Chapter 198 Apoo, Alliance
Brett could hear it again— The King's heart sank.
He probably thought Tesoro's request was just an add-on, while his own request was the main point, right?
"Likewise, no need to worry, King Roady."
Brett also spoke with a smile. "Though my request might be somewhat presumptuous, if you find it unsuitable, I certainly won't force it."
"Is that so?"
The Longarm king breathed another sigh of relief. This Deep Sea Emperor from Fish-Man Island seemed more reasonable than he'd imagined.
"Let's save any matters for discussion until the banquet later."
At this moment, a minister standing respectfully to the side said with a beaming smile, "We've prepared a grand banquet in the royal palace as a welcome feast for you two lords!"
"Really?"
Tesoro looked easygoing as he laughed heartily. "How honored we are! Please lead the way then!"
So Brett and Tesoro boarded the prepared carriage and headed toward this country's royal palace.
Not long after they left, an excited fellow arrived at the scene.
"What? They're already gone?"
The newcomer had a large braid, and when he grinned, his teeth showed like piano keys in alternating black and white. He looked disappointed. "I was finally going to see what level this so-called Deep Sea Emperor is at!"
"Hey."
He casually grabbed a man at the dock. "Where did those two guys, fish-man Brett and the Golden Emperor, go?"
"The King took them to the palace for a banquet," the man replied fearfully. "Ask a few more people and you'll know I'm not lying, Apoo!"
"The palace?"
The man named Apoo released his grip and muttered to himself, "That makes it hard to make a move."
"Guess I'll wait and see! Abababababa, I won't miss an opportunity like this!"
Brett naturally had no idea what happened at the port after they left. He and Tesoro sat in the carriage, listening to the king introduce his country.
This country's social development was roughly on par with Wano Country, perhaps because this country was similarly closed off.
Both sides of the streets were lined with wooden houses that looked quite quaint and traditional.
However, unlike Wano Country, most residents on the streets had rosy complexions, showing they lived fairly well.
This country's palace was located in the city center—a magnificent palace surrounded by high walls.
Though not particularly tall or grand, the brackets and flying eaves displayed extraordinary beauty.
Passing through the palace walls, they entered the palace interior.
The internal structure was quite complex, but fortunately The King personally led the way, so there was no worry about getting lost.
The banquet was held in one of the palace halls, using individual place settings. Many officials were already waiting there.
Brett and Tesoro's seats were arranged at the top, alongside the king.
After everyone was seated, the capable minister stood up and announced loudly with apparent joy, "Let's welcome our two distinguished guests who've traveled far, colleagues!"
Thunderous applause erupted in the palace hall.
Everyone clapped desperately, as if they wanted to break their own hands.
They were probably all afraid that not showing enough enthusiasm might lead to unpleasant consequences.
Had he really become this frightening?
Brett reflected internally.
Before he knew it, he had become a legendary figure spoken of throughout the seas.
After the enthusiastic applause, the minister cheerfully announced, "Now let's serve the food—don't keep our honored guests waiting!"
So the food was served.
Dish after mouth-watering dish was brought to the tables by servants. Brett sniffed slightly—the aroma was quite good.
"Please enjoy yourselves to the fullest, my lords."
The minister said proudly. "We're confident about our cuisine."
Tesoro picked up his chopsticks but smiled as he said, "Perfect timing—we can discuss business as entertainment during the banquet."
The King, sitting in the main seat, licked his lips, then said solemnly, "Of course that's fine. So Lord Tesoro, shall we discuss the talent show first?"
"No."
Tesoro waved his hand. "My matters are trivial. Let's discuss Brett's business first."
Business?
The King's heart became anxious again. He looked tentatively at Brett. "So Lord Brett, is there anything I can help you with?"
"Not help—cooperation."
Brett answered thus.
Cooperation?
In that instant, all the Longarm tribe members attending the banquet felt puzzled.
What could we Longarms possibly cooperate with you on?
Brett knew exactly what they were thinking. "King Roady, you should know what kind of situation Fish-Man Island faced throughout the long years of the past, right?"
The King was startled, then nodded gently. "Of course."
Though he didn't know why Brett was suddenly bringing this up, he could answer this question, after all—
"You probably empathize somewhat."
Brett said. "Rejected by the human world, treated as abnormal. At least you're considered a human subspecies, while we were long regarded as fish."
King Roady fell silent.
He couldn't respond to this—he couldn't deny it, but agreeing didn't seem right either.
"In fact, it's quite normal for minority groups to face rejection and discrimination in this world. After all, what's considered 'normal' is defined by the humans who hold the power of discourse."
Brett continued. "Presumably, the Longarm tribe became so closed off for these very reasons."
King Roady pressed his lips together, then sighed. "Our ancestors didn't want their children to be seen as monsters by humans."
Though their appearance differed little from humans—just having an extra section of arm bone—obviously integrating into the human world wasn't easy.
"So I had an idea."
Brett said. "Since we minority groups all face rejection in this world, why don't we unite?"
"Unite?" King Roady stared wide-eyed.
He'd heard something he'd never imagined.
"Fish-men and mermaids, you Longarms, plus the Longlegs, Snakenecks, Minks, even the giants—if we all unite, the entire world couldn't ignore our voice."
Brett's voice was passionate and stirring.
Of course, he couldn't start by saying "let's fight the World Government together," even though these countries were uniformly non-member nations of the government.
Brett's plan was to build good relations first, create an alliance, then gradually make his allies recognize the World Government's threat, leading them to voluntarily join the struggle against the government.
"Unite? Is such a thing really possible?"
He couldn't help but imagine—if such an alliance really existed, who in the world would dare look down on them?
"If it were anyone else, of course not, but this guy can do it!"
Tesoro laughed heartily. "Brett is the emperor who rules the deep sea! He possesses unmatched power!"
King Roady was stunned.
Right—this man, fish-man Brett, was an emperor comparable to monsters like the Beasts, Big Mom, and Whitebeard!
What seemed unimaginable to him might not be impossible for Brett!
"Moreover," Tesoro's smile didn't fade, "even if the grand alliance fails, just having the Longarm tribe allied with Fish-Man Island wouldn't be a loss. Getting allies like the prosperous and powerful Fish-Man Island and the incredibly strong Brett—isn't that a huge profit?"
"..."
It really was like that, wasn't it?
There seemed to be no reason to refuse at all!
So—
King Roady's eyes lit up. "Lord Brett, I'm very interested in your proposal. Could you please explain in detail?"
Brett's mouth curved upward.
Wasn't this going quite smoothly?
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