Ryugu Palace stands majestically on Fishman Island. The building, clad in gold and coral, radiates a warm glow.
Inside one of the castle's main reception rooms, the atmosphere feels far more intimate than the formal throne room.
Quentin Seven sat back on a red velvet sofa, a cup of warm kelp tea in his hand. Across from him sat the ruler of the island, King Aquaman.
The King's face bears a striking resemblance to Neptune's, though his hair and beard have turned white. His massive frame is covered in battle scars that run from his chest to his shoulders—silent witnesses to his harsh youth before he ascended the throne.
Prince Neptune, the Great Sea Knight, sits beside his father. In the corner of the room, the Octopus Boss of the Fish-Man District and Fisher Tiger stood stiffly, still unaccustomed to the grandeur of Ryugu Palace.
"I speak on behalf of all the people of the Ryugu Kingdom to express our gratitude, Junior Admiral Quentin Seven," King Aquaman's voice broke the silence, his eyes fixed on Seven with rare respect. "Uniting the Fish-Man District and driving the pests from this island was no easy task."
"I was merely doing my duty, King Aquaman," Seven replied calmly, sipping his tea.
King Aquaman fell silent for a moment. His sharp, aged eyes narrowed, radiating the wisdom of a ruler who had seen the world's bitterness.
"However, are you certain about this course of action?" asked King Aquaman, his tone growing heavy and laced with caution. "I have attended the Reverie several times. Every time I raised the issue of protecting this island, they… those five elders… always refused. Their excuses never ran out. From the unpredictable movements of the Sea King, to the Navy being too busy dealing with pirates in the upper seas. You're planting your flag here… isn't that the same as indirectly slapping them in the face?"
King Aquaman leaned forward. "Some of my people who have explored the Four Seas have brought back rumors about you from the Western Sea. They call you a protector, but the World Government doesn't like anomalies they can't control."
Before Seven could answer, Neptune's booming laughter filled the room.
"Dahahaha! Father, you're overthinking it!" Neptune slapped his thigh cheerfully. He looked at Seven with a wide smile. "This man has done what we failed to do! From today on, you're my brother, Seven! Someday, if I have children, I'll make sure they call you Uncle!"
Seven smiled faintly at Neptune's jest. However, his eyes slowly shifted back to King Aquaman, and that smile faded, replaced by a calmness that had already accounted for every possible scenario.
"King Aquaman," said Seven, gently setting his teacup down on the table. The clink of the porcelain seemed to lower the temperature in the room. "This coming era… will be a storm completely beyond control."
King Aquaman held his breath.
"The World Government is rotting from within. A new generation of pirates will emerge like a plague," Seven continued, his eyes reflecting the light of the crystal chandelier. "I must gather my own strength. And if one day they decide to turn their backs on me… then I will turn my back on them as well."
Silence.
Octopus Boss and Fisher Tiger widened their eyes, as if unable to believe what they had just heard from the mouth of a Navy officer. Prince Neptune stopped laughing. King Aquaman's jaw tightened.
The four of them knew full well just how dangerous the man standing before them was. Possessing the power of an extremely strong Mythological Zoan Devil Fruit, coupled with two subordinates who were users of the strongest Logia Devil Fruits—magma and light—if their power reached its peak, it was entirely possible the Navy would be torn apart.
And this man had just hinted at a rebellion.
"You… do you understand what you're talking about, Junior Admiral?" King Aquaman asked, his voice trembling slightly.
"I understand perfectly," Seven replied flatly. He crossed his legs casually. "Besides, I'm not alone. The heir to the Alabasta throne has given me his full support."
BOM!
That fact struck King Aquaman's mind. Alabasta. One of the Twenty Founding Kingdoms of the World Government. If a Rear Admiral had the backing of a kingdom like Alabasta, the scale of his game was already beyond the reach of an ordinary Navy commander.
"You… what exactly is your ultimate goal, Seven?" Neptune asked, swallowing roughly, realizing that this "brother" of his was shaping the course of the world with his very life.
His gaze drifted toward the palace window, piercing the depths of the ocean toward an unseen surface.
"My goal is quite simple," Seven said softly. "I just want to create an ideal world. A world where no race has to hide anymore because of discrimination. A world where everyone is free to laugh in the sunshine. An era where everyone only needs to work from nine in the morning until five in the afternoon, go home to have dinner with their family, without having to worry that their island will be burned down by pirates the next day."
Hearing this, Fisher Tiger's eyes lit up. His blood surged with heat. The vision of the world Seven described was a utopia that the Fish-People had only dared to dream of in their despair. To him, Seven began to look like a savior.
However, to the ears of King Aquaman and the Octopus Boss, who had endured far more bitter experiences, the atmosphere in the room felt increasingly oppressive.
"Of course," Seven's tone suddenly turned sharp, as sharp as a sword blade just drawn from its sheath. "To build a world as pure as that… you must eradicate all the parasites down to the root. Every pirate who plunders. And every Sky Dragon who claims to be a god."
Cold sweat trickled down King Aquaman's temples. The old man looked at Seven with mixed feelings of awe and dread.
His vision was indeed beautiful, but the methods he had prepared amounted to a mass slaughter.
King Aquaman realized that the man sitting casually on this sofa was not merely a member of the Navy. He was a devil in human form, ready to burn the world's order to the ground in order to plant a new tree.
Seeing the anxiety on the sea ruler's face, Seven merely snorted softly. He reached into the pocket of his cloak and pulled out a white Den Den Mushi.
He dialed a number.
Purururu... Purururu... Click.
"It's Kong. What's up, Seven? Didn't you just leave Sabaody for the New World?" Kong's deep, authoritative voice came through immediately from the other end.
King Aquaman, Neptune, Octopus Boss, and Fisher Tiger all held their breath. The Fleet Admiral?!
"My journey went smoothly," Seven replied casually, as if he were calling an old friend. "But right now I'm stopping by Ryugu Palace on Fish-Man Island."
Kong's tone softened slightly—a gesture he rarely extended to his subordinates.
Given the vast age gap between them. Seven was much younger than Garp. Kong didn't view Seven merely as a junior, because he had also covered up Seven's actions from some time ago that had resulted in him being frequently summoned to Mary Geoise by the Five Elders.
In Kong's mind, after he and Sengoku retired, Seven was the undisputed heir to the Navy's leadership.
"Ryugu Palace? Did you run into trouble there?" Kong asked.
Seven's eyes glanced briefly toward King Aquaman, who was now sweating as he stared at the communication snail. "Many pirates have come down here to plunder Fish-Man Island. The Ryugu Kingdom is an affiliate kingdom of the World Government. If we turn a blind eye and other Affiliate Kingdoms find out about this, it will damage the World Government's reputation. I want you to approve the deployment of two warships to patrol permanently near Fishman Island."
On the other end of the line, Kong fell silent for a moment. Officially stationing warships underwater requires a lengthy bureaucratic process, especially given the World Government's passive stance toward the Fishman race. But this was a direct request from Seven, who was now the Commander of the Main Base tasked with sweeping the waters leading to the New World.
"Alright," Kong said firmly. "I'll reallocate some of the budget and grant special patrol authorization under your command. Clear that area, Seven."
"Thank you. I'll hang up now."
Click.
Seven put the snail back in his pocket. He turned to the four Fishmen who were now staring at him. A Junior Admiral had just made a request to the Fleet Admiral of the Navy, and his request was granted in a matter of seconds.
The last shred of doubt in King Aquaman's heart was shattered into pieces. He now trusted this man completely.
Prince Neptune glanced at the Octopus Boss, and without needing to say a single word, the Octopus Boss nodded firmly. He understood the meaning of Prince Neptune's glance. The Fan Flag in the Merman District would be recreated in a gigantic size, and tomorrow morning, that flag would fly in the center of Merman Island.
Crash!
The palace parlor door suddenly burst open. Two towering men strode in. A thin wisp of hot steam rose from Sakazuki's clothes, while Borsalino entered with his hands in his pockets, his round glasses reflecting the light.
"Sorry to interrupt you, Brother," said Sakazuki, his voice heavy yet tinged with a hint of confusion.
"What's going on?" asked Seven.
Borsalino tilted his head slightly, a faint, reluctant smile playing on his lips. "We were clearing out a slave ship off the island's northern coast. But… we found something strange. We rescued a woman."
"A woman?" Seven's eyebrows rose slightly.
Sakazuki nodded. "Yes. But she wasn't a mermaid. She was a human with wavy blue hair." He paused for a moment, recalling the captive's appearance. "And what's even stranger, she was covering her mouth with a bandage."