The natural system started off strong, but the navy finally reached its peak!

Before long, the warship slowly docked at the dedicated port, where the guards of Ryugu Castle, who had received the news, were already waiting.

The leader was a tall, imposing oarfish mermaid, Neptune's second son, Star.

He recognized Gern, and his expression immediately became extremely respectful, even showing a hint of excitement.

"General Gern! Welcome back to Fishman Island!"

"My father, having learned of your arrival, has ordered a banquet to be prepared in the Dragon Palace. We earnestly request your presence!"

Chapter 288 The Weight of the Calamity Banner

"Oh?!" Upon hearing Huang Xing's words, Gern did not refuse this time, but instead laughed heartily.

"Neptune is still so hospitable? In that case, I can't refuse his hospitality, so I'll take the trouble to bother you."

His trip was somewhat ambiguous in its purpose, and he would rest upon returning to Fishman Island; after all, he wouldn't be short of time for a meal.

Moreover, he also wanted to see with his own eyes what changes had taken place on Fishman Island under the "protection" of his flag.

So Gern and Mihawk disembarked from the warship one after the other.

The simultaneous appearance of two world-class powerhouses at Fishman Island's port has a tremendous impact.

One was a young man clad in the righteous coat of a naval admiral, yet renowned for his formidable reputation.

Admiral Gern Reginald Sigmar, known by many names such as "White Scale," "Heavenly Tremor," and "Catastrophe," shook the New World.

The other is Djorko Mihawk, who carries the supreme grade sword "Yoru" on his back, has eyes as sharp as an eagle, and is known as the "world's greatest swordsman".

This combination instantly attracted all the attention in the port.

The beautiful mermaids hid behind the coral reefs, peeking out with a mixture of fear and curiosity, whispering about the prowess of the two powerful humans.

The robust merman warriors looked on with awe, especially when they looked at Gern, their eyes filled with gratitude and admiration.

His flag did indeed bring a rare moment of peace to Fishman Island.

Meanwhile, the pirates who had been trying to hide their identities among the crowd were terrified, their backs instantly soaked with cold sweat.

"Admiral 'Hakurin' of the Navy?! What's he doing here?!"

"And 'Hawkeye' Mihawk! How did they both end up together?!"

"Quick...quickly lower your head! Don't let anyone notice!"

"Damn it, wasn't it said there were only flags here? How come this scourge is here too..."

"Forget about catching mermaids! Let's get out of here! Set sail for the New World immediately! We can't stay in this godforsaken place for another second!"

Some pirate crews that originally harbored ill intentions and planned to replenish their supplies on Fishman Island and also do some of their "old business" have now completely extinguished all their evil thoughts.

Gern's fearsome reputation on the seas was built upon the bones of countless pirates.

Its deterrent power was even more direct and terrifying to these "newcomers" who had not yet entered the new world than the title of Emperor of the Sea.

After all, the pirate emperors might take you in, but Guern will only destroy you.

So, these pirates practically scrambled back to their ships and hastily set sail, wanting nothing more than to get away from this island under the watchful eye of "natural disaster" as quickly as possible.

Gern's Observation Haki naturally sensed the malice of those who were fleeing in panic, but he just curled his lip in disdain and ignored it.

These small fry aren't worth his personal attention.

Under the respectful guidance of the Ryugu Palace guards, Gern and Mihawk walked along the beautiful coral passage toward the Ryugu Palace located at the top of Fishman Island.

Along the way, the residents of Fishman Island stopped to pay their respects to Gern.

Just as they were about to reach the magnificent bubble gate of the Dragon Palace, a burly figure in blue was leading a patrol of soldiers.

He had wildly thick eyebrows and sideburns, enormous teeth in his lower jaw, a calm gaze, and an imposing presence.

It is none other than Jinbe, the current captain of the guards of Ryugu Palace.

Jinbe also noticed the commotion. When he saw that the person was Gern, his usually composed face immediately showed surprise and utmost respect.

He quickly stopped the patrol and stepped forward, solemnly bowing to Gern in the manner of a merman.

"Lord Gern! It's been a long time. Welcome back to Fishman Island!" Jinbe's voice was deep and respectful.

Gern looked at the blue fat man in front of him and smiled: "Yo, Jinbe, long time no see."

Looks like you're doing pretty well these days, becoming the captain of the Dragon Palace Guard.

Jinbe was deeply impressed by Guern.

After he left Fishman Island, Neptune defied public opinion and insisted on replacing the naval flag with the one representing his "Calamity," Gern.

At that time, there was a great deal of opposition within Fishman Island, especially among the radical faction in Fishman Street.

Even many people encouraged Fisher Tiger, who was highly respected at the time.

Hopefully, he can persuade the king to remove this "useless" human flag, which may even bring disaster.

However, in the years that followed, Gern's actions at sea proved the true value of this flag.

They tortured and killed Celestial Dragons, forcing the World Government to back down!

Arrest Gol D. Roger, the Pirate King! Known as a Marine Legend!

Later, under the name of "Shogunate", he defeated Aokiji, who was also an admiral, and then single-handedly intimidated the Emperor of the New World on behalf of the Navy!

They relied on a few people to hold off the Whitebeard Pirates, who were hailed as "the strongest man in the world," and even fought several battles with Whitebeard himself to a standstill.

Immediately following this was his promotion to the rank of General 'White Scale'.

They conquered a vast territory in the New World, becoming a recognized "Fifth Power" force that rivaled even the pirate "Emperors"!

His fearsome reputation and strength even made many great pirates tremble with fear!

All of this granted Fishman Island, the first place to fly the "Skyquake" flag, an unprecedented period of peace free from large-scale pirate raids.

Pirates who want to come to Fishman Island should first consider whether they can withstand the wrath of a Marine Admiral who could hunt down Roger and kill a Celestial Dragon.

Therefore, Jinbe and many other residents of Fishman Island felt genuine gratitude and respect for Guern.

This flag represents not dependence, but a powerful and effective deterrent.

"It's all thanks to His Majesty's trust and Lord Gern's prestigious reputation," Jinbe said modestly.

He then looked at Mihawk beside Gern, his eyes filled with a mixture of curiosity and wariness, "Who is this...?"

“Oh, let me introduce you,” Gern casually patted Hawkeye on the shoulder beside him, only to be coldly dodged by the latter.

"Djokovic Mihawk, my new colleague, and also the man who's doing part-time work as the world's greatest swordsman!"

Upon hearing this, Jinbe's pupils contracted slightly, and he quickly bowed again: "So it's Lord Mihawk, I've long admired your name!"

The title of the world's greatest swordsman also resounds throughout the sea.

Mihawk merely nodded slightly in response, his attitude remaining as indifferent as ever.

Gern was already used to this, smiled, and then turned to Jinbe and asked, "Speaking of which, Jinbe, where is Fisher Tiger?"

Knowing his personality, he shouldn't have avoided me if he knew I was coming.

When Gern asked about Tiger, a subtle, complex expression flashed across Jinbe's face.

"Lord Gern, Boss Tiger... is not on Fishman Island."

He had set sail again long ago, saying he wanted to see a wider world.

"Oh? Another sea adventure!" Upon hearing this, Gern's smile remained unchanged, and he nodded meaningfully: "That's just like him."

At the same time, he thought to himself: 'An adventure at sea? Ha, it seems Fisher Tiger is preparing to do something earth-shattering!'

Based on fragmented memories from his past life and timeline calculations, Gern was almost certain that the "Mary Geoise attack" that shocked the world...

And a larger-scale "emancipation movement" will likely occur next year!

Tiger's departure from the island this time is far more than a simple "adventure".

Chapter 289 Little White Star

Next, led by Jinbe, Guern and Mihawk walked through the corridor and officially entered the Dragon Palace.

Compared to when he brought Ribo and the other girl here, the Ryugu Palace is now significantly more spacious and magnificent.

Huge coral pillars support the high dome, adorned with various rare seashells and pearls, and soft light emanates from all directions, illuminating the entire hall in a magnificent way.

The seawater is cleverly guided to form a flowing decoration, in which colorful fish swim leisurely.

In the center of the hall, a group of people were already waiting.

King Neptune was enormous, wearing a crown and exuding an imposing aura, but at this moment he wore a warm smile.

Beside him stood Queen Otohime, who was relatively petite but possessed an elegant and noble air, her face still bearing a gentle and dignified smile.

Behind them, three princes—Shark Star, Emperor Star, and Overturned Star—were trying their best to appear as serious crown princes.

Of course, the most eye-catching one is the little mermaid princess, Shirahoshi, who is hiding behind them but cannot be completely hidden because of her enormous size.

At only a few years old, Shirahoshi already displayed a size far exceeding that of ordinary people. Her pink fishtail was softly curled up, and she had flowing, light pink hair.

As smooth as seaweed, her large, bright blue eyes resembled the purest ocean.

At this moment, she was secretly observing this unfamiliar guest, whom her father and mother treated with such solemnity, from behind her brothers, with obvious curiosity and shyness.

"General Gern, it's been a long time!" Neptune's booming voice echoed in the hall as he stepped forward to greet him, appearing very pleased.

“I never expected you to visit Fishman Island again. It’s truly an honor to have you here…” Neptune stopped mid-sentence, clearly forgetting his words, and stood there with his mouth agape.

"It's been a long time, General Gern." At this moment, Queen Otohime also bowed slightly and spoke gently on behalf of her husband: "This must be Mr. Mihawk, right? It is our honor to have you both here."

Seeing this, Gern didn't mind much and replied with a smile, "Your Majesty Neptune, Queen Otohime, I apologize for the intrusion."

His gaze swept over the Neptunes and finally landed on Little White Star, who was trying to hide himself, a hint of surprise and amusement flashing in his eyes.

Neptune, realizing what was happening, noticed that Gurn's gaze was fixed on his youngest daughter.

He was slightly taken aback at first, then suddenly realized what he had done and slapped his forehead hard: "Look at my memory!"

General Gern, this child wasn't even born when you last visited!

"Come, come, let me introduce you. This is my youngest daughter, Shirahoshi."

He turned to the side and softly called out to those behind him, "Bai Xing, come out quickly and greet General Gern."

Little White Star became even more shy when her father called her name. Her face flushed red, and she slowly and awkwardly moved out from behind her brothers.

She lowered her head, glancing timidly at Gern with her large, watery eyes, her voice barely a whisper: "You...hello...Gern...General..."

Gern looked at the enormous yet shy little mermaid in front of him and found it quite amusing.

He was about to say something when he saw Little White Star seem to have mustered up a great deal of courage and cautiously extend a slender, white...

But the index finger, still enormous for a human, gently and tentatively touched Gern's cheek with pure curiosity.

This was a game she often played with her brother; after all, they were still children and didn't have any other intentions.

Moreover, Shirahoshi's only playmates are these three older brothers, so she subconsciously acted this way...

However, due to the size difference, even though Shirahoshi was still a child, her fingers were quite heavy for the nearly three-meter-tall Guern.

The poke wasn't very forceful, but it still made Gern's head sway unconsciously with her fingertip.

In an instant, the atmosphere in the entire hall seemed to freeze!

Neptune and Otohime's faces instantly turned pale! The three princes held their breath!

They were all too aware of Gern's current status and prestige!

General "White Scale," the name of Tianzhen, a force of natural disasters.

That was a terrifying being who could rival Whitebeard in the New World, kill Celestial Dragons, and capture Roger!

At least on the high seas, Gern's fearsome reputation is enough to instill fear in any pirate!

Although Gern had shown goodwill towards Fishman Island many years ago, times have changed.

No one can guarantee whether this general, whose strength and power are now vastly different from before, will still retain the affable demeanor he had when he first landed on Fishman Island as a "major general".

What if Shirahoshi's "offensive" behavior angers the other party...?

"Shirahoshi! Don't be rude!" Neptune hurriedly scolded in a low voice, and Otohime also instinctively tried to pull her daughter's hand back.