Chapter 265: Shirahoshi, the Fifth Division, and Akainu
Half a month later, the matter of the fish-men and merfolk moving into Atlantis came to an end.
The five million citizens of Atlantis, under the call and leadership of Fukaboshi, began a vigorous transformation. After arriving on this ever-expanding continent, the entire populace of Atlantis had fulfilled a long-cherished wish spanning eight hundred years, and they erupted with astonishing enthusiasm.
In just half a month, Atlantis, which had originally been just an empty shell, had already been transformed into a vibrant city full of romantic atmosphere.
Because roads to the human towns had already been paved at the very beginning of the city's construction, and Louis had not designated Atlantis as a restricted area like the castle or the few branches on the Treasure Tree Adam, many humans, driven by curiosity, had also come to this city during this period to experience the unfamiliar, exotic culture.
As a result, many human faces had appeared in Atlantis. Humans had also formally begun their first large-scale contact with the fish-men, a race that had lived in the deep sea for hundreds of years. Although the fish-men were somewhat uneasy about this contact due to their historical pain and fear of enslavement, thanks to the good environment, they ultimately did not refuse. While maintaining their vigilance, they warmly received the curious human visitors.
And the Ark of Promise, Noah, which had carried the fish-men to Terra, after completing its 800-year-long mission, now lay by the lakeside like a mountain range.
At the edge of Noah's deck, Louis and Uta sat side-by-side on a pair of soft, white hands, gazing at the endlessly vibrant Atlantis.
"With this, the fish-men are now a part of Terra, and have officially entered the sight of the surface world's populace."
"Yes! And it's all thanks to you, Lord Louis!" Hearing this, Shirahoshi, who was holding Louis and Uta in her palms, couldn't help but lift her hands in front of her, a moving smile blossoming on her face.
On the deck nearby, Fukaboshi, wearing a black suit and his blue hair tied up, nodded in full agreement. "That's right. If it weren't for Lord Louis, we don't know how many years it would have taken to achieve this."
Fukaboshi's gaze swept over the distant, dense forest and the sky-blotting Treasure Tree Adam, finally landing on the bustling, giant plaza below. A trace of memory flashed in his eyes.
"Mother, your wish has finally been fulfilled."
"If only you could see this day..."
"..."
"I heard that you also put in a lot of effort, Shirahoshi. I can't take all the credit," Louis said, turning to meet her beautiful face, which was filled with a moving smile.
Louis expressed that if it weren't for Fukaboshi's extremely decisive decision, his year-long preparations, his firm determination, and Shirahoshi's multiple appeals in the Fish-Man Island plaza that had convinced the citizens to agree to the migration, he would not have been able to accomplish all this.
However, Shirahoshi shook her head, a hint of seriousness in her large, watery eyes. "The most crucial part of all this was you, Lord Louis. Without your help, we could never have done any of this."
"Perhaps." Even though she said so, Louis didn't pay it much mind.
"By the way, Shirahoshi." Louis once again met her face, which still looked a little timid.
Hearing this, Shirahoshi once again brought her face closer and replied, blinking her large eyes, "Yes, Lord Louis?"
Louis's gaze followed the wide river into the distance. "Those 'things' that brought the Noah over," he said pointedly, "try to have them hide a little better. They're too conspicuous."
Ever since those super-giant Sea Kings had brought the Noah to Terra, they had never left, perhaps to guard Shirahoshi, and had been constantly wandering around Terra. Over the past half a month, they had even entered this lake through the river more than once, giving the merfolk and fish-men in the water quite a scare. In the end, after seeing Shirahoshi, the Sea Kings had turned and left, leaving a beach full of startled merfolk.
Their behavior was too high-profile, to the point that Louis had to ask Shirahoshi to order them to be a little more restrained.
After hearing this, Shirahoshi nodded vigorously and readily agreed. "Yes, Lord Louis! I understand!"
Then, she slowly bent down and gently placed the hands holding Louis and Uta on the deck, as if to immediately carry out his instructions. Just as her hands were about to touch the deck, Louis stood up and landed steadily. But Uta looked up at Shirahoshi's large, watery eyes and did not leave her palm.
"Lady Uta?" Shirahoshi tilted her head, a hint of confusion in her eyes.
Facing her confusion, Uta slowly stood up, stretched, and said nonchalantly, "Are you going to the shore, Shirahoshi? I'll go with you! After all, it's hard for people to rest easy if you're moving around alone!"
Although there were no human traffickers on Terra, the wilderness was a very dangerous place. Hajrudin would occasionally enter the Calm Belt to move islands, which meant he would inevitably bring back dangerous species. Among them, there were more than a double-digit number of beast packs that could eat pirates with bounties over 100 million for a snack. Although they wouldn't appear near the towns for various reasons, that didn't mean they would ignore a snack delivered to their door.
Therefore, Uta decided to go out with Shirahoshi.
Hearing this, Shirahoshi was taken aback, then nodded with a joyful face. "Okay!"
Soon, she once again lifted Uta and turned to leave the Noah's deck. Nearby, Fukaboshi also breathed a sigh of relief and then took out a Den Den Mushi, asking the guards to prepare a boat for them.
After a long time, the small boat carrying the two left the port, headed for the center of the lake, and gradually disappeared from sight.
After Shirahoshi had left, Fukaboshi looked toward the horizon, his tone gradually becoming solemn. "Lord Louis, I've heard that there are several divisions on Terra, each with different characteristics, but all equally powerful."
"That's right." Louis turned his head thoughtfully, looking at Fukaboshi, who was subconsciously gripping his trident. "What? Do you have some special idea?"
Louis watched his expression and subtle movements, and already roughly understood what he wanted to say.
Sure enough, after taking a deep breath, his eyes became incomparably serious, his tone resolute. "Lord Louis, can our fish-man guards also join and form a division? Although our fish-men lack top-tier fighting power, our arm strength is ten times that of a normal human, and we excel at naval warfare. I believe we can also play a significant role."
Fukaboshi knew very well that the fish-man race had to join Terra's military. To simply place them in a protected position would inevitably cause others to feel dissatisfied. Therefore, he had taken this opportunity to propose this to Louis.
Louis heard him and thought, Just as I expected. After a brief thought, he readily agreed. "You can. From now on, you will be responsible for scouting the seas around Terra, and during naval battles in future wars, you will be responsible for piercing the enemy's ships. In addition, the order of Atlantis will also be maintained by you," he said in a deep voice, arranging their future work.
Although Louis believed that the role the entire fish-man race could play at a critical moment was not even one-tenth of Shirahoshi's, since Fukaboshi had proposed to join the armed forces, he had no reason to refuse. Even a mosquito's leg is still meat. At least he wouldn't have to worry about the security around Atlantis.
"In the future, the fish-man race will do its utmost to complete your every mission, Lord Louis," Fukaboshi replied.
Louis pondered for a moment and then added, "Currently, Terra has a total of four divisions. The fourth and fifth are still vacant. Which one do you want?"
In the battle for supremacy several years ago, the three races—Lunarians, Giants, and Buccaneers—had vied for the title of "First." The Lunarians, being Louis's own race, had put up the most impressive record and had taken the title. The Buccaneer warriors, having not gotten first, and knowing that their actual combat strength could not compare to the giants, who had Hajrudin, Gerd, and the others, had casually chosen the title of "Sixth." It was their casual choice that had resulted in three empty serial numbers before them.
Until not long ago, the "Third" slot had been taken by the Flügel that Louis had created. Now, only the fourth and fifth remained vacant.
Fukaboshi had clearly done his research on this. He gave his answer decisively. "The Fifth Division."
"Alright. From now on, the Fifth Division is yours, Fukaboshi." Louis patted his shoulder.
However, Fukaboshi, to Louis's surprise, shook his head. "No, Lord Louis. I intend to let Shirahoshi be the true leader of the Fifth Division."
"Shirahoshi?" Louis was surprised and subconsciously raised an eyebrow. "Her personality is not suited for combat!"
Fukaboshi heard him, and a hint of worry flashed in his eyes. His voice became a little heavy. "But she wields a terrifying power. She must have a clear understanding of combat, or rather, of the power she wields."
"She's only eleven," Louis couldn't help but remind him.
Fukaboshi nodded. "I am naturally aware of that. But given Terra's development speed, and your speed of becoming stronger, Lord Louis, the World Government will not wait until she is an adult to make a move. That is why I am having her take on the responsibility of the Fifth Division's commander. Until she can independently judge and analyze the situation, I will be by her side to guide her."
On the deck of the Noah, Fukaboshi looked in the direction Shirahoshi had disappeared and said this.
"..."
"Is that so?" Louis became thoughtful. He then said no more. "In that case, then I'll leave it to you."
Several days later.
In the wilderness deep within Terra, Louis lit a bonfire in front of him, leaned back against the giant dog, and casually placed skewered meat over the fire to roast.
The aroma wafted over, causing the giant dog behind him, which had gained a few sizes, to fix its gaze on the skewers, greedily sniffing the enticing scent. The bonfire illuminated the night sky, casting a golden glow on the Den Den Mushi that was placed on a large rock.
After brushing the last skewer with sauce and placing it at the edge of the fire, Louis said thoughtfully, "You're saying Akainu hasn't shown his face in a long time?"
The Den Den Mushi, illuminated by the fire, began to speak. "That's right. Ever since the Fish-Man Island incident, the heavily wounded Akainu and a few dilapidated warships appeared at the Sabaody Archipelago. But that was the last time he was seen. After that, not even many of the Vice Admirals knew his whereabouts. During this time, the upper echelons of the Marines, Tsuru, Sengoku, and the others, have been heading to Mary Geoise more and more frequently. The Commander-in-Chief, Kong, has also been spotted going in and out of the Five Elders' office many times."
Louis heard this and fell into a brief thought.
"Therefore, I speculate that Akainu has probably been placed under house arrest by the people of the World Government," the man on the other side of the Den Den Mushi said, stating his speculation. "This matter is probably related to the death of Figarland Garling back then."
Louis heard this and raised an eyebrow. As one of the parties involved, he was very clear about what had happened back then. He had used his space ability to transfer Akainu's attack, causing it to pierce through Garling's body. This had interfered with Garling's movements, allowing him to be quickly killed. Although Garling would not have been able to win against him even without Akainu's punch, if he hadn't been interfered with, he might have lasted a lot longer. At least, with the help of the Five Elders and the others who had arrived, it would have been no problem for him to survive.
It was just a pity... there were not so many "ifs" in the world.
But Louis asked with some confusion, "Was that incident witnessed?"
"That's right. It was that CP0 agent named Gernica," the Den Den Mushi said.
"Didn't I do that?" Louis was very puzzled, and was astonished by the World Government's actions. "No matter how you look at it, the fact that Akainu hit Garling was caused by me, right? Has the World Government's brain rotted? To actually make a move against one of their few top-tier fighters?"
To this, the man on the other end was also a little baffled. "I don't know what the Five Elders are thinking, but I'm sure they wouldn't just shoot themselves in the foot. Perhaps it was the Figarland family that strongly demanded Akainu's execution, to the point that the Five Elders had no choice but to put him under house arrest, intending to let the matter cool down. It's impossible for them to really execute him over these things. The God's Knights have been all but wiped out. To kill another Admiral... if they push the Marines too far, it will be of no benefit to the World Government."
Louis heard this and, while thinking, took a skewer from the edge of the fire and casually handed it back. When the giant dog opened its cavernous mouth and ate all the meat, Louis threw the skewer into the fire. After doing all this, he came back from his thoughts and once again realized that something was wrong. "This matter... is probably much more complicated than we imagined. If it were simply a matter of letting it cool down and then releasing him, the reaction of the Marine high command and Kong would not have been so intense."
At the same time, in a dim, silent room, the humanoid albatross, hidden in the dim light, couldn't help but scratch his head. After recalling the movements of the Marine high command and Kong, he also realized that something was wrong. "Indeed. If it were just a matter of letting it cool down, the Marine side should be quite calm."
But after thinking for a long time, he couldn't come up with a relatively reasonable explanation. In the end, the humanoid albatross raised a wing and stroked his giant beak. A strange light flashed in the eyes under his black top hat. "There is definitely a big problem here!"
For a moment, Morgans, who was hiding in the safe house and talking with Louis, embodied his excellent professionalism. An unknown big problem meant... big news.
Realizing that the matter with Akainu could potentially dig up a huge story, he couldn't help but become excited.
Just then, Louis's voice came from the Den Den Mushi in front of him. "This big problem... I'll leave it to you to figure out."
In front of the bonfire, Louis's expression was quite serious, his tone solemn.
"Although it will be quite dangerous to find out what happened... I'll still accept." Morgans opened his beak. "Who can blame me for having no ability to refuse such big news? When I find out what the Five Elders plan to do with Akainu, I'll be the first to tell you!" the confident voice came from the Den Den Mushi on the giant rock.
"But—" Suddenly, Morgans's tone changed, and his entire being instantly became cowardly. "If this matter is exposed and I'm hunted down by the World Government, you have to come and get me!"
"..."
This high-speed change of face made several dark lines appear on Louis's forehead, and he was speechless. He naturally had no intention of refusing. "If you're being hunted, just head straight for Terra. I'll take care of the rest," he readily agreed.
Hearing his promise, Morgans instantly breathed a sigh of relief. "As expected of the man called the greatest enemy by the World Government since its founding. Just one sentence from you has put my mind at ease!"
His words made Louis raise an eyebrow. "Where did that saying come from?"
Louis's words made Morgans start, as if waking from a dream. He subconsciously slapped his forehead. "I forgot. This is the evaluation that the World Government and the Marine high command have of you. It hasn't spread to the seas yet. However, this evaluation, whether it's for your strength or your influence, is very fitting!"
As a journalist, Morgans knew many things. The last person who had been regarded as such a great enemy by the World Government was named Joy Boy. And the current Louis... in his opinion, his strength might be a little weaker than Joy Boy's from eight hundred years ago, but he was the only person after Joy Boy who had the ability to unite so many powerful races.
Now, apart from the Mink tribe, which had become vassals of the Kozuki family, and the extinct Three-Eye Tribe, all the other powerful races had already become his subordinates. He was also the second person in history to be so deeply trusted by the Mermaid Princess, who was willing to offer him her strength. And with his special connection with Louis, he had high hopes for him.
Morgans believed that Louis might not be the person Roger was waiting for, but he was very likely the person who would put an end to the World Government.
"Is that so?" Louis whispered.
After a long while, Morgans stood up from the dim safe house, his gaze and posture once again becoming as his subordinates knew him. "That's all for today's chat!"
After leaving this one sentence, he unilaterally hung up, cutting off the call.
"..."
On the other side, Louis ate the last skewer of meat and threw the bamboo stick into the fire again. As time passed, the night became darker, and the cold wind became exceptionally chilling.
Louis slowly stood up. After putting the Den Den Mushi back in his pocket, he shrank his body to a size just right for sitting on the giant dog's back. Then, he flipped over and sat cross-legged on its back, giving it the command to return.
"Let's go. It's time to go back."
Hearing his words, the giant dog nodded. It then stood in place, looked up at the sky, as if searching for something. When it saw that the sky was empty, it instantly put away its smile and turned to look at Louis with a puzzled face, as if to ask, "Where's the Island Cloud?"
To this, Louis, who had seen through its thoughts, glanced speechlessly at its body, which had gained a few sizes.
"Run back."