Ryugu Palace, Reception Room.
The young Neptune was still just the captain of the Ryugu Palace's guard.
Although he was only a captain, his status was clearly higher than that of the kingdom's left and right ministers.
At the very least, Bazel had never heard of any kingdom's guard captain being able to privately use the VIP reception room.
"So that's how it is!"
Neptune, sitting in the main seat, suddenly understood.
"If that Sea-to-Sky Project you mentioned can be completed, it would be an incredible future!"
Tom nodded in agreement.
"That's exactly why I chose to leave Kokoro and Iceburg in Water 7 and joined the Beasts Pirates alone."
"If such thing really comes into existence, the World Government and the Celestial Dragons will never let us off."
"I can't be so selfish as to drag Kokoro and the others into danger."
Neptune stroked his bearded chin and sighed with emotion, "You're still the same reliable Tom. If this project really succeeds, you definitely won't shirk the responsibility of completing it, right?"
"Of course not!"
Tom patted his chest.
"A man must face the ships he builds... and the projects he undertakes, with integrity!"
"It's not yet time for last words."
Bazel, who had been listening on the side, put down his teacup and shook his head somewhat helplessly.
"Even if the sky falls, we, the Beasts Pirates, will hold it up. Your worries are unnecessary, Neptune."
"Is that so? Hahaha~~~"
Neptune didn't stand on ceremony either. After laughing heartily, he tentatively asked, "Speaking of which, how do you Beasts Pirates view us fish-men?"
"You ask how we view..."
Just by glancing at the cautious Neptune, Bazel could already guess what he was thinking.
The fish-man race had not originally been a member of the World Government's affiliated nations.
He seemed to recall that it was only about 170 years ago that they joined the World Government and became an affiliated nation with the right to participate in the Reverie.
In more distant history, the fish-men and merfolk of Fish-Man Island had long been discriminated against and treated as slaves.
If not for their location at the bottom of the sea, ten thousand meters deep, they would likely have all been captured long ago, with the entire race reduced to slavery.
The reason the World Government had tolerated their miserable existence for centuries was undoubtedly because of that great war.
The mermaid princess of that time had been a friend of Joy Boy.
Bazel wasn't sure why Imu, the victor of that war, hadn't dealt with the fish-man race.
If it were him, he would naturally have ensured that not a single blade of grass remained after the wildfire.
But Imu was 'softhearted'.
'No…'
'Perhaps it couldn't exactly be called softhearted.' Bazel's mind quickly raced through various possibilities.
'At that time, the world was in a state of chaotic disorder. Imu's World Government was busy dealing with the mess and erasing the memory and legacy of the Nika Fruit from people's minds.'
'It should be said that they simply had no time to spare for it.'
'Coupled with the innate geographical advantage of Fish-Man Island, the fish-men had managed to survive for centuries by the skin of their teeth.'
As for why they joined the World Government's affiliated nations...
It was likely due to the frequent kidnappings.
Fish-Man Island and Ryugu Kingdom is a must-stop for the pirates traveling from Paradise to the New World. Although the route was extremely dangerous, sometimes even destroyed by encountering White Currents, once the number of voyages increased, there were bound to be lucky survivors.
Besides, not all pirates wanted to enter the New World.
Although the slave prices weren't as high as they would be thirty years later, the starting bid for young and beautiful mermaids was still around 40 million Berry, and that wasn't even the final price.
If a Celestial Dragon or their lackeys placed a bid, the price could easily increase tenfold.
Male fish-men were considerably cheaper, ranging from 500,000 to 5 million Berry.
It was essentially a completely risk-free, hugely profitable venture.
Pirates unwilling to enter the New World only needed to coat their ships and make a trip to Fish-Man Island, capture a few suitable mermaids, and return to Sabaody.
If successful, the round trip could yield tens of millions, or even hundreds of millions, in profit.
Wasn't that far more lucrative than being a pirate and plundering?
Moreover, some factions of the Marines, to curry favor with the Celestial Dragons, would also 'invite' young mermaids to the homes of the Celestial Dragons.
Out of necessity, Ryugu Kingdom had no choice but to selectively forget the past and join the World Government's affiliated nations, in exchange for a bit more peace.
However…
this move only turned open robbery into covert theft.
Mermaid slaves remained a highly sought-after commodity in the slave market.
"Whether they are merfolk or fish-men, they are just like humans. We all need to breathe, sleep, and eat."
The look in Neptune's eyes held not only astonishment but even more so, excitement.
He felt as if he had found the kind of human that Otohime had always been searching for.
But Bazel's next words instantly doused Neptune's fervent heart with cold water.
"But this is only my perspective… it doesn't represent all of humanity."
"Don't think too highly of humans. There are far too many who would risk everything for profit."
"Even if one day in the future, we, the Beasts Pirates, manage to change this world, if your Ryugu Kingdom lacks a top-tier powerhouse capable of subverting the seas, you will still be unable to escape your current fate."
"This is the same principle as Tom-san building ships."
Tom was taken aback, pointing at himself, "The same as me?"
Bazel nodded with a smile, "Exactly. If Tom-san wanted to build the most powerful ship in the world but lacked the technical skills himself, and only succeeded with someone else's help, what would he do if he wanted to build a second equally powerful ship in the future?"
Tom replied without hesitation, "Of course, it would be impossible! Because I don't have the skills myself!"
"Right, because you don't have them yourself."
Neptune's pupils reflected Bazel's playful smile.
He lowered his head slightly, lost in thought.
"To forge iron, one must be strong oneself…"
"I understand! Thank you for your enlightenment. I was trapped in a misconception earlier!"
Neptune suddenly straightened his posture and bowed slightly to Bazel.
"I was too naive, thinking that relying on our status as an affiliated nation, we could prevent our people from being captured in the future."
"As long as I become the strongest in the world, no human would dare to capture us fish-men!"
"As long as I act fiercely enough and possess the power to destroy everything, fish-men and merfolk will never become slaves again!"
Looking at Neptune, who was full of passion and had a fanatical expression, Bazel opened his mouth but ultimately said nothing.
He had a feeling things were developing in a strange direction…
He was sure he hadn't said anything particularly unusual.
Moreover, the underlying message in his words wasn't about Neptune becoming powerful, but subtly referred to his daughter…
The future Poseidon, Shirahoshi.
But Neptune seemed to have imagined a future that Bazel didn't quite understand.
'Could it be that the thought processes of fish-men are different from those of humans???'
For the first time, the eight-headed Yamata no Orochi found himself in a mental dilemma.
"No, an alliance might also be necessary. This way, we can better survive the vulnerable period before a true powerhouse emerges within our race!"
"Bazel, no! Bazel-san!!"
Adding the honorific, Neptune suddenly grasped Bazel's hands.
His expression was sincere, his attitude humble.
"Would your crew be willing to form an alliance with the fish-men, establishing a relationship of mutual offense and defense?!"
"If your crew agrees, I can promise many things on behalf of the future Ryugu Kingdom."
"For example, pearls and treasures from the seabed… those are extremely precious luxuries in the human world!"
"And maritime expansion!"
"I heard from Tom that you're planning to build the Sea-to-Sky Project, right? We fish-men can help with the underwater sections!"
"If you lack combat power in the sea, I can also select some talented fish-men to join you!!"
"Let them fight for the glory of the Beasts Pirates!"
Bazel's lips parted slightly. Even though he tried to suppress it, the surprise in his eyes was still evident to Neptune.
"Please don't worry, we fish-men have no ill intentions."
"In exchange, I hope to borrow the flag of your Beasts Pirates. And if we encounter a major crisis in the future, we also hope you can lend a hand."
'An alliance between Ryugu Kingdom and the Beasts Pirates…!?'
Upon hearing this request, Bazel first thought he had misheard.
'Wasn't Neptune and Whitebeard good friends? Didn't Fish-Man Island fly Whitebeard's pirate flag until the Marineford War?!'
At once, Bazel asked Neptune if he knew Whitebeard.
"The Whitebeard Pirates?"
Neptune looked puzzled, "I've heard of them, yes, but I personally have had no contact with Whitebeard..."
'No contact?'
'Could it be because it's only the year 1493?'
Bazel mentally searched through the timeline related to Whitebeard.
'This time happened to be shortly after Oden joined the Whitebeard Pirates. Could it be that the Whitebeard Pirates hadn't yet returned to Paradise from the New World?'
'Which meant…'
'After Toki, had I once again inexplicably intercepted a bond that originally belonged to someone else?'
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