Fish-Man Island had finally surfaced above the ocean.
The bright sunlight bathed everyone's faces. Many fish-men and merfolk who had lived their entire lives without ever leaving the island were now crying uncontrollably.
After a long silence, someone suddenly shouted:
"Admiral Shikiryū!"
And with that, Fish-Man Island erupted like a powder keg. Everyone was calling out for Admiral Shikiryū.
Even King Neptune didn't find it strange—he was shouting along with the crowd. As for Jinbei, he was already waving his arms in excitement, unable to contain himself.
Shirahoshi clasped her hands before her chest, gazing at Kaito who stood beside her. In this moment, she felt that he was dazzling beyond words.
She joined the crowd in calling his name, even though she was right next to him.
Surrounded by a sea of cheers, Kaito wore a warm, sun-like smile. Riding the people's enthusiasm, his body floated up into the air.
He rose above the center of Fish-Man Island, the coat of justice on his back fluttering in the sunlight, making his figure look even more imposing and grand.
...
...
Down below, Shyarly stared up at Kaito in a daze. This scene was exactly like what she had seen in her crystal ball—her divination had come true.
The man who stood above the heavens really had brought Fish-Man Island to the surface. A new era was about to begin!
Kaito looked down at the densely packed crowd below. He had already experienced something like this once when he was officially appointed Admiral—this was the second time.
And truth be told, he was thoroughly enjoying it.
With a wave of his hand, Whitebeard Jr.—now turned into an Asura Path—descended from the sky. His terrifying appearance startled the people around him.
Jinbei's face was filled with shock as he stared at Whitebeard Jr. He recognized this guy—Whitebeard had once spoken of him.
Although Whitebeard never had anything nice to say about this so-called son of his, he had acknowledged his strength.
And Jinbei had heard that Whitebeard Jr. had already been killed by Kaito. So seeing him now was like seeing a ghost.
Kaito's gaze locked onto a human in the crowd holding up a Den Den Mushi.
That person was aiming the Den Den Mushi straight at him. A journalist—one of those ever-present reporters of the pirate world.
Kaito genuinely admired the professionalism of these people.
From the pettiest matters to battles between the Four Emperors, no matter how remote the location, they always managed to capture the key moments. Truly the model of the industry.
Raising his hand toward the journalist, Kaito used Universal Pull.
...
Reaport was aiming his Den Den Mushi upward, snapping photos of Kaito like crazy. Every bit of news about Admiral Shikiryū was headline material, and today's events were pure gold. He didn't even know how he was going to sort all of this once he got back.
If he brought this scoop to his boss Morgans, he'd probably soar to the top of the newsroom overnight. Just the Belly from the bonus would make his hands cramp from counting!
But just as he was dreaming about his bright future, a mysterious force suddenly yanked his body into the air.
Terror-stricken, he screamed. But even in his panic, he clung tightly to the Den Den Mushi in his hands—his lifeline. If it broke, he'd rather die on the spot.
Reaport was pulled high into the sky and floated directly in front of Kaito.
Kaito examined the journalist in front of him. He was wearing a panda headpiece, otherwise looking completely average—exactly the type of person you'd overlook in a crowd.
Maybe that was precisely why they were so good at catching news from the shadows.
What Kaito didn't know was that, over the past two years, the newsroom had paid a heavy price to capture shots of him.
From the Almighty Push and Planetary Devastation on Sabaody to the rescue of Zephyr, and the battles with Kaido and Red-Hair—dozens of reporters had been vaporized by the shockwaves alone.
Yet every time Kaito appeared, reporters would still charge forward like moths to a flame. High risk, high reward. Even a sliver of Kaito-related news was worth a mountain of Belly.
Reaport floated in front of Kaito, staring into his Rinnegan eyes, his heart pounding out of his chest.
He swallowed hard and thought to himself,
"So this is the pressure of Admiral Shikiryū…"
And yet, despite the fear, Reaport instinctively raised his Den Den Mushi and kept taking photos.
He couldn't help it—how many reporters got a chance to be this close to Kaito? Missing it would be a regret for life.
Kaito was speechless at the sight. This guy was seriously dedicated—even in this situation, he hadn't forgotten his job.
He didn't stop him, just looked at him and asked,
"You're a journalist, right? Did you get everything that happened today on Fish-Man Island?"
Reaport was startled. The Den Den Mushi he had clung to so tightly slipped from his grasp, falling toward the ground.
He screamed,
"No! My Den Den Mushi!"
Whoosh!
A moment later, the Den Den Mushi returned to his hand. He stared at it blankly, then looked at Kaito with deep gratitude. He knew Kaito must have retrieved it for him.
If he had lost this thing, he might've lost his mind too.
Kaito chuckled and said,
"Better hold onto it tight this time. You won't be so lucky next time."
Reaport nodded rapidly. The Den Den Mushi looked like it might suffocate in his grip—clearly, he'd learned his lesson.
Once he calmed down a bit, Kaito continued,
"What's your name?"
"Ad… Admiral Shikiryū! I'm Reaport!"
"You can report whatever you want about today. But there's one thing you must highlight: from this day forward, Fish-Man Island is under my protection. Got that?"
As he spoke, a flash of purple light flickered in Kaito's eyes. Reaport's heart skipped a beat. He didn't dare argue and quickly replied,
"Understood, Admiral Shikiryū! I'll put that front and center in the headlines!"
To Reaport, Kaito now felt even closer than his own father. He wanted nothing more than to worship the man. Of course he agreed—he'd write whatever Kaito wanted.
Satisfied, Kaito nodded and said casually,
"Good. You can go back now."
With that, Kaito descended to the ground with Reaport, then let him return to the crowd.
...
Kalifa approached and asked,
"Boss, who was that guy?"
"Him? Just a reporter named Reaport. I told him to make it clear in the news that Fish-Man Island is now under my protection—a warning to the others."
Hearing that, Shirahoshi was overcome with emotion. Her pink mermaid tail swished as she threw herself at Kaito and pulled him into a tight hug.
"Kaito-sama is the best!"
"Shirahoshi! Are you trying to suffocate me?!"
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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