Chapter 253: Saint Saint Saiwen Saint Worthy of Trust

Undersea Amusement Park, Fish-Man Island, Ryugu Kingdom.

Inside the luxurious palace inlaid with countless pearls, Neptune lay listlessly; pretending to be sick in bed for so many days had even made digestion a problem.

Yet he dared not move about casually, fearing that agents sent by the World Government would discover he was feigning illness.

Previously, Saint Saturn's conscription of ten thousand Fish-Man Island soldiers posed no real problem for the Ryugu Kingdom, which commanded three hundred thousand regular troops.

The issue was that they could not set such a precedent.

Once the World Government discovered the value of Fish-Man soldiers, let alone three hundred thousand regular troops, even three million would not be enough for the World Government to squander.

Fish-Man Island's three hundred thousand regular troops would not suffice to satisfy the CP organization, the Marines, Enies Lobby, and Impel Down.

Moreover, Saint Saturn merely opened his two lips and sought to requisition ten thousand Fish-Man soldiers without compensation.

What kind of joke is that?

Where in the world does such a good thing exist!

Let alone conscripting ten thousand Fish-Man soldiers without compensation; even ten thousand heads of cabbage would require payment!

Want to get it for free? No way.

Fortunately, the representative sent by the World Government to Fish-Man Island for negotiations this time was Lord Saint Saint Saiwen Saint.

Neptune had not only heard Giant King Harald say that Saint Saint Saiwen Saint was worthy of trust; even the Saint Saint Saiwen Warlords of the Sea of Fish-Man Island, Tiger and Jinbe, and their brothers all held the same view.

He hoped Saint Saint Saiwen Saint would stand on the side of the Fish-Man race.

"Wang Fei, have the conditions been drafted?"

Queen Otohime produced the negotiation documents.

"The bottom line I negotiated with Mr. Tiger and Jinbe is: prohibit the slave trade of the Fish-Man race. If the World Government can do this, then agree to their terms."

Treating the Fish-Man race as slave trade

is a massive chasm spanning between Fish-Man and human society that can never be fully bridged, completely cutting off the possibility of true integration between the two races at its root.

Once upon a time, Queen Otohime saw no hope whatsoever of bridging this chasm.

Now, precisely leveraging the World Government's conscription of Fish-Man soldiers as an opportunity, she attempts to negotiate with the World Government.

If negotiations succeed, the Fish-Man race will welcome a truly bright future.

If negotiations fail, at least the status of the Fish-Man race can be slightly altered.

"Sigh." Neptune let out a sigh.

The Fish-Man race's current plight is entirely due to the inaction of the World Government and the Marines, especially since the Celestial Dragons of Holy Land Mary Geoise very much like Fish-Man slaves.

If not for this, how could the Ryugu Kingdom, possessing three hundred thousand regular troops, be so frequently invaded by slave traders?

There is no way around it; who else stands behind those slave traders but the Celestial Dragons?

"When will Lord Saint Saint Saiwen Saint arrive?"

"In two days." Queen Otohime paused: "However, the newly dispatched agents of the World Government and the Marine representative have already arrived at Fish-Man Island ahead of schedule."

"We only await the arrival of Lord Saint Saint Saiwen Saint before the formal negotiation work can begin."

"It seems I must lie here for two more days."

King Neptune closed his eyes and continued lying down pretending to be sick, actually pondering how to make Saint Saint Saiwen Saint stand on the side of the Fish-Man race.

This... is extremely difficult.

Saint Saint Saiwen Saint is not a newcomer who has just set sail, penniless and without even a decent ship.

Lord Saint Saint Saiwen Saint now has status if he wants status, and territory if he wants territory.

Even after sinking the Marine Headquarters at Marineford, he remained as if nothing had happened, going to Marine Headquarters to cancel the bounty on the Morning Star Group.

With the foundation of the Morning Star Group and Inazuma, Inazuma is vaguely trending toward becoming the world's strongest nation; even if not number one, it can secure second place and strive for first.

There is no way around it; the Giant race of Elbaf is simply too overpowered on the Grand Line.

Even so, Giant King Harald and his brothers do not live as carefree as Saint Saint Saiwen Saint.

A simple comparison reveals the difference between Inazuma and Elbaf.

Inazuma is now a member nation of the World Government, and the Raiden Shogun has become Saint Saint Saiwen Saint, while Giant King Harald still struggles bitterly to secure a member nation position.

The gap between them is not merely a little bit.

Indeed, from the attitude of the Five Elders toward Saint Saint Saiwen Saint, it is not hard to see that the World Government is truly afraid.

In short, Saint Saint Saiwen Saint lacks nothing.

To make him stand on the side of Fish-Man Island would be harder than climbing to the sky.

While pondering without result, Neptune suddenly remembered the Fish-Man Island senior, Sanbel.

Senior Sanbel spent many years with Saint Saint Saiwen Saint in the Luo Jie Group; he must know what Saint Saint Saiwen Saint likes!

Neptune opened his eyes: "Wang Fei, go quickly to invite Senior Sanbel, and remember, absolutely do not let anyone discover it."

The Marines pay special attention to former Luo Jie Group crew members; Neptune did not wish to be discovered by the Marines contacting Luo Jie Group crew members during this critical period.

"Very well, I will go at once."

Shortly after, Queen Otohime led Sanbel to Neptune's bedchamber.

"Senior, save Fish-Man Island..."

King Neptune hurriedly poured out his inner distress and requested Sanbel's help to think of a way: how to make Saint Saint Saiwen Saint stand on the side of the Fish-Man race.

"This..." Sanbel hesitated, about to speak but stopping.

Seeing this, Neptune's eyes lit up.

"Senior, speak freely."

"There is a way," Sanbel said slowly: "Since childhood, Saint Saint Saiwen Saint has had a collecting obsession and aspired to collect various types of treasures on the Grand Line."

"The types of treasures include, but are not limited to, famous swords, Devil Fruits, all kinds of talents, territories..."

Neptune understood the subtext in Sanbel's words: Your Majesty, stop struggling desperately; quickly lead Fish-Man Island to join Saint Saint Saiwen Saint.

Indeed, it is a good plan.

Since we cannot make Saint Saint Saint Saiwen stand on the Fish-Man Island's side, then Fish-Man Island shall stand on Saint Saint Saint Saiwen's side.

The process may differ, but the result is the same.

As long as Fish-Man Island throws its lot in with Saint Saint Saint Saiwen, not only will it survive this crisis, but it will also enjoy the protection of Saint Saint Saint Saiwen and the Morning Star Crew for its own people in the future.

Of course, the risk is also extreme.

Neptune did not forget the words Saint Saint Saint Saiwen spoke after drinking last time: "No problem in the short term."

"No problem in the short term" does that not mean "100% problem in the long term"?

So what could the problem be?

Saint Saint Saint Saiwen is now a Celestial Dragon; in official terms, he has nowhere left to advance, so he can only choose to establish his own faction and overthrow the World Government...

Neptune immediately found himself in a dilemma.

Should he choose to weather the current crisis, using the World Government's conscription of Fish-Man soldiers to seek equal status for the Fish-Man race?

In that case,

Fish-Man Island would be on Saint Saint Saint Saiwen's ship, sharing the future risks while enjoying protection.

Or should he do nothing, simply hoping that Saint Saint Saint Saiwen is a good person?

A good person... how ironic.

Saint Saint Saint Saiwen is first and foremost a pirate, the pirate with a bounty of 5.2 billion who destroyed Marineford; how could he possibly be a good person?

At most, he belongs to the category of pirates with a conscience.

"Wang Fei, what is your opinion?"

Queen Otohime took a deep breath, as if making a momentous decision.

"I believe in Saint Saint Saint Saiwen's character, and I believe that Captain Tiger and Jinbe would never abandon our Fish-Man Island."

Although Tiger and Jinbe had already joined the Morning Star Crew, Saint Saint Saint Saiwen was willing to let them go so they could join the Saint Saint Saiwen Warlords of the Sea for the sake of Fish-Man Island's future.

Such a person of benevolence and righteousness is worthy of trust.

Neptune looked at Sanbell.

"Senior, please give him a heads-up first? So Saint Saint Saint Saiwen won't be unprepared."

Sanbell grinned, his mouth full of sharp teeth.

"Rest assured, Your Majesty,

"Don't forget, I, Sanbell, am first and foremost a Fish-Man, and only then a crew member of Luo Jie's crew."

Although I, Sanbell, am not as powerful as Vice-Captain Lei Li or Mr. Jabba, when it comes to helping Little Saint Saint Saiwen, I definitely rank first on Luo Jie's crew.

When I get old later, I must brag about it to the Captain.