King Neptune, who had followed him out, happened to hear Grant's words. He glanced at the Marine Soldiers' position and saw that they were indeed unarmed. His expression darkened as he said urgently:
"Taro, this is definitely not a trap by Fish-Man Island! We are absolutely sincere and..."
Taro looked at Neptune, gave a friendly smile, and nodded.
"King Neptune, I believe this is just an accident. You don't need to pay attention to this little brat's nonsense. Let's deal with the matter at hand first!"
Then he looked back at Grant and Sherman, his face covered in frost.
"If you two dare to disobey orders again, I will execute you on the spot according to Wartime Regulations!"
The two youngsters looked at Taro in shock, their hearts trembling, not daring to say another word.
Taro gave a cold snort before turning his gaze back to Hody Jones and the others.
Neptune swam forward a distance and roared,
"Hody, today is the most important day for Fish-Man Island. What are you trying to do?"
Hody Jones also stepped out from among his officers.
"The most important day?" His lips curled into a sneer of disdain. Then, his eyes widened in anger as he extended his right arm and pointed at Neptune.
"Neptune, you've sold out the entire Fish-Man Island and five million Fishman compatriots to a human, and you're still talking about some 'most important day'?"
As he spoke, he looked up and shouted to the onlookers on the platforms above:
"For hundreds of years, humans have treated us as mere fish and captured our kin as slaves! Do you still believe in these humans?"
On the rocky platforms, all the residents fell silent upon hearing this.
"Hody, there are things you don't understand!" Neptune tried to persuade Hody. "Taro is definitely not like those..."
"Shut up!"
Enraged to the extreme, Hody interrupted Neptune.
"Back then, when Big Brother Fisher Tiger climbed the Red Line with his bare hands and freed the slaves of all races, what was the result?"
His eyes were bloodshot, and his voice thundered, echoing throughout the entire plaza.
"Humans are the most despicable and shameless race! What right do they have to occupy the best living environment in the world!"
Neptune's expression darkened when he heard Hody mention Fisher Tiger. Seeing Hody's frenzied state, he was shocked.
"Hody, have you gone mad?"
Hody laughed loudly, the veins on his taut body bulging.
"I've gone mad? It's you, the King, who has gone mad! And all you Fishmen who believe you can live in peace with humans are the ones who are crazy!"
"Today, the Fishmen of the New Fish-Man Pirates will change the history of Fish-Man Island!"
"By killing you, the King who betrayed his race, and these Marines, we will let the humans know that they—who can't even breathe underwater—are the inferior race! They are the ones who should be slaves!"
Everyone present was shaken to the core, staring agape at the ranting Hody Jones.
Taro scanned the area and roughly estimated the number of Hody's subordinates to be around ten thousand.
This was simply incomparable to the scale two years later!
This guy probably has some toad blood in him; he certainly talks big.
Never mind this small number of people; even if it were the entire Fish-Man Island, trying to oppose the world would be like an egg striking a rock.
Taro stepped forward with his hand on his sword, standing beside Neptune, his tone appearing very casual.
"Hody Jones, in the Marine intelligence, you're nothing more than a nobody. However, I've known about you for a long time."
Saying this, Taro curled his lip. Forget it, why waste words with him?
He looked around at the residents of Fish-Man Island and said loudly:
"Fisher Tiger is not only a hero of the Fish-Man Race; in my eyes, he is a hero as well. I greatly admire people like him..."
"Vice Admiral, you can't just say things like that! He..." Sherman looked at the Marine Soldiers guiltily and tried to stop Taro in a low voice.
Taro looked back at Sherman, then at his subordinates surrounded by the Fishman pirates not far away, and let out a light laugh.
"Why can't I say it? Because of the World Government? The Celestial Dragons? Or the Marine's stance?"
"The Marines represent justice. You are my subordinates, and I want you to know something."
At this point, his expression became solemn as he struck his chest with his fist.
"Justice is not found in race or status, but... right here!"
Grant's expression shifted as he pulled Sherman back. The group of Marine Soldiers also felt unsettled, their brows furrowed in thought.
After saying this, Taro looked at Hody Jones with pitying eyes.
"In the end, you are nothing more than a pathetic wretch, like a frog in a well!"
"You are not worthy of mentioning Fisher Tiger!"
Hody was furious. "New Fish-Man Pirates, kill Taro! Kill all these humans!"
"Awoo!"
Nearly ten thousand Fishman pirates howled in unison, raising their blades to strike at the Marine Soldiers.
Taro's expression turned cold, his eyes widened slightly, and the Internal Energy throughout his body surged as his Aura suddenly skyrocketed.
"Hum—"
A sharp burst of Conqueror's Haki suddenly erupted, and a cyclone of blue-white Internal Energy whipped up a strong wind that swept across the entire plaza.
"Clang, clang, clang..."
After a series of clattering sounds, Hody Jones's fodder subordinates all lost focus in their eyes, rolled them back, and collapsed unconscious!
Eight thousand Fishman subordinates were wiped out in an instant!
"Hiss!"
On the platforms, the spectating civilians of Fish-Man Island collectively gasped. The immense power Taro displayed was beyond their imagination, leaving them dumbfounded.
The Marine Soldiers, on the other hand, looked excited. This was their Vice Admiral's strength! You ignorant Fishmen must be scared witless!
After intimidating everyone with a single strike, Taro's Aura returned to normal. With a hint of mockery on his face, he said calmly:
"Hody, if you have ambition, you must have the strength to match it. Otherwise, you're nothing but a joke!"
"You clearly do not have that strength!"
Satisfying!
Taro thought to himself. Having been in the world of One Piece for so long, he had finally managed to pull off a successful flex!
Dammit, he had tried a few times before but failed. It was so freaking hard!
Now, this felt great!
Hody Jones's face instantly turned ugly. Fishmen possessed physiques far stronger than humans, yet with just one strike from Taro, only a few officers remained by his side, shaking him to his core.
But he soon pulled himself together, his entire face twisting in a grimace.
"Taro, do you think you've won? You have no idea how many trump cards I still have in my hand!"
Trump cards?
Taro's lips curled. Isn't it just energy steroids? As if I wouldn't know.
"Tch, if you have trump cards, then show them! Let's see if they can save you!"
Hody Jones glared at Taro, pulled a piece of paper from his belt, and held it high.
Taro's expression froze for a moment before he immediately realized what that paper was.
It was the document left by Queen Otohime, signed by a Celestial Dragon, "Agreement for Fish-Man Island to Migrate to the Surface."
It was because of this document that the great woman had appealed for signatures on the island, so she could formally present the request for migration at the World Conference!
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