Chapter 246: Fish-Man Island, the Revolutionary Army
Louis sat on the sofa, his gaze fixed on the young girl sitting before the piano, her ten pale-white fingers flying across the keys, playing a beautiful melody.
"You're saying Fukaboshi wants to bring Shirahoshi and some guards to Terra to see?"
Although Louis had known for several years that Shirahoshi wanted to come to Terra, hearing it again, he still felt a little puzzled. It was one thing for Fukaboshi, who had become the king of the Ryugu Kingdom, to uncharacteristically agree to let her leave Fish-Man Island. But for him to also plan to join the trip himself... that was a bit hard to believe.
In front of him, Uta, while closing her eyes and playing the clear notes, shared some of the information she knew. "Shirahoshi told me that although her brother Fukaboshi is young, he is quite brave and decisive. He's dispatched a group of people he trusts to repair a ship that's almost half the size of Fish-Man Island. She said that he hopes to come here and talk to you about something."
In fact, when Uta had heard from Shirahoshi that there was a ship half the size of Fish-Man Island hidden away, she, too, had been silent for a long time. It was said that that ship was called the Ark of Promise, or the ship that had not yet fulfilled its mission. In the Ryugu Kingdom's royal family, there had always been a prohibition against touching or damaging it. And even though Fukaboshi had already become king, he had still faced considerable pressure when he had decided to repair the ship.
"A ship half the size of Fish-Man Island?" Louis lowered his head, falling into thought. Soon, he had found the origin of this ship from the depths of his memory.
"Noah."
It was a super-giant ship built eight hundred years ago as part of a promise between Joy Boy and the Mermaid Princess to move the people of Fish-Man Island to the surface. But later, Joy Boy was defeated for an unknown reason, and the Mermaid Princess was unable to lead her people onto the Noah to settle on land. And it was because of this that the Noah, which was supposed to carry the merfolk and fish-men to the surface, had never had the chance to fulfill its mission, and had been sleeping in the cold, deep sea for eight hundred years.
After recalling the information about Noah, a flash of understanding crossed Louis's eyes. He had a faint guess as to what Fukaboshi wanted to talk to him about.
"To let the merfolk and fish-men leave the deep sea and live under the sun."
"Does Fukaboshi hope to have them move to Terra to live, but is also worried about his and humanity's special views? Is that why he's coming here himself, to confirm my and humanity's views?"
While Louis was thinking, Uta also stopped playing and slowly opened her eyes. She turned around, and after a stretch, she came directly to Louis's side and sat down, asking nonchalantly, "Louis, what are you planning to do?"
"Just have them bring them over." To this, Louis gave a very direct answer.
Fish-men, who were naturally born with ten times the arm strength of humans and could swim freely in the sea, had a considerable advantage in this world. Not only that, but Shirahoshi, as this generation's Poseidon, was also the king of all the Sea Kings in the world. Gaining her support was equivalent to gaining control over the sea.
Imagine this: as long as Louis had her control all the Sea Kings to blockade the sea, then the member nations of the World Government would become isolated islands. The transport of goods and most of their military forces would become a problem.
It was true that the powerhouses of the sea could kill most Sea Kings like they were dogs. But even all the people in the world who could fight them, when added together, would not even be a fraction of their number.
And now that Shirahoshi was coming to join Terra with the fish-man race, Louis would have to be out of his mind to refuse.
As for whether the residents of Terra would discriminate against fish-men and merfolk, Louis felt they would not. After all, he, the master of this land, was of a special race himself, and he had never seen anyone dare to discriminate against him. And Terra was also very large. Even today, with many citizens pouring in every day, ninety percent of the land was a wilderness teeming with dangerous species, more than enough to accommodate five million fish-men.
Louis's words did not surprise Uta at all. Because she was not someone who was slow to pick up on special information. She could also see what Fukaboshi wanted to do from Shirahoshi's words and her descriptions, and she also knew that Louis would not easily miss the power that Shirahoshi herself possessed.
"So, who are you going to send to bring them back safely?" Uta asked with a grin, looking at him.
To this, after some thought, Louis gave his answer. "Let Yelena go."
If it were just Fukaboshi coming to Terra with his guards, Louis might have just sent Daz Bonez and Baby-5. But with the matter concerning the Ancient Weapon Poseidon, Louis could only deploy Yelena to prevent any accidents on the way. She was the strongest person on Terra, second only to him. And she was one of the few powerhouses in the world who was not afraid of fighting at sea. It was most appropriate to have her go and bring Shirahoshi and Fukaboshi back.
Furthermore, Louis also planned to dispatch the Natural Water, which had been lurking in the seas near Terra, to go with them. In this way, it would form a double insurance. Even if they encountered an unsolvable danger, the Natural Water could take Shirahoshi and leave the dangerous area.
"..."
A few hours later, after finalizing the escort personnel, Louis dialed Yelena's Den Den Mushi. Not long after, she, with a dozen or so people, boarded the living Island Cloud and disappeared into the clouds and mist. At the same time, a formless mass of seawater began to move. Under the surface of the sea, it followed behind them.
On a certain island in the New World.
Kuma put on his brown gloves, covering the paw pads in his palms, and held a book with "BIBLE" written on the cover in one hand.
Opposite him was the former commander of the Sanbao Navy, Jin Wu. At this moment, after hearing about Kuma's childhood and youth, his heart was in great torment.
After a moment of silence, Jin Wu let out a sigh of remorse. "Your and Clapp's tragic experiences... were all caused by me."
He believed that if Clapp had not gone missing back then, then he would now be quietly training in the Flower Country, and Kuma would have grown up with the company of his clansmen and family.
However, even in the face of Jin Wu, Kuma was still remarkably gentle, without the slightest hint of reproach. "Don't blame yourself too much, Senior Jin Wu. My father and I would not blame you— On the contrary, I am happy to be able to meet my father's kinsmen and friends again. Our family's miserable life was not caused by you, but by the Celestial Dragons and the World Government."
Perhaps it was from meeting his father's good friend, and the fact that Bonney's illness was about to take a turn for the better, that when facing Jin Wu, a sunny smile from the bottom of his heart appeared on his large, square face.
This scene made Jin Wu freeze on the spot. By the time he came back to his senses and wanted to say something more, the Den Den Mushi on Kuma's body suddenly rang with its iconic ringtone.
Brrring~ Brrring~ Brrring~Click— Kuma took it out, answered it, and said in a low voice, "It's me."
The second his voice fell, a charismatic male voice came from the Den Den Mushi. "Kuma? You haven't contacted us on your own for a long time. I'm sorry, we were just in a meeting and didn't answer your call."
At the same time, in a conference room on a mysterious island in the New World, the various men and women who heard Kuma's voice instantly became excited. But because he was on the phone with their leader, they could only suppress their excitement and listen quietly.
In the center of the crowd, Monkey D. Dragon, wearing a deep green cloak, with a head of long, loose black hair and a tattoo like a slipper print on his face, ignored the others. A hint of gravity flashed in his eyes as he posed a question to Kuma. "Kuma, how is Bonney's condition?"
Hearing this, Kuma's face once again showed a gentle smile. "She is currently on Terra. The Archangel said that there are at least three people there who can treat her disease."
Hearing this news, Dragon's serious face couldn't help but show a smile of relief. "Is that so? The person we met in the East Blue back then must have been the Archangel. As expected, he didn't hold a grudge over that conflict."
Soon, Dragon looked at the Den Den Mushi in his hand and asked in a deep voice, "You must have something important to talk to me about, right, Kuma?"
And Kuma heard him and, taking the opportunity, told him about his conversation with the Archangel. "Archangel Louis has agreed to treat Bonney, but the price is the head of a member of the God's Knights."
Then, he also told him about how Katakuri had brought a head to Terra and had asked the Archangel to take care of his weaker siblings.
"To use the life of a member of the God's Knights as an exchange to treat Bonney?" Dragon heard him, and realizing that the matter concerned the God's Knights, his expression once again became serious.
Kuma looked at the expression of the Dragon on the other end of the Den Den Mushi and, through his high understanding of him, soon knew what he was thinking. Thus, the next moment, Kuma directly stated his purpose. "Dragon, I hope to receive the intelligence assistance of the Revolutionary Army. I need to confirm... if there are still any traces of the God's Knights' members on the sea after the fall of the Charlotte Family."
Kuma, who lacked effective intelligence, understood that with just the two of them, it was simply impossible to obtain the traces of the elusive God's Knights. To get intelligence on that group, he had to rely on the help of a large organization. And the Revolutionary Army, with which he had countless ties, was a rare large organization. If they activated their intelligence network, it was possible to obtain intelligence on the God's Knights.
In the conference room on the other end of the Den Den Mushi, the several young men and women who heard Kuma's words were a little confused.
"The God's Knights—"
"What is that?" a young girl with short orange hair asked, her arms crossed, her head tilted.
Beside her, a young man with a top hat and a water pipe on his back heard her and frowned. "The God's Knights... I seem to have heard Mr. Dragon mention them. They are a group of powerhouses composed of Celestial Dragons. It is said that most of them are very powerful Paramecia and Mythical Zoan users."
The conversation of the several people did not affect the conversation between Dragon and Kuma. Dragon did not hesitate, but very decisively agreed to Kuma's request.
"The whereabouts of the God's Knights? I understand. The intelligence personnel of the Revolutionary Army will do their utmost to find them."
"Thank you very much, Dragon," the Den Den Mushi said, mimicking Kuma on the other side.
Kuma faced the sea, his gaze falling on the churning waves at the horizon. "Are the members of the Revolutionary Army all well?" he asked in a deep voice.
Hearing this, the corners of Dragon's mouth turned up slightly in a faint smile. "They are all well. Sabo and Koala... they have become very strong. Especially Sabo. He has gradually grown into a qualified revolutionary. In a few years, I plan to make him the Chief of Staff of the Revolutionary Army."
As Dragon's voice fell, the image of the little yellow-haired brat holding a steel pipe couldn't help but flash in Kuma's mind. "Has Sabo also become able to stand on his own two feet?"
Hearing this, Dragon didn't say much more, but casually tossed the Den Den Mushi to Sabo, who was looking at it with longing eyes not far away.
Sabo saw this, caught the Den Den Mushi, and sat down directly on a wooden crate of supplies, a sunny smile on his face. "Long time no see, Uncle Kuma! After Bonney's illness is cured, will you come back to the Revolutionary Army?!"
As he spoke, the several people around him all showed extremely expectant expressions. And Koala, with her short orange hair, sat directly beside him and asked in a tone filled with a hint of anticipation, "Uncle Kuma will definitely come back to the Revolutionary Army, right!"
However, Kuma smiled and gave an answer that was a little disappointing to them. "I'm sorry, Sabo, Koala. After I accomplish my goal this time, I don't plan to appear on the sea anymore. I plan to find a place to build a church after Bonney's illness is cured, and then quietly accompany her as she grows up."
The group heard this, and their expressions froze on their faces. They all expressed their incomprehension.
Unlike the others, Dragon, who had already sat down in his seat, picked up another Den Den Mushi and dialed an intelligence officer. His face showed no surprise, as if he had long known what Kuma would decide.
Soon, although the group was reluctant, they ultimately respected his decision. Sabo reached up and straightened his top hat, and then said in a very confident tone, "In that case, then Uncle Kuma, just wait in the church for the news of us overthrowing the World Government!"
Kuma heard him and smiled again. "I will be waiting for that day—"
"..."
After a long while, the connection between the Den Den Mushis was cut. And Dragon, who had just issued a new directive to the intelligence department, slowly stood up, his entire being exuding a terrifying aura that was somewhat unfamiliar to the young people.
He looked around at the group, his sharp gaze sweeping over each of their faces. A deep voice echoed in the conference room. "If we get news of a member of the God's Knights, we will immediately take action. Kuma and Ginny are one of us. We cannot stand by and do nothing about Bonney's matter!"
❃❃❃
⤑ Show your support with Power Stones!
⤑ Unlock a Bonus Chapter every time we hit 400 Power Stones!
❃❃❃
♕ Get early access to 30+ advanced chapters on Patreon!
🔗 https://www.pat-reon.co-m/c/Hollowborn
(Just remove the hyphen (-) to open the link!)
💬 Enjoying the story? Drop a review!
Your support really helps the series grow—thank you!