Chapter 115: What to Do When You Have an Idiotic Boss
Saturn couldn't get a word out and almost made himself resurrect again due to suffocation.
What he originally wanted to say was, "Do you think we'll negotiate terms with you just like this?"
But before the words left his mouth, another voice suddenly popped into his mind.
[Interesting. Let's hear what his conditions are. Mu is a bit curious.]
Yes, the reason Saturn forcefully changed his tune was because he received Imu's order.
Whether Imu's orders were reasonable or untimely, they had no right to question them. After all, the lives of the Five Elders were inherently under Imu's control.
As holders of the highest-level abyssal contract, not only were the Five Elders' lives and deaths entirely subject to Imu's will, but even the control of their bodies could be stripped away.
Although the Five Elders tried their best to stop Nereus, Imu had more or less sensed such a huge commotion.
Through the sight and hearing of the Five Elders, Imu also heard Nereus's words, and this was exactly Nereus's goal.
Nereus knew very well that the Five Elders were just five puppets. His purpose in doing this was to force Imu out.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have come here without confirming through various methods that he had the ability to resist the dark transformation's control.
Imu thought Nereus was unaware of their existence and was simply negotiating with the Five Elders, thus becoming interested.
A long lifespan can make a person weird, especially someone like Imu who had absolutely no social interaction.
Despite possessing absolute power and strength, they were also very timid, constantly fearing certain things.
Sending people to deal with these issues, yet hundreds of years passed, and they still weren't cleaned up properly.
It was hard for ordinary people to understand what Imu really wanted.
There actually weren't many things that could trigger Imu: Nika, Joy Boy, Davy... that was about it.
Nereus's actions might seem exaggerated from the world's perspective, but Imu didn't think so. Instead, they became curious about what this rare powerhouse actually wanted.
"It's very simple. About 170 years ago, Fish-man Island joined the World Government. But during these long years, Fish-man Island hasn't enjoyed the status a member nation should have.
I demand that you restore all the rights and status Fish-man Island is entitled to."
[Lord Imu...]
[Mu thinks... you can agree to him. This was also something agreed upon back then; it was just that Fish-man Island at that time didn't deserve it. If it's him, Mu can be a bit more magnanimous. The Overlord of the Deep Sea... being able to utilize this power wouldn't be bad. You negotiate the specific details yourselves, but don't let him constantly disturb Mu.]
If subordinates could kill the opponent, Imu naturally wouldn't object. When Nereus liberated the slaves, Imu didn't intervene.
When the battle with the Five Elders first started, Imu didn't appear either.
But facts seemed to show that the Five Elders didn't have the ability to take the opponent down. With both sides' immortality, fighting for a year wouldn't yield a result.
Imu themselves didn't keep slaves. Or rather, in Imu's eyes, the entire world was their slave anyway, so there was naturally no need to do something superfluous.
Imu didn't care what happened in other kingdoms. Nereus stating he wanted to negotiate terms was actually a good thing in Imu's view.
The cost required to negotiate was obviously less than the cost of annihilating the opponent. As for whether Nereus was deceiving them...
They would cross that bridge when they came to it. This was Imu's extremely simple thought process.
Previously, Imu thought Fish-man Island had no value. After all, this race was timid and weak. But now, Nereus seemed to show Imu something slightly different.
"Your demand... we can agree to it. Everything the Ryugu Kingdom deserves will be given to you."
"What I want isn't just a verbal promise. There must be no more slaves."
"The World Government's laws have always forbidden the existence of slaves. But Nereus, people from non-member nations are different in the eyes of the World Government, and the same goes for pirates."
Having received Imu's authorization, all Five Elders had reverted to their human forms. The six of them began to negotiate right there on the ruins.
"Then let me rephrase it. There must be no Fish-man or Merfolk slaves, including in Mary Geoise."
The Ryugu Kingdom was originally a member nation. Strictly speaking from a legal standpoint, neither of these two races should have slaves; it's just that no one ever followed this before.
Although they talked about abiding by the law, the essence of the World Government's law was just one: might makes right.
"We can agree to this. Correspondingly, you are not allowed to attack Mary Geoise again."
The Five Elders exchanged glances and finally agreed to Nereus's demand. Given his situation, if he barged into Mary Geoise a third time, they really couldn't handle it.
"If there are no slaves here, naturally I won't come up."
"Nereus! Don't go too far. This is our leniency toward you. Don't think the World Government is truly afraid of you..."
"Is that so? Then I'll give you some face, but outside the Red Line, you can't control me."
Nereus could currently only achieve a state where neither could kill the other, maintaining a stalemate, but he lacked a sufficient trump card.
Fish-man Island, as his own kingdom, needed to be prioritized. This could also be considered achieving his goal.
On this point, both sides reached some consensus and successively determined many treaties, though no paper records were left behind.
Both sides were clear that an agreement on paper was just waste paper to them. If the World Government gained the ability to take Nereus down, or if Nereus died of old age one day, these agreements would all be voided.
Similarly, when Nereus was fully prepared, he wouldn't continue negotiating with the World Government either; he would directly destroy everything and start anew.
"Wait, regarding the issue of Heavenly Tribute, even you cannot be an exception. The Heavenly Tribute is paid according to population size. Your Ryugu Kingdom must also pay it."
Nusjuro, as the Warrior God of Finance, raised his demand regarding financial issues.
For the Ryugu Kingdom to be a member nation, it had to pay money.
"Heavenly Tribute? According to the Ryugu Kingdom's records, they have been paying money all along."
"That is true, but..."
"But in all those past years, Fish-man Island didn't enjoy the treatment it deserved. Almost 170 years—shouldn't you refund me 170 years' worth of Heavenly Tribute?"
Creak...
Nusjuro gripped the hilt of his sword tightly. This was totally backwards! The World Government had been established for so many years, and it was only ever them collecting money.
Even when the Marines requested military funding, the scale was set by the World Government.
If the Marines wanted to increase their share of military funding, they had to beg for it.
Now, someone was actually demanding money from them, and demanding a 170-year share all at once!
"If we calculate the interest, 170 years of interest should be..."
"Enough! Fish-man Island is tax-exempt for 170 years! That is the absolute bottom line!"
"Deal."
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