Hearing those seemingly suggestive words, Queen Otohime was briefly stunned. She lifted her gaze to meet the Vice Admiral's, catching the deeper meaning behind his look.

Realization dawned on her, and she responded sincerely,

"I truly apologize, Vice Admiral Daren."

"The Fishman tribe is in a dire situation. His Majesty Neptune and I had no choice but to resort to this plan."

"Fish-Man Island... needs Vice Admiral Daren's protection."

As she spoke the final words, a flicker of helplessness and concern passed through the clear light of Queen Otohime's eyes.

Daren, still dancing, let out a soft chuckle.

"Providing protection to Fish-Man Island is no problem for me. Besides, didn't you already build a statue of me in Gyoncorde Plaza?"

"And just now during the wedding, I served as the witness for you and King Neptune... I'm sure word of that will spread quickly across the seas. Soon enough, everyone will know that Rogers Daren stands behind Fish-Man Island as its guardian."

He'd seen through it immediately—both the statue and the role of witness were strategic moves by Fish-Man Island.

Neptune and Otohime wanted to leverage his reputation and status to deter the poachers and criminals eyeing the Fishmen. Daren suspected Neptune himself wasn't likely to have come up with such a political tactic...

Which meant this clever plan was probably the queen's doing.

In that case, in a way, he really had become "Queen Otohime's man."

"You've accomplished what you set out to do, haven't you?"

Daren said with a smile.

Queen Otohime bit her lip lightly and murmured,

"Tiger-san returned to Fish-Man Island a few days ago. He shared with us the pain of being captured and enslaved... and he also expressed his heartfelt gratitude to Vice Admiral Daren."

"In such an unstable world, the Fishman tribe needs powerful allies like Vice Admiral Daren..."

The music came to an end.

Their dance steps gradually stilled, her skirt flowing like a blooming flower.

"...Well then, Queen Otohime. A pleasure doing business with you."

A faint smile lingered on Daren's face.

He gently took Queen Otohime's delicate hand, placed a graceful kiss on the back like a knight, then handed her back to Neptune, who had been waiting eagerly nearby.

"Your Majesty Neptune, you have excellent taste," Daren said with a smile.

"Queen Otohime is sure to become the greatest and wisest queen in Fish-Man Island's history."

Neptune laughed heartily at the compliment.

"Vice Admiral Daren, you flatter us. In any case, we're truly honored that you joined us today."

"Please, enjoy the party as you like."

He gestured toward the cluster of noblewomen and royal ladies nearby who were practically glowing with anticipation.

"The guests can't wait to dance with you."

Daren let out a theatrical sigh.

"Well, what can I do? Caring for the people and maintaining diplomatic goodwill among nations is part of my duty as a Marine."

Neptune: ...

Otohime: ...

As Daren strode confidently toward the group of women, eyes glittering with excitement, both Neptune and Otohime quietly let out a sigh of relief.

"So... is he angry?"

Neptune leaned toward Otohime and asked in a low voice.

Otohime shook her head.

"He's more reasonable than I imagined. And surprisingly... he doesn't seem to match those rumors of being a lecherous scoundrel at all."

A flicker of puzzlement passed through her sapphire-blue eyes.

"The way he looked at me... it wasn't like other men, filled with blatant desire. His gaze was clear—with just a touch of appreciation. A pure admiration for beauty."

"His words were measured, and he never crossed any lines. He has a strong sense of propriety."

She gently touched her chest, her brows faintly furrowing as she murmured,

"Among the representatives of other Member Nations attending the wedding, quite a few harbor ugly thoughts, and some are clearly just here for the spectacle."

"But Daren-san... he seems to be genuinely offering his silent blessings for our wedding."

Neptune was momentarily dumbfounded.

If he didn't already know about Otohime's special Observation Haki—the kind that could listen to people's hearts—he would have thought she'd been completely taken in by Daren.

That war demon who nearly pierced Fish-Man Island with a cursed blade...

That so-called Marine scoundrel, rumored to have tangled with countless women...

Was he really such a decent man?

Words like that might suit Garp, but for someone known as "the biggest disgrace in Marine history," Neptune couldn't help but feel something was off.

Still... as long as he meant no harm to Otohime...

Neptune clasped her hand a little tighter, finally allowing himself to relax.

As if sensing her husband's thoughts, Otohime's lips curved into a beautiful smile. She gently rested her head on his chest and laughed softly.

"Vice Admiral Daren, that scum of the Marines, seems to have a bottom line after all."

Neptune glanced at the Vice Admiral, who was skillfully navigating his way through the crowd of mature queens and ladies. The corners of his mouth twitched.

"Are you sure?"

Queen Otohime laughed.

"Yes, he seems to only flirt with those who are already interested in him. Those wives and ladies who are loyal to their husbands and love—he doesn't take the initiative to get involved with them."

"What an interesting man..."

Neptune fell silent for a moment.

He looked from afar at the Vice Admiral surrounded by women and let out a breath.

This kind of life of a scoundrel is really...

I envy him so much.

...

"What a bunch of shameless women!!"

In a corner of the banquet hall, Stussy was cutting into the steak on her porcelain plate with so much force it looked like she might pierce the plate.

Her gritted teeth and murderous aura sent nearby guests—who had tried to strike up a conversation—scrambling backward, instinctively keeping their distance.

"Do they think this is love? Once that bastard's had his fill, he'll throw them away without a second thought!"

Stussy glared in Daren's direction with a cold smile, her lips curling in mockery.

"But what does it matter? Vice Admiral Daren is so handsome and sexy, with such a strong and perfect body... Even one night with him would be enough to savor for a lifetime, wouldn't it?"

Just then, a voice came from beside her.

Stussy turned and sneered.

"Then why don't you go?"

The young girl, dressed like a royal princess, blushed and shook her head.

"I-I'm not an adult yet. Otherwise, I... I'd go too."

She bit her lip and pointed in that direction.

"See that lady in the black evening gown? That's my mother."

"And the woman next to her in the red dress, the one almost fighting with her... That's my aunt—her younger sister."

Stussy: ...

You nobles really are a mess!

Before she could finish her internal rant, the princess from some kingdom beside her sighed regretfully.

"According to the butler, Mother and Aunt have already booked the most expensive hotel suite on Fish-Man Island... The other wives, ladies, and princesses did about the same."

"...All the hotels on Fish-Man Island are fully booked today."

Snap!

"I'm not eating anymore!"

Stussy suddenly stood up, her face pale, and stormed off in the direction of the restroom.

The little princess next to her jumped in surprise—

Because she had clearly seen that the knife and fork on Stussy's porcelain plate... had been twisted into a pretzel.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.