mermaids had no reason to treat the Fish-Men kindly.
And once the Mermaids heard rumors that the Fish-Men intended to make trouble, how could they possibly sit back and wait?
Thus, the Mermaids began targeting the Fish-Men at every turn, while the Fish-Men, with Jinbe and the others secretly fanning the flames, grew increasingly furious and radical.
The conflict between the two sides snowballed, growing larger and larger.
Today, a Mermaid killed a Fish-Man.
Tomorrow, a Fish-Man killed a Mermaid.
Such bloody incidents played out in every corner of the city almost every day.
The Mermaid Kingdom, once said to grant equality to all races, had become a place where internal tensions were so sharp that they could erupt at any moment before the celebration had even officially begun.
Beneath its prosperous facade lay an abyss overflowing with blood.
In the harbor district stood an ordinary restaurant.
It was a small, unremarkable restaurant located on an inconspicuous street in the harbor district.
The place was not large, and its decor was simple, but it was clean and tidy, and its food had an authentic flavor.
A place like this happened to suit Otohime's tastes perfectly.
At her enthusiastic recommendation, Ross had accompanied her there that day.
Because Ross had deliberately lowered their presence, the diners around them did not notice anything unusual. They continued