[Those passing through Fishman Island are mostly pirates. When the time comes, we can leave the task of cracking down on pirates in that sea area to him. Perhaps it will cause him some trouble as well.]
[Mm, then let's do it that way. However…]
"Nereus, we can agree to your conditions. But in return, we need you to filter out certain things for us around Fishman Island when the time is appropriate."
Thinking about it carefully, Fishman Island's location was actually quite advantageous. It was a necessary route for pirates and Underworld's all sorts of gray-market activities.
In the past, the World Government hadn't cared much about that area. But under the current circumstances, as long as Nereus was willing to cooperate, the World Government could seemingly control the midpoint of the entire Grand Line with ease, determining the fate of certain pirates.
"That's no problem. I'll act depending on the situation. Also, I want the right to station troops at the Sabaody Archipelago."
"What do you want to do there?"
"That's the gateway to Fishman Island. Those pirates all have to pass through there before diving down.
Many people know nothing about what lies below and constantly cause me trouble. This way, I can give them a warning up there in advance.
Don't worry, so long as the Marines don't come looking for trouble with me first, I won't kill them. Of course, you'd better keep your subordinates in check, otherwise unnecessary casualties may occur."
This was simply a result of geography. The Sabaody Archipelago was the closest landmass to Fishman Island; once you surfaced, you could see it immediately.
Whether it was Delta Island, the Marines' Red Port, or Marine Headquarters, none of them were as close to Fishman Island.
If Fishman Island wanted to develop, it couldn't remain confined to that corner beneath the sea forever. The Sabaody Archipelago played a role as important as a port.
"You can do whatever you want in the lawless area, but the other areas are out of the question."
Sabaody Archipelago was already a very special cluster of islands. Strictly speaking, they could hardly even be called islands. They didn't belong to any affiliated nation, nor were they directly under Marine or World Government jurisdiction.
Even the Marines and the World Government only had bases in certain areas, sometimes right next to the lawless areas. If it really came down to it, handing over part of it wasn't impossible.
"No problem. That area is enough. One more thing, you're not blind, so you must have noticed there's a Lunarian by my side, right?"
"There's no need to say more. She isn't a Lunarian, she simply has darker skin, lighter hair, and happens to be able to use fire. We'll clarify that."
This time, before Nereus could say anything, Saturn had already guessed his intention.
The massive five-billion bounty had already been cleared; what was one more Lunarian?
Besides, this Lunarian had behaved quite ordinarily and hadn't shown any signs of threatening the World Government.
However, hunting Lunarians was a long-standing practice of the World Government, so they could only change the narrative like this.
Earlier negotiation experience had taught Saturn that it was best not to refute Nereus and then propose something new, otherwise the other side would come up with an even more troublesome demand.
The conversation continued for a while longer. With various agreements finalized, the negotiations were ultimately concluded, allowing the Five Elders to fulfill Imu's instructions.
"It seems there's nothing more we need to discuss."
"Then there's no point in you lingering here."
"You should leave. Even a king of an affiliated nation shouldn't remain here long without special reasons."
The Five Elders had no desire to keep dealing with the troublesome Nereus. In a sense, they had signed quite a few unequal agreements today.
But it wasn't without benefits. At the very least, the massive trouble known as Nereus would remain quiet for a while.
There were still plenty of troublesome figures on the seas, but at least the remaining ones weren't like Nereus—a monster that, if unwilling to compromise, was almost impossible to deal with.
The racial advantages of those from the deep sea were truly difficult to erase.
Having finally finished negotiating all those matters, they immediately prepared to see him off.
"Where did my meteor hammer go? That thing is a cultural relic of Fishman Island. I only borrowed it to use, it still has to be taken back."
"You lot, go find that Poneglyph for His Majesty."
At this point, the ordinary Celestial Dragons had already been evacuated. After the negotiations began, Nereus had also withdrawn his blood river. Although Mariejois still reeked of blood, it was at least possible to stand there now.
Some Cipher Pol agents and guards gradually approached, and the Five Elders ordered them to search for that Poneglyph.
In the past, the World Government had also tried to locate that thing, but it was said that Queen Lily of Alabasta had set a trap for Imu, making it impossible for the World Government to accomplish it.
If Nereus had been studying the thing, they would have strongly objected. But since he clearly treated it like a meteor hammer and played with it, they might as well let him.
Even if he found several more and turned them into chain hammers, they wouldn't care. Perhaps that would even eliminate the possibility of others researching them.
At this moment, whether they were agents from the various Cipher Pol branches or guards of Mariejois, everyone understood the meaning behind the Five Elders' words.
No matter what Nereus had done, since the Five Elders addressed him as "His Majesty" rather than with insults like "criminal" or "pirate," it meant the higher-ups had already reached an agreement.
In that case, obedience was the correct choice.
To work in Mariejois, you either needed strength or good judgment. Those who had neither would have long since become corpses.
But at that very moment, reinforcements from Marine Headquarters, sent after receiving the report from Red Port that "Mariejois is under attack", had already arrived atop the Red Line.
Leading them was Kong himself. Most of the Marines remained at Red Port, while the newly appointed Fleet Admiral Kong had already rushed up.
The moment he saw Nereus's face, a surge of anger rose in his heart. Salazar held a certain reputation within the Marines, and to Kong, he had been an extremely serious senior.
Now seeing Nereus dare to come here, and even appear in broad daylight before him, Kong immediately chose to attack.
Daytime. Mariejois. Surrounded by heavy forces. In Kong's view, this was one of the few best chances to capture Nereus.
"Nereus! You b*stard actually dare to show up here?!"
Boom!
Several cracks spread across the Red Line beneath Kong's feet. As he burst forward, a string of sonic booms erupted in his wake.
At that moment, all of Kong's Haki was concentrated into his fist as he threw a punch with all his strength, completely abandoning any form of defense.
From Kong's perspective, Nereus neither dodged nor defended. He even smiled and greeted him.
In an instant, Kong's heart was nearly consumed entirely by rage.
No matter how you looked at it, this was far too arrogant.
But the next moment…
"Stop!!"
An angry shout came from the side. Then Kong saw one of the usually aloof Five Elders, Nusjuro, suddenly step in front of Nereus, looking as if he intended to block the attack.
Please support on pat*eon for extra chapters; there is date to date subscription enabled on patreon. [There is a 7-day trial version availabe on patreon.]
https://www.pat*eon.com/dmtranslations
You can read ahead upto 25 chapters on my pa*reon.
Tiers-
1$- 10 chapters of OPUK
3$- 12 chapters
5$- 15 chapters
10$- 25 chapters