On Gyron Cord Plaza, the atmosphere instantly froze.
Rear Admiral Gern's Haoshoku spread like ripples, precisely avoiding the surrounding civilians, only knocking out the Fishman soldiers who rushed forward.
The Shark Fishman Captain's eyes widened, looking in disbelief at his fallen comrades and then at the trident stuck in front of him, cold sweat beading on his forehead.
"You..." His voice trembled slightly, "What did you do?"
"Just letting them rest for a while." Rear Admiral Gern retracted his aura and said calmly, "Besides, I told you, we are not enemies."
"Exactly!" Libo poked her head out from behind Rear Admiral Gern, her rabbit ears twitching slightly, "And, you guys were the ones who attacked first!"
However, Rear Admiral Gern's Haoshoku had just dissipated, and the Fish-Man Island residents in the plaza were still immersed in shock.
In this brief silence, a crimson figure suddenly rushed out from the side, moving so fast it almost tore through the water!
His arms were bulging with muscles, and his palms condensed the terrifying power of deep-sea high pressure, which he unleashed fiercely towards Rear Admiral Gern's position.
"Fishman Karate: Unleash the Sea!" The air seemed to be compressed to its extreme, then exploded violently!
A visible shockwave, like the roar of a deep-sea beast, instantly pushed away all the surrounding water, creating a vacuum-like destructive force!
"Not good!" Tesoro's pupils constricted, and he instinctively used 'Soru' to step forward.
His arm instantly covered with gold and pitch-black Armament Haki, his right fist clenched, and he punched out fiercely!
"Golden Punch!"
"Bang!!!" The two forces collided violently in mid-air, and a shockwave exploded.
It made the surrounding coral buildings tremble, and even the air was temporarily pushed away, forming a vacuum zone!
Tesoro grunted, the ground beneath his feet cracked, and he was pushed back several steps, his arm slightly numb.
Then, he narrowed his eyes, looking at the crimson figure on the opposite side, who also used the force to jump back and land steadily.
That was a burly Fishman about five meters tall, with a red bandana tied around his head.
Beneath his thick curly hair was a wide mouth, with a thick beard and some stubble on his upper lip.
At the same time, his eyes were as sharp as knives, and his arms were bulging with muscles, clearly a battle-hardened warrior.
"What a strong guy..." Tesoro rotated his numb wrist, golden liquid flowing between his fingers, his expression serious.
Rear Admiral Gern, seeing this, slightly tilted his head, a cold smile playing on the corner of his mouth, "Tsk, it seems someone can confirm our identity, right?"
His gaze passed over Tesoro, directly locking onto the Fishman, his voice low and clear.
"Outstanding adventurer and traveler, Fishman Fisher Tiger."
Hearing Rear Admiral Gern call out his name, Fisher Tiger also slowly straightened his body.
His eyes were like torches, staring intently at Rear Admiral Gern, especially the dazzling Marine coat on his back.
"Marine..." Tiger's voice was low and oppressive, "What exactly do you want to do by coming to Fish-Man Island?"
Rear Admiral Gern did not answer immediately but gently patted Tesoro's shoulder, signaling him to step back.
Then he stepped forward, black blade eight desolations gently tapping the ground, emitting a crisp clang.
"I've heard of your deeds." Rear Admiral Gern said softly.
"Traveling around the world, experiencing local customs and feeling humanity..."
Tiger's eyes did not waver in the slightest; instead, they became sharper, and he sneered.
"Since when did the Marine start caring about the life or death of a Fishman?"
"So I came, didn't I?" At this point, Rear Admiral Gern's tone paused, and his eyes suddenly sharpened.
"But you just seemed to be moving against my people?!" Haoshoku was released once again, pressing with full force towards Fisher Tiger.
"Haoshoku?! So strong." Fisher Tiger's knees bent slightly, cold sweat pouring from his forehead.
"Marine, Haoshoku, and this age, as well as that sword wrapped in white cloth..." Fisher Tiger seemed to realize Rear Admiral Gern's identity.
"You are the Marine's 'Heaven Quake'?!"
"This should have been a friendly visit." Rear Admiral Gern sighed.
"It seems the Fishman really needs...my 'Justice'!"
"Your Justice?" Fisher Tiger instantly caught the unusualness in Rear Admiral Gern's words, so he looked up at this Marine monster.
Not the World Government's Justice, not the Marine's Justice, but his Justice?!
Just then, another commotion erupted in the crowd.
Libo's rabbit ears suddenly perked up, "Rear Admiral Gern, someone's coming! There are so many bubble cars!"
As Libo finished speaking, a royal carriage pulled by giant seahorses broke through the surrounding fish crowd.
Then, a tall, blue-skinned Fishman wearing a crown walked quickly, surrounded by guards.
His gaze was sharp and majestic; it was Neptune, the newly appointed King of Fish-Man Island.
"What happened?" Neptune's voice was deep and powerful, his gaze sweeping over the fallen soldiers, finally landing on Rear Admiral Gern.
The Shark Fishman quickly stepped forward and bowed, "Your Majesty, these humans suddenly appeared and attacked our soldiers!"
Neptune frowned slightly, looking at Rear Admiral Gern and his group, "Who are you? Why do you trespass on Fish-Man Island?"
Actually, Neptune had been watching everything from nearby since the Marine ship crashed.
After all, no one who can become a king is a fool. The reason he didn't show up was to see what Rear Admiral Gern, this Marine, wanted to do.
After all, although Fish-Man Island was nominally a World Government affiliate, no Marine had ever officially visited.
It was only when he discovered that Fish-Man Island's top fighter, Fisher Tiger, couldn't suppress Rear Admiral Gern, that he decisively intervened to prevent the situation from escalating.
Especially the phrase "Heaven Quake" from Fisher Tiger's mouth made Neptune's heart skip a beat.
On the other side, Rear Admiral Gern, who had long sensed the peeping king hiding behind, had no intention of exposing him, so he nodded slightly, his tone neither humble nor arrogant.
"Rear Admiral Gern of Marineford, due to a sudden change in ocean currents, accidentally crashed here.
I deeply apologize for all the losses caused to your country by the crash of the Marine ship, and I am willing to compensate in full.
Of course, I need an invoice, as I have to go back and get reimbursed."
"Marine?" Neptune feigned slight surprise, pondered for a moment, and asked, "What is the purpose of your visit to Fish-Man Island?"
"A visit!" Rear Admiral Gern answered frankly, "Fish-Man Island, as a World Government affiliate, has long been plagued by pirates.
I have come here precisely to establish contact with Fish-Man Island and jointly maintain peace in this sea area."
Neptune's gaze lingered on Rear Admiral Gern's Marine coat for a moment, seemingly weighing the pros and cons.
Finally, he nodded, "In that case, please follow me to Ryugu Palace for further discussion."
"Your Majesty!" The Shark Fishman quickly tried to dissuade him, "Their origins are unknown; what if..."
Neptune raised his hand to interrupt him, "No more words.
If they truly had malicious intent, they wouldn't have shown mercy just now.
And next time, you should contact the Defense Minister first, instead of acting on your own initiative.
You are also a father, I believe your child's name is Hody, isn't it?"
"Yes, Your Majesty." The Shark Fishman lowered his head, accepting the blame from Neptune.
Rear Admiral Gern, hearing the name Hody, was also startled, looking at the Shark Fishman Captain, and inwardly sighed, "So he's the father of the future drug king!"
Neptune, having passed the buck, now looked at Rear Admiral Gern again and smiled, "Please, Rear Admiral Gern."
Rear Admiral Gern smiled slightly, "The honor is mine."