Inari's POV;

Ryuboshi silently led me through the palace and into a larger office. “This is my office, my brothers and I all have a file on Vander Decken,” explained the fishman while searching through his files in a wall spanning wide cabinet.

I nodded and waited for him, the bounty poster of Vander Decken in my hand, thinking about my current mission. Lara-sama wishes to know why this pirate was targeting the princess. The most obvious reason would be the influence he gains by marrying her. Maybe it is that, maybe not.

He found the file and handed it over to me, I skimmed through it. “What do you know about him and his reasons then?” I asked while looking at his picture. A shark fishman, with grey skin, black hair, sharp teeth, four legs and two hands, one of which was gloved in every picture. He also has a bounty of 75 Million Belly.

Ryuboshi seems to have found what he was searching for and sat down behind his desk while gesturing at a chair for me to sit as well. “He is the captain of the Flying Pirates, a smallish crew with only a few members. These are, however, strong. Two of them are also extremely massive and can devour whole ships with ease. Those two are a giant anglerfish and a tiger blowfish, they can reach up to 80 metres.

Vander Decken himself has eaten the Mark-Mark fruit, his whole powers aren't well known to us only that everything he touches becomes his target. He somehow managed to touch Shirahoshi and ever since has been able to throw his sick love letters or weapons at her from anywhere he is. He was seen walking inside a bubble, created by a special anemone. Reports of him being last sighted were in the Fishmen District. He has been coming and going relatively often during these last months.”

“If you know of his whereabouts then why not raid the whole place? I mean, he is targeting the princess of this nation,” I asked with a frown. Shouldn't such attempts on her life warrant a heavy-handed response?

He sighed tiredly and unrolled a map of the Fishmen District. It's fairly large, as big as a town even. “If it would be that easy, the Fishmen District is practically lawless land. There are numerous pirate groups and ruling those the New Fishman Pirates. They have had taken over the whole district a months ago and are causing quite a ruckus, bringing the other crews under their banner.

If we were to raid the district it would mean war with those pirates, something we can't afford. A war against our own people, while we aren't under the protection of someone like a Yonko, leaves us open to the larger dangers on the surface. The stronger pirate crews from the New World would most assuredly come and try to get the whole island under their control. It would simply be too costly.”

I nodded in understanding, they would need to close off the whole section to prevent Vander Decken from fleeing. Something that the other pirates would not allow, as they would suspect an attack against their own. “Then why not capture and question one of his crew?” I then asked.

“His crew does either not leave his side or is in the presence of too many other pirates, we'd have the same problem.”

Hmm, I could try and sneak into their district, but then again, if I'm spotted it would be over for me. I may be able to breathe for some time under the water, thanks to Fiara-san's rebreather, but my fur would be soaked and slow me down considerably. I also have heard that fishmen are quite a bit stronger while being under the water, not to mention that they already have a stronger body than most normal people.

Still, if we can't get to him, then why not let him come to us? “Is there anything we might use to lure him out into the open?”

“He only wants my sister and I am not willing to risk her life.” Again I nodded, no good bait then.

“What about possible bars or pubs, we could get information on him?” You could always bribe or torture people for information.

“The people know each other, if one of them spills the beans then he is dead anyway and on top of that, they are extremely distrusting of strangers. My soldiers have already tried bribing a few barmen.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Have you tried everything? What about threats or torture?”

Why is he suddenly looking at me with shock? I would do everything if it means my siblings are saved. “No, we can't torture some barmen or civilians, we still are the army and leaders of this nation, what would the people think if it got out that we torture our own people?” By his reaction just now I think it wouldn't be a good idea to suggest that we do it in their stead. Working together with them might not be the best course of action then.

Maybe I should take a look myself? “The Fishmen District, is it open for non-fishmen?”

He looked up from the map. “Theoretically yes, however, the New Fishman Pirates are extremely racist and I wouldn't recommend visiting, you might get a bit more leeway, as you are a Mink, still you can't be sure. Why?”

“I'd like to take a look of my own, see if I can find something and scout the area. Worst case we simply have to take out the New Fishman Pirates and get our hands on Vander Decken through them.”

He hummed thoughtfully and looked back at the map of the district. “That might work, you aren't affiliated with the crown, yet. Here, I mark their most known hideouts,” a few buildings got encircled by him, “these are their most visited pubs and buildings. There is also a massive warehouse we suspect being their main base, but we haven't been able to infiltrate it.”

I nodded and rolled the map up, before stowing it away. I then took the baby transponder snail out of my pocket and called Lia-sama. The call got connected after a short wait and the snail looked at me with Lia-sama's expression, it also gained a set of long ears. “Lia-sama, I will go out and scout the Fishmen District, Ryuboshi's reports state that Vander Decken, the fishman that threw the axe, has often been seen there.”

The snail was silent for a long moment but then Lia-sama answered. “Fiara and I will come with you, these negotiations bore me. I'll wait for you at the entrance of the palace.” The snail then went back to sleeping and I stood up. If Lia-sama comes with me then there is nothing to worry about.

“I would come as well, however, my face is way too well known.” Ryuboshi apologised, before leading me back to the entrance of the palace. Lia-sama and Fiara-san were already waiting for me.

“We've prepared the ride,” a soldier announced a moment before I reached them. A smaller fish-bus was gliding to the entrance of the palace, it opened its bubble for us to climb inside. Ryuboshi wished us luck and the fish glided out and down to the bottom of the sea.

“True Shot, how do you plan to move while under the water? From what I have heard you have eaten a Devil Fruit.” Asked the driver on our way down.

“Not your business,” Lia-sama answered primly, before silently telling me through gestures that I would have to carry her for a moment, once we step out. The driver looked a bit miffed, but stayed silent for the rest of the ride, while I myself was wondering the same as our driver. Maybe that's why Fiara-san is here with us as well? She did say that she has made some dial products that will allow us to better fight under the water.

We stayed silent for the rest of the ride and the driver stopped behind a rock formation close to the district. “Any closer and they might spot us,” announced the soldier.

Lia-sama shrugged and placed her mask over her face, Fiara-san and I did so too with our own. It's the same we used for our raid on Impel Down. We then opened the bubble and water flooded the interior of our ride, thanks to our masks we could still breath. Lia-sama quickly got limp and I kept her close to me. She was powerless and dependent on me, I won't disappoint Lia-sama!

I waited until the soldier has left and then watched how Fiara-san took a small dial out of her rucksack, she placed it inside a pocket of Lia-sama and activated the dial. Suddenly, a bubble of air began to form itself around the dial and enclosed Lia-sama's upper body, down to her knees. Now that only a small part of her body was submerged she regained her strength and stood on her own.

“This dial has enough air to last for three hours, it is relatively solid, but I still wouldn't let it get hit,” Fiara-san explained from next to me. She, like me, didn't need a bubble and was drifting alongside me. Her robotic arms on her back were acting like propellers and gave her quite a bit of speed and manoeuvrability.

Lia-sama nodded and then looked at me. “Any plans on how we can find this Vander Decken?”

I gestured at the distant district. “I thought we might question one of the soldiers of the New Fishman Pirates, they have been taking over the district and must know about Vander Decken.”

Lia-sama looked at the distant district and then at the small dot that has been our ride. “That works for me. Also, keep your eyes open for possible ambushes, the soldier was projecting a pretty strong aura of hate and anger at us. I think he either is a sympathiser or a spy for them.”

“So you mean we should have incinerated him?” Fiara questioned shocked. I too was shocked, if even the soldiers of the army were under their influence than they might pose a larger threat to the island than I first thought.

“Hmm, yes, he has now turned course and is driving directly towards the district. I'm gonna keep an eye out, you two follow close behind.” Lia-sama ordered and began to kick her feet off of the ground, a few pumps of her legs were enough to move her quite quickly. While I myself felt how I am faster than normal under the water. Lia-sama must be manipulating the pressure needed for us to swim.

“A group of large sea kings has started to swim towards our starting point, I think they will soon be on our trail,” Lia-sama spoke suddenly while looking backwards. I took a quick look and was able to see four large bodies in the distance. Sill, with our current speed we will reach the houses before they can catch up with us. And indeed, we reached the outer parts of the Fishmen District before they were close enough to spot us.

We stopped behind the entrance of a house and I turned to Lia-sama. “Fiara, Inari, you two are more agile than me. I will wait for you to fetch us someone who might be able to answer a few questions.”

With a nod, both of us were off and swum around the house, while Lia-sama gained entrance into it. From the side of the house, we could see the streets of the district. There were only a few fishmen visible, they were looking like beggars. Tattered clothes and frail bodies, this might be more of a slum than anything else.

Anyway, we stayed in the shadows and watched for anyone who might be more important than a half-starved beggar. Someone that looked as if he was part of a pirate group that is in charge of this place. Someone like the fishman that was just now swaggering down the street as if he owned the place.

Attacking him directly would be bad, people will see us if we get into the open.“Fiara-san, could you get his attention by powering up your lasers a bit? The light might make him suspicious and lure him into an alley.” It may be similar to these anglerfishes we have seen on our way down, but if it works for those, then why not for us as well.

Fiara-san nodded before we crept a bit back and into the dark. Then, right when the fishman was closest to us, she powered up her lasers. The pirate spotted the blinking light and turned towards our position, yet was still not able to spot us thanks to the natural darkness.

He took a step closer to the ally, which was his doom. Fiara-san's robot arms shot out of the darkness and pulled the fishman into it. He started to struggle yet three more arms followed the first one. They clamped his legs and arms together binding them and making it impossible for him to move. The last arm was clamping his mouth shut, silencing him. Without any real struggle, he got pulled into the ally and then into the house Lia-sama was waiting for us.

There we saw her sitting at a table, a pair of knocked out fishmen were drifting right next to a wall. “Are they bad people too, Lia?” Fiara-san asked when she spotted them.

“No, these are the owners of this house, I thought it might be better for them to be knocked out. I see you have found someone, please sit him down and allow him to speak,” Lia-sama answered without looking at the drifting bodies.

Fiara-san hummed and pulled the fishman in front of Lia-sama, while I took position behind him, intimidating him a little bit more.

“Now then, tell us what you know about Vander Decken,” Lia-sama ordered. Fiara-san loosened her claw over the mouth of the man and allowed him to speak.

“Fuck you, surface dweller!” The fishman spit out. I'm sure he would have spat her if we weren't under the water.

Lia-sama in return frowned briefly and then looked at me. “It seems as if my friend has to loosen your tongue a bit. Inari, why don't you show this man what you have learned from Lara?”

I happily obliged Lia-sama and stepped behind the fishman. He struggled and tried to keep me in his line of sight, but wasn't able to, thanks to the strength of Fiara-san's remaining arms holding him in place.

I pulled a small syringe out of a pocket as well as a knife. “This here is a poison that affects your nerves, the pain will be felt a hundredfold and every tiny wound will feel as if you were about to die,” I explained with a sweet smile while injecting the mixture into him. It was something I have learned from Lara-sama. When possible she was training me in the arts of the Ninja, which includes poison making.

We waited for a moment for the poison to travel through his blood and then a small slice on his cheek showed that it was working. He began to cry out from a pain that shouldn't have come from such a tiny wound.

“P..please,” he sobbed once the pain subsided. I was quite surprised that he would start talking this quickly. And here I hoped to carve him up some more.

“Do I have to repeat my question?” Lia-sama asked. It seems as if the man was struggling, he was afraid. He was frightened, but it seems as if it was only partially us that caused this fear. Is he afraid of what the other New Fishman Pirates will do to him if he speaks? We can't have that now, can we?

I made sure that he could see the knife while I slowly lowered it down in front of his face. He was extremely pale and began to tremble. “I..I can't they will kill me if I say anything.” He pleaded almost desperately.

“You are dead anyway, the question is if death will come agonisingly slow or quick and painless.” Lia-sama's calm and cold tone made his whole body shiver in fright. He looked at me and Fiara-san for help or pity but saw none. For Fiara-san he was a bad guy and best burned to ashes, while I would gladly butcher my way through everything Lia-sama and Lara-sama see as their enemy.

He sagged into himself the moment he realised that he was dead anyway. “I am not a hundred per cent sure, but I heard he would have a meeting with our boss today. It's in our main base at Seaweed Street 12, it's the large warehouse.”

I looked at Lia-sama, I personally think he is lying, but her Obersavtion Haki is more precise. “Seems as if you know nothing, your ploy of tricking us into your main base isn't exactly original is it?” So he was lying. It made me angry that he would lie to Lia-sama, so I carved a few lines into his arms. Fiara-san clamped his mouth shut again to prevent anyone from the outside to hear his screams.

I was just about to ask a question when suddenly the door got thrown open and a group of three fishmen came rushing inside. They held weapons and looked clearly hostile. “We smelled your blood Bosef...” He didn't manage to finish his sentence as Lia-sama has already thrown a nail through his and his friends head.

Bosef, as our prisoner was apparently named, has first looked happy and then shocked from the quick death of his friends. This time his eyes showed that he has lost any hope of surviving today. “Seems like we have been found, let's leave this house and give this warehouse a visit. Did the prince show you a map?” Lia-sama asked me. She then nodded at Fiara-san, who broke the neck of our guest, before Lia-sama then applied her Devil Fruit power to compress the bodies of the four into small bloody cubes. Fiara-san then burned these with some of her liquid fire. It burned strong, even underwater.

Meanwhile, I had unrolled the map given to me by Ryuboshi. The warehouse that Bosef has tried to lure us into was indeed their suspected main base. “Lia-sama, this here is their main base, the same address we got just now,” I explained while pointing at the largest circle on the map.

Lia-sama looked at the shown building and every entrance that was shown on it. On the surface I would have attacked from the top, people rarely look up if they guard something. Under the sea, this might not be the case as you can move in every direction.

“There is no side entrance and only one on the front side,” Fiara-san commented. Indeed, this building is kinda strange, usually, you'd have more than one entrance into a warehouse. Even more so when you want to store and take goods out of it quickly.

“If there is no door you'll make your own,” Lia-sama said wisely. Both Fiara-san and I nodded in agreement. You can always kick in a wall, oftentimes it's even better as no one suspects such an approach.

“Let's attack from the side,” Lia-sama finally decided, “The New Fishman Pirates are a thorn in this kingdoms side anyway. If we become their protector we can take them out as well.” She then added while walking out of the backdoor.

Fiara-san and I followed closely. Once outside we swam to the top of the building and used the roofs as cover to get further inside the district. It became quickly clear that the local residents weren't looking up or swimming higher than the roofs of their houses. Maybe it's some form of social rule?

Seeing pirates also became more common the closer we got to the warehouse, they all wore the same symbol on their body. That of the New Fishman Pirates, still, none of them felt strong. They were all only a little bit stronger than the slightly better marine soldier in Paradise.

Why does the army have such a problem with them then? Is it because they do not have enough manpower, are too weak or something else entirely? The soldier that brought us here might not be the only one who is against humans, maybe it's that they can't attack these pirates out of fear for a rebellion? Whatever it was, it didn't matter any longer, with us now present, this group of pirates will soon lose its head.

“There, it's this large building,” Lia-sama pointed out for Fiara-san and me. It indeed was large, easily towering over the closest building, it might have close to 10 storeys. And there were quite a lot of presences inside. But why do most of them feel frightened?

“Can you feel them, Inari?” Lia-sama asked me suddenly, she must have noticed my confusion.

“Yes, Lia-sama, there must be thousands of people inside that single building. It's just, most of them feel frightened. Why should there be this many people afraid for their life?” Is their captain showing an example on one of their own crew members? Or is already someone attacking them? They do not feel as if they are in pain, well most of them don't.

Fiara-san looked as if she has been inspecting the structural integrity of the warehouse. “Can't we just destroy the whole place? A few well-placed bombs and liquid fireballs would be enough to trap those inside and cook them.”

It certainly would make the fight easier, “And how are we going to find Vander Decken then?” I asked instead of agreeing. Finding him was still Lara-sama's main order. Destroying the New Fishman Pirates was a secondary objective introduced by Lia-sama.

“Mumu, but I always wanted to test how long my fire can burn underwater,” Fiara-san protested with a small pout.

Lia-sama petted her head comfortingly. “Don't worry Fiara, if everything turns well you will be able to burn quite a few evil fishes soon.” Fiara-san instantly perked up and smiled happily. “Okay, now there are quite a few sentries close and on top of the building. We'd have to take them out without spilling any blood. It seems as if fishmen are able to smell blood easily inside the water.” Lia-sama continued.

“I have a few darts with a neurotoxin, they might act quick enough to kill the few guards without alerting the rest,” I suggested. We would not even have to worry about their fallen bodies as they would simply drift in the water.

Lia-sama nodded slowly. “Very well, we're using those. The middle part of the left side has the fewest guards, only 10. Do you have enough darts?”

I went through my pouch and pulled out ten darts and a bottle of the toxin, before handing them over to Lia-sama. She would have to fill the darts, as she was the only one inside an air bubble. She would also be the one to throw them.

Preparations were quickly finished and we swam a bit closer. Lia-sama then took aim and threw all of the darts at once. They left an almost invisible trail in the water and hit true for every guard. Of course, they all noticed the attack, but most of them were already dead before they could think about raising any form of alarm. The main word here was most, as two of them were seemingly immune or resistant to the toxin.

We were already quite close, so I could see how they opened their mouths to scream out, yet a pebble hit them in the throat. There was no blood, but their necks were broken by Lia-sama's attack.

Soon we reached the top of the warehouse and Fiara-san began to saw a hole into it with her integrated tools. A large enough hole was quickly formed and she looked inside. “There is an empty room under us, thankfully filled with water.”

“Let's pull the guards inside, their vanishing will be more confusing than 10 drifting bodies,” Lia-sama said while pushing one body after another into the warehouse. Once they were all inside we followed as well and Fiara-san placed the wood she has sawn out back into the hole. She used a nearby broken chair to nail it in place.

Lia-sama walked over to the door and peeked out. “Okay, let's take a look, from the feel of it most people are below us. There's a hallway on the other side, I can't see or feel anyone in there, so we're good to go.” She pushed the door open and we slowly sneaked out.

The hallway has had a few other doors but we ignored them in favour of the staircase that led us downwards. The stairs opened up to a larger gangway that opened up on one side to a massive room, filled with hundreds of cells and cages on the walls. These cages were all filled with air and humans were sitting, standing or lying inside. It was obvious that they were held here against their will, as there were exploding rings around their necks.

“Are these slaves?” I asked a little confused. Isn't it logistically stupid to hold human slaves under the water?

Lia-sama shrugged. “That or simple prisoners, for now, it doesn't matter. Still, there are too many for us to sneak past. Let's take a look over the balustrade.”

Without being seen we peeked over and down to the bottom of the warehouse. Every storey was filled with cages with many in the higher floors still being empty. The whole building would easily hold thousands of people, maybe in the double digits if they cramp the cells full.

There were guards patrolling the levels filled with prisoners, while down at the bottom level I could make out movement, yet it was too deep to see clearly. “The lowest floor seems to house the New Fishman Pirate crew, there is something like a throne with a large black-haired shark fishman sitting on it and just our luck, Vander Decken seems to also be present. He's in a conversation with the other shark fishman.” Lia-sama described for me and Fiara-san.

“We could pop his bubble and prevent him from fleeing, he shouldn't drown with him being a fishman,” I suggested, then frowned. “It would also give away our presence.”

“Fiara, what kind of large scale attacks do you have with you?” Lia-sama asked the so-far silent Tontatta.

“Not enough, most of my larger bombs or rockets need air to cause greater damage. I have a few explosives, a couple hundred of my liquid fireballs, automatic machine guns in my arms, and the Pacifista laser.” Fiara-san answered sadly.

“That should be enough, could you aim your laser at the entrance? Two should be enough to cover most of it. Then, after firing, I will burst Vander Decken's bubble and keep them occupied. During the confusion, we will jump down and you will take the guards on each floor out while Inari covers us.” Both Fiara-san and I were nodding in agreement and while Fiara-san began to charge her lasers I pulled out my sickle and a dagger.

Fiara-san's laser glowed an angry gold before two of the four arms fired a beam of destruction down to the entrance. “Vaporising the evil fishies now!”

The beams shot through the water as if they weren't hindered by it at all, they reached the bottom within the blink of an eye and exploded in a golden ball of supper heated water and energy. The blast flung fishmen away and a shock wave rippled outwards through the water.

Meanwhile, all three of us have jumped over the balustrade and were starting to drift downwards. Fiara-san's arms opened up and she started firing cloud bullets out of two tiny rapidly firing guns. The shocked guards close to us did not even have the time to notice that they really were attacked from the top and not the bottom. Their bodies quickly got filled with numerous holes.

Still, it became obvious that these fishmen were quite a bit more sturdy than your normal human. Each needed dozens of bullets to die and some further down were even able to throw weapons at us. The few that would have hit were parried or deflected by my sickle and dagger.

Lia-sama was also throwing one nail after the other downwards. I still couldn't quite make out whom she was attacking, but that wasn't important now. A dozen guards from three floors under us have decided that a direct attack would bring more results. They swam at us with a rapid speed and would reach us soon.

I slashed down with my dagger and sent a force blade diagonally into their formation. Three weren't quick enough to evade and got bisected, their blood clouded my view from the lower floors, as did it to Fiara-san. Which was why she directed her guns at the left side of the remaining fishmen. Four more got perforated before they could reach us, which left five. Yet I couldn't see them, at first I thought they would come from the side but that wasn't the case. The moment we drifted down into the cloud of blood I made out five bodies drifting alongside the bisected remains of my first targets. Each had a hole in their head, Lia-sama must have killed them before my attack even connected.

The moment we were through the cloud of blood and guts we were assaulted by hundreds of fishmen. They all attacked at the same time and raced at us with both natural and crafted weapons. But these still were mere goons, they posed almost no actual danger to us.

Large groups got simply swatted out of existence by a simple swing of Lia-sama's arm. My own force blades were slicing through great groups and Fiara-san used weaker, yet quicker, laser attacks from her robotic arms to shoot through dozens of fishmen at the same time.

The water got so filled with blood that visibility was practically zero, at least for Fiara-san and me. I am sure that Lia-sama was still able to see. Thankfully, Lia-sama noticed Fiara-sans and my inability to see and used her Devil Fruit powers to push everything below us away with a might pressurised water wave.

The blood, guts, bodies, pirates, everything, got pushed downwards and crashed into the ground. Now without the red haze, I could finally see again and noticed that we have gotten quite close to the ground. It was now blood-soaked and littered with dead and half-dead fishmen.

Only a few were still good enough to stand back up, one of those was the described shark fishman that Lia-sama said has had sat on a throne. He looked at us with angry red eyes and put a handful of pills into his mouth, before doubling over and gaining a quick steep rise in his aura. His muscles rippled, his body grew and his appearance became more monster-like.

“He's using drugs,” Lia-sama supplied with a small grin. She then propelled herself at the still doubled over shark fishman and grabbed his head before slamming him into the ground. “Too bad for you that the pressure your drug has on your body also falls under my jurisdiction.” She then said and the body of the shark fishman began to change even more. His hair turned white, his muscles bulged once before they then began to rapidly shrink and wither away. The whole process didn't take more than a minute and instead of a muscled and probably powerful fishman laid now a withered broken old man.

The surviving fishman all around us were stuck in awe and could only watch how their captain, for who else would sit in a throne, got easily dispatched and turned virtually useless. Their will to fight was broken, the many dead bodies of their comrades showed how futile it was to fight us, even underwater.

Lia-sama stood up, still holding the now knocked out fishman. “I am Lia of the Kage Pirates, I am also an honorary member of the Sun Pirates.” She pointed to her back where the Sun Pirate symbol was in open display. “I have come for Vander Decken, captain of the Flying Pirates. He is guilty on numerous accounts of attempted assassinations on the life of the princess of this kingdom. Yet when I came to the Fishman District I saw how fishmen acting as slavers, a direct violation to Fisher Tiger's wishes. He did not only free fishmen when he raised Mariejois, he freed everyone. You are tarnishing his name and I won't stand for that.”

The pressure Lia-sama was projecting on everyone present was enough for those with a bit of honour to cry in shame and those without to shake in fear. “I can see that most of you were not agreeing with this piece of filth, so I will show mercy and allow you to leave. Those who still think that it will help you or your race if you start to enslave others as many humans have done, can stay and die by my hands. Fisher Tiger would not have been proud of you, he would be disappointed. Disappointed that you would fall so low as to do the same as humans.” I do not know much about Fisher Tiger, but even I know that he is something of a hero for the fishmen. He was also the reason why Lia-sama and Lara-sama were freed of their own enslavement.

Murmurs started within the watching crowd. Some were nodding along, others noted how none of us are human, which seemed to have given us credibility.

“Now, my sister is in the middle of talking with your king and soon this island will fall under the protection of the Kage Pirates. We will make sure that your District will bloom, on my way here I have seen the poverty and hardship some of you must have endured. A hardship that has driven you to such acts, I am sure.

You must have thought that joining this cretin,” she shook the old husk, “will help your race becoming stronger. It did not, the opposite even. Your hate for humans has turned you into the same thing you've hated. It has made you blind and would have ultimately destroyed your kingdom. Soon the army will come and wide-ranged changes will start to be implemented.”

The news that the Kage Pirates would become this kingdoms new protector was huge and went through both the fishmen and watching humans like a wildfire. Most seem to have some knowledge about us and that we are a crew made out of many different races. Some even pointed out that we have generally been helpful or good to normal people.

“Now, we will leave with Vander Decken and your old captain. Those of you who wish to stop us may try, the rest can go home. The kingdom will soon come to this district and offer you alternatives to piracy. It may be to join the army or to get trained in other jobs, but changes for the better will come. I don't know how wide-ranging these changes will be, however, the enslavement of any race will definitely be combated or downright eliminated.” With her speech finished Lia-sama turned to me and Fiara-san and gestured at a still body close to the throne. Fiara-san zipped over and picked up a limp but awake Vander Decken.

“And as for you,” now she directed the held captive humans, “soldiers will first come here and start to release you. You will be free to go, either to the New World or back to Paradise.” With that said she turned around and we left the warehouse. Behind us were the cheers of the freed pirates and also many of the 'freed' pirates. This captain of the New Fishman Pirates really must not have been liked.

On our way back to the palace I wondered when Lia-sama got so good with speeches, it usually was Lara-sama that did the talking. “That was a great speech, Lia-sama,” I praised finally, no longer able to not state my opinion.

“Yes, all these bad guys suddenly saw reason and became good,” added Fiara-san with a beaming smile.

“I only said what my Lara told me, she has been speaking to me through the earpiece in my mask,” commented Lia-sama offhandedly. Oh, so Lara-sama was helping Lia-sama while also being in her talks with King Neptune. I would expect nothing else of Lara-sama!