While both involve sending a message, an individual's name and a nation's name represent two completely different things. Among the more than 170 member states of the World Government, the Ryugu Kingdom's status is undoubtedly at the bottom.
The island's inhabitants were once considered fish, and only became a member state of the world government nearly 180 years ago. However, they only gained legal equality, and the state's situation remained unchanged.
The relationships between other member states may not be friendly, but they will maintain some friendly relations on paper. The Ryugu Kingdom, however, is isolated. No, the Ryugu Kingdom is isolated.
The only difference between this place and the lawless zone is that the world government does not consider this place to be a lawless zone.
Princess Otohime's ideals remained unchanged, but through her actions, she gradually came to realize how cruel reality could be.
To achieve her goals step by step from the bottom is simply a pipe dream; she needs the support of those above her.
Furthermore, since the human kingdoms and Fishman Island have no connection, even if they had a need to cross the Red Line, they would choose to travel through Mary Geoise rather than the deep sea.
No matter how many times you travel to Fishman Island, the death rate is the same. Most of the people who come to Fishman Island are pirates, which creates a vicious cycle.
"In the name of the Dragon Palace Kingdom, has Brother Oran replied?"
"Not yet. I entrusted those merchants to deliver the letter. I heard that Mr. Oran is very well-known among those merchants, so it should have been delivered by now. If there is still no news in a few days, I will call and ask."
Letters are more formal than telephone calls, and once you reach a certain status, this formality becomes unavoidable.
"Brother Oran, it's a pity. I haven't done a good job here these past few years. I guess I'll disappoint him."
After defeating the fishmen of Fishman Street, the fishmen there would obey Shaq's orders. However, the conflict between the races made it difficult for many fishmen to accept working for humans.
This isn't the biggest problem. Shaq hasn't revealed who the boss is behind the scenes. Despite some rumors, the fishmen still choose to obey Shaq's orders based on their earned prestige.
However, their range of activity is limited. Fishmen are just stronger and can breathe underwater. In other aspects, they are the same as humans and need a safe place to rest.
Apart from Fishman Island, there are basically no other places like this in the ocean.
Shaq had to lead a team to deal with the pirates approaching the area, so he couldn't lead the team on a long voyage. Therefore, the exploration team's activity area was always near Fishman Island, and their range of activities was limited.
"No, everyone has seen how hard you've worked over the years."
With the goal of becoming stronger, Shaq has been training in the deep sea, braving the underwater currents to strengthen his physique and fighting against sea monsters.
This is the characteristic of this ocean: when a person has faith and goals and works hard for them, they will always reap rewards.
Everyone is different. These qualities may not guarantee becoming a top expert, but they will certainly not make you a weakling to be slaughtered.
With his talent in naval warfare, the pirates who came to Paradise were no match for Shaq.
"Brother Shaq! Big Brother is fighting with human pirates over at the plaza! They outnumber him, Big Brother might be in trouble!"
"These pirates are really annoying. Let's go help them!"
The person who came was Aaron. "Big Brother" was what he called Shaq, while "Big Brother" was what he called Fisher Tiger.
If it weren't for Shaq's appearance, Fisher Tiger would have been the boss of Fishman Street, but now he can only be ranked second.
Logically, this kind of thing should be done by the Sea King Army, but the Sea King Army is often less efficient than people from Fishman Street like Shaq.
With something happening over there, Shak didn't have time to chat with Otohime and hurriedly rushed over.
"Ugh, this is so hard."
Watching Shak's departing figure, Otohime sighed and left Fishman Town, intending to treat the wounded.
She was a medical professional during the years she worked with Shaq for the goal of peace.
After all, Otohime's naturally fragile bone structure meant that combat was not for her.
Many people suffer from headaches on Fishman Island, but there are also people in Piltover who have severe headaches.
"My beloved King, are you planning to go out again?"
When Brand saw Oran begin to arrange the next steps, he had a premonition.
Oran doesn't usually make arrangements for the upcoming schedule in advance, so if he does, it means that the offline monarchy is about to begin.
"Brand, aren't you used to this yet? All these years have passed, and nothing's happened, has it?"
"I think I'll probably never get used to this kind of thing in my life. May I ask what you're planning to do this time?"
"This time, I should consider it a diplomatic event. A friend of mine is already a princess, and she invited me to her wedding. We also need to discuss a batch of deals."
Judging from this volume, the demand for orders is quite substantial.
These were the two main things that Otohime Shin did: besides the usual greetings, she invited Oran to the wedding and she purchased a batch of special weapons.
Otohime remains an idealist, but she has also undergone some changes.
For example, she realized that blindly begging was useless; at the very least, she needed the ability to protect herself.
Fishman Island's military strength is not very good. Even though the flintlock pistols in the One Piece world have developed the black technology of rapid fire, they still have to face a lot of problems in the underwater environment.
The gunpowder getting damp and the reduction in bullet power from seawater were both problems, so it was necessary to purchase an additional batch of weapons.
For some reason, Brand was somewhat moved upon hearing this; his king's reason for going out finally sounded like that of a king.
Think about what Oran used to do when he went out.
Searching for the corpses of ancient giants under the ice, looking for information in the library, traveling to the Sky Island, or even going to the East Blue with the whole family to watch an execution, or going to the Navy Headquarters to discuss business, are not things that an ordinary king would do.
Of course, most kings would not receive an invitation from the Navy Headquarters.
In terms of status, the base commanders of the Navy's G-class branches are no less powerful than ordinary kings. They hold military power and have their own strength. Even ordinary kings have to be polite when speaking to them.
Diplomatic exchanges with other countries—this was the part of Oran's trip that was closest to the King's own experience.
"The Drum Kingdom or Alabasta? No, that's not right. Their king is already married."
"It's not nearby, it's the Dragon Palace Kingdom."
"Oh, so it's the Dragon Palace Kingdom. Where is the Dragon Palace Kingdom again?"
Brand couldn't even remember where the country was for a moment. It took him a while to realize that it was Fishman Island.
"What, do you have a problem with the merfolk?"
"No, they're all intelligent races, just different in appearance. But Fishman Island is located in the deep sea."
Sailing on the Grand Line is inherently dangerous, and the connections between islands are not close. Most royal families do not go to sea except to participate in World Government meetings.
This is why Brand often felt that Oran was an "outcast"—because Oran deliberately chose to go to places that were considered dangerous by ordinary people.
"Whether it's the sky or the deep sea, humanity will eventually be able to set foot there, even in the sky."
"Above the sky, above the stars?"
"Stars, that's certainly true."
Oran has recently been planning to open a branch mine, and it doesn't necessarily have to be limited to the ocean. This world is special; space is not a vacuum environment.
Enel could fly directly up with his ark, and some even flew up carrying just a few balloons.
In theory, as long as one has mastered the ability to fly, landing on the moon is not difficult at all.
It seems like a good idea to have people tinkering with things on the moon, but the cost of transporting supplies would be too high.
Regardless of the equipment or technology, the cost of transporting goods increases with distance.
Furthermore, due to the planet's rotation, there will be times when communication with them will be difficult; we'll need to investigate further before making a decision.
If the cost is too high, it's better to conduct research in District 13 below the castle; the space of the Book Fruit is just as safe.
"Alright, we'll talk about the matter on the stars later. In the meantime, just continue with Firefly Island as usual. I'm getting ready to set off."
The letter arrived a little late; any later and they might have missed their wedding.
On one hand, it was an invitation from an old friend, and on the other hand, it was the strategic value of Fishman Island in the future. The island was not in a good situation at the moment, and providing timely help was much more valuable than adding to its existing advantages.
Faced with absolute royal power, Brand ultimately only had the right to advise; once the king made a decision, he could only choose to obey.
On the bright side, at least this time it's not an offline royal system, and the regent princess who stayed behind has been replaced.
"Dad, you take Sister Fran with you, I won't go. I'm studying something else."
Ever since her fight with Barrett, Lyriana has been working on mastering Conqueror's Haki and has been training relentlessly.
In a sense, Whitebeard did a lot for Bakkin, even though he knew Bakkin didn't have Conqueror's Haki, he still included Conqueror's Haki in his Haki notes.
Recently, Lyliana has been reflecting on this, constantly pondering the control of her Conqueror's Haki, and has even achieved some success.
Talent is such a special thing; choosing the right path can even save you from taking many detours.
Lyliana's talent in combat is undoubtedly top-notch. Even without any instruction, she can achieve considerable success by following the notes and training step by step after being exposed to her.
No one in Piltover is truly skilled in mastering Conqueror's Haki; theoretically, it requires personal instruction.
Oran knows more than one such person; the difference is whether to hire the Navy or pirates to teach them, and either way, some favors have to be exchanged.
From a positional standpoint, Oran leans more towards the Navy, since it sounds better to say so openly. It would be even better if Leliana could figure it out herself by following her notes, which would save her a lot of trouble.
Anyway, she's not that old, so Oran isn't in a hurry about it.
After making the arrangements, Oran went to find Rab.
"Let's go, Laboon. Take me to Fishman Island, and we can visit your old friend along the way."
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