Chapter 78: Spreading News, Another Ancient Weapon
If he weren't certain that no one would dare do such a thing, Nereus might have suspected that the pirate incident had been deliberately orchestrated by someone.
A new King had ascended the throne, but for the general situation of Fish-man Island, the impact wasn't particularly drastic. Life for many went on as usual.
Although Nereus believed the old Royal Family's response to external crises was utterly rotten, their domestic governance was passable. Therefore, he didn't immediately begin sweeping reforms.
Compared to these manageable domestic issues, Nereus was more focused on military matters.
"The Neptune Army needs reorganization. The current quantity and quality of the Neptune Army are insufficient. Fish-man Island needs an army capable of defending it in the deep sea.
You guys will have to work hard for a while; I'm leaving the checkpoints of Fish-man Island to you."
The situation of Fish-man Island was actually very special. It was not only hard to enter but also hard to leave.
The moment a ship entered Fish-man Island, the outer coating would be absorbed by the giant bubble outside Fish-man Island. To leave, the ship needed to be re-coated, and the artisans who coated ships on Fish-man Island were only Fish-men and Merfolk.
In other words, even if someone secretly abducted a citizen, they couldn't leave Fish-man Island on their own.
As long as there was the ability to strictly control the checkpoints, this problem was largely solved.
Naturally, one could set sail after a simple inspection. If you have nothing to hide, why resist the inspection?
"Don't worry, Big Bro. We might be lacking on land, but in this 10,000-meter deep sea, we fear no one."
"Sunbell, prepare a census. Clarify the fish species abilities of all citizens. It's fine if they can't name the species, as long as they can describe the ability. Especially Flying Fish Fish-men and Merfolk; this is very important."
Ordinary flying fish could only glide for a short distance above the sea, but the flying fish in this ocean were not those little guys.
They were massive, capable of carrying one or two people and flying in the sky for quite a while, acting like mounts.
Duval had the Flying Fish Riders because of this. With innate abilities, creating an elite special force shouldn't be hard. Being able to fly was already a huge advantage.
Such changes wouldn't happen overnight; they would unfold gradually bit by bit. Two or three days weren't enough to turn Fish-man Island upside down.
However, this period was enough for the news to spread across the sea.
There was more than one newspaper agency on the sea, and they competed for business. Getting some special front-page headlines was a good thing for them.
The upheaval in Fish-man Island was a story worth reporting.
However, most people who saw the newspaper didn't care about this matter. Interaction between islands on the Grand Line was already scarce.
Some closed-off islands lived completely self-sufficient lives, not caring about outside events at all, let alone Fish-man Island deep under the sea.
"Fish-man Island? That legendary place with many mermaids?"
"A pirate became King? How pitiful..."
This was the most common voice. Accurately speaking, knowing where Fish-man Island was located was already quite knowledgeable.
In the vast Four Blues, many people regarded that island as a legend, just like Sky Islands—islands that didn't exist at all—and even thought the newspapers were making things up.
Only those who knew Nereus's situation better understood what this meant.
"Worororo, taking over a country to cultivate what one needs? Seems like a good choice. But if it were the Vodka Kingdom... too boring..."
On a Sky Island somewhere in the New World, Kaido sat alone on the clouds, reading the newspaper that looked like a comic book in his hand.
The Vodka Kingdom (Woka Kingdom) was famous for producing a strong spirit and was also Kaido's homeland, but he had no interest in that country.
Similarly, at a shipyard somewhere in the New World, a ship resembling a giant whale was undergoing a launching ceremony. However, Whitebeard, seeing the newspaper, looked worried.
"Neptune, my old friend, how are you doing now..."
And on Hachinosu (Beehive Island), Wang Zhi was sweating profusely. His mood hadn't been good recently. Ever since seeing the news of Rocks's resurrection a few days ago, he had trouble sleeping.
If Rocks was still alive and discovered that he had occupied Hachinosu after the other monsters chose to leave, would Rocks target him for revenge?
Even though the newspaper stated it was just a rumor, he was still scared into having nightmares for several days. Now, he saw the news of Nereus controlling Fish-man Island.
"No, I have to clean up those guys... I can't be exposed..."
Known as the "Pirate Wang Zhi," many pirates came to pay respect to him. Wang Zhi had significant relationships with all sorts of people and even conducted secret transactions, such as with the World Government and certain human trafficking organizations.
If one day Nereus traced it back to him for some bizarre reason...
Wiping the cold sweat from his forehead, Wang Zhi began to plan for the future. Other former members of the Rocks Pirates also paid attention to this more or less.
Some didn't care, like Shiki.
"I'm the Admiral of the Flying Pirates now! I don't need to pass through Fish-man Island, so what does it have to do with me?"
Some felt envious; this was Miss Bakkin's thought.
"The wealth of a nation... if only it were mine..."
The news spread not only in the New World.
Paradise (Grand Line first half), Water 7.
Although the shipbuilding industry of Water 7 was developed, the situation in Water 7 was actually not good. The Sea Train hadn't been born yet. Due to external pirates and difficulties in transporting materials, Water 7 was facing many complex problems.
And here lived a Fish-man named Tom.
"Mr. Tom! Something big happened in Fish-man Island! Mr. Nereus has become the new King!"
Kokoro held today's newspaper and found Tom, who was studying blueprints in his workshop.
"I know."
Smoke rings puffed from Tom's pipe. He seemed unconcerned, but the scattered ash on the floor and another newspaper placed aside were enough to show that Tom wasn't as casual as his words suggested.
"Mr. Tom, is something on your mind?"
"Yes, a matter where I don't know how to choose..."
Tom knew about the events in Fish-man Island over the years. His younger brother, Den, would send him news from time to time. Tom was not unfamiliar with what Nereus had done.
Regardless of everything, Nereus's actions had practically helped Fish-man Island.
Now that he had become King, there would presumably be bigger moves, possibly concerning the entire Fish-man Island.
"This power... should I reveal it... If revealed... will it bring revival and hope... or drag the world into the abyss..."
In Tom's mind, data from a set of blueprints flashed frequently. On the cover, the word "Pluton" was conspicuously displayed.
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