https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-669-Air-Force-King-Evolves-Fishing-King-/13464656/
Chapter 668: A Suitable Place to Rest
Chapter 668: A Suitable Place to Rest
Yusirou had always thought that Sharkstar was only noble in appearance. Although he had been given the title of Mermaid Prince, it was just a gimmick, a way to make the club more appealing.
But this phone call was different. It was from the Governor!
To Yusirou, the Governor was the most revered person in the world!
If it weren't for his dreams, he would have joined the Apocalypse Pirates and become a samurai long ago.
Samurai from Wano joining the Apocalypse Pirates faced no barriers. They were slightly more powerful than ordinary pirates and were respected for it. Yusirou had some acquaintances who were ronin samurai. They had never joined Kaido but had secretly aided the Kozuki clan. Now, they had joined the Apocalypse Pirates, finding a way to fulfill their life's purpose.
All these opportunities were given by the Governor.
But now, the Governor was calling him directly.
Though the call was brief, asking Sharkstar to visit the palace, the implications were significant.
An ordinary Fishman would never warrant a personal call from the Governor. Recently, some Fishmen had been looking for Sharkstar, and though he hadn't heard everything, their constant references to "Prince" and "Your Highness" made it obvious.
This wasn't the fake Mermaid Prince he had crowned; this was the real deal!
The Prince of the Ryugu Kingdom had actually been invited to his club!
It was like having Kozuki Momonosuke as the top attraction here.
"S-S-Sharkstar."
Yusirou opened his mouth, thought for a moment, and then clenched his fist. "If there's anything difficult, I'll go with you! I'm not a pirate, but I am a samurai. I won't let you face this alone! I'll stand by you for what is right!"
He didn't know why Sharkstar had agreed to this, but it must have been out of necessity. Now was the time to face it, and he could offer his support!
Sharkstar was slightly taken aback but smiled. "I won't die. I was just forced to make a choice. It's nothing to worry about, Yusirou."
He started to swim out the door but paused at the threshold, turning to look at the Fishmen staring at him with wide eyes. He sighed. "You all need to make a decision. Do you want to give up that strange sense of superiority and anger and live normally with humans, or are you going to fight? I'll wait for your decision."
Without waiting for a response, he left through the back door, heading toward the palace.
Yusirou hesitated for a moment, then followed Sharkstar, determined to stand by his friend. If something went wrong, he could help.
Two deaths were better than one, and the burden of anger could be shared.
The guards at the main gate had already been informed and didn't stop Sharkstar. One of them led the two of them to the grand hall of the palace.
The vast hall had only one seat, the golden throne at the front. Sagel sat with one leg draped over the armrest, his hand supporting his chin. He saw Sharkstar and Yusirou approach.
"G-Governor!"
Yusirou hadn't taken a few steps before his legs gave out, almost making him kneel. But he remembered something and forced himself to stand tall.
He was here to share his friend's burden!
"Governor Sagel."
Sharkstar was much calmer. He bowed to Sagel and was about to speak when Sagel interrupted him.
"Yusirou, is it?"
Sagel chuckled and looked Yusirou up and down. "I remember you well. You were the first to open a male modeling club in my territory, and you paid a fair amount of taxes, of course."
"Y-Yes, Governor! Thank you for giving me a stage to perform on!"
Yusirou bowed deeply, then mustered the courage to speak loudly. "Sharkstar is my partner and my good friend. Whatever happens, I am willing to share the burden with him! If necessary, I hope that the blood of two can lessen your anger!"
"Hmm, interesting."
Sagel waved his hand. "Alright, you can go. This doesn't concern you."
"Y-Yes."
Yusirou moved with heavy steps to the entrance of the hall, standing there without fully leaving, ready to rush in if things went wrong.
"I understand the situation."
Sagel turned to Sharkstar. "Many of your people want to become my vassals. I called you here to ask for your opinion. After all, you are the next king of the Ryugu Kingdom. I like to be thorough and don't want to disappoint any of my Fishmen, who are all my subordinates."
"But we are in a partnership, so I respect your wishes. If you don't want to, we can choose another representative from the Fishmen to join my vassals. If you do, you can be like the Mink Tribe."
In places where direct management is difficult, he is very generous. The sky at ten thousand meters, the ocean depths at ten thousand meters, and the giant elephant that moves around without a fixed location—all these areas are challenging to manage.
The Mink Tribe can retain their dual-king system for this very reason. After all, they are vassals now, like the leaders of a group of vassals.
"Not only that, Governor Sagel."
Sharkstar did not immediately agree but first described the situation of the Fishmen who had come to seek him out. As soon as he spoke, Lily, standing beside him, subconsciously gripped the hilt of her sword, her eyes filled with a tangible killing intent that seemed to lower the temperature of the air.
Those who were planning to cause chaos were threatening Sagel's rule, no different from those damned nobles.
Rebellion meant death.
"Lily."
Sagel glanced at her and said calmly, "Calm down, it's too cold and it makes people uncomfortable."
Lily released her grip and looked at Sharkstar coldly. "Are the Fishmen no longer planning to live on the surface? Or have they become so complacent that they forget who granted them this favor?"
"Please, Lady Lily, calm down."
Sharkstar bowed to Lily and continued, "Our entire Fishmen race is willing to become vassals of the Norton Family. But before that, please give us a chance. If you take action, it will only deepen the divide between Fishmen and humans. If we handle it ourselves, it will just be an internal Fishmen issue."
"Oh? You want to handle it yourselves?"
Sagel looked at him more closely this time. "Have you made up your mind?"
"Yes, for the future of all Fishmen and Merfolk, some things must be done!"
"Alright, do as you say. As for the time—"
Sagel thought for a moment. "I'll give you half a month. Is that enough?"
"It's enough!"
"Good. Since you've made a promise, I won't be formal with you. I assure you, like the Mink Tribe, you can raid the first half of the Grand Line and the second half of the New World—places not yet under my rule. As long as you follow my rules, the sea will remain your domain of freedom."
"If you get caught or killed, that's the price of robbery, and I won't interfere. But if an innocent person is taken by a human without cause, come to me, and I will help you. On the high seas, even those who don't respect me will respect my fist."
Sagel smiled grimly and waved for Sharkstar to leave.
After he left, Sagel turned to Lily. "What do you think?"
"I didn't do my job well."
Lily said, "I didn't pay enough attention to the internal movements of the Fishmen. It was a mistake."
"I didn't ask you that. Everyone makes mistakes, and yours aren't that serious. Even a smile can't fully understand everyone's thoughts. Who knows what they're thinking?" Sagel waved his hand.
Lily nodded. "It's the long-standing impact of human discrimination that has led to some radical individuals feeling a sense of disparity when they don't achieve the status they desire. It's a typical case of needing a harsh lesson to instill fear, respect, and appreciation."
"Ha ha ha ha, yes, exactly. It reminds me of a joke."
Sagel laughed. "There was once a country that suffered from constant wars with its neighbors. The old custom was that women should not show their faces in public, and most men were servants, living in extreme poverty. Later, a king came to power, dedicated to freeing the land from its vices, giving dignity to both men and women, and ensuring no one was a servant or slave, providing jobs for all. But people are never satisfied. They forgot that just thirty-four years ago, their ancestors were in dire straits.
"They wanted more, believing the king had deprived them of better outcomes, so they overthrew the king and replaced him with a leader they chose. But this leader was unknown to anyone, just a figurehead in the newspapers. Once in power, everything reverted to the old ways, even worse. By then, it was too late to regret it.
"Doflamingo once said, 'Those who don't know the horrors of war yearn for it, while those who have suffered through it long for peace. They are fundamentally at odds.'"
Sagel continued, "Sharkstar recently attended the World Government meeting. His sister was almost sold into slavery by Shimizu, and he understands that a weak entity has no standing. But those Fishmen stirring trouble are purely because Neptune has protected them too well. Any Fishman who has truly experienced slavery, if they want to live in human society, would only kneel and thank me when they come to me."
"He made his stance known just in time."
Lily chimed in at the right moment, "If I had discovered this a few days later, there would have been no such opportunity."
Killing the troublemaking Fishmen would be no challenge for her.
As for whether Sharkstar would develop a rift with them,
it didn't matter.
The Fishmen were not a monolithic group. There were loyal Fishmen on their side, and if Neptune were to see reason, they could continue their cooperation. If he refused, it would mean he was breaking his word, and replacing the king would be no big deal for them.
In the end, things would still lean in their favor.
However, since Sharkstar came to plead in person, there was room for negotiation. If they submitted, they wouldn't mind letting the Ryugu Kingdom continue its lineage. To Sagel, as a vassal, who the king was didn't matter much, whether it was Neptune or Sharkstar.
Sharkstar could handle the internal affairs of the Fishmen. Sagel didn't care about the specifics; he only cared about the results. As long as the matter didn't escalate to him, anything could be resolved. But if it did, it would be a different story.
With a vast territory and numerous races, strange things were bound to happen. While each individual seemed significant, in such a vast domain, they were quite insignificant.
Although Sagel didn't involve himself in the details of management, it didn't mean he was unaware. Lily, in particular, was meticulous about everything.
For instance, the Fishmen's desire to become vassals reaching him indicated a significant number. A decision needed to be made, and Sharkstar's presence had the same effect.
If it came to that, even if Lily didn't act, Sagel would do it himself.
Ha.
Peasants planning a rebellion?
...
Three days later.
A slightly stirring melody played in Sagel's chambers, with Lily standing nearby. Two other figures, clearly at odds with each other but both with horns on their heads, were also present.
Fujitora and Lucci.
"Not bad."
Sagel nodded as he listened, "It's quite energizing, with a good sound."
"It's called 'Against the Light,' Uta's new song. I heard it will be performed at the concert", Lily said from the side.
"Hmm."
Sagel turned to Lucci and Fujitora, "You didn't just bring me a song after three days of investigation, did you?"
Fujitora replied, "Governor, we can confirm that it's in the latter half of the New World, but it's one person, so hiding is quite difficult, especially with the World Government searching publicly, which likely raises suspicion."
"But we can confirm", Lucci added, "that the concert will be held in the former Elegia Kingdom. We know the location, but that's not very helpful."
Knowing the location didn't help much. If they were hiding, they wouldn't release the information. Clearly, they intended to use the concert to achieve their goal, making it a transparent plan.
"Enough."
Sagel smiled, "In the world, only transparent plans are hard to counter. Knowing the location is enough, and it's likely not everyone knows. Big Mom has created the device, Lily. Take the people and go get it. Consider it a break for my subordinates. They can enjoy the festivities, but no need to listen to the music."
It was certain that the opponent was a perfectly matched, or even surpassing, heavyweight Power Holder, possibly even awakened. Since the concert was broadcast worldwide, anyone with a Den Den Mushi who received the information and connected could hear it.
They had already gathered intelligence on the Singing-Singing Fruit. Uta's bold move indicated she intended to involve the entire world in something.
A world-affecting ability.
"A talented genius, indeed. Let's see what happens. Totto Land, and... Red-Haired!"
Sagel chuckled, "Your daughter is in trouble. Let's see if you come. This way, I don't have to force you to Alabasta; we can settle it here. A destroyed kingdom and a destroyed you, quite fitting, don't you think?"
He wouldn't stoop to using someone's daughter to force their hand, but if the father came, that was a different story.
Sagel wouldn't let this opportunity slip.
(End of Chapter)
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