News that human envoys were coming to Fishman Island to sign a contract had spread early in the morning. Before noon, even more explosive news arrived: the envoys were not ordinary humans, but Celestial Dragon envoys—the lofty World Nobles. Fishman Island immediately erupted into a frenzy.
Not long afterward, Dragon Palace mobilized on a grand scale. King Neptune, accompanied by his ministers, headed to Fishman Island Plaza, where a welcoming ceremony had been arranged to await the human envoys' arrival.
The entire Fishman Island was instantly filled with excitement, as though the arrival of this envoy would grant them true freedom, allowing them to leave the undersea world and reach the land above the surface, never again suffering persecution at humanity's hands.
"Chief, they've entered the bay." A fish-man stepped forward to report. "Prince Hoshi, the eldest prince, went to receive them. Jinbe has already left the ship and is heading toward Dragon Palace. He should be personally protecting Princess Shirahoshi and bringing her out of Dragon Palace."
The brawny fish-man rose to his feet. Hody Jones, whose physique seemed even more explosively powerful than Jinbe's, grabbed a handful of pills and lightly chewed them in his mouth. "Where are Bald Sea Monster and Kraken?"
Hyouzou shook his head. "Bald Sea Monster hasn't returned. He should have already been completely dealt with. Kraken ran away."
Hody Jones's expression darkened. "If Bald Sea Monster was captured, then our plan has most likely been exposed. Maybe not all of it, but we can't stay hidden anymore."
Hyouzou and the other New Fishman Pirates officers were greatly surprised. When Hyouzou had returned with the news, Hody Jones had already made arrangements, dispatching fish-men under his command to drive pirate slaves into hiding around the plaza. The moment the Celestial Dragon envoy arrived at