Kaidou drained his cup in one gulp and suddenly declared, "Neptune, I'm just passing through this time, but since I'm here, I plan to recruit some fish-men from Fish-Man Island as subordinates. You don't have any objections, do you!"
Neptune's hand trembled slightly, causing his wine glass to shake, and the smile on his face stiffened. The atmosphere in the banquet hall instantly froze. Even Queen, who had been feasting heartily, stopped eating and nervously watched his captain.
Whitebeard planted his naginata on the ground with a dull thud. "Kaidou, Fish-Man Island is my territory. Poaching people here—are you looking down on me?"
Kaidou grinned, revealing his stark white teeth. "Whitebeard, since when is Fish-Man Island your territory? I didn't know that, and even if it is, so what? Don't think that just because you're called the 'Strongest Man in the World,' you can intimidate me. In the world of pirates, strength rules!"
Their Conqueror's Haki clashed once again, causing cracks to appear in the glassware throughout the banquet hall. Marco immediately stood up, blue flames igniting around him. "Pops..."
Whitebeard raised his hand, signaling him to stand down, his gaze sharp as he stared at Kaidou. "Don't get too arrogant, you rookie brat. The fish-men aren't goods—they have their own choices."
Just then, the banquet hall doors were thrown open violently. Fisher Tiger strode in with Jimbei, followed by several warriors from the Fish-Man District. Tiger's red skin stood out strikingly under the lights. "Kaidou, fish-men will never become anyone's slaves!"
Kaidou turned to look at Tiger, a flicker of disdain in his eyes. "A mere fish-man dares to speak to me like that?"
The entire banquet hall was tense, with the three forces locked in a standoff. Queen quietly moved behind Kaidou and whispered, "Boss, maybe we should retreat for now? Whitebeard plus these fish-men... they're not easy to deal with..."
Kaidou burst into wild laughter, crushing the wine jug in his hand. Amber liquor dripped from between his fingers onto the carpet. The crystal chandelier in the banquet hall swayed violently with his laughter, casting fragmented shadows.
"Retreat?" Kaidou wiped the wine from his lips and slammed his spiked club Hassaikai heavily onto the ground. "Today, I'm going to see exactly how much the so-called 'World's Strongest' is worth!"
Whitebeard's naginata, Grass-Cutting Cloud Sword, suddenly erupted with a dazzling shockwave, causing the entire Ryugu Castle to shake violently. Spiderweb-like cracks appeared on the banquet hall's dome, and seawater trickled through the gaps, forming tiny waterfalls. "Gurararara... Brat, it seems I need to teach you the final lesson you missed back on the Rocks crew."
"Interesting!" Kaidou's pupils suddenly turned vertical, and blue scales began spreading from his neck. "Since we're fighting, let's make it big—" His body began to expand under the horrified gazes of everyone, completely tearing off the banquet hall's dome.
Whitebeard's cloak billowed without any wind, the power of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit gathering into a white sphere of light around his fist. "Marco, take the kids and step back!"
Neptune hurriedly stood up. "Please, everyone, calm down! Fish-Man Island is a neutral zone—we don't want to see any conflict! Mr. Kaidou, I agree to your terms, but only if our fish-men volunteers are willing."
As Neptune's words fell, the atmosphere in the banquet hall grew even more eerie. Whitebeard slightly furrowed his brow, his gaze shifting between Neptune and Kaidou. Kaidou, his body half-dragonized, paused briefly and let out a low chuckle: "Oh? The Fish-Man King knows what's good for him."
Fisher Tiger abruptly turned, staring at Neptune in disbelief: "Your Majesty! How could you..." His fists clenched tightly, nails digging deep into his palms. Jimbei also showed a shocked expression but quickly regained his composure, though a trace of complex emotion flickered in his eyes.
Whitebeard retracted his naginata, but the conqueror's haki around him remained undispersed: "Neptune, are you certain about this decision?"
Neptune took a deep breath, the wrinkles on his face seeming to deepen: "Lord Whitebeard, Fish-Man Island needs to survive. If sending some fish-men to sea with Mr. Kaidou can secure peace for the entire island..." His voice grew progressively softer, eventually fading into a near-whisper.
"Hahaha!" Kaidou fully reverted to human form, laughing heartily as he slapped Neptune's shoulder, "Now that's more like it! Don't worry, I won't mistreat your people." He turned to Whitebeard with a provocative raised eyebrow, "Seems I've won this round, Whitebeard."
Marco couldn't help stepping forward: "Pops, we can't just..."
Whitebeard raised a hand to stop him, his gaze profound as he looked at Neptune: "This is your choice, I won't interfere. But remember - Fish-Man Island will always remain under my protection." With that, he turned and strode out of the banquet hall, Marco and the others quickly following.
Tiger remained standing in place, his expression shifting between dark and light. Finally, he gave Neptune one deep look before silently leading the Fish-Man District warriors away. Jimbei hesitated for a moment, but ultimately stayed behind, positioning himself behind Neptune.
Queen wiped cold sweat from his forehead, muttering quietly: "Finally over..." He stole a glance at Kaidou, noticing his captain was staring at Neptune with dangerous glints in his eyes.
"Well then," Kaidou said as he returned to his seat, casually picking up a new wine glass, "Shall we discuss the specific terms?"
Neptune forced a faint smile: "Of course, Mr. Kaidou. But I'll need time to prepare..."
"Three days." Kaidou held up three fingers, "I'll only give you three days."
A flicker of hesitation passed through Neptune's eyes, but it quickly solidified into resolve: "Deal."
After the banquet, in the corridors of Ryugu Castle. Jimbei finally spoke up: "Your Majesty, are you truly decided..."
Neptune stopped walking, leaning wearily against the wall: "Jimbei, you know Fish-Man Island's current situation. Whitebeard may be powerful, but he can't protect us forever. We need more... options."
"But Kaidou, he..."
"I know." Neptune interrupted him, "But sometimes, we must make difficult choices."
Meanwhile, at the other end of Fish-Man Island, aboard the Whitebeard Pirates' ship. Marco asked perplexedly: "Pops, are we just leaving like this?"
Whitebeard stood at the bow, gazing toward distant Fish-Man Island: "This is Neptune's choice, and we must respect it. However..." A sharp glint flashed in his eyes, "If Kaidou dares harm any fish-men, I'll make him understand the consequences."