Pirate: It’s not a phantom beast, it’s a phantom god!

Chapter 293 Approaching
Snapped!
"10, Q, K!"

"Haha! My hand is a pair of '3, 3, 4'!"

On the west side of Fishman Island, in that remote area where all the beasts landed.

Two decks of cards were thrown to the ground one after the other. Bulfat, who was sitting cross-legged, looked regretful for losing money, while a pirate sitting opposite him was smiling as he put several Berries into his pocket.

A large group of Beast Crew members surrounded them, watching the spectacle. Many of them lamented:
"Hey! Just a little bit more!"

"Brother Bourfat's luck was still a bit lacking this time."

"Indeed, it's just missing a 'J', otherwise it would be a straight!"

Listening to the cacophony of voices, Bourfat slapped his thigh and stood up.

"Okay, okay, I'm done playing!"

"What bad luck today, I haven't won a single game so far!"

"You guys have fun!"

As he spoke, he gathered the few remaining bills of principal that were on the ground and stuffed them back into his pocket, then patted his bottom and made room for him.

"Huh? You're not playing anymore, Boss Bourfat?"

"Well, that's all for today. That brat Ossie was right—'A little gambling is harmless, but excessive gambling is harmful.'"

"Given my luck today, I don't know if continuing to gamble will be entertaining, but it will definitely hurt my health."

"The tens of thousands of Berries I just lost are killing me!"

Unscrew the thermos, took a sip of ginseng tea, and with his face scrunched up like a chrysanthemum, Bulfat resolutely left the gambling table and walked a few steps to his 'Bullfighting Ship'.

"Hey, sir, how much longer until my boat gets coated?"

"It'll be at least two more hours, guest."

The one who answered was a catfish-man who was currently busy with his two apprentices on the 'Bullfighting Ship,' coating it with a layer of bubble film.

"Hmm~"

Bohrfa nodded upon receiving this answer.

The other party's speed is average, not particularly outstanding among fish-man coating workers, but their strength lies in their meticulous work and their willingness to do things carefully.

After all, coating is a matter of life and death for the people on board. You would rather the craftsman do it slowly and carefully than rush it and finish it hastily.

Do you even realize how valuable it is to have almost zero negative reviews across the entire industry?
Of course, compared to human coating workers, this is simply lightning fast!

Even the best human coating technicians would need three or four days to coat a medium-sized ship properly, while a large warship like the 'Bullfighting' would require at least a few people working for a week.

"But it's really troublesome to have to spend time applying the coating every time we go back and forth..."

"Haha! If you're not afraid of getting tired, you can swim by yourself~ We fishmen aren't afraid of such low water pressure."

The experienced coating technician joked.

"I think I'll pass then. My body isn't what it used to be; I can't take that kind of strain."

"Huh?! But you look quite young to me, sir~"

"Your boat is the same; it shouldn't be very old either. It's just that it's been damaged and repaired too many times, so it looks a bit worn."

A little merman apprentice following behind the old coating master chimed in.

"Haha~ He and I are actually getting old~ I'm even thinking of retiring here and living out my retirement in a few years~"

pounding his lower back, feeling increasingly powerless in battle over the past few years, Bulfat also made plans to completely retire to the second line after Ossie and the others came of age.

Then I'll go back to Fishman Island, or just settle down in Wano Country and teach the kids Fishman Karate and stuff every day.

Perhaps in the future, when Kaido and King have children, he can help take care of them...

[Speaking of which, Ossie will be an adult in a few years. I wonder what kind of person she'll end up with~]
With Ossi's looks, there's no need to worry about him not being wanted, but his tomboyish daily behavior makes Bulfat very worried.

When the child was young, I didn't think so much, but now that Ossie is a teenager, she still has the same magnetic style of wearing vests, trousers and ankle boots, plus that unchanging self-proclaimed "grandpa" title. If you don't look at her face and voice, she's practically no different from the young men in the group.

The middle-aged fishman, with his conservative views, was deeply worried about these symptoms, which resembled gender dysphoria… [What if that girl later tells me she actually likes women?]
As soon as his mind started wandering, strange and bizarre images began to pop into his head. Somewhat distracted, Bulfat shook his fish head and decided to go out for a walk to clear his head.

"Hey? Boss, where are you going?"

"I'm going out for a walk to clear my head; it's so boring staying here all the time."

"But didn't that old man say we shouldn't wander around? He said there's a navy on the island."

"I won't wander around, I'll just go back to Fishman Street for a stroll."

"but……"

"Don't worry, those pampered young naval officers won't stoop to going into that lousy place."

With a wave of his hand, Bulfat ignored everyone's advice and walked towards the direction of Fishman Street, head down as if deep in thought.

The pirates looked at each other, and in the end, no one stepped forward to stop them.

This is, after all, Fishman Island, and Fishman Street is practically Bulfat's hometown, so there shouldn't be any problems.

……

On the other side, in the plaza in front of the Dragon Palace, almost all the soldiers of Fishman Island, including the most elite Sea God Army, were summoned and lined up in the plaza.

"Hey, boss, do you know what serious trouble has happened?"

"Why has even the Poseidon Army been mobilized?"

In the corner of the queue, a murmur whispered to the old murmur next to him.

Their patrol team is a grassroots unit, and under normal circumstances, their missions do not overlap with those of the Sea God Army, which is responsible for the safety of the royal family.

"I don't know, let's see what King Neptune has to say."

The old fishman shook his head. He was just a squad leader in the patrol team, not high enough to know the details of the mission in advance.

However, looking at the mysterious human in a suit next to Neptune, and the rows of navy soldiers standing straight behind him, the old fishman guessed that this sudden gathering might be related to them.

Sure enough, before Neptune could speak, the man in the suit stepped forward and said in a cold and arrogant tone:

"Not long ago, the great and noble Celestial Dragons accidentally lost something while traveling in the mortal realm. According to our intelligence, it is currently hidden on Fish-Man Island."

“I need you to find it within a day.”

wow~
Upon hearing the name of the Celestial Dragons, the fish-men and mermaids below began to stir.

Even the most disciplined Poseidon Army couldn't help but start whispering among themselves.

After all, compared to them, the fish-men who suffer from discrimination and are almost at the bottom of the social hierarchy, the Celestial Dragons, who represent the top of the world and have the noblest status, are simply unattainable beings.

Even just mentioning their names is enough to elicit a significant reaction from them.

Neptune was taken aback by what the other person said.

"Hey! Didn't you say three days—"

“There are not three days left, King Neptune.”

Neptune was interrupted before he could finish speaking. The man in the suit looked at the tall, imposing King of the Dragon Palace and coldly threatened him:
"We just received news that the Celestial Dragon will be returning to the Upper Realm the day after tomorrow."

“We must return what we have lost to that great man before then, or neither you nor I, nor this island, will face the wrath of God.”

"..."

Seeing that the other person had stopped speaking, the man in the suit turned his head back and waved his hand.

Upon seeing this, a group of naval soldiers stepped forward, each carrying a stack of photos, and distributed them to all the fish-men and mermaids present.

"I don't care what methods or means you use, I want to see this person in the photo in front of me by this time tomorrow."

With that, the man led the navy away, leaving behind a gloomy-faced Neptune and the bewildered fish-men and mermaid soldiers below.

(End of this chapter)