Chapter 62: A Question Arises

"Hey! You guys in there! Why aren't you opening the door?"

"My patience has limits!"

After waiting for what felt like an eternity, Jack finally lost his cool and turned to the surveillance Den Den Mushi.

"King Neptune! What's going on here?"

"That guy... he's Jack, the Drought, one of the the Beasts Pirates!"

"The rumors say he's a terrifying figure who's destroyed entire nations."

"If we let him in..."

The left minister wiped the sweat pouring down his face as he stared at the image of Jack on the screen. Beside him, the towering King Neptune wore a troubled expression, unsure of how to proceed.

"Fish-Man Island is under Whitebeard's protection. The Beasts Pirates must know this. What could they possibly want here?"

"Should we try asking him first?"

"Ahem..."

Jack tilted his head up, glaring at the surveillance Den Den Mushi. After a moment of hesitation, a somewhat nervous voice spoke:

"Fish-Man Island is under the protection of Whitebeard. What business does the Beasts Pirates have here?"

"Business?"

Jack adjusted the spiked club at his waist and barked into the Den Den Mushi:

"I don't care whose territory this is. I just want to come home for a visit!"

"I'm a fish-man, you idiots! Can't you tell?"

"Huh?"

Neptune froze at Jack's declaration and turned to the left minister in confusion.

"A fish-man?"

The left minister was equally baffled. As the two struggled to make sense of the situation, a gentle but firm female voice cut through the tension:

"Open the gates. Let them in."

"Queen Otohime!"

Queen Otohime stepped forward, her small frame brimming with an unshakable resolve. Speaking into the microphone, she addressed Jack:

"Jack, I've heard of you. I've been following your actions for some time now."

"I hope your return to your homeland isn't to bring war."

"Huh?" Jack blinked at the surveillance Den Den Mushi, visibly confused. "Of course not! I just want to take a look around."

"And can you stop switching speakers already? Are you opening the gate or not?"

"I came back to rebuild my homeland. Is that so hard to believe?"

"A wanderer returns home, and this is the welcome I get?"

Before Jack could continue, the gates opened with a loud creak, and the Mammoth ship slowly sailed into the passage.

"Queen Otohime! Queen Otohime!"

In a blink, the petite queen darted ahead, her small legs carrying her swiftly through the tunnel. The right minister called out after her, chasing her with an entourage of guards.

As the Mammoth sailed through the tunnel, the familiar glow of sunlight greeted the crew. For many of them, it was their first time seeing such a sight, and they couldn't contain their awe.

"Unbelievable! It's just like the sunlight above the sea!"

"A miracle! That tree must be worth a fortune. If we cut it down—"

"Shut up! Do you know how massive that tree is? Not to mention, harming it would doom the fish-men!"

"Silence! You idiots!" Jack roared, silencing his crew. "Behave yourselves!"

As the Mammoth docked, the fish-men at the port took notice of the ship and its intimidating crew. Jack jumped off the deck, his wide grin baring sharp teeth.

"Don't be scared! I'm a fish-man too. We're family!"

"Family? Oh... thank goodness. For a moment, I thought..."

"Jack-sama!"

The sight of hundreds of towering, heavily armed men left the fish-men speechless. Their knees shook as fear crept in.

"Hey! You morons! Who told you to bring weapons?" Jack bellowed at his men. "Put them back on the ship!"

"And if any of you cause trouble, you'll stay here permanently—as fish food!"

After chastising his crew, Jack turned back to the trembling fish-men with a friendly grin.

"Don't worry about them! They're ugly, but they're gentle."

The fish-men exchanged uncertain glances.

"Gentle? Humans serving under a fish-man? That's hard to believe."

"Nonsense! Fish-man, human—we're all the same. No one is better or worse!"

"Well said!"

"Huh? Who's there?"

Jack looked down and froze. Before him stood a petite mermaid in flowing robes. Her golden hair cascaded in waves, adorned with an orange, crown-shaped hairpin. Her large, brilliant blue eyes sparkled with intelligence, and her radiant aura was both commanding and endearing.

"Queen Otohime!" The fish-men gasped, their jaws dropping in surprise.

"Queen Otohime! Wait for us!"

A sea horse-headed fish-man and his guards arrived, panting as they caught up. Jack squinted at the petite queen.

"Queen Otohime? You're the one who spoke to me earlier?"

"Indeed, that was me." Otohime nodded and extended her hand. "Jack, welcome home to Fish-Man Island."

Jack crouched down, gently shaking her outstretched hand before looking up. A massive whale, crowned like royalty, descended from above. Perched on its back was a man bellowing:

"Mother! Mother!"

With a resounding thud, the whale landed. A ten-meter-tall fish-man with a crown, a chest covered in curly hair, and three children clinging to him rushed forward. The smallest child was already taller than Otohime. Jack couldn't help but blurt out:

"Queen Otohime, just to confirm... they're your..."

"My husband and children!" she answered proudly, embracing her family.

The spectacle left Jack and his men slack-jawed, their eyes nearly popping out of their heads.

"Jack-sama..." One of Jack's subordinates pointed to a pregnant mermaid in the distance. "If I'm not mistaken, that mermaid is... expecting?"

"So fish-men give birth like humans do?"

"Which begs the question," the subordinate continued. "How does a one-meter pipe connect to a ten-centimeter valve?"

"Guh..." Jack swallowed hard, his face flushing red. "Get lost! I'm still in my growth phase!"

-----------

+100 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg