Sitting in Ryugu Palace, Diarmuid was playing with a fist-sized black pearl, marveling at it. Next to him, King Neptune and Queen Otohime sat by his side, while Jinbe, showing no loyalty at all, stood far away, completely disregarding the king's safety.
"A pearl the size of a fist…" Diarmuid mused.
King Neptune smiled, thinking, This guy is so provincial. We have a ton of these on Fish-Man Island. It's only you humans on the surface who would treat this like a treasure.
"If you like it, Admiral, Ryugu Palace can give you a whole box to take back," Neptune said with a laugh.
"A box?" Diarmuid was stunned. In all his years as a Marine Admiral, or rather, as a high-ranking Marine, it was the first time someone had given him a gift. Does this count as bribery?
After looking at the large pearl again, Diarmuid nodded seriously. "Then I thank you, King Neptune." He paused for a moment and then asked, "Is this kind of treasure common on Fish-Man Island?"
Neptune's face changed slightly. How am I supposed to answer that? If I say it's common, I'll seem cheap. But if I say it's valuable, what will I do when our relationship improves and you find out the truth later? How will I save face?
Queen Otohime, on the other hand, smiled and said, "There are many such pearls, but one this big is still rare. Our Fish-Man Island is different from the surface world. Something that might be worthless on the surface could be incredibly precious here, and something common here might be very valuable on the surface..."
Diarmuid's eyes lit up at her words. He had never paid attention to these things before. Now that he thought about it, how much money could be made if he could open up trade with Fish-Man Island? That fist-sized pearl in his hand would be fought over by nobles on the surface. But the Marines couldn't do this kind of thing themselves; in the end, they would have to rely on the Seven Warlords of the Sea.
Thinking about this, Diarmuid's gaze fell on Jinbe in the distance again. If this plan succeeded, Jinbe would join the Marines, secretly become a Warlord, and then, as a Warlord, he could start these kinds of businesses just like Smoker… Wouldn't this open up another path for the Marines to make a fortune?
As the Admiral currently in charge of the Marines' economy and development, Diarmuid was thrilled. His gaze toward Jinbe became more intense. This isn't a "blue fat guy"; this is a bag of Berries for the Marines!
Jinbe, in the distance, noticed Diarmuid's gaze and felt a shiver down his spine. Why is this guy's look so perverted? I'm standing so far away, and he's still staring at me? His vigilance toward Diarmuid grew.
However, Diarmuid quickly averted his gaze, toying with the black pearl. After a few more minutes of small talk, he brought up the main topic.
"For many years, we Marines have been dedicated to improving the relationship between Fish-Man Island and the surface world. So when we heard of Queen Otohime's aspirations, we quickly showed our goodwill. You two may have already heard that our Fleet Admiral Kong and Admiral Sengoku proposed freeing the imprisoned Fish-Man Island citizens in Mariejois. However, I regret to say that the proposal was rejected by Mariejois..." Diarmuid said.
Neptune's eyes flashed with anger. "This is exactly why our Fish-Man Island can't get along with the World Government. Even after being a member for over two hundred years and paying the heavenly tribute on time every year, the World Government still considers our island a backwater. They don't have any regard for my people and capture them as slaves. It's shameless! They themselves made a law to abolish slavery, yet they are the ones trampling it!"
Diarmuid nodded in agreement. "We Marines also despise this. However, we can't provide much effective help. We were even reprimanded by the World Government. Still, before I came to Fish-Man Island, I personally wiped out the slave trade on the Sabaody Archipelago. We Marines will also strengthen our control over related matters on the archipelago to minimize these evil incidents."
Hearing about the Marines' struggles, Neptune felt a sense of camaraderie. "In any case, thank you, Admiral."
"It's nothing. In fact, I came here with a purpose," Diarmuid said.
Neptune wasn't surprised. It was impossible for an Admiral to visit for no reason. "Please, Admiral, speak," Neptune said softly.
"It's like this: Although we cannot change the World Government's attitude toward Fish-Man Island for now, we Marines hope to strengthen our relationship and communication. Perhaps in the future, we can use this as a breakthrough to fulfill Fish-Man Island's long-held wishes and Queen Otohime's dream of letting the people of the surface and the sea live in harmony," Diarmuid said.
Neptune didn't take him seriously; he had no expectations for this. But Queen Otohime was very happy. "Admiral, do you have a good idea?"
"Yes. This gap in understanding is actually caused by a lack of mutual understanding. This unknown breeds fear and rumors. I hope to increase the activity of Fish-Man Island on the surface to slowly re-educate the world about Fish-Man Island," Diarmuid said.
Queen Otohime nodded in agreement but then said with a hint of sadness, "But it's very dangerous for our people to travel on the sea. How can we increase their activity?"
"That's why I'm here. After some discussion at Headquarters, we feel it would be very beneficial if we could recruit some Marine soldiers from Fish-Man Island. With the protection of our Marine identity, no one would dare to capture a Marine to be a slave. If that ever happened, I, Diarmuid, would be the first to object!" Diarmuid said.
"Recruit Marines?" Neptune was taken aback. "If I remember correctly, there was a similar policy a long time ago, before you even joined the Marines. But in the end, it didn't improve our relationship; instead, it led to a Marine rebellion, further severing our ties... Is this really a good idea?"
Diarmuid nodded. "I heard about that from Fleet Admiral Kong. However, that was a large-scale recruitment of Fish-Man citizens, and it was hindered by…"
"The coarseness and aggression of the Fish-Man race. We know this, so you don't have to worry about our feelings," Neptune said. Even Jinbe in the distance had no objections. It was true that most of their kind were like that. It was rare to find a gentle one like him.
"Yes, because of those reasons, it resulted in a bad outcome. We Marines have learned our lesson. This time, we don't plan to recruit on a large scale. Instead, we hope to establish some role models. King Neptune, Queen Otohime, don't you think it would be very beneficial for both of us if there were a Fish-Man Rear Admiral or even a Vice Admiral at Marine Headquarters?" Diarmuid said.
Neptune was silent for a while, but Queen Otohime quickly asked, "Admiral, are you suggesting we only recruit a few elite individuals?"
"Exactly. I think that guard over there would be perfect. He looks strong and capable. He's a Fish-Man, but he doesn't seem coarse or aggressive at all. I assume he's one of the few gentle-hearted Fish-Men, right?" Diarmuid said, pointing at Jinbe.
Neptune laughed heartily and nodded. "Jinbe, you say? He is indeed one of the few wise people among the Fish-Men. He is neither coarse nor aggressive and has my deep trust. He is the captain of the guards at Ryugu Palace, but I have long considered him a good friend."
Diarmuid already knew all this, but he feigned surprise. "Is that guard named Jinbe? You trust him a lot, Your Majesty? That's even better. If we can choose someone you trust so deeply to join the Marines, won't that build a bridge between the Marines and Fish-Man Island? You can use Jinbe to find out whether we Marines are truly sincere toward Fish-Man Island, and we will focus on nurturing Jinbe to make him a role model. What do you think, Your Majesty?"
Neptune was still a bit confused, but Queen Otohime spoke excitedly. "I think it's a great idea! If we can use Jinbe as a link to bring us closer to the Marines, it would be a wonderful thing for Fish-Man Island."
Neptune also thought it was a good idea. Although he didn't trust humans much, he trusted Jinbe completely. At the same time, even if he disdained the surface world, he had a great reverence for the powerful Marines. It would definitely be beneficial for Fish-Man Island to improve its relationship with the Marines and even gain their protection. Furthermore, if Jinbe could truly become a core member of the Marines and gain influence, the benefits would be even greater!
With that in mind, he looked at Jinbe and asked, "Jinbe, what do you think?"
"I think it's a terrible idea!" Jinbe screamed in his heart, but he didn't dare say it aloud. I knew this Marine Admiral's look was off. He's probably trying to trick me into going back to the surface with him so he can have his way with me!
But what Diarmuid was saying did make some sense. If… if they were to follow this plan, it could indeed greatly help Fish-Man Island. So Jinbe was conflicted because he loved Fish-Man Island just as much. Thinking about this, Jinbe glanced at Diarmuid, who was still giving him that "friendly smile," and his heart sank. He gritted his teeth and said, "I'll follow your orders, Your Majesty."
If sacrificing myself can bring a chance for change to Fish-Man Island, then so be it! Let the storm come. I can take it!
Neptune hesitated for a moment, then said softly, "How about… we give it a try?" After all, there wasn't much to lose, and it didn't sound very risky. It wasn't like a dignified Admiral would travel all the way to Fish-Man Island just to kidnap Jinbe, right? That would be crazy.
Diarmuid hadn't expected the matter to be resolved so easily. He thought that with such a deep-seated animosity, it would take a lot of arguing. His eyes lit up. "Please, King Neptune, don't worry. Since I am the one recruiting Jinbe into the Marines, he is now my man. I will make sure to take good care of him and train him well so that he can become a pillar of both Fish-Man Island and the Marines!"
Jinbe didn't notice anything else; he only heard the phrase "my man." His heart grew even heavier. Sure enough, that guy has ulterior motives!
Seeing that Diarmuid had said as much, Neptune nodded. "Alright, it's settled then. Let Jinbe join the Marines and see how it goes. After this, I will also select some gentle-hearted Fish-Man warriors to accept the Marine's recruitment."
"Hahaha, then I thank you, Your Majesty! And I hope the relationship between our Marines and Fish-Man Island will only get better from here on!" Diarmuid said with a big laugh.
Everyone seemed happy, except for Jinbe, who was in a foul mood. He felt like he was doomed. But again, he was willing to sacrifice for Fish-Man Island. At this point, he wasn't a pirate; as the captain of the Ryugu Palace guards, he was a man of justice. There was nothing wrong with joining the Marines of justice, was there?
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