Chapter 255: The Art of Negotiation

Long Gong Kingdom, Banquet Hall.

To welcome Saint Seven, who is about to arrive at Fish-Man Island, the Long Gong Kingdom held a grand welcome ceremony, with various delicacies unique to the Fish-Man race filling the banquet tables.

King Neptune, who had been bedridden for many days, seemed to have applied a great deal of pearl powder to his face, making him look deathly pale.

Representatives of the Long Gong Kingdom, led by King Neptune and Wang Fei Hime, and the Marine contingent, led by Tsuru and Garp, all stood in the Banquet Hall waiting.

Until Saint Seven arrives, no one dares to pick up their chopsticks.

Seeing all the CP agents return to the Banquet Hall, King Neptune asked weakly.

"But has Saint Seven arrived?"

CP9 Chief Spandam, with a gloomy face, said: "Mr. Yuzhi Xiliu told us to return first."

Damn it, are nobles of the Allied Nations so important?

Thinking of that line from Yuzhi Xiliu: What level are you, to even deserve to wait here for the Captain!?

Spandam wished he could kill Yuzhi Xiliu.

But he could only think it.

Facing Saint Seven's right-hand man, the powerful Yuzhi Xiliu, known by the title of Natural Killer, Spandam had no way to act against him.

In terms of status, Yuzhi Xiliu is Saint Seven's right-hand man.

In terms of combat power, even if Yuzhi Xiliu used only one hand, Spandam would likely not be his match.

Therefore, Spandam could only lead his CP9 agents back to swallow his humiliation.

As CP9 Chief, even facing Fleet Admiral Sengoku or the kings of Allied Nations, Spandam had never suffered similar humiliation.

Kuso!

Shortly after, Yuzhi Xiliu teleported into the Banquet Hall and said with a cold face: "The banquet is unnecessary; the Captain is waiting for everyone in the next room."

Garp raised an eyebrow, feeling something was off.

That brat Barzab Seven has always been polite; why does he throw a fit this time and refuse to attend the banquet?

What a waste of all this fine food.

I should have eaten my fill first.

King Neptune smiled awkwardly.

"Very well, very well."

"Mr. Garp, Admiral Tsuru, Mr. Spandam, this way, please. We will go to the conference room next door."

Such a situation indicated nothing less than: before negotiations even began, they seemed to have already stalled.

And the truth was exactly as everyone guessed; facing Saint Seven's aggression, King Neptune felt aggrieved like a twelve-meter-tall child.

Garp tried to interrupt several times, but was forcibly held back by Admiral Tsuru.

Even Spandam thought Saint Seven had gone a bit too far: conscripting ten thousand Fish-Man soldiers annually without compensation.

In less than ten years, the number of male offspring of the next Fish-Man generation would have trouble even reproducing; Saint Seven was clearly aiming for the extermination of the race.

Something is wrong, very, very wrong.

There must be something King Neptune did not reveal to them, which is why Saint Seven is so aggressive.

Seeing this, Tsuru unexpectedly took on the role of mediator.

"How about this? Let us calm down for a moment."

Originally a three-party meeting between the World Government, the Marines, and Fish-Man Island, Saint Seven's aggressive actions caused the Marines to unknowingly stand on Fish-Man Island's side.

This forced King Neptune, the Fish-Man Island representative, and Saint Seven, the World Government representative, to separate first.

Seeing this, Spandam hurriedly asked for instructions.

"Saint Seven, allow me to go over there to gather information and then return to report to you."

"Go ahead." Saint Seven waved his hand.

When Spandam arrived at King Neptune's side, he finally understood why Saint Seven had been so aggressive earlier.

"Everyone, Fish-Man Island is poor."

"Previously, when pirates frequently invaded Fish-Man Island, I used my connections to contact Saint Seven to seek protection... but I never expected that Saint Seven would demand one hundred billion Berries in protection fees annually."

"And whether I agree or not, I must pay; not a single cent less is allowed."

Good heavens, Spandam swallowed hard: demanding one hundred billion Berries in protection fees annually; Saint Seven is openly robbing them.

"So... did you pay?"

King Neptune wiped his face: "We still owe fifty billion Berries of this year's protection fee."

"That is why I hope the World Government and the Marines can provide compensation for the conscripted Fish-Man soldiers."

Hearing this, Spandam frowned tightly.

"That is a bit difficult."

"A few days ago, the Marine fleet transporting the Heavenly Tribute of the Allied Nations was successively looted by the Revolutionary Army and the Blackbeard Pirates; the World Government has no money now either."

Tsuru took over the conversation: "The Marines have no money either."

Building the new Marine Headquarters at New Marineford requires money, replenishing the ranks through a world-wide conscription requires money, and allowances must be paid to the Marines who sacrificed their lives at Marineford previously.

Even with the double military funding promised by the World Government, it is not enough to spend.

Garp rubbed his temples, really wanting to ask: If the World Government has no money and the Marines have no money, then where did all the money go?

It couldn't all have been earned by Inazuma... right?

It seems there really is such a possibility.

After the World Meeting, departments under the World Government, including the Marines, Justice Island, Impel Down, and CP, purchased large quantities of Sea Prism Stone products from Inazuma.

All the money was indeed earned entirely by Inazuma!

Even other Allied Nations, to counter the threat of the Great Pirate Era, purchased quite a lot as well; it is said that Inazuma's Sea Prism Stone orders are booked until the year after next.

Without realizing it, Barzab Seven had truly struck it rich.

He raised his head slightly, then proposed.

"King Neptune, although we cannot compensate the conscripted Fish-Man soldiers with Beri, we can make amends in other ways."

"Sigh." Neptune sighed.

"If Lord Seven of Saiwen agrees and is willing to let the Fish-Men pay protection fees in installments, I have no objection."

He immediately turned to Spandam.

Spandam quickly shook his head: "I have no objection either—we follow Lord Seven of Saiwen's decision."

At first, He had indeed been thrown off balance by Lord Seven of Saiwen's forceful demeanor.

But recalling how the Fish-Man populace had treated Yuzhi Xiliu earlier, upon closer thought, perhaps this was a play staged by Lord Seven of Saiwen and King Neptune.

And who was this play meant for?

Who else but Spandam, sent by the Jiezhengfu Sect?

In short,

Fish-Man Island did not want Beri compensation—it wished for the Jiezhengfu Sect to abolish the Fish-Man slave trade.

He had no interest in exposing the truth; he preferred to push it further.

After all, the Fish-Man populace's attitude toward the Marines had been a thorn in He's heart.

"Let's go over."

In another conference room, Seven was angrily speaking with the Five Elders.

"In my opinion, just kill them all—I don't need the protection fees Fish-Man Island pays to Inazuma."

"I can't take this humiliation."

Upon hearing this, Satan Saint quickly spoke up.

"Lord Seven of Saiwen, please calm down."

"The Jiezhengfu Sect needs Fish-Man soldiers; the Marines also require Fish-Men to form special units. Harmony is paramount."

"Inazuma could recruit some Fish-Men too!"

Satan Saint had never imagined: Lord Seven of Saiwen was even more extreme than the Five Elders—he wanted to conscript ten thousand Fish-Man soldiers without payment.

And he wanted ten thousand every year.

Lord Seven of Saiwen is truly a model among the Celestial Dragons!

The Den Den Mushi continued mimicking Satan Saint's tone: "If they wish to abolish the Fish-Man slave trade, then agree to it."

Compared to the profits soon to be gained, the opinions of the Celestial Dragons in the Holy Land are irrelevant.

Would it really be impossible to live without fewer Fish-Man slaves?