Facing the surprised expressions of King Neptune and Queen Otohime, Mio spoke with a playful tone.
"It's like a king choosing a concubine. There are two beautiful girls—one is just beautiful, while the other is not only beautiful but also talented and helpful to the king. Who do you think the king will choose?"
He leaned back slightly and continued, his voice casual but sharp.
"If Fishman Island isn't strong enough, the World Government will only treat it as one of the weaker member states. But unlike the others, Fishman Island pays very little tribute, lacks strength, and lies deep under the sea—out of reach and difficult to control. Do you really think the World Government cares about a place like that? Maybe they support Queen Otohime's dream on the surface, but their influence doesn't reach this deep. The truth is, they can't enforce anything here."
Mio's expression grew colder as he spoke more seriously.
"So in the end, the essence of this world... is strength."
He smirked, mocking the idea of relying on outside help. "Why ask others for help if you're strong enough to do it yourself? Fishman Island being powerful might make the World Government wary, sure, but this is the deep sea. What is there to fear?"
Otohime gritted her teeth. "No matter what you say, Fishman Island will never belong to your people."
Mio merely shrugged and gave a faint smile. "Don't be so sure. This is a mutually beneficial deal. I can offer your island peace and stability. In return, you have something we want."
"That may not be the case," Neptune said sternly. "At the very least, we don't have the Sea King."
"Oh?"
Mio raised an eyebrow, then chuckled quietly and shook his head.
He replied calmly, "Queen Otohime, King Neptune, that's enough talk for today. My offer still stands. You're welcome to contact me at any time. It's fine if you don't agree now, but I still plan to visit the Sea Forest."
He added with a grin, "After all, my companion is quite interested in the poneglyph there."
Upon hearing this, both Otohime and Neptune fell silent.
After a long pause, Neptune finally nodded. "Alright. If Mr. Black Crow needs it, I'll arrange for someone to take you there."
They had no choice but to comply.
Just as Mio had said, Fishman Island lacked even a single strong protector.
Jinbei wasn't strong enough yet, and Fisher Tiger, the only one who posed a threat, had already been captured and enslaved in Mary Geoise—though Otohime and Neptune weren't yet aware of that.
The banquet began shortly after. Mio didn't bring up the deal again. Instead, he casually chatted with Neptune and Otohime about his adventures at sea and some of the sights on Fishman Island. Several hours passed before Mio finally left the hall and returned to the guest quarters arranged by Neptune.
Later that night, Hei Yan approached Mio privately, his eyes cold and voice low.
"My lord, do you need me to..."
Though he didn't finish the sentence, his intention was clear—he was prepared to assassinate Neptune and Otohime. From his perspective, anyone who refused Mio's terms was better off eliminated.
But Mio calmly shook his head. "No. There's no need. Killing them won't help us. It would only plunge Fishman Island into chaos. I value this island too much to turn it into a lawless wasteland."
Although Neptune and Otohime weren't powerful, their love for Fishman Island was genuine.
"...Understood."
Hei Yan nodded respectfully and didn't speak further.
Later, everyone returned to their rooms to rest.
Mashi, a bit tipsy after sipping wine at the banquet, ran straight into Mio's room and sprawled across him before quickly falling asleep.
With his hands behind his head, Mio lay there silently, his gaze thoughtful.
There was a clear divide between fishmen and mermaids on the island.
Fishmen resembled humanoid sea creatures, while mermaids, like Neptune's children, had human upper bodies and fish tails. As a race, fishmen were born with far greater physical strength than humans, which intrigued Mio. Their genes were ideal—and more importantly, could be harvested in large quantities.
An underwater army built from these genes could be tremendously powerful.
In this sea-dominated world, control of an aquatic military force would be a massive advantage.
Although Neptune and Otohime had rejected his offer today, Mio wasn't in a rush. His desire to build such an army could wait.
But one thing was certain.
He would claim Fishman Island.
And if it couldn't be done through diplomacy...
He smirked in the dark.
Then he would wait for Shirahoshi to be born and for the throne to change hands. Just like Crocodile's quiet attempt to steal Alabasta in the original timeline. Only Crocodile sought Pluton—Mio wanted Poseidon.
Chuckling at the thought, Mio soon drifted off to sleep.
Fishman Island was renowned for its beauty, a shining gem of the first half of the Grand Line. The next morning, rather than heading straight to the Sea Forest, Mio decided to take a short tour.
Dressed in a black cloak, he strolled through various areas with Erica and the others by his side.
They visited Coral Hill, Gironcorde Plaza, and other well-known spots.
The island was vibrant and lively, filled with cheerful mermaids and colorful surroundings. Mio found himself quietly admiring the local women. Most of them were not just beautiful, but stunning. Even the least attractive among them could hold their own.
Mio smiled inwardly.
A man could live quite a good life in retirement here.
After exploring for a while, Mio finally sought out Neptune and asked him to arrange a guide to the Sea Forest.
At the same time, he expressed his interest in seeing Noah, the legendary ship.
Neptune didn't refuse either request.
Although Noah was critical to Fishman Island, Mio's request didn't seem threatening. It wasn't as if Mio could steal the ship—Noah could only be pulled by the giant Sea Kings, and its size was half that of the entire island.
In truth, Mio had no interest in taking it anyway.
He just wanted to see it with his own eyes.
"Queen Otohime will escort you to the Sea Forest," Neptune told him.
He was already aware of the poneglyph hidden there. With the only survivor of Ohara—Nico Robin—traveling with the Black Crow Pirates, it wasn't surprising that Mio was interested in the ancient text.
Neptune had kept up with current events across the seas.
"Then I'll trouble Princess Otohime," Mio said with a polite smile.
"It's no trouble. In fact, I've been meaning to ask you something, Mr. Black Crow." Otohime returned the smile, hers radiant and sincere.
With that, she turned to lead the way, flanked by several guards from the Sea King's Army.
The journey to the Sea Forest would soon begin.