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

However, in the midst of this tense atmosphere, Gern suddenly burst into laughter.

Far from being angry, he let Little White Star's finger curiously poke his cheek again (his head shook once more), and then said in a relaxed tone:

"It's alright, Your Majesty Neptune, Queen Otohime."

It's just a child's curiosity.

He looked at Shirahoshi, who was still a little scared but blinked her big eyes at his reaction, and said with a smile, "A very cute little princess."

Hearing Gern's praise, and sensing that he truly showed no sign of anger...

Neptune and Otohime finally breathed a long sigh of relief, their hearts finally at ease.

Neptune smiled again, even with a hint of pride: "I'm sorry to have made you laugh, this child is just too shy."

Little White Star seemed to understand that she hadn't been blamed, and shyly withdrew her finger, covering her burning face with her hands.

But the look in his eyes as he peered at Gern through his fingers had lessened the fear and increased the affection.

Mihawk, standing to the side, witnessed everything, his expression remaining unchanged.

His gaze swept briefly between Gern's head, which was being poked around, and Little White Star.

He seemed to feel that the scene was... a bit beyond his understanding of a "naval admiral".

If this girl dared to poke him like that, well, he, Jorah Mihawk, would... get out of the way!

I would never do something that would ruin my image in front of others!

“Alright, don’t stand here anymore,” Neptune greeted warmly.

"The banquet is ready, General Gern, Mr. Mihawk, please allow us to fulfill our duties as hosts!"

Chapter 290 Neptune, the Master of Imagination

Led enthusiastically by King Neptune and Queen Otohime, the group headed toward the incredibly luxurious banquet hall.

Throughout the journey, Neptune spoke with Guern, his tone filled with emotion and gratitude.

"General Gern, speaking of which, I truly have to admire your foresight back then." Neptune's voice was loud and clear, filled with sincere admiration.

"When you left Fishman Island, you foresaw the chaos that the Great Pirate Era would bring to this ocean."

Although I was worried at the time, I never imagined it would be so intense!

He sighed and recalled, "Roger... those words from that man on the execution platform were like opening Pandora's box."

Countless pirates, driven by ambition and greed, surged toward the Grand Line like a tidal wave, with Fishman Island being the first to be hit as a necessary stop along the way.

During that period, the army of Dragon Palace was exhausted. Although Tiger's powerful strength was a deterrent, it was impossible to defend against him!

The island's inhabitants lived in constant fear; the abduction of mermaids was a recurring problem, a true nightmare.

At this point, Neptune's tone became emotional, and he looked at Guern, his eyes filled with gratitude: "But thankfully! Thankfully, when you left back then, you defied everyone's objections and made me stay with the flag!"

When the crazed pirates flooded into the port and saw the flag symbolizing 'Skyquake'...

You didn't see the look on their faces when they learned that this sea area was under your protection!

Neptune mimicked the pirates' terrified expressions: "Fear! Yes, pure fear! Your reputation, your pursuit of Roger, even..."

The story of their unwavering courage, even when facing the pinnacle of the world, has already spread throughout the ocean!

Those who dared to cause trouble on Fishman Island were mostly terrified and ran away at the mere mention of your name.

You can either pay the fee and leave properly, or simply take a detour!

It was Tianzhen and your flag that brought this rare period of peace to Fishman Island!

As he spoke, he carefully observed Gern's expression.

The text deliberately avoids mentioning the more specific connection between the name "Roger" and Gern, emphasizing only its deterrent effect.

As a king, he knew his limits and would never provoke the living "naval legend" and de facto protector by using a dead "pirate king".

As Gren listened to Neptune's words, he wore a faint smile, neither boastful nor overly humble, and simply replied calmly, "Your Majesty flatters me."

The peace of Fishman Island is inseparable from your and Queen Otohime's governance, as well as the joint efforts of all soldiers and civilians.

My flag is, at best, just an extra layer of protection.

He behaved as always, as if he were still the same powerful yet not arrogant rear admiral from back then, which made Neptune and Otohime feel even more at ease.

However, just when Neptune thought everything would proceed in a harmonious and amicable atmosphere...

Inside the banquet hall, however, a scene unfolded that left all the nobles and guards of Fishman Island speechless.

The man who had always been silent, carrying a massive black sword, and known as the "World's Greatest Swordsman" was none other than Dracule Mihawk.

Before everyone was fully seated, and before the host, Neptune, had even uttered the polite phrase "Please sit down," he actually...

She took the lead and walked to the high-backed coral chair prepared for him, and sat down without any hesitation!

This is not over yet!

With fluid movements, he casually leaned the awe-inspiring Supreme Grade Sword "Night" back against the chair.

Then he leaned back, crossed his arms over his stomach, and then, to everyone's astonishment, he exposed his booted feet...

"Thud!" It was placed directly on the banquet table in front of them, which was covered with a gorgeous silk tablecloth and set with exquisite tableware and food!

Finally, he raised his hand and pulled the brim of his hat down slightly, covering most of his face, revealing only his sharply defined chin and tightly pursed lips.

He seemed to be saying, "I need to rest, don't bother me."

The entire banquet hall fell silent instantly.

All the attendants, palace maids, and even the three young princes and Queen Otohime were stunned, staring blankly at the "rude" behavior of this powerful human.

Meanwhile, on the other side, watching Mihawk's arrogant and disregard for others, it was clear that he was acting with extreme arrogance.

Neptune's smile froze completely, and the unease he had just begun to ease instantly surged to its peak.

They even "died"—in a psychological sense, of course.

Neptune's heart was in turmoil, and he shouted wildly, "I knew it! I knew it! Gern wouldn't suddenly come to Fishman Island for no reason!"

And he even brought the world's greatest swordsman with him! All that talk about stopping by, about reminiscing about old haunts—it's all just excuses!

"His expansionist actions in the New World have already proven his ambition! Now he's not satisfied with his territory and has his eye on my Fishman Island?!"

"This Hawkeye Mihawk gave me such a big shock right from the start!"

Their feet are practically on my banquet table! This is blatant provocation and a show of force! They completely disregard me, the king!

"Is the next step to force me to sign the transfer agreement? My whole family... is my whole family destined to end up on the streets?! Bai Xing is still so young..."

Neptune's massive body trembled slightly, his expression shifting, and his gaze toward Gern was filled with despair and a hint of barely perceptible grief.

He had already begun to rehearse in his mind the miserable scene of his family being driven out of the Dragon Palace, and him trembling in the Fishman Town with his little Shirohoshi in his arms.

Gern stood right next to Neptune, taking in the incredible, ever-changing expressions on his face.

One can even clearly feel the tragic aura of "my life is over" emanating from this fish-man king.

Guern's lips twitched subconsciously, speechless: "Hey, seriously? I just brought a loner along for a free meal, and you're already imagining a palace coup drama?"

Although he knew that Neptune, that old fox, had been subtly probing his attitude and purpose all along...

But is my reputation in the New World really that terrifying? Does it make me look like a tyrant who could swallow up the territory of his allies at any moment?

Gern felt helpless and sighed inwardly, realizing that sometimes being too powerful or having a "fierce" reputation is not a good thing, as it can easily lead to paranoia.

Thinking of this, Gern glanced irritably at the culprit—Hawkeye Mihawk, who was practically asleep in his chair.

"This show-off... I told him to tone it down a bit, and he just went for it."

"That's really something, they've scared the king half to death." Gern was both annoyed and amused.

Seeing that Neptune was about to scare himself unconscious, Guern felt that this farce could not continue any longer.

He cleared his throat, trying to break the tense atmosphere.

“Ahem,” Gern forced a smile (what he thought was kind) and extended his hand, very naturally…

He patted Neptune's stiff, massive arm (because his shoulder couldn't quite reach it).

“Hehe, Your Majesty, don’t worry about it.” Gern’s tone was relaxed, as if Mihawk had only done something insignificant.

“Mihawk... well, he has a rather unique personality and is used to doing things his own way. He didn’t mean any disrespect to Ryugu Castle.”

He just...felt relaxed here, like he was at home.

Gurn tried to justify his new colleague, although the reason sounded even more absurd.

After all, who would treat someone else's banquet hall like their own home and put their feet up on the table?

“Right, Mihawk?” Gern said, secretly kicking the sole of Hawkeye’s boot that was resting on the table with the toe of his foot.

Hawkeye's lips, hidden beneath his hat brim, seemed to twitch slightly, emitting a barely audible "hmm."

He didn't even bother to change his posture, as if he had tacitly accepted Gern's absurd explanation.

Neptune: "???"

Do you consider this your home?

Chapter 291 Some ideals can only remain ideals.

As expected, this subtly awkward banquet was eventually completed amidst King Neptune's continued internal monologues and forced smiles.

Moreover, during the meal, Mihawk was clearly extremely impatient with Neptune's complex gaze, which carried a hint of resentment.

After quickly eating a few bites of the exquisite seafood specialties from Fishman Island, he simply got up, saying, "I'm going for a walk."

Carrying the Black Blade Night on his back, he left Dragon Palace City alone, under the tense gazes of many fishman guards.

I plan to explore this unique deep-sea island all by myself.

He also wanted to see if there were any swordsmen here worthy of his attention.

With Hawkeye gone and the banquet over, the three princes and the still somewhat shy Little White Star were led away by their servants to rest.

The lively banquet hall quickly quieted down, leaving only Gern, Neptune, and Queen Otohime.

The waiters quietly cleared away the leftovers and served fragrant seaweed tea.

The atmosphere fell silent for a moment; after all, those in power don't offer words of comfort, only mutual interests…

"It should begin soon, an ideal that is both amazing and speechless..." Gen slowly picked up his teacup, blew on the steam, and looked calmly at Queen Otohime.

Sure enough, the next second, Queen Otohime placed her hands on her knees and took a slight breath.

A resolute and hopeful expression, exactly the same as it had been years ago, appeared on her beautiful, delicate face.

She looked at Gern with a smile, her voice gentle.

"General Gern, thank you very much for your protection of Fishman Island over the years."

It is because of your strength that the island's inhabitants are able to enjoy this rare period of peace.

This has also led more and more people to believe that not all humans are evil, and that peaceful coexistence is possible.

"It's alright, it was my decision back then," Gern said with an embarrassed smile.

"Something's wrong!!!" Otohime answered impatiently, her eyes brightening even more, almost with a pious light.

"Because... I think this is a fantastic opportunity!"

Fishman Island cannot rely on the protection of a single strongman forever.

What we truly need is formal recognition from the world government, the ability to stand openly in the sunlight and engage in equal dialogue with all nations of humanity!

“Otohime…” Neptune felt a little uneasy when he heard this, as he had never heard his wife mention this idea in detail before.

As originally planned by the couple, they hoped to use this opportunity to have Gern formally issue a declaration on Fishman Island.

This declares to the world that this deep-sea nation is now under the wing of "natural disasters".

After all, back then, Gern was just a major general, and simply leaving behind his flag was enough to intimidate all sides.

Moreover, this is someone like Gern, whose every word and action can now shake the ocean.

What could be more intimidating than a declaration made by him personally?