Fishman Island.
A portal opened in the air, and Jinbe walked out from it.
"Thank you."
Even though Mon was an emotionless clone, Jinbe still sincerely expressed his gratitude.
Mon nodded, and the portal disappeared.
Jinbe withdrew his gaze and looked toward Ryugu Kingdom, suspended mid-air within a giant bubble. His expression grew resolute.
Before long, Jinbe met with King Neptune.
Without wasting words, Jinbe got straight to the point. "King Neptune, Lord Reddy plans to recruit workers from Fishman Island."
"Really?"
Prince Fukaboshi stared at Jinbe in pleasant surprise.
To be honest, ever since Fishman Island ascended into the sky, the fishmen and merfolk had achieved their long-cherished dream.
Every time he saw children playing freely under the blue sky and white clouds without a care in the world, most fishmen had already let go of their lingering resentment toward Reddy for his ruthless actions. Instead, they now felt gratitude.
Even admiration.
Prince Fukaboshi was one of Reddy's admirers.
However, the one drawback was that although Fishman Island had realized its dream, it had become even more isolated than before.
If not for Jinbe being able to freely travel between places through Mon's portals, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that Fishman Island was completely cut off from the outside world.
This was not the future Fishman Island had hoped for.
No race could resist the need for external interaction.
Fishman Island was no exception.
Prince Fukaboshi had once considered asking Reddy to establish transportation between Fishman Island and Loguetown, allowing Fishman Island to reconnect with human society.
But he hadn't mustered the courage to approach Reddy.
First, because Reddy had already helped Fishman Island achieve its long-held dream. Asking for more would be too much.
Second, because Reddy was genuinely busy.
Now that Jinbe had stated Reddy intended to recruit workers from Fishman Island, Prince Fukaboshi saw this as a sign of thawing relations.
"Lord Reddy personally told me this."
Jbe spoke with absolute seriousness. "Not just Fishman Island. Lord Reddy also plans to recruit workers from Amazon Lily."
Prince Fukaboshi's eyes lit up, and his smile became uncontrollable.
It was settled!
This was undoubtedly a sign of thawing relations.
First, recruitment in both places. The next step would surely be establishing transportation between Fishman Island, Amazon Lily, Loguetown, and Dressrosa.
Though Prince Fukaboshi didn't know how Reddy intended to achieve this, it didn't stop him from unconditionally trusting Reddy.
"King Neptune, this is Fishman Island's best opportunity to reintegrate into human society."
Jinbe shared Prince Fukaboshi's thoughts. The moment he confirmed Reddy's recruitment plans, he knew this was Fishman Island's chance to reconnect with human society.
For this reason, he was willing to set aside his pride and seek King Neptune's commitment.
After all, back when Reddy had lured out and captured the majority of Fishman Supremacists in one move, things hadn't been so simple.
Now, while most residents of Fishman Island were grateful to Reddy, a small group still clung to Fishman Supremacy. However, intimidated by Reddy's fearsome reputation, they kept these thoughts deeply buried.
Jinbe's concern was that this recruitment might bring such individuals to Loguetown, where they could clash with residents or tourists and lose Reddy's trust.
"Father!"
Prince Fukaboshi grew anxious when King Neptune remained silent for a long time without responding.
The other two princes also understood their elder brother and Jinbe's concerns and subtly urged their father to speak.
King Neptune sighed and instead asked, "Who is the target of this recruitment?"
Prince Fukaboshi was stunned, not understanding.
Jinbe, however, grasped it immediately, his face showing a trace of helplessness.
Fishman Island was actually quite prosperous.
But due to various reasons, the wealth gap on the island was severe.
The beautiful merfolk generally lived comfortably, while the fishmen were not so fortunate.
The still-standing Fishman District was the clearest example.
Poverty.
This was a major reason why Hody Jones had gained so much support.
It was also the breeding ground for Fishman Supremacy.
Currently, Reddy was mainly recruiting laborers for construction work. The comfortably living merfolk were naturally not the target. The impoverished fishmen were the primary source.
Yet it was precisely this group that still harbored Fishman Supremacy. Those who viewed humans as monsters lurked among them.
King Neptune had never relaxed his vigilance on this matter.
But such issues couldn't be resolved overnight.
His delayed response to Jinbe had only this one reason.
His worries were identical to Jinbe's.
"Father..."
After hearing King Neptune's explanation, Prince Fukaboshi's mood grew heavy.
In the past, he had been dissatisfied with his father's indecisiveness. But now, he truly understood the pressure a king had to bear.
Was this matter important to Fishman Island?
Extremely important.
Did King Neptune know this?
Of course.
Yet the harsh realities made the king hesitant to make a promise.
Because this might be Fishman Island's only chance to reintegrate into human society.
"The military."
Jinbe stared into King Neptune's eyes and voiced his suggestion.
King Neptune was taken aback but soon fell into deep thought.
After Hody Jones' rebellion, he had indeed put great effort into thoroughly investigating the military.
Any soldier sympathetic to Hody Jones had been ruthlessly expelled from the military and handed over to Reddy.
On one hand, it was to show allegiance. On the other, it was for the future of Ryugu Kingdom.
Keeping these people would only bring trouble.
Prince Fukaboshi's generation might resist Fishman Supremacy, but what about the next?
King Neptune was, after all, a ruler. He possessed the necessary decisiveness.
After a second round of screening, the military might not be completely free of Fishman Supremacists, but it was undoubtedly the cleanest group on the island.
When it came to the military, Prince Fukaboshi wisely kept silent.
Not just him, but the other two princes and the left and right ministers also stayed quiet, waiting for King Neptune's final decision.
Jinbe remained even more composed.
Recruiting from the military was the best solution he could think of.
He believed King Neptune would make the choice most beneficial for Fishman Island's future.
"Jinbe..."
King Neptune sighed and bowed his head slightly with a solemn expression. "I leave everything to you."
Jinbe nodded gravely.
As a representative of Emperor Reddy, he couldn't kneel or bow deeply, as it would damage Reddy's image.
"Father, I will lead the team personally."
Seeing his father's decision, Prince Fukaboshi eagerly volunteered to take charge of the group heading to Loguetown, ensuring no problems arose.
"Observe more, listen more, speak less."
King Neptune did not refuse. He solemnly imparted his years of ruling experience.
He also saw this recruitment as an opportunity to train Prince Fukaboshi.
However, he worried that the prince's youthful enthusiasm might lead to overeagerness, resulting in wasted effort and potentially harming Reddy's perception of Fishman Island.
"I understand."
Prince Fukaboshi replied seriously.
King Neptune smiled approvingly and continued, "Shirahoshi has always wanted to see human society. This time, she will accompany you to Loguetown."
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