Doflamingo's speech was over, and he didn't linger. The stage was now Queen Otohime's.
She watched as the fish-men and merfolk in the plaza cheered, applauding Doflamingo's words. A genuine happiness filled her heart.
"This is wonderful," Queen Otohime sighed.
"Yes. If we could truly achieve equality for all, that would be ideal," Neptune said, standing by her side in support.
"That day will come. Didn't Mr. Doflamingo say so himself? We must always hold onto hope, mustn't we?" Otohime said, looking at Neptune with determination in her eyes.
Seeing the light in his beloved wife's eyes, Neptune couldn't bring himself to argue. "It will."
In the plaza, Arlong and his crew, who had come to see what Otohime was up to, had seen enough. He had no intention of staying any longer.
"Let's go," Arlong ordered his men. And with that, they returned to their base.
"Boss, do you really believe what Queen Otohime said? Can we and the humans really understand each other?" one of his more confused subordinates asked. After all, Doflamingo himself had endorsed her, even though just a couple of days ago, his words had been quite different.
"Tch. Hey, hey, what are you talking about?" Arlong's calm expression instantly turned vicious, startling his subordinate.
"How could humans possibly live in harmony with us? Not every human is like Mr. Doflamingo," Hody Jones interjected, explaining for Arlong.
"Hody gets it," Arlong said.
"But... Mr. Doflamingo supported Queen Otohime," someone else questioned.
"Which one of your eyes saw Mr. Doflamingo supporting her?" Arlong's eyes widened as he glared at the man. "He just stated his own opinion, told us to have hope and not give up, and said he would help our island!"
"I... I understand."
"In the end, Fish-Man Island must rely on us. Queen Otohime is standing in our way, isn't she, brothers?" Arlong said menacingly.
"Boss, I think you're right," Hody Jones said, voicing his own thoughts. "Queen Otohime and her followers are too naive. They are not fit to be the protectors of Fish-Man Island. Yes, I don't deny there might be some humans like Mr. Doflamingo who understand us, but the vast majority despise us, cast us aside, and look down on us. The only thing we can do is fight back. Only by making them feel pain will they understand the power of us fish-men."
"Well said, Hody! That's exactly right! Only by hurting those humans can we make them recognize our status and treat us as equals," Arlong praised him enthusiastically.
"I was just inspired by Mr. Doflamingo," Hody said, attributing his insight to Doflamingo rather than taking the credit himself.
"Mr. Doflamingo..."
At the mention of his name, a look of respect appeared on the faces of everyone present. The strong are respected everywhere.
"I've already spoken with Mr. Doflamingo," Arlong announced. "If we run into any major crisis, we can seek his help."
The others were confused. What kind of major crisis could they possibly face? Fish-Man Island was quite safe.
"Idiots!" Arlong cursed, seeing the bewildered looks on his subordinates' faces. "You think we're safe now? Once we've stabilized the situation on the island, we'll have to face the World Government! They will never sit by and watch us become independent!"
"Oh, so that's it," the crew murmured.
"With the help of the Donquixote Pirates, we can secure a corner for ourselves and live in peace, without having to bow to humans. In the meantime, we must build up our military strength so we don't always have to rely on others," Arlong continued, laying out his plans.
"So the boss already has a plan!" his men cheered.
"Boss Arlong, are we really going to war with the royal family? Queen Otohime and the others are also trying to do what's best for the island," Hachi said, his heart heavy.
"You fool, Hachi! Do you think we can protect Fish-Man Island by relying on them? By living in that woman's fairy tale, in a fantasy world of mutual understanding?" Arlong roared.
"But... Boss Jinbe won't support us either," Hachi added.
"Shahahaha! Why would I need Jinbe's support? If they want to stand in our way, then I won't be so courteous," Arlong laughed, his face a mask of ferocity.
"That's right! Anyone who stands in our way, no matter who they are, must be eliminated!" Hody Jones added, clearly in agreement with Arlong.
Seeing this, Hachi said no more, though in his heart, he was not optimistic about Arlong's chances. Jinbe was far stronger than them.
"Brothers, remember this!" Arlong stood before his men, rallying them. "We are doing this to protect our beloved Fish-Man Island, to protect our homeland, so that we can stand tall and proud before the humans, free from their abuse!"
"For Fish-Man Island! For equality! We fight!"
"For our homeland! For our dignity! We fight!"
His men roared in response.
Neptune and the others were unaware of Arlong's plotting. They were still basking in the success of the day. As far as they were concerned, the residents of Fish-Man Island were willing to live in peace with humans, and today's success had laid the foundation for achieving that equality.
The Donquixote Pirates, on the other hand, were completely unfazed. Aside from Doflamingo, who knew the truth and was plotting to take over the island himself, none of the other members understood his true intentions. In the end, in the conflict between Arlong and Neptune, no matter who won, Doflamingo's interests would not be harmed. Because ultimately, there would be only one victor: Donquixote Doflamingo.
However, he wasn't particularly optimistic about Arlong's chances. While his faction seemed capable, that was only because Jinbe hadn't gotten serious. If Jinbe were to truly make a move, Arlong and his crew were nothing more than small fry.
The crew followed Doflamingo back to the Mermaid Cafe, where he informed them that Shyarly would be joining them.
"Really? Then we won't have to be afraid of falling into the sea anymore! With Sister Shyarly, our safety will be greatly improved!" Baby 5 cheered.
Her words made the others' eyes light up. That's right. With so many Devil Fruit users on their ship, the chances of falling into the water were small, but what if? Having a mermaid on board would be a great asset. Of course, if that mermaid had some fighting ability, that would be even better. Jinbe was, of course, the best choice, but right now, his heart belonged to his Whitebeard-ossan. There was no way he would join the Donquixote Pirates.
"Tsk, tsk, Baby 5, I'm surprised you were the first to think of that," Doflamingo praised.
"Young Master, are you looking down on me? I'm strong, you know!" she retorted, not accepting his compliment.
"Alright, Baby 5, you are indeed very strong," Doflamingo said diplomatically, giving her some face.
"Hahaha!"
Baby 5 was a real mood-lifter, and everyone laughed along with her. The crew was already familiar with Shyarly, and after spending some time with her, they had a good impression of the mermaid. Though they didn't quite understand why Doflamingo was bringing her along, they trusted that he had his reasons.
Reasons, my foot. He was just horny.
If Doflamingo knew what they were thinking, he could only say it was all for the sake of Fish-Man Island, otherwise his authority as the Young Master would be compromised.
A few days later, at the dock where the Ark Maxim was moored, Queen Otohime and King Neptune, along with their family, came to see Doflamingo and his crew off. Arlong and his followers were there as well. After all, who knew when they would see each other again.
"Mr. Doflamingo, please come and visit us again," Queen Otohime said with a warm smile.
"I will," he replied.
Arlong approached Shyarly to give her some final instructions.
"Shyarly, you are the bond between our island and the Donquixote Pirates. You must not forget your mission. Everything is for Fish-Man Island," he said gravely.
"I know. You don't have to tell me. But, Arlong, everything I do is for Fish-Man Island, not for your selfish ambitions. Make sure you understand that."
Though Shyarly understood her mission, she also knew Arlong's true nature. She would never let him do anything to harm the island.
"Shahahaha! My dear sister, you will see. Everything I do is what's truly best for our island. As for you, you should just focus on being with Mr. Doflamingo. And if you could give me a few nephews, that would be even better."
Arlong was completely unconcerned, paying no mind to her threat.
"What are you talking about?" Shyarly blushed, a rare sight in front of her brother. She then turned and walked away, ignoring him.
Arlong watched her leave with a triumphant look in his eyes. He had finally won one over his sister.
"Then we'll be on our way. Your Majesties, and little Shirahoshi," Doflamingo said, bidding farewell to them all, with a special nod to the young princess.
During his time on the island, it had been difficult to get close to Shirahoshi, but he wasn't in a hurry. Making a good impression now would make things easier in the future.
"Goodbye, Lord Doflamingo!" Shirahoshi waved at the departing ship in her sweet, childish voice.
We will meet again, Sea King Poseidon—Shirahoshi.
"Set sail!"
New World, here come the Donquixote Pirates.