Facing the surprised expressions of King Neptune and Queen Otohi, Mio spoke with a playful tone.
"It's like a king choosing a concubine. There are two beautiful girls—one is just beautiful, while the other is not only beautiful but also talented and helpful to the king. Who do you think the king will choose?"
He leaned back slightly and continued, his voice casual but sharp.
"If Fishman Island isn't strong enough, the World Governnt will only treat it as one of the weaker mber states. But unlike the others, Fishman Island pays very little tribute, lacks strength, and lies deep under the sea—out of reach and difficult to control. Do you really think the World Governnt cares about a place like that? Maybe they support Queen Otohi's dream on the surface, but their influence doesn't reach this deep. The truth is, they can't enforce anything here."
Mio's expression grew colder as he spoke more seriously.
"So in the end, the essence of this world... is strength."
He smirked, mocking the idea of relying on outside help. "Why ask others for help if you're strong enough to do it yourself? Fishman Island being powerful might make the World Governnt wary, sure, but this is the deep sea. What is there to fear?"
Otohi gritted her teeth. "No matter what you say, Fishman Island will never belong to your people."
Mio rely shrugged and gave a faint smile. "Don't be so sure. This is a mutually beneficial deal. I can offer your island peace and stability. In return, you have sothing we want."
"That may not be the case," Neptune said sternly. "At the very least, we don't have the Sea King."
"Oh?"
Mio raised an eyebrow, then chuckled quietly and shook his head.
He replied calmly, "Queen Otohi, King Neptune, that's enough talk for today. My offer still stands. You're welco to contact at any ti. It's fine if you don't agree now, but I still plan to visit the Sea Forest."
He added with a grin, "After all, my companion is quite interested in the poneglyph there."
Upon hearing this, both Otohi and Neptune fell silent.
After a long pause, Neptune finally nodded. "Alright. If Mr. Black Crow needs it, I'll arrange for soone to take you there."
They had no choice but to comply.
Just as Mio had said, Fishman Island lacked even a single strong protector.
Jinbei wasn't strong enough yet, and Fisher Tiger, the only one who posed a threat, had already been captured and enslaved in Mary Geoise—though Otohi and Neptune weren't yet aware of that.
The banquet began shortly after. Mio didn't bring up the deal again. Instead, he casually chatted with Neptune and Otohi about his adventures at sea and so of the sights on Fishman Island. Several hours passed before Mio finally left the hall and returned to the guest quarters arranged by Neptune.
Later that night, Hei Yan approached Mio privately, his eyes cold and voice low.
"My lord, do you need to..."
Though he didn't finish the sentence, his intention was clear—he was prepared to assassinate Neptune and Otohi. From his perspective, anyone who refused Mio's terms was better off eliminated.
But Mio calmly shook his head. "No. There's no need. Killing them won't help us. It would only plunge Fishman Island into chaos. I value this island too much to turn it into a lawless wasteland."
Although Neptune and Otohi weren't powerful, their love for Fishman Island was genuine.
"...Understood."
Hei Yan nodded respectfully and didn't speak further.
Later, everyone returned to their rooms to rest.
Mashi, a bit tipsy after sipping wine at the banquet, ran straight into Mio's room and sprawled across him before quickly falling asleep.
With his hands behind his head, Mio lay there silently, his gaze thoughtful.
There was a clear divide between fishn and rmaids on the island.
Fishn resembled humanoid sea creatures, while rmaids, like Neptune's children, had human upper bodies and fish tails. As a race, fishn were born with far greater physical strength than humans, which intrigued Mio. Their genes were ideal—and more importantly, could be harvested in large quantities.
An underwater army built from these genes could be trendously powerful.
In this sea-dominated world, control of an aquatic military force would be a massive advantage.
Although Neptune and Otohi had rejected his offer today, Mio wasn't in a rush. His desire to build such an army could wait.
But one thing was certain.
He would claim Fishman Island.
And if it couldn't be done through diplomacy...
He smirked in the dark.
Then he would wait for Shirahoshi to be born and for the throne to change hands. Just like Crocodile's quiet attempt to steal Alabasta in the original tiline. Only Crocodile sought Pluton—Mio wanted Poseidon.
Chuckling at the thought, Mio soon drifted off to sleep.
Fishman Island was renowned for its beauty, a shining gem of the first half of the Grand Line. The next morning, rather than heading straight to the Sea Forest, Mio decided to take a short tour.
Dressed in a black cloak, he strolled through various areas with Erica and the others by his side.
They visited Coral Hill, Gironcorde Plaza, and other well-known spots.
The island was vibrant and lively, filled with cheerful rmaids and colorful surroundings. Mio found himself quietly admiring the local won. Most of them were not just beautiful, but stunning. Even the least attractive among them could hold their own.
Mio smiled inwardly.
A man could live quite a good life in retirent here.
After exploring for a while, Mio finally sought out Neptune and asked him to arrange a guide to the Sea Forest.
At the sa ti, he expressed his interest in seeing Noah, the legendary ship.
Neptune didn't refuse either request.
Although Noah was critical to Fishman Island, Mio's request didn't seem threatening. It wasn't as if Mio could steal the ship—Noah could only be pulled by the giant Sea Kings, and its size was half that of the entire island.
In truth, Mio had no interest in taking it anyway.
He just wanted to see it with his own eyes.
"Queen Otohi will escort you to the Sea Forest," Neptune told him.
He was already aware of the poneglyph hidden there. With the only survivor of Ohara—Nico Robin—traveling with the Black Crow Pirates, it wasn't surprising that Mio was interested in the ancient text.
Neptune had kept up with current events across the seas.
"Then I'll trouble Princess Otohi," Mio said with a polite smile.
"It's no trouble. In fact, I've been aning to ask you sothing, Mr. Black Crow." Otohi returned the smile, hers radiant and sincere.
With that, she turned to lead the way, flanked by several guards from the Sea King's Army.
The journey to the Sea Forest would soon begin.
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