The palace banquet continued, the music playing on as the mermaids danced gracefully.
At this point, Princess Otohime had completely shifted her attention to Zhong Hao. Perhaps this was her roundabout strategy—using Zhong Hao to influence his teacher, Garp.
She said, "Fish-Man Island lies secluded beneath the sea, with a population of only a little over five million. Most fish-men can only remain underwater their entire lives, never once seeing the sun above. They long for sunlight, so some secretly swim to the surface to glimpse the outside world. Those unlucky enough are caught by slave traders and sold as slaves."
The music stopped, and the dancing mermaids secretly wiped away their tears.
Otohime's eyes reddened as well. She continued, "Even if fish-men are forbidden from going to the surface, there are still pirates driven by greed who sneak into Fish-Man Island to capture and sell fish-men. Many of our people are trapped in captivity and suffer terribly under slavery. That is why Fisher Tiger caused such an uproar in Mary Geoise. Fish-Man Island may be implicated because of him, but we do not blame him. We even honor him as a hero of the fish-men."
Garp clenched his fists, which trembled slightly. The slave trade was certainly the sin of the powerful and privileged, but the Navy's indulgence was also part of the reason. Otohime's words were like a whip cracking fiercely across his heart.
Princess Otohime swept her gaze around the room, looking at every person present for a moment. She rose to her feet, clenched a fist before her chest, and declared passionately, "I have always had a dream. I dream of an island on the sea where fish-men can live. I dream of fish-men and humans living together in harmony. I dream of the slave trade