299. The Fish Men Island
Bonus 10
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"Oh! Atlas is really fit to handle this."
Aokiji hardly raised a part of his blindfold, not displaying any sign of astonishment.
This item had been handed over to the trio along with the World Government appointment document.
Regarding the one before him, it must have been distributed recently.
Since the count of Marine Admirals has consistently stood at three, there are understandably only three Golden Den Den Mushi in Marineford.
Indeed, this item is far from simple.
The moment anyone presses it, numerous lives vanish from this world.
And this stands as one of the abilities of a Marine Admiral.
"Buster Call."
Sengoku pushed the Golden Den Den Mushi toward Atlas, simultaneously uttering three chilling words.
"You must have heard about it, haven't you?"
"Yep."
Atlas nodded.
Buster Call, a formidable force comprised of 10 battleships, 5 Vice Admirals, and elite Marine combat units, executes widespread and destructive assaults on the designated area upon release.
It's a power that instills fear in nearly everyone in the pirate world, at least as far as Atlas knows.
As per Atlas's knowledge, the Marine has initiated Buster Call on two occasions.
The initial instance involved the apprehension of Demon Heir-Douglas Bullet, with Sengoku and Garp personally leading the charge. Ultimately, Bullet succumbed to exhaustion and was incarcerated in Impel Down's Eternal Hell.
Of course, he's since managed to escape from prison.
Atlas had spotted his name in the documents dispatched by Sengoku.
The second instance involved the execution of Buster Call on Ohara.
The outcome is apparent; presently, only Devil Child-Nico Robin remains on the loose.
Just these two accounts are sufficient to showcase the terror of Buster Call.
However, that's the extent of Atlas's understanding.
It might be effective in handling mid-tier powerhouses. After all, barring the two Sea Emperors of the New World, there's hardly any force or pirate crew capable of withstanding such a formidable assembly of combat power.
The Straw Hat Pirates in the original storyline are an exception.
It was a case of perfect timing, the right circumstances, and everyone being united.
However, when facing high-tier combat strength, the Buster Call's setup is considered a standard, albeit expendable, configuration.
"One of the abilities of a Marine Admiral is to initiate a Buster Call, but exercise caution in using it," Sengoku explained calmly.
"Additionally, your recent proposal has gained approval from the Five Elders, but the actual details will still need your personal attention..."
Observing the Golden Den Den Mushi being placed into Atlas' pocket, Sengoku carried on:
"Ahrara~ That thing?! What a brilliant concept. It was you, Atlas, who devised it?"
Aokiji, already aware of some background details, unveiled his blindfold, genuinely taken aback by Atlas's ingenuity.
"It's truly impressive. It's like adding another hurdle in front of the New World," Akainu concurred with a nod.
"Alright, looks like I'll have to take a different route. It's quite a hassle~~"
Seeing this, Atlas had no option but to agree.
After all, he was the one who proposed it.
Though it was just an attempt, he didn't anticipate the Five Elders approving it outright.
Probably because they didn't comply with Marine's world conscription, there was a concern about them harboring rebellious sentiments, so they made a compromise.
...
Thousands of meters beneath the sea, in Fish-Man Island.
In Gyoncorde Plaza.
The once bustling plaza now hosted only a few scattered figures. Most merfolk passing through hurriedly avoided it, their faces concealed in shame or swiftly running away.
The sole mermaid in the middle, a goldfish mermaid with long, wavy golden hair, was the one speaking, her voice hoarse.
Despite her petite stature, she had large blue eyes. An orange crown-shaped hairpin adorned her head, and she wore a long robe featuring an orange fish scale pattern. The patterns on the cuffs and fish tail were intricately detailed, with a red sash encircling her waist. A corset with white trim completed her ensemble.
Her attire was splendid, and her demeanor exuded both grace and strength.
Clearly, her status on Fish-Man Island was anything but low.
"Eh?"
The goldfish mermaid caught a glimpse of a passing figure and hastily seized their attention. A stack of papers filled with names and scribbles was promptly placed in front of the passerby.
The individual in question was a bald fish-man.
"Please sign! Declare your intention to immigrate here!!"
"Please spare me, Princess Otohime... This is no longer possible!!"
The bald fish-man was visibly nervous, breaking into a cold sweat.
Though he held deep respect for Princess Otohime, the incident from a few years ago had become an indelible pain in the hearts of all fish-men and mermaids on Fish-Man Island.
They'll never place trust in humans again!!!
Moreover, Fish-Man Island is currently under the looming threat of the Big Mom Pirates. How could anyone still find the mental space to concern themselves with such matters?
"Your Highness Otohime, have you not seen through the true nature of humans yet?" Three more fish-men who had been detained shouted loudly.
It's not that they don't long to live freely under the sun and breathe fresh air without restraint. However, the repeated harm inflicted upon them by humans has left them disappointed, even despondent!!!
Nearly every fish-man or mermaid on Fish-Man Island had, at some point in their childhood, sneaked over to the Sabaody Archipelago, yearning for that dreamlike amusement park.
And the genuine warmth of sunlight on their bodies.
However--
"Mr. Tiger saved slaves of all races equally, yet he's still imprisoned by the human Marines to this day!"
"How can we be expected to trust humans enough?!"
"The overwhelming majority of humans just disdain us, viewing us as a commodity to be traded anywhere!!"
Snap--! ! !
Click--! ! !
A sharp slap and the sound of fractures resonated almost simultaneously.
The fish-man, who had been so impassioned just a moment ago, froze on the spot, staring blankly at the woman in front of him with a strangely bent wrist.
"Your Highness Otohime..."
He didn't feel any pain.
Almost everyone on Fish-Man Island is well aware that Princess Otohime is born with a frail body, incapable of bearing even the slightest burden. The best evidence stands right before them.
—Hitting someone without force, he ended up breaking his own bones instead.
"If we let fear dictate our path because of these hardships, what about our children, even if they don't aspire to live under the sun?!" Princess Otohime's eyes welled with tears, not due to the pain in her wrists, but because of the profound bitterness in her heart.
"Do you want Fish-Man Island to be deprived of the warmth of genuine sunlight for generations to come?"
As Otohime spoke, there seemed to be a mystical force guiding the few fish-men present, evoking a profound sense of sorrow from the depths of their hearts.
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