One Piece: The user of the Nen-Nen Fruit, who overturned the sea.

Just as the atmosphere in the tavern was becoming increasingly tense,

Suddenly, hurried footsteps sounded outside the tavern. Queen Otohime, accompanied by her guards, quickly pushed open the door and, seeing the tense situation, immediately spoke up to stop it.

"Stop it, all of you!"

Otohime quickly stepped between the two sides, first giving Roy an apologetic look. Then she turned to Tiger.

"Tiger, lead everyone to leave. These are distinguished guests from Dragon Palace City."

"Your Highness, these humans..."

"I have investigated the matter thoroughly, and it was Ah Long who was in the wrong first."

Before Tiger could finish speaking, Otohime interrupted him immediately.

She was truly afraid that she might inadvertently anger Roy and the others, at which point the entire Fishman Island would face annihilation.

The surrounding merman boys, hearing the queen's words, also glared angrily at Arlong.

"Damn it, Ah Long actually dared to deceive Brother Tiger!"

After understanding the truth, Tiger also glared at Aaron, then bowed to Roy and said...

"I was being reckless."

Roy nodded, accepting Tiger's apology.

Roy still held a favorable impression of this fishman hero who would later dare to climb the Red Line alone to rescue the slaves.

However, if they had dared to make a move just now, Roy wouldn't have minded teaching them a lesson.

Queen Otohime breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that the misunderstanding between the two sides had been resolved.

She could sense the unfathomable power emanating from Roy; if they were to actually fight, the entire Fishman Street would likely be reduced to ruins in an instant.

Otohime stepped forward with a smile on her face.

"Thank you for your understanding. I wonder if everyone is settling in well on Fishman Island?"

"Not bad, especially the various seafood and the Tears of the Sea God."

When Queen Otohime heard Roy's praise of the fish-man island's delicacies, her smile became even more genuine.

She could sense that Roy's words were not false, which eased her anxiety a little.

"It is an honor for Fishman Island to receive your praise."

Princess Otohime bowed slightly, her posture elegant.

"If you don't mind, His Majesty Neptune and I would like to extend a sincere invitation to visit the Dragon Palace. We also formally apologize for the misunderstanding just now."

Upon hearing this, the tavern immediately fell silent.

The boys of Fishman Island, including Tiger and Jinbe, all looked surprised. It was rare in Fishman Island's history for Ryugu Castle to proactively invite human pirates.

Savi, Enel, and Pea looked on with curiosity and excitement; Ryugu Palace sounded really grand!

Roy's eyes flickered slightly, and he instantly understood Otohime's intention.

On the one hand, it is indeed to express apology and demonstrate the goodwill of Fishman Island.

On the other hand, they probably also wanted to observe this group of "dangerous elements" up close to ensure the safety of Fishman Island. After all, they have a reputation, and their strength has only just been revealed.

"What does the boss mean?"

Barrett looked at Roy; he wasn't fond of such official occasions, but he respected Roy's decision.

Hawkeye wiped the scabbard of Black Blade Night, remaining noncommittal; to him, it didn't matter where he went.

Roy smiled. Since the other party had shown goodwill,

He didn't need to keep people at arm's length. Besides, he did have some interest in Queen Otohime, who could influence other people's emotions, and the royal family of Fishman Island.

"Since Your Highness has extended such a warm invitation, then we will take our leave."

"Great! Please follow me."

When Otohime saw Roy accept the invitation, a smile immediately appeared on her face. She turned to Tiger and the others and said gently...

"Tiger, you should all go back first. Remember, the future of Fishman Island requires understanding and communication, not constant confrontation."

Tiger nodded silently, gave Roy a deep look, and left the tavern with Jinbe and other fish-man boys.

Led by Queen Otohime and the guards of the Dragon Palace,

Roy and the others left Fishman Town aboard a flounder encased in a giant bubble, heading towards the Dragon Palace Castle located at the top of Fishman Island.

Upon entering the Dragon Palace, King Neptune, a tall figure wielding a golden trident, was already waiting. Behind him were three young mermaid princes—Shark Star, Emperor Star, and Overturning Star—curiously observing Roy and his companions as they entered.

"Welcome to Dragon Palace, Lord Roy of 'Heavenly Path', and everyone else. I have prepared tea and refreshments in the palace, please come in."

"You're too kind, Your Excellency Neptune."

Roy nodded slightly as he looked at the tall Neptune and followed him toward the Dragon Palace.

"Wow! This king is huge!" Tesoro whispered to Roy, "And the queen is only..."

Tezzolo gestured to his chest.

Roy glared at Tesoro. "Hey! He's kindly inviting you, show some respect!"

Stella, annoyed, stepped forward, grabbed Tesoro's ear, and dragged him to the back of the line.

The atmosphere inside the Dragon Palace's reception room was much more relaxed than in the previous tavern.

The mermaid girl didn't set out any fancy snacks or drinks; everyone took their seats according to their status as guests and hosts.

Queen Otohime even personally poured wine for Roy.

"Lord Roy, if I may be so bold, what are your views on the relationship between the merfolk and humans?"

This question instantly silenced the meeting room.

Roy picked up the cup of "Tears of the Sea God," looked at Queen Otohime, and thought, "You are indeed quite presumptuous to ask a pirate like me."

However, this queen, who has always advocated peaceful coexistence with humans and hoped to lead the fish-people onto land one day through negotiations,

Roy was willing to say a few more words, after all, they had always treated them well.

Chen Che gently swirled the wine in his glass, the liquid shimmering under the light.

"In my view, the conflicts between races are nothing more than three things: interests, power, and historical grievances."

"The reason why humans enslave the fish-men is simply because fish-men are naturally strong and make excellent laborers. Mermaids are also the most sought-after by the world's nobles, thus allowing humans to reap enormous profits."

"And the fish-men hate humans because of the bloodshed and humiliation they have suffered over the centuries—these are facts."

Neptune's expression was grave, and a flicker of pain crossed the eyes of his guards. But Roy changed the subject:

"But it is the most foolish thing to generalize about an entire ethnic group."

"Among humans, there are slave traders and those who are willing to treat each other as equals; among fish-men, there are extremists and wise men like the Queen who pursue peace."

"On my ship, only strength and willingness matter, not background."

Barrett crossed his arms and scoffed, "Strong enough naturally earns respect, who cares about race!"

Hawkeye nodded slightly: "Prejudice stems from weakness. True strength lies only in the obstacles that must be cut down."

Tezzolo toyed with the gold ring, his voice laced with sarcasm: "Everyone is equal before gold. So-called discrimination is nothing more than not having enough money."

Stella was relatively mild-mannered: "The sea is so vast, every race has something to learn from it."

The three little Savi nodded as if they understood but not quite.

Hearing these straightforward answers, Otohime, though disagreeing with Roy's view that strength was paramount, still stood up and bowed respectfully:

"Thank you all for your honesty! This makes me even more convinced that communication and understanding are possible. Fishman Island will one day walk into the sunlight and truly coexist with humanity!"

"Although the road ahead is difficult, this is the long-cherished wish of both me and Princess Otohime."

Roy put down his glass and said finally, "Ideals are beautiful, but changing the world requires more than just belief; it also requires the strength to break the mold. Good luck to you."