After the banquet, Fisher Tiger stood alone on a coral reef outside Ryugu Castle, deep in thought.

Ritter's words had cut into him like a blade—

"What you need isn't a stronger army. What you need is the courage to risk your lives."

"You can't expect others to fight for your kind."

Those words echoed relentlessly in Tiger's heart. There was no doubt that he respected the king he truly believed that a benevolent ruler could bring a better life to their people.

"Big Brother Tiger…"

A young Jinbe stepped out from the shadows, followed by Arlong and other comrades from Fishman District.

"We heard everything," Jinbe said quietly. "That human… was he right?"

Tiger stayed silent for a long time.

"…He wasn't wrong."

He finally gave his answer.

Jinbe frowned. "But… can we even win against a Marine Admiral? We could lose so many of our people."

Tiger took a deep breath and slowly rose to his feet.

"So what if we can't win?"

He looked out into the depths of the sea, his voice low and resolute:

"If we don't even have the courage to fight, then we deserve to be enslaved."

Meanwhile, inside the council hall of Ryugu Castle—

The old king slumped tiredly on his throne, surrounded by bickering ministers.

"Your Majesty! That pirate went way too far!"

"But he was telling the truth… we've been running away for too long."

"So what now, we send our people to die?!"

"Enough!" the old king roared, slamming his hand on the table.

The chamber fell silent.

The king's aged voice now held a determination no one had heard before:

"From this day forward, the Ryugu Kingdom's army will protect every citizen!"

"We will increase patrols in Fishman District. And as for slavers—"

"No more warnings. Kill on sight!"

The ministers stared at the king in shock, as if seeing him for the first time.

The old king turned to his son, Neptune.

"I've been a failed king. Don't be like your father don't let your people suffer because of cowardice. I've been lacking the courage to fight back for far too long…"

The Next Day

The old king led Ritter and the others through the quiet blue coral forest. The only sound was the gentle ripple of water. His Observation Haki spread out like ripples, searching for a long-hidden ancient stone.

"There."

He stopped in front of a massive coral reef, placing his fingers gently against it. A mist of blood dispersed the illusion cloaking its surface. As the coral peeled away, a giant red stone inscribed with ancient script was revealed a Poneglyph, the true history of Fishman Island.

In the coral-laced Sea Forest, the crimson Poneglyph stood tall and silent, its ancient carvings shimmering faintly in the water.

Roger placed his palm against the cold surface and closed his eyes, listening to the Voice of All Things.

"Ku ha ha ha…"

He suddenly laughed, though there was a touch of helplessness in it.

"As expected… I still can't understand it."

Shanks and Buggy blinked.

"Huh? Captain, I thought you could hear what the stone says?"

Rayleigh adjusted his glasses.

"He can hear it. That doesn't mean he can understand it."

Ritter stood with arms crossed, eyes deep and thoughtful.

"These are ancient writings. Hearing the Voice of All Things alone isn't enough. It takes a trained scholar to interpret them."

The old king's expression was complicated.

"Even a man like you… can't read it?"

Roger scratched his head and laughed heartily.

"Don't worry! I'm sure someone in this world can."

Back on the Oro Jackson, Rayleigh spread out a sea chart.

"There's a rumor. In the West Blue, the island of Ohara has a group of scholars who study ancient scripts."

He pointed at a spot on the map.

"Maybe they can unlock the secrets of the Poneglyphs."

Roger's eyes lit up.

"Ha ha ha! No rush. Our adventure isn't over yet let's keep going!"

The Roger Pirates drifted aimlessly through the streets, the Oro Jackson swaying in the current like a leaf on the tide.

On the ship's deck, a sea breeze rustled the latest newspaper in Ritter's hands. His gaze settled on the bold headline on the front page:

"Fishman Island Declares War on Slave Trade! Ryugu Kingdom Battles Navy World Government Forced to Ban Human Trafficking!"

His lips curled slightly, and he gently tapped the photo of the old king's resolute face.

"Looks like that old man finally stood up straight."

Since the Roger Pirates left Fishman Island, the storm they left behind had grown far beyond what anyone expected.

The first order the old king gave upon returning to Ryugu Castle was to deploy all elite troops to guard the ports. That very night, a slave ship disguised as a merchant vessel approached the coral zone only to be impaled by spears crafted from reef stone, thrown by ambushing Fishman warriors. As the sea turned red, the king himself tore up the World Noble's slave contract.

"From this day on," the king's voice echoed across the island through a conch-shell speaker,

"anyone who trafficks my people will be executed on the spot!"

The World Government's reaction was more intense than anyone anticipated.

Three Marine warships surrounded the island, cannons aimed at the vulnerable bubble membrane. But this time, the soldiers at Ryugu Castle's gates didn't budge an inch.

"You want Fishman Island?"

The old king stood at the front lines, slamming his trident into the ground.

"Then come and take it! We'll destroy the whole island make sure no pirate ever passes through here again!"

That threat hit the World Government where it hurt.

Fishman Island was the throat of the New World.

The standoff sent shockwaves through the Grand Line. (At this time, the Grand Line wasn't yet called that but for clarity, we'll use the term here.)

The first to respond were the passing pirate crews without the coating services of Fishman Island, every ship would be forced to brave the Calm Belt. Golden Lion Shiki's fleet immediately bombarded Marine G-1 Base, and Big Mom's crew even issued a public statement in the newspaper:

"Touch Fishman Island, and you declare war on all pirates."

Wang Zhi and other famed pirates came forward to show support for the Fishmen.

It wasn't really about loyalty. After all, major pirates could still cross via the Calm Belt or government ports. But for smaller crews, it was a death sentence. And big-name pirates needed fresh blood entering the New World.

In Mary Geoise, the new batch of Five Elders shattered their teacups.

"Those filthy fishmen—"

"Shut up!"

The bald swordsman cut him off.

"You want every pirate crew to blockade the base of the Red Line?!"

When World Government Decree No. 712 was announced, Shanks was leaning against the railing practicing sword swings. Buggy came sprinting over, waving a newspaper and screaming:

"Look! Slavery's actually illegal now!"

Rayleigh chuckled as he polished his glasses.

"Who would've thought... the first to shake the foundations of the World Government would be that timid old king."

"Yeah." Ritter nodded.

"A month ago, Tiger called me with a Den Den Mushi. Said he was going to free slaves to prove his resolve."

"He led the Fishman District and the Fishman army. Three months. Thirty-seven slave ships sunk. I heard... a lot of Fishmen died."

A hush fell over the group.

Then Roger slammed his hand down on his straw hat and burst into laughter.

"Ku ha ha ha! Isn't that just perfect?"

"Yeah." Ritter nodded again.

"Their sacrifices now mean their children won't have to die later."

If laws alone could change the world, what would we need the Celestial Dragons for?

But at least Fishman Island had taken that first step—

The right to speak.

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