"Are you saying...."
"Their sentence is too long, you don't even need to act. Just let them accidentally get the key, and it's enough."
Rushaka lived on Fishman Island. Despite some inexplicable rumors, she had her own social circle. Mandfeish didn't want to blatantly disregard the laws of the Dragon Palace Kingdom, as it would embarrass Rushaka in the future.
However, the fact that those people were alive always troubled him, so he needed them to break out of prison.
"Mr. Jinbe, those who traffick their own kind, even among the Fishman Race, are considered scum, right?"
Eventually, Jinbe agreed to the deal, and when he returned to the Dragon Palace Kingdom to resign, he made a minor mistake using his last authority and then left Fishman Island with a lot of military weapons, embarking on the pursuit of Tiger alongside Ah Long and others.
Upon receiving the news, Mandfeish didn't hesitate, intercepting them before they could escape back to Fishman Street and ending the grudge completely.
After escaping Mary Geoise, most of the slaves had gone their separate ways, while the fishmen stayed with Tiger. They used the mark of the sun set by Tiger to cover up the original Hoof of the Soaring Dragon Mark, making it impossible to tell if any member had been a slave.
The Sun Pirates, composed of fishmen, began their adventures on the sea.
Fisher Tiger adhered to a policy of peace during their voyages, demanding his crew not to harm humans without cause, even those they battled against.
Although they defeated many Navies and bounty hunters pursuing them, as well as many pirates looking to make a name for themselves using them.
This was the most effective way to gain fame among pirates, to defeat the current front-runners.
When the title of Sea Emperor first emerged, whether it was Kaidou, Whitebeard, or BIG MOM, they often encountered foolish challengers.
They firmly established their positions through the corpses of failed challengers.
Despite defeating many, Tiger always advocated not killing humans, for the purpose of the Sun Pirates was "liberation" and "freedom."
He often reminded his companions, "We will not harm anyone," a phrase most fishmen would scoff at if uttered by someone else.
But Tiger was different; his reputation was too great. Jinbe increasingly came under Tiger's influence, and even Ah Long started to pay attention, although he still hit hard.
"Ah Long."
"Big Brother."
After yet another battle, Tiger found Ah Long. Although they had talked several times before, Tiger was not satisfied with the results.
"Not all humans are bad. You should know that Whitebeard's flag protected Fishman Island, and also, I heard you have a good relationship with Mandfeish?"
"Big Brother, don't mention that guy. That bastard was actually a human in disguise... I don't know where he got his water resistance from..."
"Don't be so stubborn, Ah Long. Haven't you noticed your tone has changed?"
Tiger patted Ah Long's shoulder, then walked back to the cabin, using the nautical chart to plan their future course.
...
Meanwhile, on Fishman Island, after some time of sailing, Tesoro, who succeeded Kojiro, also arrived on Fishman Island, and he was warmly welcomed by Otohime.
Because he represents Hundred Beasts Fruit, even though behind it stands a pirate crew, it bears a completely different significance.
It is a "legal" enterprise recognized by the World Government, allowing employees to choose travel through the Red Port instead of Fishman Island, and its contact with Fishman Island aligns greatly with her philosophy.
Currently, the most powerful force on the sea is still the World Government, whose attitude is crucial for those wanting to live freely.
Though fishmen have a natural advantage in aquatic environments, there is only one Eve tree, the only way for Fishman Island to receive sunlight from the deep sea, fixing the living locations of most fishmen and mermaids.
If a split truly occurs between the two races, it would be more disadvantageous for the Fishman Race. Though Otohime's thoughts are naive, her envisioned future is based on the current situation, making it the best policy for Fishman Island.
"Mr. Tesoro, Miss Stella, this way, please. King Neptune and Princess Otohime have been waiting for you both for a while now."
Under the lead of the catfish Minister of the Left, they reached the reception room of the Dragon Palace Kingdom.
The seahorse Minister of the Right, who succeeded Jinbe as the commander of the Sea King Army, was inspecting the prison's guards, a consequence of the previous jailbreak incident.
Then followed the usual pleasantries, but compared to the evasive conversations with the people of Mary Geoise, the talks here were much more straightforward.
Tesoro quickly got to the topic, discussing the mining company issues.
"Your Majesty, Your Highness, Kojiro should have already discussed the specific articles with you, right? With such a long time, you should have considered it thoroughly by now."
"We have thought it through. We agree with Kojiro's proposals, and we will assist you in recruiting employees on Fishman Island under the name of Dragon Palace Kingdom."
Ultimately, they chose this route, as the people of Fishman Island didn't understand mining or how to organize workers, and to expand cooperation, Otohime and Neptune chose this method.
Some details, like taking Dragon Palace Kingdom to explore mining locations and ensuring uninhabitable places for fishmen and mermaids aren't on land, had been discussed by Kojiro.
Though Otohime could perceive no malicious intent akin to a human trafficker, trust couldn't be granted easily, lest too many people be trafficked, and conflicts between the two races become irreconcilable.
Thus, an outsourcing-like model was adopted, where the mining department of Hundred Beasts Fruit contracts with Dragon Palace Kingdom, and Dragon Palace Kingdom recruits employees to work, reducing resistance among the tribesmen.
Though a few mermaids and fishmen chose to work in Kojiro's department store, most still looked at humans with suspicion, making it unrealistic for them to work in a human enterprise directly. Many things needed to proceed step by step.
Tiger took away many of the restless, leaving Fishman Street with those who merely lacked an opportunity, and now that opportunity has arrived.
The mining issue was nearly finalized, but they had another matter to attend to. Besides being the CEO of Hundred Beasts Fruit, Tesoro also moonlighted as a singer and actor for a subsidiary performing arts company. He brought Stella here intending to shoot a movie.
The film mainly aims to promote some new products, to increase Stella's exposure, being semi-public and semi-private. In any world, celebrities need exposure as a profession, for once forgotten, they soon fade from public memory.
He sought support from the Dragon Palace Kingdom, but Otohime's response exceeded their expectations...