Is this what a 7.5 billion bounty means?
No.
This wasn't about bounty anymore.
It was domination.
It was confidence.
THUD!
A heavy crash echoed.
Before the stunned eyes of all the Fish-Man guards, the three princes, and Marco—
The highest ruler of Fish-Man Island, King Neptune, dropped to his knees before Lucian Thorn!
The coral stone tiles cracked beneath his weight.
"Lord Lucian!!"
Neptune's voice was hoarse, choked with emotion.
"On behalf of all citizens of Fish-Man Island… thank you… thank you for saving our lives!!"
Behind him, the princes Fukaboshi, Ryuboshi, and Manboshi fell to their knees without hesitation.
They knew full well—
If this man hadn't descended from the sky, what awaited them would have been the fall of their home and the abduction of their sister into shame and misery.
Their gazes toward Lucian now brimmed with nothing but zealous worship.
Clang!
Within the palace hall, every Fish-Man soldier still standing dropped to one knee, armor clinking as they bowed their proud heads.
The entire Ryugu Palace—aside from Lucian and Marco—was on its knees.
This kneel came from the deepest gratitude of the soul.
Marco swallowed hard as he took in the overwhelming sight.
This… this was the allure of absolute power.
But Lucian only frowned slightly.
He took a step forward and raised his hand.
A soft yet irresistible force gently lifted Neptune's massive frame to his feet.
Lucian's voice was calm, but it carried a soothing command.
He looked around at all the Fish-Men still kneeling, their faces filled with reverence, gratitude, and awe.
Then, he spoke.
His voice was soft—but every soul in the palace heard it clearly.
"From today onward."
Everyone held their breath.
Lucian's eyes landed on Neptune again.
"Fish-Man Island is under my protection."
A simple sentence.
But it was like heaven's thunder, blasting through the hearts of everyone present!
"Under my protection."
It was utterly different from the kind of protection Whitebeard once declared.
This was more personal, more direct, more final—
A law spoken into existence.
As if the moment he said it, the rules of the sea changed.
Seeing the stunned expressions, Lucian added:
"Of course, Fish-Man Island will still be under the protection of the Whitebeard Pirates."
"But it's not the same anymore."
He paused, then spoke with undeniable authority:
"Before, this place was Whitebeard's territory."
"From now on, it has double protection. You can rest easy."
Silence again.
Neptune stared, wide-eyed—he couldn't believe it.
To be protected personally by a man with a 7.5 billion bounty…
That was security incarnate.
One was the protection of a crew.
The other—was the promise of a man.
A man who had just declared war on a Yonko without blinking.
This was no longer kindness—it was ownership.
Which meant any threat to Fish-Man Island was a direct insult to Lucian Thorn.
Lucian's gaze passed over the crowd and settled on the girl hiding behind Neptune—those wide, innocent eyes peeking out in curiosity and awe.
Shirahoshi.
He turned back to Neptune and spoke again.
"I know about Queen Otohime's dream."
Neptune trembled, snapping his head up, eyes brimming with disbelief.
"Lord Lucian, you…!"
Lucian's tone was steady as he spoke:
"To let Fish-Men and merfolk live freely under the sun… to coexist in peace with humans."
"A noble dream."
His voice carried a rare trace of admiration.
"I promise you."
Lucian locked eyes with Neptune.
"Soon, I will personally make that dream a reality."
"When the time comes, your people will no longer live ten thousand meters beneath the sea."
"They will be free—to walk anywhere in the world."
BOOM!
If his earlier words brought comfort and awe…
Then this—this promise—was divine light piercing the ocean's darkest depths.
Queen Otohime's dream.
Generations of Fish-Men had dared not hope.
They tried to forget.
But now, this man—
The same man who had crushed a Yonko's son and declared death upon her—
He said he'd make that dream come true.
"Ugh… uhhuhu…"
Neptune couldn't hold it in anymore.
The mighty king… broke down.
He covered his face and sobbed uncontrollably.
Tears poured through his fingers.
The three princes cried openly.
Even the armored soldiers bowed their heads, shoulders trembling with emotion.
This promise meant everything.
"Lord Lucian!!!"
Neptune choked, trying to kneel again—but Lucian's gentle aura held him upright.
With all his strength, Neptune shouted from the depths of his soul:
"Fish-Man Island will follow you forever!!"
Everything that had happened in Ryugu Palace…
Spread like wildfire across the entire Fish-Man Island!
"Did you hear?! Lord Lucian—the man with the 7.5 billion bounty—came here himself!"
"It's not just that! He one-shotted Big Mom's guy—Perospero—with a single finger!"
"What?! That was a BIG MOM pirate officer!!"
"Swear to God! My cousin's neighbor works at the palace—he saw it with his own eyes!"
"Lord Lucian even called Big Mom on the Den Den Mushi!"
"WHAT DID HE SAY?!"
"He said… 'Wash your neck and wait. I'm on my way.'"
"HOLY SH—!!!"
"There's more! Lord Lucian just declared that Fish-Man Island is his territory now!"
"AND—he promised to fulfill Queen Otohime's dream!"
"He'll take us to the surface!"
That last announcement?
It blew the entire island wide open!
"WAAAAHHHH!!"
"We're saved!!"
"LONG LIVE LORD LUCIAN!!"
Countless Fish-Men and merfolk poured into the streets, hugging, crying tears of joy.
It was joy.
It was hope.
The kind they'd never dared dream of.
No one knew who started it.
But someone shouted—
"TIME KING!"
And soon—
That title thundered through every corner of the island.
"TIME KING!!"
"TIME KING!!"
The chants became waves—rising from Fish-Man District, to Coral Hill, to the Mermaid Café…
Echoing through the sea bubble that shielded the island.