On Dragon's side, the warship slowly sailed into the port of Marineford. The atmosphere here was as lively as ever, with dozens of large warships lined up in a row.
Marines of various ranks bustled about, going up and down. The plaza, capable of accommodating hundreds of thousands of people for a grand battle, didn't feel empty at all. In the distance, the massive and majestic Justice Fortress loomed over everything like a king.
"Lock those pirates up for now. I'll go and discuss this matter with the Fleet Admiral first," Dragon instructed a major behind him.
"Yes, sir!"
As the major turned to head to the ship's cabin to handle the matter, Dragon's gaze lingered on another warship docked not far away.
There, a group of Marines had gathered. If viewed from the plaza at eye level, one might not have been able to see much, but from the deck of the warship where Dragon stood, he had a clear view of the situation.
"Fish-men? Mermen?"
Indeed, from that warship, male Fish-men were disembarking one by one, numbering at least a hundred. Among them were a few beautiful women. If not for their attire, which was distinctly exotic and reminiscent of Fish-Man Island, they would have been indistinguishable from human women.
"Wow, is this the Marine Headquarters? It's so huge!" Kuina, with her flowing blue hair, exclaimed excitedly as soon as she stepped onto the plaza, grabbing her companion's arm and laughing.
"Yeah, everything here is so big—the buildings, the plaza, the ships. Look! Look! There's even a super tall person over there!"
Yiwenni, whose arm was being shaken back and forth, was equally excited. Her beautiful eyes swept over the Justice Fortress and the plaza before finally landing on a giant Vice Admiral passing by in the distance. Her mouth hung open in awe.
Giants were legendary beings to them!
"Ahhh, they're so beautiful!"
"Are they mermaids? The mermaids from fairy tales! I can't believe I'm seeing them with my own eyes, and from such a close distance!"
The surrounding Marines were also wide-eyed, their gazes like high-definition cameras, automatically ignoring the strange-looking Fish-men and focusing intently on the handful of mermaid girls—only five in total.
For a moment, humans, mermaids, and Fish-men were all sizing each other up, making the scene quite interesting.
"But why did Vice Admiral Aokiji bring so many Fish-men here?" a Marine captain in the crowd wondered aloud, looking at Kuzan in the center.
"Maybe he brought them here for a tour!"
"I think that's possible, but are you sure they're not here for us to look at?"
Just then, Dragon walked over. Wherever he went, Marines of all ranks made way for him. By now, everyone at Marine Headquarters knew that this son of Vice Admiral Garp was also a Logia-type user, destined to become a big shot in the future.
However, the latest issue of the newspaper wouldn't be released for another two days, so they were still unaware of the Slave King's capture.
"Kuzan, what's the deal with these Fish-men?" Dragon asked, glancing at Jinbe and Aladine beside him, as their auras were the most intense.
"Ara ara, looks like you've just finished your work and returned, huh~"
Kuzan revealed a smile. He was quite familiar with Dragon, after all, he had followed Garp for a period of time, so the two of them had a good relationship.
"They are the first group of Fish-men and Mermen to join the Marines. This is Lieutenant Colonel Jinbe, who will be the future leader of the Fish-man unit, and this is Major Aladine, the deputy leader~"
After saying that, Kuzan introduced Dragon to Jinbe and Aladine, smiling, "This is Rear Admiral Dragon, the son of Vice Admiral Garp, and also a Logia-type user~"
"Hello, Rear Admiral Dragon, please guide us more in the future!" Jinbe, as the representative, greeted.
"Hello."
Dragon nodded in surprise, then cast a puzzled look at Kuzan, who scratched the back of his head and smiled, briefly explaining the cooperation between the World Government and Fish-Man Island.
This was no longer a matter that needed to be kept secret, as the Marshal would soon inform the entire army about the Fish-men.
"Setting the Sabaody Archipelago as a safe zone for Fish-men, allowing the Neptune Army to station and patrol there, the Marines will also establish a branch on Fish-Man Island, and invite two hundred Fish-men and Mermen to join the Marines." Dragon quickly went over the important information in his mind, the more he thought about it, the more surprised he became.
Combined with his mission to capture the Slave King this time, it was clear that the World Government was determined to crack down on slavery.
But he still felt confused, what had happened to the World Government, why had it changed so suddenly, becoming almost unrecognizable!
"So the Neptune Army has already stationed at the Sabaody Archipelago?"
"Yes, they set off with us, they should have arrived by now. From now on, Area 62 will be the exclusive station for the Neptune Army, right next to our Marine base there."
While Kuzan and Dragon were chatting, the surrounding Marine crowd parted again, and this time the opening was even larger. A middle-aged female Vice Admiral with a deep blue ponytail walked over, leading a group of female officers.
"Ara ara, long time no see, Vice Admiral Tsuru~" Kuzan saw the newcomer and quickly walked up to greet her, while Dragon followed closely, respectfully greeting.
"Hello!"
"Really? It hasn't been that long, but after you return this time, it will indeed be a while before we see each other again." Vice Admiral Tsuru gently said to Kuzan, then looked at Dragon and smiled, "You've worked hard on this mission, you did a great job. Hurry up, Marshal Kong is waiting for you."
"Yes!"
Dragon nodded, not lingering any longer, and quickly walked towards the grand Justice Fortress. After arriving at the headquarters, most ability users would consciously refrain from using their abilities and the Six Styles.
This was both to show respect for Marineford and to maintain basic order, otherwise, it would be too chaotic and noisy.
"We really need to return quickly, the situation on Fish-Man Island isn't very good, basically every day pirates break in, especially those from the 'New World' are the most troublesome."
At this, Kuzan showed a troubled expression, he hadn't slept well these past two nights, as many clever pirates chose to act at night.
"Hehe, this is just the beginning. If those big pirates ever pass by Fish-Man Island, then you'll really be facing a major trouble!"
Vice Admiral Tsuru reminded him and advised, "You must be careful there, especially in training your own strength. Don't slack off. Strive to reach the level of an admiral as soon as possible!"
"Ara ara, I understand all that~" Kuzan listened to Vice Admiral Tsuru's earnest words, feeling quite comforted by them.
Since childhood, he had been alone and destitute, surviving by scavenging and even stealing. Fortunately, he had been lucky enough to meet Tsuru, who was stationed at the South Blue branch in her younger days. She took him to the Marine base, where he was raised and educated, finally giving him a decent living environment. This also instilled in him a deep passion for the Marines.
So, to Kuzan, Vice Admiral Tsuru was practically like a foster mother.
Vice Admiral Tsuru then got down to business, saying, "Alright, I'll take care of these Mermen. They'll join the female soldiers' unit in the future. As for the Fish-men, take them to Building C in the third dormitory area. Their specific assignments will be announced by the Fleet Admiral later."
"Understood."
Kuzan naturally had no objections and casually asked with a smile, "Is Teacher Zed around? I've brought some specialty liquor from Fish-Man Island and wanted to share a drink with him."
"What a coincidence! He just returned last night with this year's recruits. Go ahead, but first, take them to the dormitory. That's the priority!"
"Alright, alright, don't worry. I won't delay!" Kuzan responded with a chuckle.
Meanwhile, Jinbe, Aladine, and the nearly two hundred Fish-men were observing their surroundings, eagerly anticipating the future.
The Fish-men were finally beginning to integrate into the human world!