Malice from Fish-Man District!

Fish-Man Island, Ryugu Kingdom, reception hall.

"Although I don't know why the Marines specifically named the two of you as important Fish-Men to be brought in, since they have made such a request, and considering this rare friendly cooperation between humans and Fish-Man Island, as king, I still hope the two of you will consider accepting."

King Neptune sat upon his throne, sincerely making his request to Jinbe and Aladdin below, who were dressed in Neptune Army uniforms, rather than throwing his weight around as a ruler and directly issuing an order.

Jinbe and Aladdin exchanged glances, each seeing the resolve in the other's eyes. Then, with perfect understanding, they spoke in unison.

"Your Majesty, we are willing to accept the Marines' invitation and contribute to the equal friendship between Fish-Men and humans!"

"Hahahaha!"

King Neptune was greatly gratified. He laughed heartily and said, "That's wonderful. Thank you, thank you, truly, thank you so much!"

He then personally explained the details.

"According to the Marines, after the two of you arrive at Marineford, Jinbe, you will receive the rank of headquarters lieutenant commander and serve as the commander of the newly formed Fish-Man Unit. Aladdin, meanwhile, will be a headquarters Major and serve as the Fish-Man Unit's adjutant."

"The two of you will also be responsible for teaching Fish-Man Karate to the headquarters Marines. At the same time, the Marine branch here will teach Swordsmanship to our Neptune Army. This is also one of the practical aspects of equal cooperation."

Upon hearing this, Jinbe hesitated slightly. "Your Majesty, with my current level of Fish-Man Karate, I fear it will be difficult for me to teach much. Compared to me, Brother Tiger is more qualified."

He was only twenty-two this year, and his strength was indeed somewhat lacking. However, saying he could not teach Fish-Man Karate to the Marines was simply modesty.

"Fisher Tiger? But hasn't he gone off adventuring again? He still hasn't returned." King Neptune spoke helplessly.

"When he returns, I'll have a proper talk with him. Perhaps then you'll be able to meet in Marineford. Until then, Jinbe, you'll be responsible. Is that alright?"

"Yes, Your Majesty. I will certainly give it my all!" Seeing the king like this, Jinbe no longer declined.

Aladdin, standing nearby, had even less objection. He and Jinbe were already friends, and he knew full well that there was a considerable gap between them in both talent and strength.

However, he was quite interested in human Swordsmanship.

"Your Majesty!"

Just then, the catfish Fish-Man Minister of the Left entered. King Neptune smiled and said, "Minister of the Left, what is it this time?"

"Your Majesty, the Administrative Department construction team sent by the World Government has decided on the location of the Marine branch and has begun construction."

"Oh? Where?" King Neptune asked curiously. Jinbe and Aladdin beside him also paid close attention.

"Near Mermaid Cove. Their reasoning is that mermaids are the main targets of pirates, so placing the Marine branch there will make it easier to protect them nearby. Furthermore, it is on the surface, where the sunlight is relatively bright and suitable for human life," the Minister of the Left explained.

On Fish-Man Island, from top to bottom, were the noble district where Ryugu Palace stood, the surface civilian district, and the underwater Dark Zone. The main factor distinguishing these levels was clearly sunlight.

The closer one was to sunlight, the more noble one was!

King Neptune smiled. "They chose a good spot. Very well, let it be so. Have our craftsmen go over and lend a hand as well. The World Government's people may not be familiar with the environment here."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

The Minister of the Left received the order and was about to leave when a Neptune Army soldier ran inside, dropped to one knee before King Neptune, and loudly reported.

"Your Majesty, an incident has occurred at Mermaid Cove where Fish-Men maliciously attacked the human construction team!"

"What?!"

King Neptune, the Minister of the Left, Jinbe, and the others were all horrified. Everyone understood that if the matter was too serious, they would likely face the World Government's wrath and sanctions next.

Although the World Government's attitude had become much friendlier recently, that did not mean they had forgotten its former strength and tyranny.

"Minister of the Left, quickly take people over and see what happened!"

"Ah, yes, I'll go at once!" The Minister of the Left came to his senses and hurriedly answered. At that moment, Jinbe spoke up from the side. "Your Majesty, may Aladdin and I go take a look as well?"

"Yes, yes, since the Marines value the two of you, you will surely be of help!" King Neptune was somewhat flustered by now.

Very soon, the Minister of the Left led Jinbe, Aladdin, and a squad of thirty Neptune Army soldiers toward the civilian district. Only King Neptune and the Neptune Army guards standing on both sides remained in the hall.

"Ah... I hope nothing serious has happened."

A sigh spread through the extravagantly luxurious Ryugu Palace.

Twenty minutes earlier, Mermaid Cove.

After the Administrative Department construction team selected the site, several hundred human workers in uniform began clearing and organizing the construction area. At the same time, they used vehicles to haul pieces of construction machinery down from the ships.

Such a lively scene naturally drew the attention and curiosity of many nearby mermaids and Fish-Men. Since birth, they had never seen so many humans.

"What are those iron monsters? They even make rumbling noises!"

"They're all wearing the same clothes, just like the Neptune Army. How interesting~"

"I heard they're from the World Government, and they even sent back the fellow countrymen who were taken away before!"

"But what are they doing here?"

Beautiful mermaids with faces like flowers and graceful figures either soaked in the lake or sat sideways atop shells, their lovely eyes studying the passing construction teams and the Marines stationed nearby as guards.

At the same time, more and more Fish-Men who had heard the news came to take a look. Their appearances were much rougher and stranger, and their sizes varied wildly. Some stood three or four meters tall, while others were only one or two meters.

What these mermaids and Fish-Men did not notice was that their presence was also a rare visual feast for the human construction team and Marines.

To these almost entirely male humans, the mermaids in the bay were like a dream from a fairy tale—breathtakingly beautiful. More importantly, every one of them was wearing a bikini.

As for the Fish-Men, the humans merely gave them a quick glance, learning that this world contained such bizarre-looking species, before turning their gazes back to the mermaids.

As a result, neither the construction workers nor the Marine soldiers noticed the malicious and contemptuous gazes among the Fish-Men crowd.

"Arlong, why are there so many of these lowly humans here?"

Chew, whose protruding mouth marked him as a kissing gourami Fish-Man, had one hand tucked into the pocket of his shorts as he spoke in a low, disgusted voice.

"Indeed. What are those Neptune Army soldiers doing?" Kuroobi, whose muscular arms bore a pair of enormous fins, was equally displeased.

"Ryugu Palace must have reached some kind of agreement with these inferior creatures." Seventeen-year-old Arlong clenched his fists angrily, his eyes turning slightly red.

They had all grown up in Fish-Man District in the Dark Zone, orphans abandoned by their parents. Thus, whether in their environment or in human nature, they had encountered the darkest side of everything from a young age.

Arlong in particular had longed for sunlight as a child, longed for all the beautiful things in the human world described in rumors. Yet as he grew older, every human he encountered was evil, vile, or even cowardly.

He gradually accepted the notion that humans were an inferior race and Fish-Men a superior one. He believed that creatures as weak and lowly as humans were unworthy of enjoying those beautiful things, and did not even deserve to stand on equal footing with Fish-Men.

"We can't let them have their way. We must stop all of this!"

Arlong viciously declared his decision to the companions around him, all only sixteen or seventeen years old.