One Piece: Starting by Refusing Shanks

Prince Fukaboshi's men awkwardly glanced at the trio and then looked at Fukaboshi, silently asking for instructions on what to do next.

Fukaboshi sighed, shaking his head before gesturing for them to pull back.

His men retracted the rope ladder they had just lowered.

Prince Fukaboshi, using a floatation bubble for assistance, returned to the ship.

Once Fukaboshi was back on board, the grand fish-ship lifted off and began its journey upwards, headed towards the large bubble that was connected above the bubble enclosing the entire Fish-Man Island.

Along the way, they passed by small bubbles floating in mid-air, containing miniature islands and buildings. There were even some mermaids on land in front of those houses waving enthusiastically at Prince Fukaboshi on the ship.

It didn't take long for the ship to reach the circular connecting channel between the two bubbles.

The ship stopped below the circular gate, and Fukaboshi casually pressed a small button installed at the entrance.

A male voice came through, "Hey, who's there?"

Prince Fukaboshi replied in a calm tone, "It's me."

"That voice... Prince Fukaboshi! We will lower the passage immediately."

Then, a long cylindrical water passage descended from the large bubble above, connecting with the circular entrance.

Prince Fukaboshi handed a small coral, no larger than his palm, to Takumi. "This is Bubble Coral. It's a simple tool for creating bubbles. Ryugu Palace is almost entirely submerged in seawater, so it would be best if you wore these bubbles."

After Fukaboshi spoke, Takumi pressed the button on top of the Bubble Coral. A bubble automatically formed on the other side of the coral, growing larger and larger until it enveloped Takumi, Enel, and Kaku. Takumi then released the button.

"This bubble coral is far more convenient than the tools we use for coating," Kaku remarked, his eyes lighting up. He then asked, somewhat hopeful, "Prince Fukaboshi, could we keep this bubble coral?"

Given that they spent most of their time out at sea and both he and Enel were Devil Fruit users who couldn't touch seawater, having a tool like this would be a great help. In case their ship had any issues and couldn't dock on land but instead stopped at sea, he could use it to check things underwater.

It was better to be safe than sorry—even if the chances were slim, preparation was key.

Fukaboshi didn't seem to mind and replied nonchalantly, "Of course, if you like it, you can have it."

"Thank you very much," Kaku said with a smile as he accepted the gift.

Takumi threw the Bubble Coral over to him.

Kaku caught it with one hand and immediately stashed it in the side pouch of the backpack he had brought along.

Originally, he hadn't intended to carry a backpack, but with the pet egg to care for, keeping it in the bag was far more convenient than holding it all the time.

"Are you all ready?" Fukaboshi asked as a final check.

Seeing them nod in agreement, he gave the order to proceed.

The fish-ship moved into the circular entrance passage, picking up speed as it swam down the tunnel. A dazzling light glowed ahead, and as the ship emerged from the bright exit, an enormous, luxurious palace crowned with a giant golden dragon decoration came into view.

The palace was surrounded by colorful corals and peculiar flowers. Since it was filled with seawater, numerous schools of fish swam around, darting between the corals and seaweed, while various marine creatures joyfully played in the area.

Takumi had heard of Ryugu Palace's grandeur before, but seeing it in person still left a deep impression.

Both Enel and Kaku were momentarily stunned by the sight.

"It's worthy of its name as Ryugu Palace. How magnificent," Kaku couldn't help but marvel.

Enel, on the other hand, was filled with envy, suggesting, "Captain, how about we stay here a little longer?"

"This is someone's palace, not a place you can stay at just because you feel like it," Kaku scoffed at Enel's suggestion, then turned to Fukaboshi. "Since you promised our captain a meal at Ryugu Palace, having just one meal would be quite stingy of you. How about inviting us for a few more?"

Fukaboshi: "..."

"Hey, aren't you pushing your luck?" one of Fukaboshi's men couldn't help but complain.

Fukaboshi raised his hand to indicate for the man to step back and then said, "First of all, my name is Fukaboshi. Secondly, the promise to treat you to a meal at the palace was a personal one. I explained to my father that it would be only one meal, and that was why he agreed. If you wish to stay here for a longer time, it won't be up to me—you'll need my father's permission."

No sooner had Fukaboshi spoken than the fish-ship arrived at the grand golden gates of the palace.

As the ship approached, the gates slowly opened, revealing a long hallway lined with two rows of armored Fish-Man soldiers wielding tridents.

The scene was quite impressive.

The soldiers all spoke in unison, "Welcome back, Prince Fukaboshi."

In a spacious hall straight ahead, a massive Fish-Man with a crown on his head appeared. He was far larger than ordinary Fish-Men, standing twelve meters tall, with orange-red curly hair and a beard. His arms bore flame-like tattoos, and he held a finely carved trident.

This was Neptune, King of the Ryugu Kingdom.

Fukaboshi led Takumi and his crew off the ship and approached Neptune, bowing slightly. "Father, I've returned."

Neptune nodded in acknowledgment and turned his gaze to Takumi's crew. "This is my palace. Feel free to relax and enjoy yourselves."

No sooner had Neptune finished speaking than a small, white-haired seahorse behind him began to complain, "Your Majesty, how could you say such a thing so casually? Don't forget your status! Allowing outsiders to roam freely in the palace is unacceptable—this is absurd!"

Neptune quickly dropped his dignified demeanor, looking down at the seahorse with an expression like a child caught doing something wrong. "Understood. I'll be careful next time."

Takumi was well aware of Neptune's kind, sometimes childish, and occasionally capricious personality, so this didn't come as a surprise.

Enel and Kaku, who had no prior knowledge, were dumbfounded by Neptune's behavior.

"He's really the king here?" Enel asked in disbelief. "If you ask me, it seems like the short seahorse has more authority."

Fukaboshi explained, "My father has a very amiable nature and gets along well with everyone. Despite how he may seem, he knows exactly what's right and wrong."

"He seems like a pretty good king," Kaku said thoughtfully, stroking his chin. He then turned to Neptune and smiled. "Your Majesty, I have a small request I'd like you to consider."

Neptune looked curious. "What is it?"

Kaku continued with a smile, "Ryugu Palace is by far the most beautiful and majestic place we've seen on our journey. We hope we can stay here for a few more days."