Chapter 314: Alliance and the Great Fleet

Keluo did not answer immediately; instead, he turned his head to look at Bai Xing inside the cage, then slowly spoke:

"One of the three Ancient Weapons—Poseidon!"

"Although she has not yet fully awakened, the power she has currently displayed is already sufficient to easily annihilate an entire kingdom."

"In a few years, the balance of power among the Four Emperors and the Seven Warlords of the Sea will collapse; by that time, even the World Government will be unable to remain unscathed."

"When the era of collapsing order arrives, the various factions across the world will inevitably plunge into endless warfare."

"In such an era, Poseidon's power is pivotal; knowing this, any pirate would be tempted, and naturally, we are no exception."

"Poseidon..."

Neptune murmured softly.

He turned to look at his youngest daughter, and an irrepressible sense of awe surfaced in his eyes.

Even though he had long suspected the abilities Bai Xing had inadvertently displayed, he never expected them to be one of the legendary three Ancient Weapons capable of dominating the world.

Such power was already sufficient to overturn Fish-Man Island's status throughout the entire world!

At this very moment, Neptune could not suppress the thought of relying on Bai Xing's power to lead the fish-men back onto the land.

But this thought was strangled in the next instant.

Bai Xing was, after all, his daughter, and the late Otohime had left behind an unfulfilled wish: the peaceful coexistence of humans and fish-men.

Moreover, if the future truly unfolded as Keluo had said, with Whitebeard finally meeting his end, the balance of the Four Emperors and Seven Warlords collapsing, and the world entering its most dangerous and vicious era,

then how Fish-Man Island should conduct itself was the problem staring them right in the face!

And in truth, Gao Wen was precisely the greatest ship of this era!

The more he thought about it,

the brighter Neptune's eyes became.

Keluo naturally noticed this and顺势 played his final card:

"If you are willing, we can also bring the fish-men into the spotlight."

Neptune's whole body trembled; he abruptly sat up straight:

"What do you mean?"

"Have you not always longed for an opportunity to communicate with humans?"

"We can give you that opportunity!"

The corner of Keluo's mouth curled up slightly:

"Have you heard of the Martial Arts Tournament?!"

Neptune nodded, instantly understanding:

"You are the backers behind the Martial Arts Tournament?!"

Keluo spread his hands:

"I never said such words, but if you choose to believe that, then so be it."

"The Martial Arts Tournament has no restrictions on race or status; anyone can participate. In just these past two years, it has already produced super-popular star contestants like the Cat Brothers and the okama Bon Kurei."

"A casual word or action from them is enough to send their fanbase into a frenzy."

"And what propelled these star contestants to such immense popularity was merely the first Martial Arts Tournament held in the East Blue!"

"The second edition will cover all Four Blues, and by the third, it will truly become a global spectacle, triggering unprecedented attention, causing countless people to go mad!"

"So among the new stars commanding wind and rain in the arena, why can't there be fish-men?!"

"Why can't there be fish-men?!"

Neptune repeated Keluo's final question, his breathing becoming heavy and coarse in that instant.

He too had been a spectator at the first Martial Arts Tournament, his blood boiling from those battles.

Back then, some within Fish-Man Island had conceived the desire to prove themselves at the tournament, but Neptune had suppressed that notion.

As he pondered,

Neptune looked at Keluo's face, feeling only that the more he looked, the more familiar it seemed.

"You are the champions of the first Martial Arts Tournament!"

Neptune let out a startled cry, having finally recognized the identities of Keluo and Ah Jin.

As the ruler of the Ryugu Kingdom, his combat prowess might be somewhat lacking, but his insight was certainly not poor; he immediately understood Keluo's intention.

To resolve the conflict between fish-men and humans, the first and most crucial step was communication, for only by understanding each other could they comprehend one another and fulfill Otohime's last wish.

But to achieve communication, one must first build a channel for it.

Otohime had already proven with her life that the path through the World Government was blocked, leaving the Martial Arts Tournament as the only opportunity Neptune could grasp.

To fulfill his wife's last wish, and simultaneously secure a future for the Ryugu Kingdom!

As long as enough fish-men could make a name for themselves at the Martial Arts Tournament, even becoming star contestants, they could serve as a ticket for the fish-men to the outside world!

Thinking of this,

Neptune was nearly excited enough to jump up; barely suppressing the agitation within his heart, he looked at Keluo with eyes filled with indescribable excitement:

"Deal!"

It was at this very moment

that a clear breeze blew past, the surrounding screams gradually subsiding, and Gao Wen's figure suddenly appeared beside Keluo.

He glanced at Hody, who was pinned dead against the wall in the distance, then looked at the unconscious Bai Xing in the cage, and immediately felt reassured.

Zing—!

Guanshi Zhengzong was sheathed.

Neptune looked at the young man before him, yet he could not detect even the slightest hint of oppression emanating from him.

He possessed neither Keluo's ability to hide joy and anger, with ferocity concealed beneath a refined exterior, nor Ah Jin's狂暴 force that had crushed the New Fish-Man Pirates!

Apart from her outstanding appearance and an inexplicably harmonious aura emanating from her entire being, there were no other peculiarities.

Gao Wen nodded at Neptune, then turned his gaze to Xiang Keluo standing nearby:

"Resolved?!"

"Ah."

Xiang Keluo, hands in his pockets, spoke:

"Hody's crew was crushed by Ah Jin, the alliance with the Ryugu Kingdom has been settled, and Bai Xing will become our ally when necessary."

"In exchange, we provide sanctuary for Fish-Man Island, and in return, the Martial Arts Tournament will conduct a certain degree of resource incursion against Fish-Man Island, uh."

Gao Wen nodded:

"As expected of you."

"It was merely a negotiation where we held an overwhelming advantage."

Xiang Keluo responded casually, yet the slight upward curl of his lips still betrayed his inner feelings.

Gao Wen did not expose him; raising his hand, he slashed once to sever the chains binding Neptune, then released the two princes and Bai Xing from the cage.

The three soon regained consciousness.

Bai Xing, still shaken from excessive fright and not yet recovered, was escorted by guards back to her own palace chambers.

The other two princes, together with Shark Star who had returned to the palace, began hunting down the remnants of the New Fish-Man Pirates within the scope of the Ryugu Kingdom.

This time, even Neptune, always known for his gentle temperament, issued an order to kill every member of the Fish-Man Pirates without mercy.

After all, 若非 Gao Wen and his group had intruded, the entire Ryugu Palace would have already fallen into the hands of Hody and others.

Given those people's extreme methods, they would likely have completely intensified the conflict between fish-men and humans, even launching a counterattack against the land, dragging the entire Fish-Man Island into a desperate situation.

From start to finish, Gao Wen and his two companions did not glance at Hachi even once, directly ignoring him.

Hachi felt relieved, yet strangely somewhat disappointed.

The next day.

Nightfall.

The sea breeze blew; there were no stars in the sky, only scattered patches of glowing seaweed. After waking up, Jinbe learned the course of events from Neptune's guards and could not help but let out a sigh:

"Not only did he not turn his sword against fish-men due to the harm suffered by his companions, but at the critical moment he stepped forward, crushed the rampaging Hody crew, and even like Whitebeard, was willing to extend a helping hand to Fish-Man Island..."

A trace of admiration inevitably surfaced in Jinbe's eyes:

"This time, the debt of gratitude owed to Knight Gao Wen is immense; even I owe that man my life."

He lowered his gaze to look at the bandages on his chest, and before his eyes, the memory of Gao Wen's slash inevitably resurfaced.

Domineering, unmatched, and carrying the bearing of a king; he had only seen such imposing momentum on Whitebeard!

It could be said that had Gao Wen harbored the intent to kill, Jinbe would have had no chance of survival.

Recalling Gao Wen's recruitment offer, Jinbe momentarily felt a stir of interest.

This battle had already proven that the man possessed not only the strength of a king but also a bearing comparable to Whitebeard's.

For Jinbe to claim he was unmoved would be false, but he knew even better that his life had long belonged to Whitebeard.

With his personality, he could never bring himself to defect to Gao Wen's group.

Jinbe let out a long sigh, casting aside the cluttered thoughts in his heart, and looked toward the two silent figures beside the hospital bed.

One of them was naturally Hachi, who had narrowly survived Hody's hands, while the other was Emitt, the whale shark fish-man whom Nami had driven off the ship.

Now that the New Fish-Man Pirates were completely annihilated and Fish-Man District had been swept clean by Neptune's army, Emitt had nowhere to go and could only temporarily stay at Jinbe's home alongside Hachi.

Recalling the words he had spoken previously, Emitt lowered his eyes, his face showing nothing but shame and complexity.

The ward fell silent for a moment, with only the sea breeze blowing, swaying the wind chimes and producing a crisp sound.

Ding-ling-ling—!

Ding-ling-ling—!

A long while passed.

A resolute voice came from within the ward.

"Big Brother Jinbe, I have decided; I will return to Cocoyasi Village to redeem my sins!"

"I will go too."

"Emitt, you... might die, you know?"

The only answer to Hachi was Emitt's voice, far more resolute than his age suggested:

"I want to see with my own eyes Sister Nami's hometown, and the suffering that fish-men have brought upon humans."

Time flew by; three days later.

Within the harbor of Fish-Man Island.

The Lion Heart Knight, having been re-coated, lay quietly anchored in the port, awaiting departure.

The coating technique of Fish-Man Island's craftsmen might not match Lei Li's, but they made up for it in numbers; coupled with their gratitude toward Gao Wen and his group, they naturally worked with even greater diligence.

In just three short days, the coating work on the Lion Heart Knight was completed.

Gao Wen and his group did not intend to stay long on Fish-Man Island; after simply replenishing some supplies, they prepared to set sail for the New World, for that was the stage they had always been waiting for.

At this moment.

Within the harbor.

Gao Wen stood on the deck of the Lion Heart Knight, looking up into the distance; within his sight were dozens of pirate ships neatly arranged in the port.

A myriad of complex flags, and heads bustling on the decks.

Lines of fiery gazes fell upon the Lion Heart Knight, or more precisely, upon Gao Wen, who stood on the deck calmly observing everything.

Every pirate present had personally experienced that battle.

They were all won over by Gao Wen's overwhelmingly powerful combat strength and the title of the most righteous pirate in the East Sea.

On the day Gao Wen's crew set sail again, they expressed their wish to form a great fleet.

The so-called great fleet is a loose pirate alliance formed by dozens or even hundreds of pirate crews, with one pirate crew at its core.

Whitebeard, Shanks, Big Mom, and even the later Straw Hat all directly or indirectly controlled a pirate alliance.

These pirates usually embark on adventures alone; while protected by the core pirate crew, they must also answer the latter's call in critical moments.

A typical example is Whitebeard and his subordinate great fleet during the Summit War.

Gao Wen naturally would not refuse the matter of expanding his power.

After all, he has now reached this stage and needs a sufficiently stable base while also expanding his own pirate crew.

Although the great fleet is loose, it is convenient for absorbing more subordinates.

"Have you decided? Do you want to become a pirate crew under my command?!"

Gao Wen's voice carried a certain solemnity.

He naturally understood the identity of a pirate, so he was all the more cautious regarding the establishment of a great fleet.

Gao Wen considered himself no good person; in fact, he could even be said to be somewhat hypocritical.

But letting certain villains use his name to do things that strip the very bones from commoners who could barely survive truly exceeded his tolerance.

"Let's be clear first: I have many rules. No plundering commoners, no attacking comrades, no killing the innocent..."

One restriction after another came from Gao Wen's mouth.

Yet everyone's eyes gradually brightened; one could even say they held a certain indescribable satisfaction, no, a sense of mission!

These rules corresponded exactly to Gao Wen's reputation for righteousness.

The pirates on these pirate ships were, before setting sail, mostly commoners who could not survive.

Hearing Gao Wen's words now, many even had their eyes moistened.

It was simply because for the first time they felt someone, from the bottom of their heart, offering Human Respect to beings like themselves, whose lives were as cheap as grass.

Yes.

Respect.

Not the cattle to be arbitrarily squeezed and exploited in the eyes of nobles, but the respect due to a human being.

"Isn't that natural?!"

"Brother Gao Wen!"

Not far in front of the Lionheart Knight, a pirate stood on the deck, weeping bitterly; he wore a hook on one hand and covered his eyes with the other:

"Before I set sail, my dream was merely to eat a single piece of soft bread!"

Upon hearing this, a round of jeers immediately erupted all around.

"You're Golden Hook Macuri, aren't you?!"

"A great pirate with a bounty of eighty-nine million, a ruthless figure who once sank several warships—who would believe you saying such things?!"

"Exactly, exactly..."

Macuri's old face turned red, his expression full of shame and anger:

"Shut up!"

"If you talk nonsense again, I'll kill you!"

"Come on then! Whoever backs down is a grandson!"

The two were about to fight right then and there; fortunately, subordinates nearby stepped forward in time to intervene, and they stopped, looking very displeased.

Laughter rang out from all around; many, while laughing, had crystal tears streaming down the corners of their eyes.

To anyone watching, it would seem the wind and sand were too strong, blowing into their eyes.

Gao Wen watched this scene, and a few more smiles appeared on his face.

Seeing that no one chose to back down, he simply raised the wine cup in his hand and drained it in one gulp:

"Then the Gao Wen Great Fleet is established today. If anyone dares to break my rules, I will act and purge the household!"

(End of this chapter)