Pirate: I'm about to do something big!

Coral Hill, southeast of Fishman Island.

This is the harbor of Fishman Island, which is prosperous due to port trade. The most famous of these is Mermaid Coffee, a specialty of Fishman Island that is as famous as Fishman Karate.

Alyosha, who was visiting Fishman Island for the first time, naturally wouldn't miss the opportunity to try the mermaid coffee.

"Hello, could I have another Mermaid Coffee, triple espresso, please?"

At the Mermaid Cafe, Alyosha sat by the window, admiring the bustling Coral Hill.

Sitting opposite Alyosha was the Golden Emperor Tesoro, who had been freed from his shackles. Tesoro looked at Alyosha, who seemed to be a genuine tourist, and couldn't help but feel uneasy.

Ever since they arrested him in the North Sea and put him on a ship, they've brought him to Fishman Street to meet Tiger, then to the Dragon Palace on Fishman Island to meet the King, and now they've brought him to the Mermaid Cafe for coffee, without saying what they're going to do with him.

Tesoro felt very uncomfortable with the feeling that his life and death were in the hands of others.

"Mr. Tesoro, don't be so nervous. I have no intention of sending you to Impel Down at the moment, so please rest assured."

"What exactly is your purpose, Navy?"

"Simply put, I want Mr. Tezzolo to be my partner, just like Mr. Tiger. That's all."

"You, a navy officer, actually want a criminal, a slave trader, as your accomplice? What, do you want me to capture slaves for you?"

Hearing Alyosha utter such naive words, Tesoro was so angry that he laughed mockingly.

"There are other ways to make money besides being a slave trader. What I admire about you, Mr. Tezzolo, is your dedication to money. If possible, I would like to help you make money legally and reasonably, which is why I always carry this with me."

Alyosha pulled a small box from his pocket. When he opened the box, inside was the Devil Fruit that Tesoro had always dreamed of: the Gold-Gold Fruit.

This fruit was naturally a spoil of war from Alyosha's destruction of Doflamingo's auction. Including Diamante, a core executive he killed, Alyosha now has two unclaimed Devil Fruits, in addition to the executives he recruited from Doflamingo.

It's fair to say that Doflamingo, as one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, is now just a minor figure, barely able to maintain his own territory. As for attempts to seize power, he's willing but powerless.

When Tesoro saw the Golden Fruit that Alyosha had placed in front of him, his eyes widened, but reason prevailed over greed, preventing him from directly grabbing it.

"What exactly do you want me to do for you, or what ambitions do you, as a member of the Navy, have that you need me to help you achieve?"

"It's not ambition, it's a dream. Don't confuse the two, Mr. Tezzolo. But I won't force you, so please sit here with me patiently for a while. I'm waiting for Mr. Tiger's reply."

Alyosha closed the box and put it aside. Tesoro was about to say something when he was interrupted by the mermaid maid who walked over.

"Oh dear, this customer really enjoys coffee! Would you like a cup?"

"Because it's really delicious, Mr. Tezzolo, you'd like a glass too, it's on me."

"I want to drink."

"No problem, please wait a moment."

After the mermaid maid left, Alyosha sipped the mermaid coffee, a specialty of Fishman Island, and admired the beautiful mermaids in the mermaid café when he heard an argument outside.

The sound was very loud, and Alyosha could hear it clearly.

"Hey, you fish-man islanders, don't think you can bully us businessmen just because you have Whitebeard's protection! I said no boarding, and that's final! Do you want to provoke Mr. Umit?"

Umit? This name was not unfamiliar to Alyosha.

In addition to the officially recognized member states under the World Government's rule, there is also an underground world system that operates in violation of the World Government's laws.

They are in charge of six major areas: currency, entertainment, intelligence, assassins, warehousing, and transportation.

They are also known as the six emperors who rule the underworld.

Like the Golden Emperor Tesoro sitting in front of Alyosha, in the movie timeline, he started to make his fortune after obtaining the Gold-Gold Fruit and belonged to the Entertainment Emperor.

Some of these six underworld emperors made no attempt to conceal their businesses, while others maintained a constant air of mystery.

Because of its close ties with the World Government, the Navy generally turns a blind eye to its illegal transactions and even protects it.

The reason is simple: in addition to the World Government's funding, the Navy's annual budget also includes a portion from these six underworld emperors. The money is in their hands, and their private armed forces are quite formidable. How could the Navy possibly target them?

The guy named Umit who appeared during the argument was none other than Umit, the transport emperor who controlled maritime transport in the underworld.

Their business spanned the four seas and the Grand Line, monopolizing the entire underground transportation network and responsible for the transoceanic transport of arms, slaves, and various contraband.

Fishman Island serves as a transit point connecting the first half of the Grand Line and the second half of the New World, and is also a crucial link in the underground network of transoceanic transportation operated by Umit, the shipping empire.

"Looks like I can kill some time now, Mr. Tezzolo. Could you watch this box for me?"

"Aren't you afraid I'll eat you and run away?"

"Since I want Mr. Tezzolo to be my ally, I need to have the most basic trust in him. I'm counting on you, Mr. Tezzolo."

Alyosha said it, and he did it. He simply placed the box containing the Gold-Gold Fruit in front of Tesoro, letting Tesoro handle it himself, while he walked out of the Mermaid Cafe and headed towards the place where the argument had taken place.

The argument originated from a merchant ship bearing the name Umit. The ship's captain was blocking the Sea King's soldiers from Fishman Island from boarding at the boarding gate, intimidating them by invoking the name of his boss. Meanwhile, the armed personnel on the ship's own deck were also looking at the growing number of Sea King's soldiers with hostile expressions.

It seems that as long as the merchant ship captain gives the order, they would dare to open fire on Fishman Island.

When the other side invoked the name of Umit, the emperor of underground transportation, the Neptune soldiers looked troubled.

They were well aware of the significance of Umit, the emperor of underground transportation, and that Fishman Island, as a member state, did not enjoy the same treatment as other member states.

They pay the World Government every year without fail, yet as a member state, no navy is willing to be stationed there, and their official trade does not go through Fish-Man Island.

As a result, Fishman Island's trade with the outside world depends entirely on Umit, the transport emperor who controls the underworld.

If the other party hadn't gone through Fishman Island, the residents of Fishman Island wouldn't have such a comfortable life. Even Whitebeard, who protects Fishman Island, wouldn't have been able to cause trouble for Umit in this matter.

"Excuse me, could you tell me what's going on here?"

Alyosha stepped out from the crowd and, seeing a mermaid couple among the Sea King's soldiers, he roughly guessed the reason.

The slave trade, which has been repeatedly prohibited but continues to operate on the high seas, means that the fish-men and mermaids of Fish-Man Island are commodities with high prices but no market value in the slave market.

In addition, the World Government's rejection of Fishman Island means that even now, under the protection of the Whitebeard Pirates, many people still risk coming to Fishman Island to make a fortune.

"Hey! Where did you come from, daring to interfere in Mr. Umit's affairs?"

"Commodore Alyosha Ran, Headquarters of the Navy."

Alyosha pulled out his officer's ID from his pocket, immediately silencing the arrogant merchant captain.

The mermaid couple seemed to have found their anchor and quickly ran over.

"Sir Navy officer, we saw with our own eyes my child being taken onto this ship!"

"Is that so, Captain? If I remember correctly, Fishman Island is one of the member states recognized by the World Government. Trafficking citizens of member states is a violation of the World Government's laws. You'd better cooperate and accept the search by the soldiers here."

How did the Marines from Headquarters end up on Fishman Island?!

The merchant ship captain was taken aback when Alyosha pulled out his identification, but his eyes darted around, and he approached Alyosha and whispered, "Sir, may I speak with you in private?"

"Can."

Alyosha followed the merchant ship captain to the side, where the captain took out a gem from his pocket and handed it to Alyosha.

"Mr. Alyosha, please make an exception. These are all goods that Mr. Umit personally designated. If they go up and search them, it will be difficult to explain if they get them damaged."

"Is it alright if I go up and take a look?"

"Of course, if it's just Mr. Navy going up alone, no problem."

"Alright, I'll go up and check if your child is on the boat. I'll be down soon."

Alyosha discreetly pocketed the gem the other party had handed him, then turned back to the mermaid couple, who were desperately seeking any treatment, and followed the merchant ship captain aboard.

Just when the merchant ship captain thought he had gotten away with it, he saw Alyosha walk past him and head straight for a room on the ship, and his expression changed drastically.

The guards on the ship were about to make a move when they saw that things were not going well, but they were stunned by the aura released by Alyosha and could not move. They could only let Alyosha pass through them and come out of the room carrying an unconscious little mermaid.

Alyosha didn't even glance at the merchant ship captain before jumping off the ship and handing him over to her parents.

"Damn Navy, what are you doing? Have you forgotten that Mr. Umit's share is in your world's naval budget? We're the ones supporting you world's navies!"

The merchant ship's captain stood on the deck, shouting and cursing angrily, but saw Alyosha's still gentle smile.

"You've reminded me of something. Kidnapping citizens of a member state and trying to bribe a Marine Rear Admiral, especially on Fishman Island under the protection of the Whitebeard Pirates, it seems your Mr. Umit didn't tell you the rules of doing business on the high seas."

Alyosha recounted, word by word, the rules that the other party had violated.

Every word made the merchant ship captain break out in a cold sweat, especially when he heard Alyosha say that he was trafficking Fishman Island residents under the protection of the Whitebeard Pirates. Only then did he realize the seriousness of the matter.

One of the unspoken rules of the sea is that attacking or causing trouble on an island protected by a pirate crew can be considered a declaration of war.

Unless you have enough strength to prove you are not afraid of the other party's attacks, it is clear that Umit, who controls the underground transportation, does not have such strength. He did something stupid that caused trouble for his boss because he was blinded by greed.

"However, Whitebeard is a bit far away, and Fishman Island is a member state of the World Government, so I'll take care of it myself."

As he spoke, Alyosha raised his hand, clenched his fist, and began to generate bubbles in the air.

Fishman Karate: Thousand Shots of Water!

As Alyosha threw a punch, the bubbles shot towards the merchant ship like cannonballs, riddling it with holes. As for the casualties on board, that was not Alyosha's concern.

Alyosha turned around, looking at the Sea King soldiers around him who were stunned by his punch, and said helplessly, "Hey you guys, since you're being protected by Whitebeard, then make good use of that protection. Next time something like this happens, be tougher. You're soldiers of Fishman Island, you can't expect me, a Marine, and Whitebeard to protect your own people, can you?"

"Thank you very much for your help, Marine, but we can't keep asking the Whitebeard Pirates for help, and so many pirates and merchant ships come to Fishman Island every day..."

Listening to the naval soldiers' quiet explanations, Alyosha felt both annoyed and amused.

As soldiers of Fishman Island, they seemed completely unaware of the island's importance as a transit point to the New World and the first half of the Grand Line.

To put it bluntly, if Neptune were to spread the word today that Fishman Island would not do business with Umit, the underground transport tycoon, without Whitebeard even lifting a finger, Umit would have to bring his men over to apologize to Neptune that very night.

With its advantageous geographical location, Fishman Island can easily find suitable allies to fight against Umit if its royal family takes a tough stance and dares to challenge them.

Years of oppression have robbed the soldiers and residents of Fishman Island of their fighting spirit.

Alyosha couldn't say this to the Neptune soldiers in front of him. He could only ask them to keep an eye on the merchant ship that he had riddled with holes in, as he would have to take it back to Sabaody Archipelago to report back.

Just then, a commotion arose from the crowd behind them.

Fishman Tiger, with Jinbe and Arlong, walked through the crowd and met Alyosha's gaze.

From the looks in Tiger's and the other two's eyes, Alyosha understood that Tiger had made his decision.