"How… would you know something like that?"
"That isn't important. Even if we knew where Pluton is, operating it wouldn't be easy. Whether the original power source still has any energy left is unknown.
Besides, retrieving that thing would require destroying the outer walls surrounding all of Wano Country. I'm not sure how much the World Government knows about it, but doing that would definitely attract their attention.
Compared to that, if I gave you sufficient resources, how long would it take you to build a Pluton?"
"Your Majesty, you overestimate my abilities. That thing… with Fishman Island's current national strength, I'm afraid it can't be done.
To truly bring that warship back into the world, far too many things are required.
If we could find the missing shipwrights from the Galley-La Company, the chances of success would increase significantly. As things stand now… I can at most adapt and reuse a portion of its technology."
Tom shook his head. This wasn't some toy that could be assembled just by following blueprints. If they still had the technology and materials from several hundred years ago, then perhaps it would be possible. But too much time had passed, and many things had changed.
Some islands that once produced key materials in abundance had now even become ruins in the deep sea.
"Pick some parts that are difficult to research but won't reveal that it's an Ancient Weapon. I'll find some researchers to take a look at them."
Other things were manageable, but when it came to scientific research… Fishman Island truly lacked that capability. They would have to rely on outsourcing to solve certain problems, though that meant some things would need to be concealed.
"Also, are you planning to settle down in Fishman Island? Although Fishman Island doesn't currently have large-scale shipyards, someone with your abilities could teach at the school."
"Me? Teach? Your Majesty, you must be joking. What could I possibly teach them? Surely you're not expecting me to teach every child how to build ships."
"No, not shipbuilding…ship dismantling. I need you to teach them how to destroy a ship's sailing capability in the fastest way possible and at the lowest cost."
For Nereus himself, or for some of his powerful officers, destroying a ship was very simple. With sheer strength, a single shockwave launched from underwater would be enough.
Tamed Sea Beasts were also an easy method. But in reality, those tasks didn't necessarily need to be done by them. What they truly needed to handle were the enemy's strong fighters.
Swimming was something every resident of Fishman Island could do. Aside from the small number of Devil Fruit users, most adults and even children possessed this ability.
However, destroying ships was a more complicated matter.
Coincidentally, ensuring that all Fishman Island residents mastered this technique was also necessary for the island's development.
Peaceful coexistence—everyone living in harmony and developing together.
But if anyone ever had ill intentions toward Fishman Island, they could simply hand the island over. Millions of people scattering across the seas would become a tremendous threat to any sailing vessel.
The number of strong fighters capable of dealing with underwater attacks was limited. Spread across the entire world, it simply wouldn't be enough. Of course, that would be a last-resort, desperate measure—dragging others down with them—and generally wouldn't be used.
"Your Majesty Nereus, if we do this… the whole world will become our enemy…"
"You've got the order wrong, Tom. It's not that doing this will make the world our enemy, it's because the whole world already treats us as the enemy that we have to do this.
This is like the Ancient Weapons. We may not use them, but we can't afford not to have them. There's a difference between having a sword and choosing not to use it, and not having a sword at all."
"I recommend my younger brother, Den. He's also an excellent shipwright, and he's more than capable of handling this task. Your Majesty Nereus, although Fishman Island is my hometown, Water 7 is like a second home to me.
The situation there isn't good either, and I want to do something for Water 7. So… I still plan to return there.
This time, I only came back to Fishman Island to deliver this item to you. Please forgive me."
"It's fine. Fishman Island's development won't be limited to this place alone. You can also communicate more with the people of Water 7.
If necessary, Fishman Island can even provide you with assistance. This is an exchange between nations. It will help Fishman Island step onto the world stage."
Tom did not stay on Fishman Island for long afterward. After selecting some of the drafts, he quickly returned to Water 7.
His strength was still decent in the first half of the Grand Line. Although he wasn't a combatant, he was still someone capable of lifting a large ship with his bare hands.
Now that the identity of the Fish-Men had been corrected again by the World Government, Tom's voyage was relatively smooth.
Just as Nereus was preparing to send someone to find Wobbegong and deliver the relevant materials to him, MADS released a paper first, titled "Lineage Factor."
Through Vegapunk's efforts, along with the assistance of others, the Lineage Factor was discovered, and the name of MADS echoed across the seas for the first time.
However, many people believed this was actually a dangerous research project. What MADS was studying might lead to irreversible consequences.
What kind of dangerous things the Lineage Factor might produce was still unknown. Perhaps they should be ordered to halt their research.
But at this time, the World Government did not take it seriously and simply allowed them to continue.
Fishman Island's development continued as well. The fifty-seven people recruited earlier by Nereus had already arrived inside Ryugu Palace and begun their "hellish" lives.
What began first was not any technical training, but rather extremely strict physical training. The top doctors and chefs of Fishman Island were assigned by Nereus to monitor their physical condition and create appropriate meal plans.
These people endured and persisted. After more than a month of physical training, they had begun to look somewhat like real warriors.
But just when they thought life might become easier, what awaited them was training of even greater intensity.
The office at Sabaody Archipelago also now had a portion of stable stationed troops. At present, Barbell was posted there as an external officer, responsible for armed security.
Some of the coating craftsmen had accepted the agreement with the Ryugu Kingdom, while more were still watching and hesitating.
One day, while Fish-Men were conducting their usual patrol of the sea area, they discovered someone unusual.
"Captain Rachel, look—what's that?"
Following the direction pointed out by one of her subordinates, Rachel saw someone swimming underwater while holding their breath.
Without a bubble coating, in the nearly ten-thousand-meter-deep sea, holding a single breath and swimming purely through physical strength—and not being a Fish-Man or a Merfolk—Rachel had only ever seen one person like that in her life: Amphitrite.
And today, she saw a second.
Amphitrite's race was not a secret to Nereus's old loyal subordinates. Now, Rachel could even somewhat understand why that race was so easily exposed.
Because of their racial talents, they could hide in harsh environments rarely visited by humans.
Correspondingly, in places where humans could barely survive, if a living person was discovered, it was very likely one of them.
"Notify His Majesty Nereus. Tell him… Miss Amphy seems to have a relative visiting."
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