Preparing to Leave

In the Ryugu Palace, a grand banquet was held that evening, known throughout Fish-Man Island, to entertain the crew of the Night Pirates.

During their day of wandering around Fish-Man Island, the members of the Night Pirates were mostly watched by the Fish-Man Guard, who were afraid that some unexpected conflict might occur.

This concern extends not only to the members of the Night Pirates, but also to the residents of Fish-Man Island.

With the advent of the Great Pirate, a large number of slave traders or passing pirates came to Fish-Man Island and carried out large-scale kidnapping and plundering of the Fish-Man Race and Merfolk on the island. Since young female Mermaids could be sold for exorbitant prices in human human trafficking markets, it was common for human pirates who came to the island to kidnap Mermaids.

Even though Fish-Man Island's defenses have been strengthened and it is under the protection of the Whitebeard Pirates, this kind of thing still happens.

Therefore, the island's inhabitants generally have a negative impression of humans, and hatred towards humans is the prevailing sentiment on Fish-Man Island, which has endured much suffering.

Unlike in the future, the Four Emperors - Shichibukai -Navy structure brought about a long period of stability.

Furthermore, the Celestial Dragons infected by Otohime spoke up for Fish-Man Island, leading to a significant reduction in slave traders. Jinbe to become Shichibukai further enhanced Fish-Man Island's deterrent power.

Due to a variety of factors, Fish-Man Island was truly peaceful back then, and it is far from being so now.

The Night Pirates numbered over 1,600, most of whom were housed elsewhere. Only the core members of the Night Pirates, along with Teach, were entertained by King Neptune of Fish-Man Island in the underwater Dragon Palace.

Such a large banquet is undoubtedly a huge expense, and the Undersea Dragon Palace began preparations well in advance, even inviting famous chefs from all over Fish-Man Island to prepare delicious food for the members of the Night Pirates.

For the wealthy and powerful Fish-Man Island, this is all worthwhile.

"Mr. Teach, we will do our best to help if needed." Neptune raised his glass to Teach, but his relationship with Teach wasn't that close, so he didn't dare to call him by his first name like he did with Whitebeard.

Whitebeard valued gratitude highly. Back when Neptune was still a king, he had done Whitebeard a great favor, forging a deep friendship between them.

The Night Pirates are not short of money either. Neptune doesn't think there's anything on Fish-Man Island that Teach would want. If Teach really wants treasure, he won't refuse. He's a dangerous factor. Even if he hasn't shown any malice yet, just knowing that he's staying on Fish-Man Island is extremely dangerous.

I've already learned what I wanted to ask Shyarly, and for the time being, it seems the Night Pirates have no intention of capturing Shyarly.

"I do have a question for you, King Neptune," Teach, savoring the wine from Fish-Man Island before turning to Neptune.

Neptune paused slightly, as if there was something Teach wanted to know, but he quickly realized what was going on and waved his hands to both sides, "You may leave now."

"But, Your Majesty." The minister beside him glanced at the Night Pirates, very worried that something might happen if only the King and Queen were left there.

"Don't worry, step back first," Neptune said. If the Night Pirates really wanted to make a move, they would have no chance to resist. Although the Whitebeard Pirates were behind Fish-Man Island, the Whitebeard Pirates were currently engaged in a major battle with the Navy, and he didn't want to cause Whitebeard Pirates any trouble.

Although he knew Whitebeard, the Whitebeard Pirates would certainly not refuse.

Seeing Neptune's state, the ministers and guards around him all left the palace one by one.

They were aware of Neptune's thoughts, but as the king of Fish-Man Island, Neptune's safety was of utmost importance, especially since there was no stable successor yet. They dared not imagine what Fish-Man Island would become if something happened to him.

"What would you like to know?" Neptune asked Teach, maintaining his royal composure, especially since he and his queen were the only ones present.

Currently, despite Otohime's influence, as the king of Fish-Man Island, he is actually quite hostile towards humans.

Only after Otohime's death will he inherit Otohime will, become the link between humans and Fish-Man Island, and fulfill Otohime's dream.

"There should be a red Poneglyph on Fish-Man Island, right? Where is it now? Or rather, who took it? Roger, or Whitebeard?" Teach narrowed his eyes, slowly raised his head, and looked into Neptune's eyes.

Neptune and Otohime's expressions changed; they hadn't expected Teach to know such a secret.

Then, they remembered something: Roger had learned about Sea King from Sky Island and came to Fish-Man Island to find them. The Night Pirates had also been to Sky Island, and perhaps they had also learned something from Sky Island.

However, the Night Pirates did not know if there was anyone who could decipher the Poneglyph.

However, the Night Pirates clearly knew about the existence of the Road Poneglyph, not just ordinary Poneglyph.

Ignoring their opinions, the Little Mermaid is nowhere to be seen yet.

Seeing their somewhat hesitant expressions, it seemed they didn't want to reveal anything.

With just a little deduction, it became clear that Whitebeard had taken the Road Poneglyph.

If it were Roger, he could have just said so directly. Anyway, they don't know where the Roger Pirates are located, and the Roger Pirates have long since disbanded, with everyone going their separate ways.

The only possibility is Whitebeard. Whitebeard's immense power also makes him the gatekeeper of Laugh Tale. Roger and Whitebeard had a relationship that was both adversarial and friendly.

In Wano Country before the Great Pirate Era began, under the beautiful cherry blossoms, Roger and Whitebeard discussed something, perhaps entrusting something to each other, which may have been told to Whitebeard.

Neptune learned of the Road Sign Stone's purpose from Roger Pirates. He knew that if others found out, it could bring a huge disaster to Fish-Man Island, so it was only natural for him to give it to Whitebeard, as only Whitebeard had the power to protect it.

"I understand," Teach said, shaking her head slightly, not minding at all.

Seeing that Teach didn't dwell on the issue, the Neptune breathed a sigh of relief; it had put too much pressure on them.

"It shouldn't be a problem for our Night Pirates to recruit some Fish-Man on Fish-Man Island, right?" Teach asked them again.

Upon hearing Teach's request, Otohime's eyes lit up, but Neptune frowned, though not in a way of refusing.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Teach, but we certainly won't refuse this request," Neptune said. After all, there are many Fish-Man who become pirates, and quite a few of them sail the high seas.

"However, you should know that Fish-Man have a slight aversion to humans, which may prevent them from meeting your requirements," Neptune said rather tactfully. It was more than just aversion; while mermaids were alright, some Fish-Man were extremely racist and deeply hated humans, wielding considerable influence in Fish-Man District.

"That's no problem. With the Night Pirates' flag in hand, people will naturally join. Besides, aren't you Fish-Man and mermaids extremely eager for land? This is an opportunity for you." Teach said with a faint smile, which was very appealing to Neptune and Otohime. "Once we arrive in the New World, I will occupy a large territory, where Fish-Man will naturally have a place to live."

Teach was quite confident in the appeal of the Night Pirates. Besides, the worship of the strong is a natural instinct for all living beings, and Fish-Man are no exception.

Teach needs Fish-Man warriors, especially at sea, where Fish-Man often demonstrate amazing abilities and possess an absolute advantage.

Having such an army would make them invincible in naval warfare. Of course, that's impossible now, but as time goes by, it will surely attract more and more Fish-Man, and even mermaids.

Hearing Teach's words, Neptune was relieved. He wouldn't refuse the request and even offered some support. After all, Fish-Man District was a chaotic and marginal place on Fish-Man Island, and Neptune found some of the Fish-Man there very troublesome. If he could send them away, it would undoubtedly make things much easier for him.

This would also fulfill his wife's wish to have space to survive on land. If such a cooperation could be achieved, it might actually be possible.

However, it still depends on the survival of these Fish-Man; he must consider the entire species.

Neptune exchanged a glance with Otohime beside him. He could see the joy in his wife's eyes. He nodded and then looked at Teach. "I agree to your request. The Undersea Palace will provide you with some assistance. However, I hope you will treat the Fish-Man who join you well." Neptune lowered his head slightly. As a king, he was undoubtedly devoted to his people.

"Of course, I need more than just cannon fodder." Teach smiled, picked up his glass, and took a sip.

The banquet ended quickly.

The next day, the Night Pirates announced on Fish-Man Island that they were recruiting Fish-Man Race members.

The news quickly spread throughout Fish-Man Island, as such a dominant pirate crew was of great interest to almost all the Fish-Man.

As Teach predicted, the Night Pirates were very attractive to some Fish-Man, after all, this race worships the strong and yearns to become stronger.

Having endured the calamities of the Great Pirate Era, many Fish-Man yearn to become stronger, and the renowned Night Pirates are undoubtedly an excellent choice.

They might have had this idea all along, but they were worried that the Night Pirates wouldn't accept it, especially given the conflict between humans and Fish-Man Island.

Now that the Night Pirates have already opened their doors, why should they refuse? Some Fish-Man who also wanted to go to the sea have joined them.

Moreover, with Mog Radon present, the Night Pirates now have a Fish-Man Race member, which undoubtedly brings them closer together. For example, the Whitebeard Pirates also have many Fish-Man Race members, including a division commander.

With the help of the underwater palace, they promoted the Night Pirates in a positive light.

This is just the first step. The gap between humans and Fish-Man Island is still very deep. Although many people want to join the Night Pirates, most are still observing or dare not take this first step.

This first step is extremely difficult; everything is difficult at the beginning. Once you've taken this first step, things will undoubtedly become much easier afterward.

The underwater palace was dedicated and responsible, not only helping them realize their dream of land, but also bridging the gap between Fish-Man Island and the Night Pirates, since they had no conflict of interest.

The network of relationships with the mainland is extremely important, since currently the only connection between Fish-Man Island and the mainland is the Whitebeard Pirates.

They knew that reaching the surface of the sea was impossible without naval power.

They desperately wanted the powers and nations on the sea to hear their voices; they were very willing to cooperate, but all their efforts were ignored.

To the nations on the sea, they were nothing but an inferior race, worthy only of being their slaves, so why would they agree to their demands?

To this day, Fish-Man Island is not even Affiliated Nation of the World Government.

In just three days, the Night Pirates gained over five hundred more members, more than five hundred Fish-Man. Although this was a large number, it was still insignificant compared to the millions of Fish-Man Island.

The arrangement for these new crew members is naturally to stay on the ship. With more than 500 additional crew members, it's still possible for some to sleep on the deck by squeezing in a bit.

This is basically the limit that the Night Pirates can accommodate. It's not that they don't want to build two new ships, but living together on the same ship allows the crew members to be closer.

After all, nearly a thousand members of the Night Pirates are newcomers. Apart from the newly recruited Fish-Man, the rest are all members from the Sabaody Archipelago. The older members are fine, as they are mostly from the four seas and are curious about Fish-Man without any discrimination.

However, it's hard to say about the crew members from the Sabaody Archipelago; time will heal all wounds.

As long as you spend more time together, you'll become familiar with each other, and any barriers will gradually dissipate. After a battle or two, bonds and friendships will be forged.

Besides, with Teach and his group's overwhelming strength suppressing them, what problems could possibly arise? Even if they had such thoughts, they wouldn't dare to show them.

Moreover, there are so many Fish-Man; their power is not weak.

After spending four days on Fish-Man Island, the Dark Night Pirates were about to leave, and King Neptune personally saw Fish-Man Island off.

Thanks to Neptune's cooperation, the Night Pirates maintained a good relationship with the Undersea Palace over the past four days. The Night Pirates not only acquired some deep-sea specialties from Fish-Man Island, but also received a batch of treasures as a gift from the Undersea Palace.

They probably knew that the Night Pirates liked to collect Devil Fruit, including one of Devil Fruit.

Although it was just an ordinary Zoan Devil Fruit, the Toad-Toad Fruit, it was enough to express their feelings.

"Ready to set off for the New World!"

The Night Pirates left Fish-Man Island just like that.

The news that they were about to arrive in the New World was also learned by many people, and within a short period of time, everyone knew about it.

Fish-Man Island also has images, which are transmitted to the whole world via Transponder Snail), faster than newspapers.