Chapter 73

Is he a pervert? Ethan thinks he is not. I wonder if there are any warriors with the same ambition as him?

.....

Giron Court Square was already full of mermaids and fishmen. They whispered among themselves, guessing what major event might change the future of Fishman Island today.

I remember the last time it was so crowded was the day when Princess Otohime was assassinated while giving a speech.

There were also many sea kings at the scene, diligently maintaining order. Neptune, the Left Minister, the Right Minister, and other officials sat on the high platform.

Only Prince Fukaboshi was among the princes. He was mature and stable, unlikely to act out of line, but the other two princes were confined to the palace to prevent any impulsive actions.

Madam Shyarly's figure on a flying carpet attracted attention. Neptune and others stood to greet her. An invisible pressure enveloped the whole scene, and the people of Fishman Island fell silent.

Finally, the flying carpet stopped behind Neptune's head.

Ethan looked around expressionlessly and said coldly: "Neptune, let's begin!"

Neptune sighed quietly at his words. Facing countless Fishman Island citizens, he appeared momentarily stunned.

Power? Wealth? Family? People?

In over 20 years of rule, it seemed he had only paid attention to his family. Perhaps he was truly unfit to be king… it was time to abdicate.

Neptune's face grew resolute. With the help of the loudspeaker Den Den Mushi, his voice clearly reached every citizen present.

"Everyone from Fishman Island, today, I, Neptune, am honored to tell you that whether it is the sunlight that the mermaids long to bask in or the air that the fishmen wish to breathe, today, we will fulfill everyone's long-standing dream!"

As soon as he spoke, murmurs of confusion spread among those unaware of the situation.

"Your Majesty Neptune! What do you mean by this?"

"Sunlight? Air? Are we going to the surface?"

"There will be conflict… the humans on land won't easily let us survive up there!"

"..."

Countless voices filled the air: some questioning, some supportive, some in disbelief, and even some mermaids singing laments...

"Silence! Listen to your Majesty!" the Right Minister declared, striking the ground with his trident-like staff, and the field quieted down.

Seeing this, Neptune continued:

"These are all prophecies of Madam Shyarly. At the same time, I will also fulfill the prophecy by abdicating as king. Fishman Island will become part of the Kingdom of God, under the rule of the Lord God of the Kingdom of God—God Ethan!"

As he spoke, his expression grew weary, as if he had aged ten years in an instant.

"What? It's Madam Shyarly's prophecy!"

People in the crowd murmured, but at the mention of Madam Shyarly's name, no one voiced doubt.

After they settled down, Ethan nodded, and Madam Shyarly stepped forward, announcing:

"Don't panic. The future of Fishman Island is bright. As long as everyone follows the prophecy's path and listens to the will of God Ethan, everyone will have a bright future."

Her words eased the people's worries. What concerned them most was life and sustenance. As long as these aspects remained stable, they felt at ease.

"Go, before the sun rises higher, return to your homes to avoid any potential disturbances."

"This moment is the day that will eventually come!"

As soon as Shyarly finished speaking, earth-shaking cheers erupted. The sound was so loud that even the double-layer bubble membrane surrounding Fishman Island shook slightly.

As a result, Ethan's forces grew by hundreds of thousands of soldiers and millions of new followers (total population under five million).

Their physical strength was naturally greater than that of regular humans, but most were lazy and neglected physical training, resulting in relatively few strong fighters among the mermaid and fish-man tribes.

However, they were well-suited for tasks like mining, transport, and construction that the Kingdom required—perfect "tools" for the nation's progress.

The crowd dispersed, but some fish-men pushed against the tide.

Jinbei left the Sun Pirates and approached Neptune alone. After greeting those around him, he said in a serious tone:

"Lord Ethan, may I speak with you privately?"

Ethan had already noticed Jinbei's lingering gaze and felt a sense of tragedy in his expression.

He frowned slightly and replied calmly, "Alright, follow me."

He moved his hand, guiding the flying carpet forward until it was three steps above Jinbei's head, then directed it into a separate space.

Jinbei, Neptune, and others stared in astonishment. What kind of mysterious ability was this?

"Boss Jinbei!"

Shyarly's voice echoed from the dark green void. Jinbei recovered from his daze, cautiously jumping into the space. The door of the alternate realm closed immediately behind him.

Feeling solid ground beneath his feet, Jinbei stumbled before steadying himself and wiping the cold sweat from his brow.

He approached Shyarly and Ethan, asking in confusion: "What is this…?"

"No need for explanations. What do you want to discuss?" Ethan's tone was dismissive, asserting his divine authority.

Jinbei's face grew solemn, and he got straight to the point. "I received a call from Marco of the Whitebeard Pirates last night, asking me about Namur's killer…"

"Oh? And what did you say?"

Ethan seemed unconcerned about Whitebeard knowing he was the murderer. He hadn't mentioned it earlier just to provoke Whitebeard, perhaps enough to weaken his standing.

"I simply said I didn't know…" Jinbei's gaze was steady. "But! Whitebeard has always shown kindness to Fishman Island! I am ashamed to face my own conscience for doing this…"

As he spoke, he drew the large sword from his back and exclaimed, "Please allow me to cut off one of my arms as penance for lying to Whitebeard!"

As the "Knight of the Sea," Jinbei was known for his chivalry. To lie to Whitebeard, who had shown him favor, felt dishonorable (although to be truthful would betray Ethan).

He was willing to sever his arm to atone but felt bound to Ethan as a "citizen of Fishman Island," under Ethan's command.

If his arm were severed, his combat ability would diminish, which might provoke Ethan's ire.

"Heh, asking permission?" Ethan could guess Jinbei's intention—he sought to offer himself as a battle-worn soldier.

"Here's my proposal, Jinbei. You can sever a few fingers for now. As for the whole arm? Let's wait three years. By then, if you wish for death, I'll allow it."