Intuition is hard to describe, but sometimes it's incredibly accurate.
Back on the battlefield, that very intuition had even saved Kaido's life. Because of that, Kaido still trusted it.
But this time, the vague feeling that something had been lost… he found it hard to put into words.
"Divination on Fishman Island is essentially passed from women to women, not to men. The best fortune-tellers are all female. I only dabbled in it a bit when I was studying probability.
Judging from the crystal ball's feedback… this isn't a bad thing. When something is lost, something will also be gained."
Kaido didn't say anything. He had only brought it up casually. What puzzled him more now was why someone engaged in scientific research would carry a full set of divination tools around.
That didn't quite match what Wobbegong had said about only dabbling in it.
"What's wrong? Even though I'm a researcher, I get confused sometimes too, not knowing what to do next. What's wrong with using divination to take a look?"
"Nothing. I just didn't expect that Nereus had sent you here back then, and that even Buckin stayed here for a while…"
Kaido might not understand research, but he understood two things very clearly.
Nereus never made meaningless arrangements, and Buckin had an insatiable desire for money.
Which meant that whatever was on this ship either helped improve strength or could make money.
In the end, Kaido didn't cause any trouble for MADS. He just freeloaded a meal and left. However, before leaving, he chatted with Scien about a few things.
The reason was simple—Kaido didn't understand technology, and he assumed everyone here was about the same in that regard. Among this group, Scien gave him the impression of being the strongest in terms of presence.
While Kaido was getting in touch with his future "QUEEN," Hermes had already taken Nereus and the others flying above the clouds.
Big Pan's size wasn't an issue for Hermes. Like Zeus and the other Homies, it could carry even Giants through the air.
For them, the most difficult part of reaching Wano Country was actually the coordinates.
For hundreds of years, Wano Country had remained in a state of isolation. The few exchanges that did occur were mostly the ruling figures of Wano secretly selling materials like Seastone to the outside world.
Aside from those who violated the ban and sailed out from Wano, it wasn't easy to find an Eternal Pose pointing to Wano Country.
Even though Nereus knew Kawamatsu was somewhere in Wano, he still needed to find a compass leading there first. He didn't have the time to travel island by island, waiting for a Log Pose to slowly record the information.
Very few people possessed an Eternal Pose to Wano Country. Apart from the World Government, only some underground merchants who had conducted black market dealings with Wano had them.
They had to sail near Wano's surrounding seas to transport goods, and Nereus happened to be very familiar with such people.
...
On a well-known port island in the New World, Umit, known as the "Shipping King," was directing his subordinates to clean the entire building, as if preparing to welcome some distinguished guest.
"Lord Umit? What's wrong? Is there really a need to be this nervous?"
Seeing Umit unable to sit still, his secretary found it very strange. In her understanding, Umit was already an extraordinary figure, someone who could command the winds and clouds in the Underworld.
Whether pirates, black-market merchants, or even certain officials of the World Government, he had connections with all of them.
After all, the Underworld's gray industries were intricately tied to the World Government, and some of those involved were even directly sent by the World Government itself.
As an ordinary person from the island who had relied on a bit of beauty to get close to Umit, she found it hard to imagine why he would be so nervous.
The last time he negotiated with people from the World Government, Umit hadn't shown this kind of expression.
"You don't understand… Take the day off today and go home. You won't be able to help with the rest. Have Wendel prepare the item and bring it over, there must be absolutely no mistakes."
The secretary didn't understand, but she chose to comply. Umit was never a kind man, and as his secretary, she had long learned to control her curiosity.
If it wasn't something she should know, she wouldn't pry into it at all.
Not long after, a gaunt man called Wendel brought an Eternal Pose to Umit.
"Lord Umit, this Eternal Pose was obtained from another merchant convoy. It might delay this transaction."
"It's fine. The one asking for this compass is that person. Since he needs it, missing one deal doesn't matter.
Outsiders call me the Deep Sea Currents, the Shipping King, but no matter how powerful maritime transport is, it can't do without the sea…"
As a businessman, he naturally wanted to save money. But Umit understood very clearly that while Nereus might not be able to decide who becomes the next Shipping King, he absolutely had the power to ensure that Umit would never be one again.
Fishman Island's checkpoint was like a chokehold on the necks of all Underworld merchants.
Ever since he received the message that Nereus wanted a Log Pose leading to Wano Country, Umit didn't hesitate at all and immediately began preparing it.
When it came to developing maritime transport, Umit mainly relied on himself, while Nereus provided a certain level of protection. Merchant ships passing through Fishman Island enjoyed near-absolute security.
Rather than saying Umit merely passed through Nereus's territory, it was more accurate to say he was attached under Nereus's command. That was how he attained his current status. It was just that most outsiders didn't know this.
"Lord Umit, he has arrived."
As the report came through the Den Den Mushi, Umit straightened himself and, with his trusted subordinates, went out to greet the guest.
"Your Majesty Nereus, welcome to my territory. This is the Eternal Pose you requested, I have it prepared. Also, here is this year's revenue. Please take a look."
In addition to the Eternal Pose, Umit handed over a thick ledger. After all, he had to regularly pay protection fees to Nereus; otherwise, Nereus wouldn't look after him.
Nereus didn't check the ledger himself, instead handing it to Nanamo. She was far more sensitive to numbers than he was.
"No need to be so nervous. You know what I'm like. As long as you don't cross my bottom line, no one can shake your position as Shipping King. I'll make sure you earn a fortune."
Even with Nereus saying this, Umit still looked tense. Back when he was just a nobody, he had seen Nereus slaughtering enemies, and he knew that beneath that gentle appearance was a ruthless killer.
That incident made him decide to pledge allegiance to Nereus, and it also left him with a lasting fear of him.
"Dad, the ledger looks fine."
Hearing this, Umit let out a sigh of relief, but soon tensed up again.
"Maritime transport seems quite profitable."
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