"Hody… was killed just like that?!"
The onlookers seemed unable to process what had just happened.
Everything had occurred far too quickly.
From the moment Yunan made his move to Hody's death, only a few breaths had passed.
One moment, Hody had been brimming with arrogance, laughing maniacally—
the next, he was nothing more than a cold corpse on the ground.
"That was Hody… and he had taken a massive amount of Energy Steroids. Yet in front of Yunan, he didn't even have the slightest chance to fight back…"
Neptune's mouth hung open, his entire body trembling—whether from excitement or fear, even he couldn't tell.
"Father, Lord Yunan is incredible!"
Shirahoshi wagged her fish tail excitedly, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Yunan, as if stars were shining within them.
"Your Majesty, this man is someone we must build a good relationship with."
"At such a young age, he already possesses such terrifying strength. His future will be unimaginable."
"He will undoubtedly become a powerful pillar of support for Fish-Man Island."
The Right Minister was the first to recover from the shock and immediately leaned in to speak to Neptune.
"I know what must be done."
Neptune wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and nodded.
"Hey, Neptune—sorry about that. I may have gone a bit too far and accidentally killed Hody."
Yunan's voice sounded casually from the side.
"It's no problem at all, no problem!"
"Hody and his gang deserved to die in the first place. You've done us an enormous favor."
"Guards!"
"Round up any surviving members of Hody's crew and throw them into prison!"
With a wave of Neptune's hand, several guards rushed forward, binding the remaining members of the New Fish-Man Pirates and escorting them away.
"Long live Yunan!"
"Long live Yunan!"
"Long live Yunan!"
...
Thunderous cheers surged through Gyoncorde Plaza like a tidal wave.
Dozens of Fish-Man children ran circles around Yunan, cheering excitedly.
They might not have understood everything that happened
But they knew one thing clearly:
Yunan was the hero who had saved them.
"Brother Yunan, let's not continue talking out here."
"I've already had my men prepare a banquet. I hope you'll honor us with your presence."
Neptune stepped forward with a warm smile.
"Gladly. I've been wanting to see Ryugu Palace for a while anyway—and I'm hungry too."
Yunan nodded, then followed Neptune and the others as they left the plaza and headed toward Ryugu Palace.
Before long, Yunan arrived at the sunlit upper level of Fish-Man Island.
A massive, luxurious palace suddenly appeared before him
Constructed from enormous coral reefs, shells, and other materials,
with a gigantic dragon coiled majestically around it.
"Neptune, your Ryugu Palace is really something else."
"Being able to live here would make a lifetime worthwhile, hahaha."
Yunan couldn't help but sigh in admiration at the sheer extravagance.
"If you like it, Brother Yunan, you're welcome to stay here!"
"I'll personally choose the best location and have a separate palace built just for you—how does that sound?"
Neptune's eyes lit up immediately.
He had been worrying about how to win Yunan over
this was the perfect opportunity.
"If I ever get tired of wandering, this really would be a great place to relax and enjoy life."
"When that day comes, if you don't mind, I might just settle down here in Ryugu Palace."
Yunan laughed heartily.
He genuinely liked the environment of Fish-Man Island
But there were still too many things to do out at sea for him to slow down just yet.
"No problem at all, Brother Yunan. Fish-Man Island will always welcome you."
"Enough talk for today—tonight, we drink until we're drunk!"
"Thank you for stepping in and saving our Fish-Man race!"
Inside the banquet hall, the table was filled to the brim with food, wine, and desserts—
All specially prepared in Yunan's honor.
"Come, Brother Yunan—I'll toast you!"
Neptune raised his glass toward him.
Yunan didn't stand on ceremony, nodding slightly before downing it in one go.
"What do you think of our Fish-Man Island wine, Brother Yunan?"
"Compared to human wine, it has a unique fragrance."
"Good wine."
Yunan smacked his lips, nodding with a smile.
"If that's the case, drink as much as you like tonight!"
"We may not have much else, but we have plenty of wine!"
Neptune laughed loudly.
"Little Shirahoshi, why are you sitting there so quietly?"
"Won't you have a drink with me?"
Yunan turned to look at Shirahoshi, who was sitting obediently to the side, and raised his glass with a grin.
"Ah? I—I'm not very good at drinking…"
"But since Lord Yunan has asked, I can't possibly refuse!"
Shirahoshi hesitated for a moment, then resolutely picked up her cup and gulped it down in one go.
"Hic~ Lord Yunan, look—I finished it!"
The moment the wine went down, a rosy flush spread across her fair, delicate face.
...
"Hahahaha—Little Shirahoshi really doesn't hold back."
Yunan froze for a moment at the sight, then laughed and drained his own cup as well.