Capítulo 148: Chapter 148
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"Dak, thank you very much!"
As soon as Dak finished speaking, Jinbe stood up from his seat and bowed deeply to him.
This action left everyone present stunned.
"My fellow people have suffered greatly at the hands of the Celestial Dragons. My brother was once a slave to them. I know I lack the power to avenge them, and it has been a bitter burden in my heart, but you have done it," Jinbe explained, still bowing.
"Regardless of your reasons, there is no doubt you are a great benefactor to us fish-men. No, Fish-Man Island cannot speak for everyone, but at least you are a great benefactor to Fish-Man District!"
"Jinbe..."
Neptune tried to pull Jinbe up.
There were still two outsiders present. How could Jinbe say such things? What if the Celestial Dragons found out?
"No worries! Since I dare to speak in front of others, I am not afraid of others knowing! Moreover, King Neptune, do you still think the Celestial Dragons have the energy to deal with me?" Jinbe's words were firm.
Who said Jinbe was stupid? Although Jinbe appeared large and not very smart, he was far from foolish.
After Jinbe's words, Neptune withdrew his hand. Morgans and Judge also had their eyes widen with a gleam of ambition.
Dak's telepathy sensed the ambition stirring within these two, causing him a slight headache.
This was precisely why he couldn't yet completely destroy the World Government. Someone like Judge alone was enough to cause chaos in the North Blue, not to mention others across the sea.
"Although the World Government's power has significantly diminished, they remain the second strongest force on the seas. Mariejois still has at least seven individuals of admiral-level strength," Dak explained, primarily for Morgans to spread the news.
There was no need to emphasize which force was considered the strongest.
"Seven?!" The group was shocked.
The true strength of the World Government had never been fully revealed, even after eight hundred years.
The Navy had always served as the World Government's armed force on the seas. Those with slight insights into the World Government's operations might only be the Revolutionary Army.
Thus, upon hearing about the current high-level combat power of the World Government, everyone was naturally astonished.
An admiral alone was not something they could contend with, let alone seven of them! The ambition in Judge and Morgans' eyes gradually dimmed, leaving only a faint trace.
They couldn't make any grand moves but could still engage in smaller ones.
However, they were curious about how the World Government still possessed such formidable strength even after the destruction of Mariejois.
How strong was the World Government before? And how powerful was the Pokémon Alliance that destroyed Mariejois?
Questions lingered in their minds, but they dared not ask.
"By the way, the slaves from Mariejois are still in Darkrai's space. There seem to be quite a few fish-men and merfolk among them," Dak said, looking at Neptune and Jinbe, pondering.
"Those people..."
Neptune couldn't help but speak, naturally wanting his people back.
"Darkrai is currently screening them. Once finished, those who wish to return can leave. I will not stop them," Dak said, not intending to restrict their freedom or use them to leverage anything from Neptune.
"Screening?"
"Darkrai is the master of dreams. It can make someone dream about what it wants to see. If any of the slaves are guilty of heinous crimes, Darkrai will silently eliminate them in the dark space. If they are innocent, they will be released," Dak explained.
This was the first time Darkrai had the opportunity to use its special powers of its kind.
"I understand," Neptune sighed in relief.
If that were the case, he had confidence in his people.
Most fish-men and merfolk captured by slave traders were ordinary citizens of Fish-Man Island, unlikely to be criminals. The criminals were mostly out at sea, like Arlong, being pirates.
Jinbe also nodded, agreeing with Dak's approach.
If there were truly such vile individuals, he wouldn't plead for their release, even if they were his kin.
However, Judge and Morgans were unsettled. They hadn't expected Pokémon to have such capabilities.
If so, Dak could easily have Darkrai enter someone's dreams to learn whatever he wanted.
"Alliance Leader, we have come hoping you would allow Fish-Man Island to become an affiliated nation of the Pokémon Alliance. We are willing to pay the Heavenly Tribute," the Right Minister, impatient by nature, couldn't hold back any longer and directly stated their purpose.
An affiliated nation.
Essentially, they sought the protection of the Pokémon Alliance, offering tribute (Heavenly Tribute) in exchange for security.
In the world of One Piece, this was a common concept, just under different names.
For example, in the New World, large pirate crews would raise their flags over certain countries, signifying their protection over those nations.
The Whitebeard Pirates existed this way, protecting countries in the New World, stationing personnel in protected countries, and collecting protection fees.
This was their primary source of income.
Their secondary source was the spoils of battle from defeating intruders.
The New World always had fools who dared to challenge them.
Judge and Morgans, initially composed, became restless upon hearing 'affiliated nation.'
Anyone could see that the Pokémon Alliance was now the most powerful force. To develop securely, becoming an affiliated nation seemed the best choice.
"Affiliated nation? We don't do that in the Pokémon Alliance," Dak's reaction surprised them.
They thought Dak would gladly accept upon hearing about the Heavenly Tribute, given the Pokémon Breeding House's large-scale money absorption. They assumed Dak would be eager for money.
"What? This..."
The Right Minister was at a loss.
"Alliance Leader, it seems those people outside can live in this world long-term..." Neptune chose his words carefully.
He was the king of Fish-Man Island, striving for a better living environment for his people. As a father and husband, he wanted to fulfill his wife and daughter's hopes.
"No, no. They can live in this world—more accurately, in Alliance City—because they are the families of our alliance members and enjoy this benefit for free," Dak corrected Neptune, adding, "Living in Pokémon Island isn't difficult. As long as they haven't done anything terribly wrong, they can qualify to live here. The issue is that Pokémon Island doesn't have enough cities to accommodate everyone yet."
"So, does that mean most of Fish-Man Island's residents can live here long-term?" Neptune asked excitedly.
"No, just most of Fish-Man Island's citizens."
Jinbe, remaining calm, shook his head.
He could stay calm because he knew such good fortune wouldn't extend to him and his men.
Jinbe was well aware of the blood on his and his comrades' hands. They believed they had only killed those who deserved it, but who knew what the Pokémon Alliance's standards were.
"Indeed, as he said, most of Fish-Man Island's citizens should be able to live on Pokémon Island, but there will always be some exceptions," Dak nodded.
Fish-Man Island had been under the sea for so long, its limited environment offering few opportunities for its residents to commit crimes.
One notable fact was that both fish-men and merfolk highly valued their kin. Even someone like Arlong, a 'speciesist', shared this trait. Perhaps their shared plight made them cherish each other more.
This characteristic made it hard for most fish-men and merfolk to accept peaceful coexistence with humans.
Humans had hurt too many of their kind.
In a population of five million, Fish-Man Island produced only a few like Hody Jones, who disregarded their comrades' lives.
This ratio was stark compared to human nations.
Fish-Man Island's people, although individually weak, were highly united.
If there were enough of them, say 1.3 billion, no one could stop them from returning to the sunlight.
"Alliance Leader, I request that you allow Fish-Man Island to live on Pokémon Island. We only need to live in the nearby sea. We can build our own homes without costing you manpower or resources," Neptune stood from his chair, bowing to Dak.
He didn't know if such an opportunity would come again and was determined to seize it.
"I am willing to become part of the Pokémon Alliance and fight for it, just to ensure my weak and innocent people are protected," Jinbe declared.
Fighting for the Pokémon Alliance was certainly better than fighting for the World Government. Jinbe had made his decision.
He believed that once he informed Fish-Man Street that the Celestial Dragons had been almost entirely wiped out by the alliance leader, they would respect and accept Dak. Then, no one would oppose moving to Pokémon Island.
(End of Chapter)
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