Behind them, hundreds upon thousands of fish-man guards and civilian onlookers were whispering among themselves.
"Is that the ship of that 'Sett' Lorne?"
"I heard he cuts down pirates like grass. He slaughtered thousands of pirates all by himself on Sin Island!"
"Oh my god, why has he come to our Fish-Man Island?"
"Is he going to attack us?"
"Shh!"
"Keep your voice down!"
"If he hears you, we're all dead!"
Panic spread rapidly through the crowd, and the once-bustling port fell utterly silent in that instant.
"Father, I heard Whitebeard mention this man before."
Fukaboshi drew a deep breath, trying to calm himself.
"Pops said this young man named Lorne has monstrous recovery and terrifying strength. He's someone we absolutely must not provoke."
"Even Whitebeard said that?"
Neptune's expression grew even uglier.
"Then we must be all the more careful in dealing with him."
"Let's hope he's just passing through and doesn't cause any trouble on the island."
"Look, the ship's docking!"
Ryuboshi gave a low cry.
The Fearless's massive steel hull slowly drew alongside the pier, its enormous shadow completely covering part of the port.
The oppressive presence of that steel behemoth made every fish-man there hold their breath.
The Fearless settled firmly beside the port, and its enormous iron anchor crashed into the water with a boom, sending up a huge spray.
Creak-
The gangplank slowly lowered and struck the stone pier.
Lorne was the first to walk down the gangplank. He wore a simple black sleeveless shirt, his black hair stirring slightly in the sea breeze. The pair of beast ears on his head twitched occasionally, picking up the sounds around him.
Kuina, Ryan, Bakel, and fifty elite Marines followed close behind, each with a hand on their weapon and a solemn expression.
As Neptune watched