The King's Burden

The stars above Fish-Man Island shimmered like pearls, casting a tranquil glow across the kingdom beneath the sea. The grandeur of the Ryugu Palace had dulled as the banquet came to a slow end. Laughter had faded. The plates had been cleared. Music had long since stopped.

Five hours had passed since the celebration began, and now the halls echoed with silence.

Most of the Voidreign Pirates had retired.

Seraphim Hancock, Kuina, and Uta had quietly returned to the ship, their laughter from earlier replaced with calm steps and sleepy yawns. Even Meruem, who rarely showed fatigue, wordlessly hoisted Vash—who had passed out beside a coral wall—over his shoulder like a sack of drunk dreams. Vash, eyes half-lidded, mumbled nonsense about mermaids and treasure maps, drooling slightly.

Blackeye, the bamboo-munching panda, had already curled into a ball aboard the ship, sound asleep with a few bamboo sticks sticking out of his mouth like cigars.

As the rest of the crew departed into slumber, only two figures remained in the now-empty grand hall: Jessie, and King Neptune.

The Sea King glanced toward the lone pirate captain. Jessie stood calmly with a drink in hand, hat tilted slightly, his silhouette framed by the glowing coral walls. There was something serious in the air—something Neptune hadn't felt all night.

Jessie's voice broke the silence, soft but resolute.

"King Neptune," he said, "I want to speak with you. Alone."

The king's eyes narrowed.

A moment passed before he finally gave a small nod. With a wave of his hand, the remaining staff and guards cleared the room. Even the musicians packed their instruments without question.

The vast palace now belonged only to the king and the Voidreign captain.

They walked together through one of the quieter coral corridors, where glowing sea-lilies cast gentle blue hues against the walls. The silence between them was thick—like the weight of the ocean pressing down.

Eventually, Neptune led Jessie to a quieter chamber—an open balcony that overlooked the sprawling coral city below. The sight was serene. Peaceful. Almost sacred.

King Neptune turned, his towering form silhouetted in the soft light. "What is it you wish to talk about?" he asked, his voice deep, wary.

Jessie took a sip of his beer, then set the goblet down on the nearby ledge. He looked out at the waters for a long moment, as if weighing the world in his mind.

Then he spoke.

"I want Shirahoshi to join my crew."

The words struck like thunder.

King Neptune froze. His expression twisted in a sudden fury as he stepped forward, his voice rising.

"She is my daughter! The Princess of Fish-Man Island. A sacred treasure of this kingdom! I reject your offer, Captain Jessie."

Jessie didn't flinch. He didn't raise his voice. He simply met Neptune's rage with quiet resolve.

"I understand your anger," Jessie said, "but let me finish."

Neptune's fists tightened. "You better have a good reason, pirate. Or this conversation ends now."

Jessie leaned slightly forward, his tone dropping into something heavier—something that shook Neptune deeper than he expected.

"The World Government," he said, "knows the truth about Shirahoshi. They know she's not just a princess. They know… she's Poseidon."

King Neptune's breath hitched. "W-What…?"

Jessie's eyes locked on his. "They confirmed it during the Reverie, when you brought her to the surface. Maybe not all of them, but there's someone high up—hidden in the shadows of the government—who's spread the intel."

Neptune staggered a step back, visibly shaken. "N-No… that can't be. She was protected. Escorted. No one should've known..."

"But someone did," Jessie interrupted. "And they've labeled her a threat. A weapon. You know what that means, don't you?"

Silence.

The realization clawed its way into Neptune's chest like ice.

"They'll come for her," Jessie said, voice cold. "Not with diplomacy. Not with courtesy. They'll send assassins. Admirals. Seraphim. Whatever it takes. She's too powerful. Her existence tips the balance."

King Neptune gripped the railing, staring into the depths below as his heart pounded. "She's still just a girl… she doesn't even know how to control it fully…"

"And they don't care," Jessie said. "That's why I'm offering her a choice. Let her come with me. With us. I can protect her. Train her. Keep her away from the eyes of the world until she's ready."

King Neptune turned sharply. "You expect me to send my daughter away with pirates?"

Jessie met his glare with unwavering eyes.

"I expect you to be a father who wants to keep her alive."

That line cut deeper than Neptune wanted to admit.

The king said nothing for a while, his hands trembling slightly. In his heart, fear bloomed like a storm. The thought of his daughter being hunted, dragged into war, or worse—used as a pawn by the World Government—was too horrifying to imagine.

Jessie took a step back and adjusted his hat.

"I'm not demanding anything," he said calmly. "I'm staying here for seven days. Then we set sail for the New World."

He turned to leave, his boots echoing lightly against the polished coral.

"Think about it," he added, pausing at the threshold. "Because once the Government makes their move… it might be too late."

And with that, he walked into the dim-lit corridor, vanishing like a shadow into the ocean's silence.

King Neptune stood alone under the moonlit reef, his heart heavy, his mind racing.

The Voidreign Pirates were not what he expected.

And the world… was no longer what it seemed.