Chapter 124: Tom Offers Pluton
"Hmm? A compatriot? Want to travel back to Fish-man Island with us?"
A short while later, at the newly established Ryugu Kingdom Office on the Sabaody Archipelago, the traces of the previous battle hadn't even been completely cleaned up.
Seeing that the person who approached was a Fish-man, the personnel stationed there didn't mind too much.
Although for Fish-men and Merfolk, returning to Fish-man Island only required swimming, this distance of 10,000 meters was not entirely safe.
Submarine natural disasters, as well as potential attacks from Sea Beasts and Sea Kings, were equally dangerous for ordinary people.
Therefore, in most cases, Fish-man Island residents traveled in groups so they could look out for one another.
"Not only that. Since this is the Ryugu Kingdom's office... I presume you can contact His Majesty Nereus."
"Of course. You have business with Big Bro?"
"Yes, please pass a message to His Majesty Nereus for me: Tom of Water 7 has a matter he wishes to see him about."
Tom wasn't one of Nereus's old subordinates; the title "Big Bro" didn't belong to him. He simply used the customary title "Your Majesty."
"If you have something to say, just tell us."
"No, this matter is very important. I must speak with him face-to-face."
The few of them exchanged glances. Seeing Tom so insistent, they didn't make things difficult for him.
"We will pass the message for you, but we don't know whether Big Bro will see you or not."
Given Nereus's personality, he wouldn't mind the reporting of such news. Even if it was false information, there wouldn't be any consequences.
But if it really was a major matter and they delayed it, that would be troublesome.
"Yes, Big Bro, I understand. I'll issue a pass for him right now..."
It didn't take long for the person who reported the news to receive Nereus's reply. He took out a seal and began writing and drawing on a piece of paper.
"Here, take this. You can directly enter the Ryugu Palace with it later. We happen to have a small squad heading back to Fish-man Island for a shift change; you can go back with them."
Tom and several highly skilled Fish-man warriors dove into the seabed together.
Aside from being startled by a Sea King along the way, they didn't encounter any other incidents and finally returned to Fish-man Island without any real danger.
"You should still recognize the way to the Ryugu Palace, right? We have other matters, so we won't go with you."
After separating from these people, Tom didn't take the express waterways within Fish-man Island.
Those were pipeline-like express channels built using bubble technology, dedicated to serving Merfolk and Fish-men.
Although suspended in mid-air, they contained high-speed flowing water, making swimming through them several times faster.
But Tom chose to walk slowly towards the Ryugu Palace. He was very curious about what kind of changes had occurred in this country during the many years he had been away from Fish-man Island.
Even though he had exchanged letters with his younger brother, Den, some things could only be felt after seeing them with one's own eyes.
Actually, right from the entry point, Tom had already noticed Fish-man Island was different from before. Those entering pirates were clearly much more well-behaved than in the past.
Unlike their arrogance and domineering attitudes of a few years ago, they were clearly afraid of something.
Meanwhile, the residents of Fish-man Island had an added sense of relaxation in their lives.
"Isn't this Tom?"
Tom wasn't born in Water 7; he still had quite a few acquaintances on Fish-man Island. And Fish-man Island wasn't too large; over time, one would always bump into familiar faces.
"Let me tell you, Fish-man Island is completely different now compared to before. Coming back to settle down is a good choice. What His Majesty said was right: a country where citizens can live in peace of mind is considered a true country."
Tom didn't say anything, just listening continuously to this former neighbor chatter about the events of these past years. The situation he described probably had quite a bit of literary embellishment, but it still contained many things Den hadn't mentioned.
Compared to the national affairs Den spoke of, the trivial daily matters from his mouth actually allowed Tom to better feel the changes in Fish-man Island.
"So you came back this time, are you planning to settle down here?"
"No, I still have unfinished business outside. My return this time... should be considered coming to present a gift."
"Present a gift? What could His Majesty Nereus possibly not obtain himself that requires you to bring it?"
In his impression, Tom was just a shipwright. Although his shipbuilding skills were very high, he was still just a shipwright.
"It's a secret. Maybe in a few decades, you will see it."
After bidding farewell to his old neighbor, Tom arrived at the Ryugu Palace.
The checkpoints of Fish-man Island could be described as heavily guarded. Compared to them, the Ryugu Palace was closer to an undefended state; there were only two guards on duty.
Upon seeing the pass in Tom's hand, one of them took Tom directly to Nereus.
"Tom, the world's number one shipwright. I've heard much about you."
"You flatter me, Your Majesty Nereus. Compared to you, my little skills are not worth mentioning."
"A message came from the Sabaody Archipelago saying you had a matter to discuss with me privately. There is no one else around here, only you and me. Whatever you need to say, you can say it now."
Tom didn't hesitate. By the time he came here, he had already made up his mind. Very solemnly, Tom pulled out the blueprints from inside his coat.
"Your Majesty Nereus, these are the blueprints for the Pluton... Actually, I can't be entirely sure if it is Pluton; it's just what's written on the blueprints, so it's always been called that.
This is something passed down through generations of shipwrights in Water 7.
But what is certain is that even if it isn't Pluton, it is a weapon sufficient to rival the Ancient Weapons. I am older than you, and I left Fish-man Island much earlier. Based on my judgment of the World Government, they should also be searching for similar things.
If they were to grasp such a weapon, they would not be willing to see Fish-man Island like this. If that day truly comes... I hope Fish-man Island will possess a weapon sufficient to contend with them.
Therefore, I have decided to bring it out.
It might also mean a disaster. Please promise me, unless you have absolute certainty, do not expose it."
From Nereus's tough external stance over the past year, Tom saw hope for Fish-man Island, thus making this decision akin to a massive gamble.
But he also made the stakes clear. After all, possessing a powerful weapon and not having one but wanting to build one are two different concepts.
"I appreciate your intention, Tom. This is indeed something Fish-man Island needs.
You don't need to worry about your concerns; I won't do things without certainty. I can tell you explicitly: the Pluton battleship from the Great War is currently beneath Wano Country."
The news about Pluton made Tom freeze for a moment. No matter how you looked at it, this was actually good news for Tom. At least it showed that Nereus wasn't the kind of person who acted recklessly without any plan.
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