Barrett and John had already been fighting for dozens of exchanges. According to Doflamingo's prediction, within ten more moves Barrett would finish John off.
But plans never keep up with changes, and the change arrived right then: Neptune actually led the Neptune Army in person and caught up to them.
Seeing Barrett and John locked in a fierce battle, Neptune hesitated for a moment, then still called toward Barrett, who was fighting John:
"This mighty warrior, I must ask you to help us subdue this swordsman, but please don't take his life.
If you are willing to help us capture this swordsman alive, then in my capacity as crown prince of the Ryugu Kingdom, I promise you and your companions will be treated as the most honored guests of Fish-Man Island from this day forward."
When Barrett heard Neptune's words, he did feel a little torn, but his hands did not slow. He glanced up at Doflamingo, and Doflamingo immediately understood and ordered:
"Barrett, leave him alive and hand him over to Fish-Man Island."
When Doflamingo spoke, Neptune finally noticed him up in the sky. The moment he saw Doflamingo, a chill rose from deep in Neptune's heart, the instinctive dread of the weak in the face of the strong.
He understood in an instant that Doflamingo was likely the leader of the group that had blocked the thieves.
Neptune bowed respectfully to Doflamingo, then ordered the Neptune Army soldiers to fan out and surround the battlefield where Barrett and John were fighting.
"Damn bastard!"
John was furious. He had not expected to ram into such a hard wall. The kid in front of him didn't look that old from his build, yet his strength was this overwhelming. And that was without even counting the Logia user standing off to the side who still hadn't moved.
The longer John fought, the more anxious he became. In the end, even his sword moves grew sloppy. He tried to pull back and run, but every path of retreat was sealed tight by Barrett's attacks.
Of course, if Barrett were not worrying so much that his destructive blows might damage Fish-Man Island, John would have long since been unable to remain standing.
Even so, Barrett still succeeded in knocking John unconscious after just a few minutes.
Seeing this, Neptune immediately had John tied up. In the bag John had been carrying, he also saw the treasures he had been hoping to see, and could not help but let out a sigh of relief.
At the same time, he thanked Doflamingo, who had descended from the sky:
"Thank you for your help, honored guest. On behalf of the Ryugu Kingdom, I offer you our highest gratitude. Please, allow me to invite you and your companions to Ryugu Palace. We will receive you with the highest royal ceremony."
Doflamingo nodded. He really did have some interest in taking a look around Ryugu Palace.
Taking out a pirate crew like this in passing and gaining such a return for it, Doflamingo felt it was a very fair trade.
As for who exactly the captured pirate was, Doflamingo had no interest in finding out. In his eyes the man was basically already a dead man walking, not worth paying attention to.
Neptune moved quickly. When it came to Doflamingo, Neptune did not dare show the slightest neglect. The main reason was that the pressure from Doflamingo's presence was simply too strong. Only when you got closer could you truly feel that weight.
To show his respect, Neptune had Doflamingo ride with him in the Phoenix-tail Carriage that only the royal family was allowed to use. Barrett and the others were seated on halibut mounts, and the whole group set off for Ryugu Palace.
Along the way, Neptune spoke with Doflamingo very cautiously, afraid that a single misplaced word would displease this man and earn himself a strike on a whim.
It was hard for Neptune to do otherwise. The invisible aura around Doflamingo was such that people close to him felt fine, but to strangers, the first impression was that he was absolutely not someone to provoke.
"May I ask, honored guest, if it would be convenient for you to tell me your name?" Neptune asked reverently.
"Captain of the Donquixote Pirates, Donquixote Doflamingo."
Doflamingo looked at the future king of the Ryugu Kingdom, a coelacanth-type merman of the fish-man race who would later be known as the "Great Knight of the Sea" Neptune, and did not see the need to conceal anything.
Neptune rummaged through his memories. In the next instant, his eyes lit up.
"So you are Doflamingo-san. Among the pirates who have recently set sail for the New World, I have heard of your name. You truly are as powerful as the rumors say."
Hearing this, Doflamingo was actually a little surprised. For Neptune to have paid attention to him at all meant the man had some skills.
Only now did Doflamingo seriously look Neptune over.
He looked to be in his early forties, with blue eyes and a red-tipped nose.
His build was bulkier than most merfolk. He had a thick, fluffy mane of orange, woolly curls and a matching beard. Both arms were inked with flame-like tattoos, his body covered with dense body hair. On his wrists he wore gem-inlaid metal bracers, and in his hand he held an exquisitely carved trident as a weapon.
In a single word: ugly.
In two words: very ugly.
As expected, every male mermaid he saw was ugly to an unbelievable degree.
Not hearing Doflamingo say anything, Neptune felt a bit uneasy. When he lifted his head, he found Doflamingo scrutinizing him with a serious gaze, and for a moment Neptune had no idea how to react.
Fortunately, Doflamingo had no interest in men, much less male merfolk, and least of all ugly male merfolk. He cleared his throat lightly and said:
"Prince Neptune, to think you've even heard of my name. I'm truly honored.
I wonder if it would be convenient for you to tell me why you were chasing that group of pirates just now?"
Neptune hesitated. It was hardly something to boast about that the protection tribute had been stolen. But then he thought that someone as strong as Doflamingo probably wouldn't care about their treasure. And even if he did, Neptune himself didn't seem to have any power to stop him. Adopting a sort of 'broken jar, broken water' attitude, he said:
"It isn't something that can't be spoken of.
Because our kingdom sits at the entry to the New World, many pirates pass through every year. That naturally makes the island unsafe.
Without the protection of a powerful pirate crew, the citizens of the Ryugu Kingdom could easily fall into dire straits.
So my father used his connection with Wang Zhi of the Hive Pirates to ask for Wang Zhi's protection. In return, our kingdom provides protection tribute every year.
Members of the Hive Pirates also regularly come here to be stationed on the island. Only this time, there was a problem with the tribute we were about to hand over.
That group of pirates you defeated somehow snuck into the royal treasury vault and stole it.
If not for you blocking their escape, I truly don't know what kind of trouble Fish-Man Island would be facing. Once again, I must thank you."
"I see."
Doflamingo understood. Equivalent exchange, huh.
Later the Big Mom Pirates would be the same: provide protection to Fish-Man Island and in exchange receive dessert. Only a crew like the Whitebeard Pirates, which survived on bonds of sentiment, would refuse to demand anything from Fish-Man Island.
Doflamingo had not expected that the random pirate crew he casually wiped out would be so important to Neptune. It seemed this favor from Neptune was something he was destined to collect.
Sitting together in the Phoenix-tail Carriage, they continued to chat about a few harmless topics. Soon, Neptune led Doflamingo into a resplendent banquet hall.
Neptune arranged for Doflamingo to sit in the seat closest to the main throne, then presented a spread of Fish-Man Island cuisine, and even invited Otohime to perform a dance for Doflamingo and his companions.
Watching Otohime dance, then looking at Neptune at his side staring at her without blinking, Doflamingo had all kinds of comments in his heart, but for once he genuinely did not know where to start that scene.
(End of Chapter)
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