King Neptune had long been waiting in the palace for Arima's arrival.
"Why hasn't he come yet? Did he forget?" Neptune began to grow anxious. Hours ago, he had already dispatched guards to escort Arima and his group to the palace.
The ministers on his left and right tried to calm him. "Your Majesty, please compose yourself. Such impatience is not befitting of a king."
"Hohohoho! You're right, my fault entirely. Still, they should've arrived by now!"
Just then, a guard rushed in to report, "Your Majesty, the welcoming party will reach the palace shortly."
"Hohohoho! What a coincidence! Come, everyone, let's go and greet our honored guests!"
Surrounded by ministers, guards, and his three sons, Neptune led the way out of the hall.
As soon as Arima and his companions stepped out of their vehicle, they saw Neptune and his family waiting outside the gates.
"King Neptune, thank you for your warm hospitality."
"Welcome to my palace, honored guests! Please, follow me."
Neptune walked ahead, guiding Arima and his companions into the reception hall.
Once everyone was seated, mermaid attendants brought out exquisite dishes and fine wine.
"These were prepared especially for you," Neptune said with a slight bow. "We merfolk never eat fish, so I hope the food suits your taste."
"There's no need to be so formal, Your Majesty," Arima replied with a smile. "When in another's home, one follows their customs. We're more than happy to experience something new."
During the meal, Robin asked, "King Neptune, do you know if there's a Poneglyph somewhere on Fish-Man Island?"
"A Poneglyph? There is indeed one, deep within the Sea Forest," Neptune answered.
Robin's eyes lit up with joy, Poneglyphs were always her greatest fascination.
Nami, on the other hand, hadn't held the best opinion of fish-men before coming here.
But throughout the day, she realized that most mermaids and fish-men were kind and gentle. None of them resembled the cruel, greedy Arlong she once knew.
She wanted to ask something several times but eventually swallowed her words.
Kushina, noticing her hesitation, spoke up instead. "King Neptune, do you know a fish-man named Arlong?"
"Arlong? Ah, you must mean that one from Fish-Man Street. I do know of him," Neptune said gravely. "He was once part of the Sun Pirates but was later banished by Jinbe."
"Jinbe? The former Warlord of the Sea?" Kushina's eyes widened in surprise.
"Yes. After Tiger's death, Jinbe succeeded him as captain of the Sun Pirates. He was never fond of Arlong's ways, so the two eventually parted paths. Why do you ask?"
Kushina's voice trembled with anger.
"Arlong terrorized the East Blue, enslaving villages under his so-called 'Fish-Man Supremacy.' Nami's village suffered under his tyranny for nearly ten years!"
Neptune's expression darkened. He looked apologetically at the young woman.
"Then, on behalf of Fish-Man Island, I offer my sincerest apologies to you and your village. Sigh… to tell the truth, this too is tied to Tiger's death."
Tsunade frowned. "Tiger? If I recall, he was ambushed by the Navy and died of his wounds, wasn't he?"
"That's true," Neptune said.
"But the real cause of his death was that he refused a blood transfusion from humans, and bled out instead.
Many of his crewmates began to harbor deep resentment toward humanity after that, Arlong among them."
"So that's the reason…" Nami murmured softly.
She finally understood why Arlong hated humans so much. Though she still couldn't forgive him, much of her prejudice against the merfolk faded away.
Despite that heavy moment, the dinner ended on a harmonious note.
Afterward, Arima requested to visit Shirahoshi's Hard-Shell Tower, and Neptune immediately led the way.
They arrived before a colossal building, the entrance alone was as tall as a full-grown giant.
The door was riddled with countless weapons embedded in it. It was hard to imagine how Shirahoshi had endured such constant terror all these years.
Seeing the scene, Kushina's fury erupted.
"That's outrageous! A child has been living under threat for ten years, and you still haven't caught the culprit?"
Neptune sighed helplessly.
"That man's Devil Fruit ability is peculiar. He can throw any weapon, and no matter how far, tens of thousands of miles, it will still strike this place precisely.
The sea is too vast; we've never been able to locate him. Even Jinbe tried, but failed."
Just as he finished speaking, a massive axe came hurtling toward them.
Kushina leapt high and struck the weapon with a single punch, sending it flying far away. When no further attacks followed, she relaxed and withdrew her Haki.
Arima picked up the axe and studied it carefully.
"Arima, what do you think?" Kushina asked impatiently, eager for justice on Shirahoshi's behalf.
Arima smiled faintly. "Kushina, I know you want to punish this villain right away. Finding him won't be difficult for me. But first, let's meet Shirahoshi."
Kushina's eyes lit up, and she threw her arms around him in delight.
Led by Neptune, they pushed open the enormous stone doors and stepped inside. As they turned a corner, the corridor suddenly brightened.
A graceful, gigantic figure was peeking nervously from behind a stone pillar.
"Hohohoho! Shirahoshi, my daughter, come out and greet our guests!" Neptune called warmly.
"F-Father…"
Her voice was soft and melodic. As everyone looked toward the pillar, they saw the Mermaid Princess shyly lean out from the shadows, revealing only half of her face.
"Shirahoshi," Neptune said gently, "these guests have come to help drive away the monster. You won't have to hide here anymore. From now on, you'll be free to go wherever you wish!"
"Really, Father?! Uuuu… that's wonderful!" Tears welled in her eyes as she stepped fully into the light.
When she approached, everyone finally saw her clearly, skin as fair as snow, delicate as porcelain, her beauty breathtaking yet fragile, like a flower glistening with dew.
"She's stunning…" Kushina whispered in awe.
Even Tsunade, for once, didn't argue. She nodded softly. "A beautiful girl, and such a pitiful one."
Arima flicked both of them lightly on the forehead and laughed. "Snap out of it, you two silly girls."
The women exchanged a glance and smiled, secretly pleased with his teasing.
"Shirahoshi," Neptune said proudly, "allow me to introduce the Fifth Emperor of the Sea, Arima. He will take you away from this place."
"Th-thank you!" Shirahoshi bowed respectfully.
"There's no need for thanks," Arima said gently. "Since this is about you, you should be there to see it through. Let's go."
A ripple of power spread from the six tomoe Rinnegan at the center of his brow.
Space itself tore open into a dark rift. Arima stepped through first, with Tsunade and the others following close behind.
At first, the sight of that pitch-black void frightened Shirahoshi, but when she remembered Arima's calm, confident smile, courage welled up inside her.
She took a deep breath, and followed them into the darkness.