Chapter 73: Vacation

At the pinnacle of the Great Pirate Era stand us—the "Four Emperors."

Pirate crews in the four seas or the first half of the Grand Line rarely reach even a thousand members. Most range from fewer than ten to around a hundred. Even the larger crews cap out at 200 to 500. Sure, some exceed a thousand, but 1,000 to 5,000 is the absolute limit. The Warlords might stretch into the four-digit range, but that’s another story.

But in the New World? For an Emperor’s crew, anything less than five digits is a joke. There were exceptions—like the Roger Pirates or Whitebeard’s crew, who thrived with elite small numbers—but try ruling vast territories or clashing with rival Emperors with that.

You’d always want more. Hell, even Whitebeard eventually swallowed his pride, absorbing allied crews to command tens of thousands. Necessary to protect his waters.

Take this very spot—it’s under Whitebeard’s flag. And nobody’s stupid enough to attack an island flying an Emperor’s banner. Cross one of us, and you will pay. Doesn’t matter if you flee the Grand Line. We’ll hunt you to the ends of the earth and teach you the industry’s unwritten rule: What happens when you defy a Sea Emperor.

Some call it the "New World’s Baptism." Hotshot rookies dragging their "Paradise" arrogance into these waters? Delicious to shatter their confidence. Some even bawl like toddlers. Show them an Emperor’s terror, and grown men will beg for their lives.

Since we, the Beast Pirates, joined the Emperors, we’ve been untouchable. A near-absolute force, free as conquerors… yet some things still don’t go our way.

"—Ughhh… Wouldn’t it be great if the Four Emperors, Marine HQ, and the Warlords all accidentally gathered on one island? Then we could have a warrrr~…"

"Then they’d all fall for Nue-sama’s cuteness, and the world would be saved, zaurusu~!"

"That’d be the apocalypse! And drop the weird speech tic already!!"

I’d docked at the island’s beach for a little vacation. My swimsuit had the crew mesmerized. Around me were two of my top officers—Uti and Page One, also in swimwear—plus a thousand Beast Pirates, including my Unknown’s crew.

Speaking of, the Unknown flies our Beast Pirates flag but also sports sails stylized after my adorable face and wings, plus one with "妖" (yō). Its UFO-inspired black hull oozes dark, cute charm—irresistible. No need for this many crew, but I wanted to sail her. Custom-built by Wano’s finest to my exact specs: stage, bathhouse, fun torture chamber, top-tier Wano weapons—perfection.

Oh, and plenty of female crewmates. Unlike sexist dinosaurs like Whitebeard, we welcome anyone who can fight—women, kids, whoever. Uti, Page One, even Jack—all raised on the ship since childhood. Sure, some are still single-digit ages, but they’re stronger than most grunts. I trained them. Heh.

My earlier rant? Just venting years of frustration. Sighing, I sipped a cocktail my subordinates made.

"Everyone overreacts to the tiniest move. Marines cling to their ‘balance,’ rivals scheme for advantage—exhausting."

"The Marines are pests, zaurusu."

"I get it, but… Nue-san, mind explaining why we’re really at Fish-Man Island?"

"Vacation plus recruiting."

"So vacation’s the main goal…?"

"Pē-tan, stop fishing and enjoy! A rare chance to relax with Nue-sama, zaurusu!"

"Don’t call me Pē-tan!! Wait—‘recruiting’… You mean for that plan…?"

"Yep! So we’re vacationing while waiting for ‘fish’ to bite. Fitting, no? This is Fish-Man Island~♡"

"Of course! With Nue-sama’s Observation Haki, easy, zaurusu!"

I giggled, nodding at Page One. He frowned, then asked:

"Speaking of… How far does your Haki reach?"

"Hmm… An island? Maybe all of Wano if I push it."

"Damn… So why fish-men allies?"

"Silly Pē-tan! For fun, obviously, zaurusu!"

As they bantered, I stretched my Haki, sensing the island’s inhabitants. Strong ones stand out—we’d know when they arrived. Until then, I’d chat with my adorable crew.

"Did you know? Fish-men have been oppressed by the World Government for ages. So tragic~♪"

"Uh, yeah, but…"

"Dumb, zaurusu! If they’re born stronger, just kill the humans, zaurusu!"

"Hehe, true! But they can’t. ‘Strong’ is relative—most can’t hang in the New World. No match for the Government’s might."

"Nue-sama’s so smart, zaurusu!"

"Can’t think of many strong fish-men… Jack, Sasakibe… that’s it."

Uti and Page One nodded. Fish-men are weak. A human subspecies, but weaker on land. Aquatic by nature—calling them "fish" fits.

Not that I discriminate. All races are equal. No room for petty hatred.

They, though? They despise humans. Smirking, I sipped my drink, then glanced sideways.

"But it’s deeper. This hatred’s ingrained. Look—just us being here makes them seethe with fear~♡"

"!"

"—You there!!"

Finally, they arrived—soldiers armed with spears, led by a hulking merman: the Ryugu Kingdom’s king, his beard wild.

"The Beast Pirates… and you—Nue, the Vice-Captain!"

"Whoa! The hell’s this giant fish?!"

"You picking a fight?!"

"Gyaha! This beardy moron know who he’s talkin’ to?!"

"How dare you insult His Majesty?!"

"These bastards…!"

"—HOLD YOUR POSITION!! DO NOT ENGAGE UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES!!"

The soldiers bristled at our crew’s mocking laughter, but King Neptune—sensing their hostility—snapped at them with unshakable authority. I couldn’t help but grin.

"Ohhh~? So the king does have an eye for strength. What’s the matter, Neptune~♡?"

"…The question is mine to ask. What business does a Beasts Pirates fleet—one of the Four Emperors—have on Fish-Man Island…!?"

"Can’t we visit without an agenda? Though if you’re this scared, you could’ve just ignored us~♡"

"Ignoring you isn’t an option when you’ve occupied this beach for days! The merfolk are distressed. I never imagined you’d dare move against this island…"

I tilted my head, sashimi dangling from my chopsticks. Huh?

"—Wait. Why wouldn’t we move against you?"

"…Do not play the fool. This island flies Whitebeard’s flag. Strike here, and you invite—"

"…………Ha. What the hell are you talking about?"

"!!!"

The moment he said it, I pulsed—just enough to make their knees buckle without passing out. Fear’s no fun if they black out.

"Assuming we’re too scared of Whitebeard to act… just makes me want to prove you wrong~♡ Ever heard of reverse psychology?"

"Y-You cannot be serious! You’d risk war…!?"

"Ahaha♪ I’d love a war~♡ Tell me—if I wiped this island off the map, would that start one? Because I might just—" I tapped my spear lightly. The soldiers’ terror was delicious. I could’ve crushed them then.

—But I lowered my weapon.

"—Nah. Not today. You’re smarter than I heard, Neptune… but you suck at Emperor politics."

"W-What do you mean…?"

"We don’t avoid Whitebeard out of fear. We avoid the chain reaction."

Here’s the real frustration.

As Emperors, we fear nothing—not even each other. Kaido, me, any of us would bet on ourselves in a straight fight. Even against Whitebeard.

But victory isn’t the problem. It’s what comes after.

"If Whitebeard and I went all-out? The winner would be the Emperor who didn’t fight. The Marines would swoop in. The Warlords would pick sides. It’s not about strength—it’s chess."

"…The balance of power."

"Bingo~♡ So now you get it. We don’t fear Whitebeard’s flag—we respect the game."

Another pulse of pressure. They shook. This island? These ants? I could turn them to seabed gravel right now.

But that’s the trap.

The Four Emperors are locked in a stalemate—each strong enough to cripple the others, but never without cost. Win a war, and you’re too weak to stop the next enemy. The Marines pray for that opening.

So we play the long game. Expand territory. Undermine rivals. No grand moves—just erosion.

And Whitebeard? Annoyingly sharp. Raid his turf, and he’ll raid yours to force you home. No brute force. No blunders. Just a slow, grinding masquerade of power.

"So, Your Majesty—you sure you want to poke the bear? Let us lounge here… or lose hundreds trying to chase us off. Your call~♡"

If you’re dumb enough to think a Whitebeard flag makes you safe—I’ll really kill you.
I shot them a look laced with menace, silently driving the message home. The soldiers recoiled, fear flashing plainly in their eyes. Hard to tell when they’re already pale, though. Still, even as his face blanched, Neptune remained calm. He seemed to be calculating something, and after a moment, he spoke.

“…We promise not to harm anyone from this country.”

“Your Majesty!?”

The soldiers cried out in disbelief—but it was the right, realistic call. I guess meeting us in person made things clear. They couldn’t drive us off, and we weren’t going to leave. So, if it meant protecting his people, he was willing to compromise. I nodded in approval.

“I can’t promise anything, but we’re not going to go around hurting or killing people on our own. We might get attacked, though. Oh, and we’ll be needing food and fuel while we’re staying here. Got it? ♡”

“So, you won’t strike first. In that case… we’ll do what we can.”

“Negotiations complete~♡ Now, how about all you small fry head on home? We’ve got a beach barbecue, volleyball, and a show coming up. Or do you wanna stay and watch?”

“I wanna play beach volleyball with Nue-samaaa~~♡”

“We don’t got enough fish for the barbecue!! Step it up, you guys!!”

“Y-yes, sir!!”

“…Everyone, back to the castle.”

“Y…yes, sir.”

I rose from my beach chair as Neptune gave the order, and the soldiers withdrew, clearly frustrated but obeying. He’s a good king. If he’d acted like most humans—trying to fight us out of pride—the fishmen and merfolk would’ve been in a much worse spot. Being king of Ryugu Kingdom demands serious judgment. Way more than a typical king.

—Especially since there’s always some idiot who doesn’t know their place. ♡ I felt it coming and let my lips curl into a grin.

“DON’T SCREW WITH ME!!!”

“!”

“Huh? Who the hell’s that…”

Someone stepped forward, yelling, just as Neptune’s troops were leaving. A fishman shoved aside those trying to hold him back—and I recognized him immediately. That nose, that build… I couldn’t help but smirk. Don’t tell me he’s actually going to pick a fight? I decided to watch.

He was clearly furious.

“Four Emperors or not, what kind of pathetic joke of an army can’t even get rid of some brat kids calling themselves officers!? Neptune Army!!”

“King Neptune!! I’m Arlong from Fishman District!!”

“Ah… one of those pirate types, eh. Arlong, was it. You and your crew should stay away from this beach for the time being. It’s off-limits—”

“You’re seriously bowing down to humans!? Kids!? I didn’t think you’d fallen this far!!”

“Arlong! That’s the Neptune Army and a Yonko crew! Stand down!!”

Ah, Hacchan. The octopus guy. Seeing all these familiar faces brings back memories. There’s Kuroobi, Chew… the whole Arlong gang trying to hold him back. But for whatever reason, Arlong’s got it in his head to pick a fight with us and Neptune’s army. What a temper. He still hasn’t learned that being weak and stupid gets you hurt. That kind of reckless attitude is fun to watch, though.

“If you cowards won’t do it, then I will!! I’ll take care of those brats myself—!!”

“Huhhh!!? Who the hell are you calling brats!? Me, Peitan, and Nue-sama!? You little shark punk…!!!”

“!?”

“Ulti-sama!?”

Ahh, now the hot-headed one’s fired up too. Ulti-chan flew into a rage and charged straight at Arlong. She even transformed mid-run, caught his attack, and cracked his nose wide open with a headbutt.

“GYYYYAHHH!!?”

“I’ll beat you to death right now, you pathetic little shark bastard!!!”

“Arlong!!”

“That girl… She’s a dinosaur user…!!”

“Damn it—Arlong!!!”

Yikes. Ulti’s got him pinned and is just going to town—biting, slamming, punching, kicking, headbutting… It’s not a fight. It’s a beatdown. I mean, Arlong’s the one who bit her first, and if you get wrecked this hard by a seven-year-old, that’s on you.

And then—one of the Neptune soldiers moved. Wait, is that…? Oh! That’s the boss!! Jinbe!! Looks like he couldn’t just stand by while Arlong was getting mauled. He’s coming in to stop it. He looks strong… This might be bad. Even Ulti and Peitan probably can’t beat Jinbe. Still, it’s a chance to earn some XP, so whatever.

“Hey now, we were trying to let you off easy. You really wanna go?”

“Step aside!! Didn’t you say no one would be killed!? Were you lying!?”

“He came at us first, so it’s self-defense… Anyway, what now, Nue-san? At this rate, Big Sis is gonna kill that shark. Am I allowed to fight?”

“If you do, just don’t kill him. And don’t lay a hand on any of the other soldiers—they haven’t done anything.”

“…Got it. Then you, charging at us—you’re our XP now!”

“!!”

“Boss Jinbe!!?”

Page One activated his powers, transforming into his hybrid form, and launched a full-force punch at Jinbe, sending him flying through a few buildings. Still, as expected of Jinbe—he was guarding, and even if he underestimated him because he’s a kid, he’s not going down like Arlong. He got back up and charged straight at Page One.

Man, he’s strong. It’s not like Peitan’s weak—he’s strong enough to be a Lead Performer—but he’s still a kid. There’s no way he can beat one of the strongest fishmen alive. Actually, the fact that he did land a surprise hit and knock him back is kind of impressive. Promising, even.

“Sigh… King Neptune, you really think harmony with humans is possible when people like this are around? And, uh, we’re kinda past the point of putting our weapons down too~ What are you planning to do?”

“Ghh… I’m sorry!! Jinbe, that’s enough!!”

“…!! But still…!!”

“What, you're worried about that shark? Then give it up. The guy's dead meat if my sister keeps going.”

I flashed a warning glare at King Neptune, making it clear: if this keeps up, we’ll take it as a challenge.

But Neptune’s words weren’t getting through. Jinbe still looked hung up on Arlong. And honestly, he’s right. If things go on like this, Arlong really will die. No doubt about it.

“Ugh… Agh…!”

“Stop!! He’s seriously gonna die!!”

“Stop, you say!?” Ulti snarled, “You wanna be next, huh?! I’ll kill you too!!!”

“Aah, hey hey, Shark-boy over there—what was it again? Arlong? If you just say, ‘We were fools, I’m sorry,’ we’ll let you off the hook. Sound good?”

“…S-Shut… up… you damn humans…”

“Aww, you’ve got guts, I’ll give you that ♡ But now we’ve got no choice but to teach this scrawny little fish all about the big, scary world—like what ruthless really means, hmm~~?”

“Gyahahaha!! You guys hit the jackpot! A front-row seat to Lady Nue’s brutality show!”

“Kick back and enjoy the view! You’re about to see what happens when you cross the Beasts Pirates!!”

My crew went wild from just a few of my words. They’re so easy to hype up it’s almost cute. Still, we’re talking about pirates under a Yonko. Even without me stepping in, they’re more than enough to handle this crowd. Neptune and Jinbe? Well, they might have their hands full.

But hey, it’s not like we’re planning to kill anyone. I walked over to Arlong, smiling sweetly as I spoke to the lot of them.

“Alright, alright, everyone calm down. Didn’t I just tell the king? We’re here on vacation, remember? No rough stuff.”

“Eh? So we can’t kill him, saurus!?”

“Nope. But still… letting him off scot-free would hurt our reputation. Hmm… okay, I’ve got it!”

I stopped Ulti and crouched down by Arlong, giving him a wink.

“One… hundred… berries. That’s all ♡”

“…!!? One hundred… berries…!?”

“What? Are you serious…? I mean, paying that’s nothing, but…”

“Nyu~! Thank goodness!! Arlong-san’s gonna be okay!!”

Arlong stared in disbelief. His crew, Neptune’s soldiers—everyone looked at each other, clearly baffled. Makes sense. A Yonko’s crew backing down over pocket change? It didn’t compute.

And honestly, I could have shaken them down for more. But ten thousand, a hundred thousand—it’s all pocket change to us. And I doubt these sad little fish could cough up anything worth our time anyway.

So instead, I decided to amuse myself. Letting them live in exchange for that tiny sum? It was perfect. Smiling, I told them:

“I love fish-men and merfolk ♡ So I’ll be nice to you, okay? Your life, little fishy, is worth exactly one hundred berries ♡ Isn’t that a great deal? You get to buy back your life for a measly hundred berries ♡”

“…!!! You’re saying… my life is only worth a hundred berries…!?”

“Yup, super sweet of me, right? That’s not even enough for a can of soda ♪ Cheaper than a loaf of bread. Wow, what a bargain!!”

“As expected of Lady Nue!! So kind, saurus!!”

“Grrrrr…!!! Don’t screw with me!!!”

Arlong, half-dead already, suddenly lost it and shouted in rage. I don’t get it. I went out of my way to make it super affordable, so what’s the problem? Did he want to die that badly? Or was it the idea of putting such a measly price on a fish-man’s life that sent him off? It’s not like I meant that all fish-men are worth a hundred berries.

Just that I didn’t care enough to ask for more. But I guess he’s got a massive inferiority complex. It’s a common thing with people who’ve been discriminated against—seeing insults where there aren’t any.

“Ehh? So you won’t pay? Don’t tell me you seriously can’t scrape together a hundred berries?”

“Damn you…!! You’re mocking me… to the bitter end…!!!”

“Arlong-san!! Please, just endure it!! You’ll live!!”

“So noisy, saurus. Let’s just finish this already, saurus.”

“Don’t!!! Stop!!!”

As Arlong’s crew and Jinbe shouted, Ulti raised her hand to strike.

But in that instant—a shadow moved between them. I caught Ulti’s shoulder and gently pulled her back.

“!!”

“What the hell!?”

“! That’s… Tiger-san!?”

“Big bro Tiger…!”

“The big bro Tiger…!!”

The large red fish-man who’d suddenly jumped in from above, ready to strike us down, was exactly the man I’d been looking for.

The leader of Fish-Man District. The adventurer—Fisher Tiger.

“Jinbe, Arlong… King Neptune… We’ve got a lot to talk about. But now’s clearly not the time.”

“Haaah!? Who the hell asked you to butt in!?”

“Stay, Ulti-chan. —Ahaha! So you’re the adventurer Fisher Tiger! Nice to meet you! Should I introduce myself too?”

“No need. I already know who you are. I may be an adventurer, but you don’t survive these seas without keeping tabs on monsters like you.”

“Oh? Is that so? Then… are you looking to pick a fight with us?”

“I only stepped in to protect my comrades!! I have no intention of fighting you!!”

Tiger said this without ever breaking eye contact. He said that—but his stance told a different story. He looked ready to throw down at any second.

Well, from my perspective, adding one more fighter to the mix doesn’t change much. But if I weren’t here, my crew might’ve had a bit more trouble. I could let this all play out for a bit longer just for fun… but I figured our little time-waster was about wrapped up. Smiling, I made my decision.

“Okayyy ♡ In that case—we’ll let you all go!!”

“! …Is that so. Then we owe you.”

“But! It’s not really a condition or anything—but how about we talk? Just the two of us? I’ve always wanted to hear more about the legendary adventurer.”

“What…? Don’t be ridiculous! You expect Tiger-san to agree to that kind of—”

“──Fine.”

“Big bro Tiger!? But they’re—!”

“It’s alright, Jinbe. All of you. Take care of Arlong for me.”

Tiger accepted my offer, still clearly cautious, but holding his crew back as he stepped forward. Hm, not bad. The man does lead a bunch of misfit fish-men, after all. He’s got the presence—and the guts.

But I see it. I don’t miss it. That flicker buried deep in his heart—the fear, the sorrow, the hatred. All those festering emotions.

“Heehee… Alright then, one ticket to my ship, coming right up ♪ You guys go play for a while. Ulti, Page One, get the barbecue started, will you?”

“Got it, saurus!! C’mon Pei-tan, time to go catch some fish for the grill, saurus!!”

“Whoa!? Quit yanking me, sis!! And hey, you’ve got blood on you!! Wipe it off first!!”

And with that, I left the preparations to Ulti and Page One, and went off to have a little chat with Tiger. A conversation about our upcoming “raid”—and “liberation.” I planned to learn everything about him… before offering him an invitation.