A sand and a mountain!

As the conflict on the square was still ongoing, the pirates who had escaped from the King's Square and were knocked unconscious by Haoshoku Haki immediately rushed to the port town of Coral Hill on Fish-Man Island.

Upon arriving at Coral Hill, these pirates showed no intention of staying and ran straight towards the docked ships, eager to leave this troubled place as soon as possible.

The idea of making a fortune was quickly abandoned when Vista and Simon appeared, and Simon declared Fish-Man Island's protection.

In just a short span of ten minutes or so, bubbles enveloped the hulls of several ships in the dock as they swiftly headed towards the exit of Fish-Man Island.

Before long, dozens of pirate ships had left Fish-Man Island and ventured into the deep sea.

"Finally escaped..."

"Thank goodness!"

"Those monsters are truly terrifying."

On the decks of each pirate ship, the pirates who had escaped Fish-Man Island were all filled with relief as they watched the intense battle on King's Square in the distance.

They had every reason to be grateful.

In Nicholas's original plan, any pirate who did not leave Fish-Man Island within the specified time would meet a grim fate.

In the grand hall of the Ryugu Palace, upon hearing the news that a large number of pirates were hastily leaving Fish-Man Island, Neptune couldn't help but feel a bit melancholic.

The life-and-death crisis that Fish-Man Island had faced was so easily resolved.

Even Otohime, despite advocating for peaceful coexistence with humans, fell into silence. She knew deep down that if the pirates were not expelled from the island, Fish-Man Island would become a lawless zone, plagued by human traffickers and various underground activities, ultimately leading to its demise.

"See, sometimes what others see as a grain of sand, to Fish-Man Island, it's a mountain. This is the tragedy of having no strength," Nicholas remarked with a shake of his head.

At this moment, no one would disagree with him. Neptune and his family, along with Fisher Tiger and his Whale Shark brothers, were digesting the news and Nicholas's words.

Buru Buru

Suddenly, in the relatively quiet grand hall, the sound of a Den Den Mushi ringing broke the silence.

Nicholas opened his eyes and looked towards Stella, whose Den Den Mushi was vibrating slightly, emitting the ringing sound.

Neptune and Fisher Tiger also turned their gaze towards Stella.

Under their scrutiny, Nicholas took the Den Den Mushi from Stella's hand.

"The crazy woman's Den Den Mushi?"

Seeing Nicholas holding the Den Den Mushi, their expressions turned serious.

Without hesitation, Nicholas answered the call.

"Moshi Moshi?"

As the Den Den Mushi connected, the image of a pair of prominent red lips appeared on the Den Den Mushi's screen. The intimidating large eyes perfectly matched the Den Den Mushi's antennae, exuding a pressure that made one feel uneasy just by looking at it.

Nicholas held the receiver, waiting for a response, but there was silence from the other end for a long time, furrowing his brow.

"Moshi Moshi?"

"Nicholas!!!"

In the Den Den Mushi's large eyes, bloodshot lines suddenly appeared, glaring at Nicholas like a demon from hell.

"Hey hey, why are you shouting so loud!? You scared me!"

 "Be aware, I'll come to Fish-Man Island later and take you out at the World Noble auction!?"

Hearing Charlotte Linlin's voice filled with hatred, Nicholas seemed to become annoyed.

Neptune, Otohime, Fisher Tiger, and the Whale Shark brothers remained silent, while the shark Fish-Man minions were already numb. They knew that the person on the other end was the strongest female pirate in the world. What kind of character would dare to challenge her?

"Nicholas, is there really no room for negotiation? Are you sure you want to compete with me for Fish-Man Island!?"

"Linlin."

Nicholas spoke with emphasis, and to those who didn't know, it seemed like their relationship was quite good.

"Are you going crazy from giving birth!? I'm already in Fish-Man Island, what do you think? You ask such stupid questions. No wonder you can't play with Kaido, Newgate, and Roger."

"...!"

After a moment of silence, the bloodshot lines in the Den Den Mushi's eyes increased, conveying a chilling killing intent, and the Den Den Mushi's teeth continued to grind, indicating the person's worsening mood.

"And I just spared the most outstanding member of your Charlotte family, and you didn't even say thank you. Instead, you dare to provoke me!? Who gave you the courage? Believe me, I'll cut your strongest son into pieces and feed him to the Sea Kings!"

Nicholas's eyes gleamed with sharpness as he stared into the Den Den Mushi's eyes, speaking coldly.

As he spoke, Nicholas's tone was steady, making it clear that he was not joking.

This attitude, in the eyes of the Whale Shark brothers and the useless princes, was full of dominance.

"Mamma, mamma...!"

Charlotte Linlin heard Nicholas's words and laughed in anger, unable to retort. After all, she wasn't experiencing a craving attack right now and still had some rationality. She knew very well the importance of Katakuri's formidable strength to the Charlotte family.

However, the unabashed killing intent conveyed through the Den Den Mushi made her anger even more apparent.

"Alright, I have other matters to attend to. I'm hanging up."

With that, Nicholas hung up the Den Den Mushi.

In the grand castle of Whole Cake Island in the Totland Sea, Charlotte Linlin, holding the now silent Den Den Mushi, was initially stunned. Then, a terrifying roar erupted from the castle, spreading throughout Whole Cake Island.

After a while, when Charlotte Linlin had finished venting her anger, the voice of Perospero came from outside the door, "Mother, Kaido of the Hundred Beasts Pirates has sent a secret message."

...

"So, Nicholas, what did you mean when you said that Fish-Man Island used to be incredibly powerful?"

After Nicholas hung up the Den Den Mushi, Neptune looked at Nicholas, who was sitting on the ground, and asked in a serious tone. Obviously, the disaster that had befallen Fish-Man Island and the formidable strength displayed by Vista, Katakuri, and others had made the Sea Knight begin to desire power.

After all, as Nicholas had said, what others saw as a grain of sand, to Fish-Man Island, it was a mountain. Perhaps one day, a powerful madman would destroy Fish-Man Island. What would they do then? Would they just watch, or would they charge towards the enemy like moths to a flame, only to be easily crushed like sea lice underfoot?

Neptune hadn't forgotten the prophecy given by Madame Shyarly, that Fish-Man Island would be plunged into a war in the future. Without strength, would they really rely on the mercy of their enemies?