"Delicious, delicious, so delicious!!"
Luffy said this while stuffing snacks into his mouth, his face full of satisfaction.
This wasn't just happening to Luffy; Xia Chen, Usopp, and the others were also wolfing down their snacks.
I must say, the desserts from Fish-Man Island are indeed famous and have some merit; the taste is truly excellent!
No wonder the Big Mom in the original story loved the sweets from Fish-Man Island so much!
After some time, everyone lay on the ground, touching their bellies.
"Hiccup~"
"Thank you, Your Majesty! You truly are a kind mermaid!" Luffy said with a smile, looking at Neptune.
"Hahaha... I'm glad you're all full!" Neptune said with a laugh, but a bead of sweat couldn't help but trickle down his forehead.
Tons of pastries! And they were just gone like that! To be honest, it was a bit unbelievable to him.
Perhaps... this is the appetite of the strong? Ordinary mermaids like them can't quite understand it!
"You're all free to enjoy yourselves on the island. If needed, I can even send someone to be your guide, ensuring you have an unforgettable few days on our Fish-Man Island!"
"Really? Your Majesty! Luffy was right, you really are a good mermaid!" Usopp exclaimed in surprise.
Unexpectedly, Nami looked at Neptune and asked calmly, "Your Majesty, is there... something you want us to help you with?"
"Otherwise, you don't need to be so nice to us. Even if we are Jinbe's friends, it shouldn't be enough for a king like you to treat us like this, right?"
After saying that, Nami stared straight at Neptune, wanting to see what he would say.
Upon hearing this, Neptune remained silent for a moment before saying, "That's right! I do have a favor I'd like to ask for your help with, but of course, it's not a troublesome matter for you!"
"I simply wanted to use your pirate crew's name to protect this island!"
"Hmm? What do you mean?" Nami, a little curious.
"It's about planting your pirate crew's flag on this island to show the world that Fish-Man Island is under your protection!"
"Our Fish-Man Island was originally protected by a pirate crew, but since the captain of that crew recently passed away, so..."
After a pause, Neptune continued, "As you all know, Fish-Man Island is a necessary stop for almost every pirate crew heading to the New World, and among them are quite a few ruthless pirates!"
"Without a strong military deterrent, the order on Fish-Man Island will be disrupted, which will be a considerable problem for us!"
"There's no other way. Compared to those powerful pirates, we're still a bit weak, which is why we had to resort to this method!"
"Is the deceased pirate captain you mentioned Whitebeard?" Robin asked Neptune curiously.
"That's right! It's Pops Whitebeard!"
Neptune didn't answer; instead, Jinbe spoke up.
"Since Whitebeard 'Pops death some time ago, the Whitebeard Pirates' influence has diminished considerably. During this period, Four Emperors Big Mom and Kaido of the Beasts took the opportunity to seize many territories that previously belonged to the Whitebeard Pirates!"
" Fish-Man Island has also been affected by this. Recently, it's been noticeable that the pirates passing through here are not behaving properly. It's only because I've been on the island during this time that nothing out of control has happened!"
"But my reputation isn't enough to intimidate those pirates. If I'm ever absent, things could get really troublesome!"
"Etc!"
Luffy suddenly spoke up, interrupting everyone's conversation, and then looked at Jinbe.
" Whitebeard? Is he the old man from the Paramount War? The one who was Ace's Pops? When did he die?"
Then he turned his gaze to Robin and asked:
"Why do you know Robin?"
"It's not just Robin who knows, it's all of us!" Zoro said calmly.
"You were engrossed in fishing over there while I was reading the newspaper, so I didn't tell you!"
"Sogatari!" Luffy clapped his hands together, then looked at Neptune and said with a smile:
"Oh, no problem! Feel free to take it. Is one flag enough? If not, take a few more! Consider it payment for the snacks you gave us!"
Upon hearing this Neptune's face immediately lit up with excitement, and he looked at Luffy gratefully, saying:
"Thank you so much! This has finally resolved a major worry of mine!"
After exchanging pleasantries with Neptune for a while, the group prepared to leave the palace to explore the island and, incidentally, search for the Sex Fiend cook who had been missing for some time!
But Neptune then asked Xia Chen, "Mr. Xia Chen, may I speak with you alone?"
Hearing this, Xia Chen did not show any surprise. He had already realized that Neptune needed his help, and to emphasize, he needed it from him alone!
If it's simply a matter of asking their pirate crew to protect Fish-Man Island, there's absolutely no need to ask them for help. Just talk to Luffy, since Luffy is the captain after all!
Judging from Neptune's expression, it seems they're preparing to speak with him privately...
With this in mind, Xia Chen nodded slightly and stayed where he was instead of going out with the others.
Before long, only Neptune, the mermaid, and Xia Chen remained in the entire palace.
Xia Chen didn't beat around the bush and went straight to the point, asking Neptune, "Your Majesty, is there anything you want me to help you with?"
"That's right, it seems Lord Xia Chen saw through my thoughts long ago!" Neptune nodded.
"Tell me! What's all this secrecy about that requires you to send so many people away and talk to me alone?"
"..."
Neptune was silent for a moment, then asked, "I wonder if Lord Xia Chen has ever heard of the term ' the Void Century '?"
"Um?"
Xia Chen raised an eyebrow, then said casually, "I know a little bit! What, are you here to tell me about this?"
"Strictly speaking, yes, but I'm not telling you about the history of that time; I'm talking about the life of a human being who existed at that time!"
Upon hearing Neptune's words, a name instantly flashed through Xia Chen's mind. Looking at Neptune with curiosity, he asked:
" Joy Boy?"
"That's right, it's Joy Boy!" Neptune nodded instinctively, but then immediately realized what he meant, his eyes widening in shock as he asked, "How do you know Joy Boy?"
"What, you're allowed to know, but I'm not?" Xia Chen retorted.
(⊙o⊙)...
"That's not what I meant!" Neptune said hastily.
"Then I'd like to ask you another question, how much do you know about Joy Boy?"
"I don't know much about him, just some things, like the promise he made with the mermaid princess eight hundred years ago, and how you all protect Noah to wait for the one who will fulfill that promise!"
"Hmm? I didn't expect you to know all this. Well then, I'll tell you some things you don't know..." Neptune's face revealed a confident smile.
Upon hearing this, Xia Chen's face also showed a hint of interest.
He didn't know much about Joy Boy; the original work only mentioned him occasionally. Although a lot of things were revealed, Xia Chen really didn't know anything specific.
Therefore, Xia Chen had some thoughts on what Neptune said he definitely didn't know.
It feels like... it's getting more and more interesting!