At the Port of Fish-Man Island.

"I am a ship~ I am a ship~"

A massive, cake-shaped ship was singing as it sailed. Flying the colors of the Big Mom Pirates, it entered the port with brazen confidence.

"Hey, what’s going on? Why isn’t there a single person or ship in sight? Gao~" Pekoms rested his hand on his rapier, standing at the bow and peering curiously at the deserted harbor.

Beside him, Baron Tamago adjusted the pink teacup balanced on his head, equally perplexed. Suddenly, something caught his eye. "Wait, there’s a ship over there, bon!"

"Where?" Pekoms followed Tamago’s gaze.

Sure enough, at the innermost part of the harbor, near the entrance to the island’s interior, sat a massive black vessel. Its volume was arguably larger than the singing ship they were currently on.

"Is that... the flag of the Chris Pirates?!"

Pekoms stared at the jolly roger on the black ship and the matching patterns on the sails. He gasped. "That’s not a merchant ship under their protection... that’s a Chris Pirates combat vessel! Gao!"

Clink.

Baron Tamago’s expression turned grim as he set his teacup down. "Pekoms, look closer. That’s not just any ship. That is their flagship, the Chris! This means the man known as Golden Ring is on this island! BON!"

The Chris Pirates, rulers of the World Neutral Zone, had numerous vessels, including ten secondary flagships. However, according to Tamago’s intel, there was only one true flagship. It was only deployed when the Captain himself was on the move. Not even the highest-ranking executives were permitted to use it.

"Hey, you’ve gotta be kidding me? Gao!" Pekoms’s heart hammered against his ribs.

Golden Ring Aeridar! For someone like Pekoms, who had witnessed the Great Battle of Whole Cake Island, that name carried a level of dread second only to Big Mom herself. He was a monster capable of going toe-to-toe with Mama.

"I wish I were joking, but I’m not, bon!" Tamago gripped his cane-sword. "Pull alongside. Big Mom and the Chris Pirates are not enemies... yet."

...

Meanwhile, in the interior of Fish-Man Island.

The "Fish-Man Island Invasion Plan" led by Hody Jones had been utterly crushed because he picked a fight with the wrong people.

With the capture of Hody Jones and Vander Decken IX, the civil war that had threatened the entire island came to a close. The officers and members of the New Fish-Man Pirates were rounded up and thrown into the Prison Tower.

The human pirates were released, as were the merchants who had been held captive in Fish-Man District.

"Aeridar-sama, thank you so much!"

"Your Majesty, I will never forget your kindness!"

"I’m so moved... hic... that a great man like you would come to save a nobody like me... wahhhh..."

The merchants belonging to the Red Clover Merchant Guild (under the Chris Pirates) were especially moved to tears, snot and all, seeing Aeridar come for them personally.

After the victory came the celebration. King Neptune held the banquet in the immense, luxurious Palace Banquet Hall. At the center was a shell-shaped stage where mermaid singers and Fish-Man musicians performed beautiful melodies.

"King Aeridar, thank you for your assistance!"

From his throne, Neptune raised a glass to Aeridar. Both being kings, they shared equal status, though Aeridar’s actual influence arguably surpassed Neptune’s.

"Don’t mention it. The friendship between the Ryugu Kingdom and the Clifford Kingdom spans years," Aeridar replied calmly, clinking his glass against Neptune’s.

While Jinbe’s betrayal of the Seven Warlords Alliance had irritated him, the long-standing trade relationship between their kingdoms was too valuable to lose.

Suddenly, Neptune’s expression became troubled. "I have a request. It is embarrassing to ask, but I wish for King Aeridar to let the Straw Hat crew go. In exchange, I can offer discounts on our trade agreements."

Aeridar paused, looking at Neptune with a neutral gaze. "That Straw Hat boy really is charming, isn’t he? To even move King Neptune to speak for him."

Neptune smiled sheepishly but kept his pleading gaze fixed on Aeridar.

"Since King Neptune has put it that way, I will give you this face. I don’t need trade discounts. I only have one condition." Aeridar narrowed his eyes and lowered his voice. "I want the right to borrow Princess Shirahoshi when I have need of her."

"Shirahoshi!"

Neptune’s eyes widened. He frantically checked their surroundings to ensure everyone was distracted by the banquet. He leaned in close, whispering harshly, "What do you know?"

"I know what needs to be known." Aeridar glanced at him, sensing the King’s fear. "There is no power on Fish-Man Island that can stop me. Rest easy; as a strategic-level power, I have no intention of exposing the Princess’s identity."

Hearing this, Neptune didn’t get angry; instead, he let out a sigh of relief. "Very well. I hope you are a man of your word."

The power of an Ancient Weapon was something every faction craved. Since Shirahoshi’s nature was already known to Aeridar, having the protection of a powerhouse like him would save them a lot of trouble in the future. This wasn’t just for the Straw Hats; it was for the survival of the island.

With Aeridar in the picture, even if Big Mom ever decided to stop protecting them, this man wouldn’t let Fish-Man Island fall.

"Rest assured. For the sake of the beautiful and lovely Princess Shirahoshi, I won’t let anything happen to this island." Aeridar smiled and raised his glass to Neptune.

Subjugating a heart is better than besieging a city. Gaining an Ancient Weapon who would serve him willingly through soft means was far better than using force.

As for the Straw Hats, they might be the protagonists of the world, but that didn’t mean Aeridar was a supporting character destined to be stepped on. Starting a war with them here would devastate the island and draw the ire of Big Mom. The cost would be too high.

Neptune lowered his posture. He knew that from this moment on, Fish-Man Island was protected by Big Mom on the surface, but in the shadows, it belonged to the Chris Pirates. 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

"I leave things in your hands, King Aeridar."