Sailing at Sea: The Breath of the Day at the Start

Page 167

Hmm... it should be about thirty years ago.

The unique flavor of Fishman Island...

Not bad...

Shark Star was quite surprised to see Ron with his eyes closed, yet his movements were completely unaffected, just like a normal person.

"Lord Ron, may I ask you a question?"

"Excuse me."

"What happened to your eyes? Were you injured in the battle with Admiral Kizaru on Drum Island?"

“Prince Shark Star does seem to know quite a bit about what’s happening on the surface of the sea,” Ron chuckled. “But no. I’m afraid I can’t answer your question about my eyes.”

Upon hearing this, Shark Star did not ask any further questions.

After taking another sip of his drink, Ron turned to Neptune and said, "Now, can the King say what favors he would like me to do?"

Shark Star and the two ministers both tensed up.

Through his penetrating vision, Ron keenly sensed their emotional shifts and couldn't help but feel a little curious.

What exactly do they want me to help them with?

After a moment of contemplation, Neptune looked at Ron and said, "Lord Ron, if possible, I would like to ask you to help me find someone."

Shark Star and the two ministers were taken aback upon hearing this.

Eh?

Their emotional shifts only fueled Ron's curiosity.

"who?"

"He's a bad guy named Vander Deiken IX."

Neptune said in a deep voice.

Ron's heart skipped a beat. He vaguely remembered the name; it must be the guy who was harassing the mermaid princess Shirahoshi in the original story.

“I have a young daughter named Shirahoshi. She saw Vander Decken IX when she was six years old, and then she was targeted. That bastard is a user of the Target-Target Fruit…”

Neptune, in a somber voice, recounted to Ron and the others how Shirahoshi had been intimidated and attacked with her Devil Fruit powers by Vander Decken IX over the years.

"...By the end of this year, Shirahoshi will have been inside the Hard Shell Tower for six years, and she couldn't even attend her mother's funeral."

"Although Huang Xing, Fan Che Xing, and I have been leading the Sea King Army to capture that bastard, he is too cunning and is also a power user, so we have been unable to catch him!"

The eldest prince, Shark Star, clenched his fists and gritted his teeth, filled with hatred for Vander Deiken IX.

After listening to their words, Ron calmly finished his drink, and then, under the expectant gazes of Neptune and the others, spoke.

"I understand what you mean. I can help you if you need it."

Neptune and the others immediately beamed with joy.

"but……"

Ron looked up at Neptune and smiled, "Besides this, there must be something else you'd like to ask me for a favor, right?"

Neptune and the others froze instantly.

"I guess you already know about my attacks on Mary Geoise and Marineford. I should be a thorn in the side of the World Government now, and yet you still choose to befriend me... It seems this matter is very important to Fish-Man Island."

Ron smiled at Neptune.

His expression was stiff, his palms were sweating, and he seemed unsure how to begin.

"An attack on Mary Geoise and Marineford?"

Kuina, Robin, and the others were slightly taken aback when they heard Ron's words, and their eyes all fell on Ron.

"I forgot to tell you about this. Basically, the day before I left the Sabaody Archipelago, I moved two islands, one to Mary Geoise and the other to Marineford."

Ron turned to them and spoke.

Snapped.

Bonnie dropped the bread from her hand, forgetting to chew the bread she was biting.

Robin, Guina, and Connie all looked dazed.

Xiao Qi was still unaware of what had happened.

The luxurious banquet hall was eerily quiet at this moment.

"My bounty has probably gone up quite a bit again, you know?"

Ron's voice broke the silence.

Shark Star swallowed hard and nodded, saying, "It has reached 1.34 billion Berries."

"1.3 billion...40 million..."

Robin felt a little dizzy.

While the girls were in shock.

Neptune took a deep breath and said to Ron:

“Lord Ron, besides dealing with Vander Decken IX, we do have another request of you. But it is too… unrealistic, more like a vague, unattainable dream than something that can actually be done.”

"That was my late wife Otohime's greatest dream in her life."

"That is... to move the entire fish-man race to the surface of the sea, to establish a new world where they can live peacefully with humans, on the surface of the sea where they can directly bask in the sunlight!"

Hearing this, Ron almost completely understood.

"So you want me to use the power of the Float-Float Fruit to float the entire Fish-Man Island onto the sea?"

Upon hearing his words, Connie, Bonnie, Kuina, and Robin, who were all stunned by Ron's feat, all looked at him with astonishment in their eyes.

"Is this really possible?!"

Neptune and Shark Star, along with the left and right ministers, were also watching Ron intently.

Under everyone's gaze, Ron thought for a moment and said, "In theory, it is possible, but my current strength is not enough. Moving a small island with a radius of a thousand meters is easy, but moving a medium-sized island is a bit difficult. For an island like Fishman Island, which is roughly a medium-sized island, I can indeed use my ability to make it float, but my stamina cannot last long enough to reach the surface of the sea."

"However, it's still possible to turn Fishman Island upside down."

Please, please don't do this!

Neptune, Shark Star, and the ministers on either side shouted in unison, filled with utter terror.

"just kidding."

Neptune and his men finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Ron forked a piece of meat with his silver fork and put it in his mouth, chewing as he said, "Besides, I have no obligation to help Fishman Island."

"That's true..."

Neptune sighed and lowered his head.

indeed.

Why would such a powerful being help Fishman Island so much for no reason?

Although the Dragon Palace is full of treasures, can those alone impress such a powerful being?

Was I really just being too unrealistic...?

"Lord Ron!"

Shark Star said to Ron with a serious expression, "If one day you have the power to float Fishman Island on the sea, could you please come to Fishman Island again?"

“Hey, Shark Star! This matter ends here. We can’t force Lord Ron any further…” Neptune said, frowning.

Ron seemed somewhat interested, and facing Shark Star, he smiled and said, "If I come again then, what will you use to impress me?"

"I haven't thought of that yet."

Shark Star said earnestly, "But as long as there is even the slightest hope, Fishman Island must seize it."

"That's a good point."

With his eyes closed, Ron nodded gently. "Alright, if I have the chance in the future, I'll come back to Fishman Island again."

Upon hearing this, Shark Star's face immediately lit up with joy and gratitude.

"Thank you!"

…………

After the banquet.

With Shark Star's guidance, Ron arrived at the hard-shell tower where the mermaid princess Shirahoshi lived.

There were already quite a few weapons scattered on the steel gate.

"This is it."

Shark Star pushed open the door, revealing a huge room with many areas submerged underwater. In the center of the room was a giant bed covered with long curtains, equipped with bedside tables and two bedside lamps, and above it was an intricately carved chandelier.

A pink-haired mermaid was lying on the giant bed, with a shark beside her.