[~1300 Words]
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As legend dictated, only Poseidon—one of the three great "Ancient Weapons"—held dominion over the mighty Sea Kings.
Amongst these revered beings, Poseidon claimed the formidable Sea King of this epoch, his cherished youngest daughter, Princess Shirahoshi.
Now, a mermaid dared to say that a mere human possessed the audacity and capability to command Sea Kings, delivering them directly to Fish-Man Island?
This revelation was not something King Neptune, Poseidon himself, could overlook.
His demeanor shifted to seriousness, and with a commanding voice, he barked, "Summon all the patrolling members currently on duty!"
"Yes, King Neptune!" echoed the chorus of the assembled Sea King Army on either side of him.
Hurriedly, two members broke their formation, leaving the grand hall to fulfill Neptune's decree.
Moments later, the entire Sea King security patrol gathered from beneath the pressure monitoring areas, filling the expansive chamber with their imposing presence.
"Who reported this news?" queried the Left Minister, his voice steely with anticipation.
The Fish Mermaid and the other Mermaid darted forward simultaneously, their voices interweaving in confirmation. "It was us..."
"You truly witnessed a human wielding control over the Sea Kings and guiding them to Fish-Man Island?" Neptune pressed, maintaining steady eye contact with the mermaids, invoking an eerie sense of authority.
"Your Majesty, it's true, we swear upon our lives," they affirmed collectively. "We took photographs before arriving here. The images cannot be faked..."
"Photographs?" Neptune exclaimed, a jolt of realization coursing through him. Turning to the Left Minister, he demanded, "What's going on here?"
Furrowing his brow in contemplation, the minister pondered a few moments and softly muttered, "I remember now. I can't believe my memory is so bad. The photos should still be at my workplace..."
Neptune's mind reeled with disbelief as endless thoughts churning within him summoned an army of black lines. He promptly gestured, instructing the mermaids to retrieve the items from the minister's office.
The proximity of the Left Minister's workspace allowed the Sea King patrol to swiftly return with the requested photographs. Concurrently, the Right Minister also came with them.
Neptune sifted through a stack of images, halting abruptly at an evocative visual of James. "This… this human is none other than 'Divine Lightning Emperor' James!" he exclaimed, his voice echoing through the chamber.
"'Divine Lightning Emperor' James!?" The Right Minister uttered in astonishment. Cocking his seahorse tail, he elaborated, "How did he reach the waters of Fish-Man Island? Could he be en route toward the perilous New World?"
"A bounty of 300 million Berries... such a figure speaks volumes," the Left Minister reflected.
"In these modern times, it's indeed uncommon. In recent years, the only one with a bounty over 100 million to come to Fish-Man Island was the second division commander of the Whitebeard Pirates, Portgas D. Ace, wasn't it?"
This was not yet the era of inflation several years later; a bounty of 300 million Berries was already an extremely high standard for people.
Neptune's features darkened as the gravity of the situation dawned upon him.
Should James prove to be a rogue entity, bent on wreaking havoc upon Fish-Man Island, resisting him would prove near impossible.
"Where is Captain Jinbe situated at present? When will he return to Fish-Man Island?" Neptune inquired, his tone tinged with urgency.
"Agreed, Your Majesty. Captain Jinbe should be back tonight or early tomorrow morning."
Comfort restored, Neptune exhaled a deep breath. Confident that despite unforeseen circumstances, James wouldn't obliterate the five million souls inhabiting Fish-Man Island alone.
A pause.
The significance of James, capable of commanding Sea Kings, weighed heavily on his mind. Without discerning the underlying reasons, neither rest nor appeasement would come his way.
Postponing judgment until understanding seeped in seemed prudent.
"Pass down the order: have Prince Fukaboshi, Prince Ryuboshi, and Prince Manboshi come to see me immediately."
"Yes, Sire!" echoed the Sea King soldiers in unison.
A moment later, Prince Fukaboshi, Prince Ryuboshi, and Prince Manboshi stood respectfully to the side, awaiting Neptune's instructions.
The Sea King Army had already retrieved James's bounty poster and submitted it to Neptune.
"Prince Fukaboshi, Prince Ryuboshi, Prince Manboshi, you will take the bounty poster and search for 'Divine Lightning Emperor' James, inviting him to Ryugu Palace as a guest."
"Remember, absolutely do not conflict with him. You must invite him with a humble and friendly attitude."
"He is a Rumble-Rumble Devil Fruit user, possessing power like a natural disaster. Once he decides to destroy Fish-Man Island, and with Jinbe absent, we will find it difficult to resist. He is not someone we can afford to provoke.
"Yes, Father!" echoed the unanimous voices of the three princes as they accepted the charge.
After the three princes respectfully accepted the order, they immediately left Ryugu Palace. The three mermaids, accompanied by the Sea King Army, rode in a phoenix-tailed carriage, searching for James's whereabouts in a carpet-like fashion.
——————-
Elsewhere, in the crystalline depths of the Ryugu Kingdom, nestled the Mermaid Cove—a sprawling sanctuary where countless mermaids congregated and fostered dreams of their admirers.
The azure waters served as a mural for the magnificent mermaid maidens gracefully gliding amidst the aquatic wonders. Ingeniously arranged coral reefs painted vibrant hues across the landscape; mermaids maneuvered seamlessly amongst the memorizing shapes.
James hung suspended in midair, in awe of their elegance—he listened to their enchanting melodies.
Reflected sunlight filtered through dual-resilient bubble shields spotlighting the mermaids' fish tails, enhancing their allure.
Observing the troupe, James inwardly sighed:
Hadn't Fish-Man Island dawned on him through an elegant start? Why then had fate led him to Fish-Man District? It forced him to expend energy purging enemies with lightnings.
To be honest, he loved mermaids too much, especially the adorable Shirahoshi. In his opinion, Shirahoshi was the female character in One Piece who moved him the most (mainly her stunning face, huge bouncy chest, and the pink and red fish tail were huge bonuses).
Gathering thoughts, James reflected: There isn't a single human in Mermaid Cove. Would going down to talk to a mermaid cause a sensation?
He moved lightning fast, flashing into Mermaid Cove in an instant, and casually found a beautiful mermaid to greet.
"This maiden?"
"Huh?" Lulis startled, lifting her goggles and respirator, instinctively turning towards the sound. "Human?"
"Eh! How did you get here?" Her face was full of surprise, her orange-red curly hair and fish tail shimmered, catching the eye. She seemed to be a Glass Cardinalfish mermaid.
"Look, we have a visitor—there's actually a human!"
"Could he be an orphaned soul? I wish to comfort him..."
"It's my first time seeing a human. Can he have babies?"
The mermaids were whispering, speaking bold words, yet they shyly avoided James's gaze and didn't crowd around him.
James twitched his lips. It seemed these mermaids were very curious about outsiders. His expression unchanged, he continued to ask the mermaid maiden next to him.
"Mermaid maiden, do you know where the Mermaid Cafe is?"
"Mermaid Cafe?" Lulis eyed James strangely, then responded sweetly, "It's in Coral Hill. I'm a waitress there. Do you want to go there to eat?"
"Oh? What a coincidence~" James was delighted. Could it be that his luck had changed after leaving the Fish-Man District?
"That's right, Mermaid Cafe should be the most popular place on Fish-Man Island. I've wanted to go there for a long time. Can you take me?"
[Lulis Image]
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