Touring Ryugu Palace

Outside the alleyway, the Fish-Man and mermaid civilians who had survived the ordeal did not leave.

They stood there, gazing into the distance at the terrifying thorn forest, at the pirates who had been hunting them down not long ago, now hanging in mid-air in the most miserable way, their eyes filled with complex emotions.

The rescued mermaid woman knelt at the front of the crowd, holding her baby. Her husband had his arm around her shoulder. Their wounds were still unbandaged, yet they refused to leave.

The young Fish-Man planted their harpoons in the ground and silently bowed their heads toward the forest, expressing their reverence and gratitude in the simplest way.

"It was that lord..." someone whispered from the crowd, their voice trembling slightly, "It was that lord from the Uchiha who saved us."

No one questioned this statement.

They witnessed the boy emerge from the alleyway—his robes were spotless, and his expression was as calm as if he had simply gone for a walk.

It was that tranquility that instilled a sense of awe in them from the bottom of their hearts.

This is no ordinary passing knight-errant; he is the new protector of Fish-Man Island, the true master of this deep sea.

After returning to the Ryugu Palace, Natsu did not go straight back to the banquet hall.

He stopped on a viewing platform Ryugu Palace, with the silent ocean currents churning beneath his feet and the sunlight streaming through the sea above him.

His Mangekyō Sharingan slowly rotated, and his hands formed a simple hand seal in front of him.

Wood Release: Wood Release: Wood Clone Technique

Dozens of Wood Clone, identical to himself, silently materialized behind him.

Natsu didn't turn around, but merely tilted her chin slightly towards the port, her tone as calm as if she were instructing a servant to clear fallen leaves from the courtyard. "One month. All unregistered pirates who enter Fish-Man Island, wipe them all out. No matter the bounty, no matter who's behind them, leave no one alive."

Dozens of figures vanished from their spot at the same time, scattering in all directions of Fish-Man Island.

There were no unnecessary questions, no need for further explanation—they were simply extensions of his will.

For the next thirty days, Fish-Man Island will become a hunting ground where one can only enter and not leave.

Any pirate who sets foot in this sea will not be greeted by the guards of the Ryugu Palace or the patrol teams of the Earthly Chief Guard, but by the killing formation personally set up by Uchiha Natsu.

He wanted to use the corpses of these filthy pirates to tell the entire sea— Fish-Man Island had a new master.

Natsu withdrew her hand Hand Seals and turned to walk towards the banquet hall.

As they passed the corner of the observation deck, the Night Owl Guard standing guard there bowed in salute.

Natsu didn't stop walking, but casually instructed, "Tell Neptune to have Fukaboshi and the others clean up the bodies in the port warehouse area tonight."

Any new arrivals in the next month will be handled in the same way.

Furthermore, starting tomorrow, all merchant ships and pirate ships entering or leaving Fish-Man Island must register with the Ryugu Palace. Any unregistered armed vessels will be considered illegal intruders.

The Night Owl Guard responded in a low voice.

Natsu pushed open the side door of the banquet hall, and Quan was holding a plate of newly served desserts, hesitating whether to try them.

When she saw Natsu return, her eyes lit up, and she waved to him.

Natsu nodded slightly, sat down next to her, picked up her chopsticks, placed a piece of roasted sea monster meat on her plate, and said in a normal tone, "That one is too sweet, eat this first."

Quan puffed out his cheeks, but still obediently pushed the dessert plate aside.

The banquet continued.

The musicians began playing melodious court tunes again, and mermaid dancers twirled and leaped in the central pool.

Seeing that Natsu's expression was normal, Neptune finally felt relieved and picked up his wine glass again to talk quietly with the three princes.

Only Izumi noticed that when Natsu served her food, there was still a very faint trace of the lingering warmth of Wood Release Chakra on the tips of her ring and little fingers.

She didn't ask anything, but simply put her portion of roasted sea monster meat back into his bowl.

Natsu turned her head to look at her, and she smiled, "You probably didn't eat properly when you went out just now."

He didn't deny it and silently ate the meat.

After the banquet, Neptune personally led the way, taking Natsu and Quan on a tour of the Ryugu Palace.

The merman king removed his formal attire from the banquet and changed into a lighter robe, but the respect and gratitude in his eyes remained undiminished.

His massive body swam slowly ahead, casting a shadow that enveloped the entire coral corridor. He took each step with extreme caution, as if afraid that the currents stirred up by his tail fin might disturb the two distinguished guests behind him.

They first passed through the Coral Corridor of Mermaid Bay.

This long corridor is woven from corals that have grown naturally over hundreds of years. Above the dome is a transparent bubble barrier that isolates the seawater from the air, yet allows the deep-sea sunlight to pour down without reservation.

Quan tilted his head back, watching countless colorful tropical fish swim overhead, their scales shimmering like flowing jewels in the beam of light.

Neptune slowed down, pointing to the various shapes and sizes of corals on both sides of the corridor, and introducing their age and species one by one.

There is a towering crimson coral, said to have existed since the founding of the Ryugu Palace, over a thousand years ago.

Quan reached out and gently touched a small sea anemone on the edge of the coral. The anemone shyly retracted its tentacles, making her chuckle softly.

Natsu followed a few steps behind with her hands behind her back, watching her squat in front of the sea anemone, tilting her head curiously to examine it. The corners of her mouth turned up slightly for a moment, but then she returned to her usual calm demeanor.

After leaving the Coral Corridor, Neptune led the two through the main plaza of the Ryugu Palace.

In the center of the square stands a colossal statue of the sea god, holding a trident and looking down majestically over the entire Ryugu Palace.

Neptune paused in front of the statue and explained to Natsu that it was the guardian deity of Fish-Man Island, who had protected the deep sea from sea monsters for hundreds of years.

Natsu looked up at the statue, nodded, and said nothing more.

Quan respectfully clasped his hands together and bowed, then tugged at Natsu's sleeve and said, "You bow too."

Looking at Quan's earnest and expectant expression, Natsu sighed silently, clasped her hands together, and bowed her head slightly.

Quan smiled with satisfaction.

Finally, Neptune led the two to the observation deck at the highest point of the Ryugu Palace.

This is the most expansive view on the entire Fish-Man Island, with endless ocean currents surging in the abyss below and sunlight piercing through the seawater from ten thousand meters above.

Quan stood at the edge of the viewing platform, her long hair, billowing in the ocean current, cascading down her back like a waterfall, with two hair ribbons, one deep blue and the other dark gold, standing out prominently in the dim light.

She turned around and reached out her hand to Natsu. Natsu paused for a moment, then stepped forward and took her hand, standing side by side with her at the highest point of this deep sea.