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"Jimbei, are you certain you want to ally yourselves with Big Mom?" Auguro asked seriously.
"As far as I know, once you join the Big Mom Pirates, you can't leave, and you're required to pay in lifespans as protection money!"
In Totto Land, residents had to surrender one month of their lifespan every six months, or be forced to leave!
Jimbei replied helplessly, "We have no choice! After Whitebeard's death, Fish-Man Island needs someone to protect us!"
"Although joining the Big Mom Pirates means we can't withdraw, Big Mom has agreed to accept sweets as tribute. As long as we pay the agreed amount of desserts monthly, she will grant us her protection!"
"For Fish-Man Island, that price is a very good deal."
Auguro blinked, then changed the subject.
"But if you do that, how will you ever return to the surface?"
"By joining Big Mom's banner, the World Government will have a clear justification to target you!"
Jimbei froze, his expression darkening instantly. After a long moment, he clenched his jaw and said, "We have no choice! Right now, Fish-Man Island needs to survive first!"
They needed to survive before they could plan anything else!
Auguro nodded, then smiled mysteriously at Jimbei.
"Actually, you have another option."
Jimbei paused, then asked, "What other option?"
"Fish-Man Island can join my banner and become a vassal state of the Holy Spirit Empire!"
"I will help you return to the surface, and anyone who dares to attack you will be dealt with by me!"
Jimbei and Shyarly were completely stunned. They never expected Auguro would be willing to take in Fish-Man Island!
Many might think that any world power would gladly take a place with the magical atmosphere of Fish-Man Island. But they had to remember this was the One Piece world!
Exotic races were abundant!
From a national perspective, Fish-Man Island was a hot potato!
It was located at the junction of the New World and Paradise, ten thousand meters deep in the ocean!
Any pirate who reached here had considerable strength. Diplomacy-wise, the World Government looked down on them, and no other nation took them seriously. They were also exploited by countless slave traders who saw them as a source of wealth.
For most people, Fish-Man Island was a complete liability! The risks far outweighed the benefits!
Only Yonko-level figures like Whitebeard and Big Mom dared to claim protection over them. Naturally, Auguro certainly possessed the strength to do so! Water 7 was proof—the World Government dared not stir up trouble there.
"In that case, what would be the cost?" Jimbei was no longer the naive young man he once was; he knew everything came with a price!
Auguro scratched his head. He truly didn't need anything from Fish-Man Island. In fact, the only thing Fish-Man Island had of significant value was Princess Shirahoshi, the Poseidon!
However, Auguro quickly reconsidered. Fish-Men possessed ten times the strength of humans—a natural advantage. If he could train a Fish-Man army capable of mastering both types of Haki (Busoshoku and Kenbunshoku), they would be an incredible special force in naval warfare!
The thought of hundreds of Fish-Men launching from the sea to scuttle warships was thrilling! It would be almost impossible for humans to stop Fish-Men underwater—their racial abilities guaranteed that!
"Give me a few hundred strong Fish-Men to form an army!"
Jimbei was instantly excited by Auguro's idea. Why had Fish-Man Island failed to produce more powerhouse individuals? Because they lacked methods for Haki training!
Their Fish-Man Karate looked powerful, but its ceiling wasn't high enough. Only Haki was the true pinnacle of combat power in this world. Because of their difficulty interacting normally with human society, Fish-Man Island had virtually zero Haki training experience. If Auguro trained an army for them, it would be the spark of hope for Fish-Man Island!
"I—I must seek King Neptune's permission for this!" Jimbei stammered. He felt as though a priceless gift had just fallen into his lap.
"Hmm, in that case, I'm afraid we'll have to take a trip to the port!" Auguro suddenly said.
"The Big Mom Pirates have arrived!"
At the port, a large ship flying the Big Mom Pirates' flag slowly passed through the air membrane and docked. A burly man with orange hair styled in a three-tiered fan stepped out.
It was Charlotte Oven, Big Mom's fourth son and a top-tier powerhouse outside the Three Sweet Commanders!
"Lord Oven, welcome!" Neptune greeted him respectfully.
Seeing the King of their country bow to an outsider, the others present were filled with grief and indignation. But there was no alternative; Fish-Man Island was in a position of need.
Oven, a very serious man, nodded grimly and spoke directly. "As per the agreement, you are to pay a tribute of sweets. Are they ready?"
"Of course!"
Neptune waved his hand, and a team of soldiers wheeled over dozens of large crates filled with desserts. Oven meticulously counted the crates. Once he confirmed the quantity was correct, a faint smile finally appeared on his face.
"We see Fish-Man Island's sincerity! Now, let us begin the flag replacement!"
At Oven's signal, several pirates dragged over a massive Big Mom Pirates flag. Neptune nodded, and his eldest son, Fukaboshi, flew up on an air bubble above the port to take down Whitebeard's Jolly Roger.
Looking at the flag in his hands, Fukaboshi's face held a look of sadness. An era had come to an end! Returning to the ground, Fukaboshi handed the flag to a guard to be put away. Though Whitebeard was dead, they still had to show basic respect.
"Alright! Get the new flag up quickly!" Oven said impatiently. Who cares about Whitebeard? He's a dead man! The only one who can become the Pirate King is Mama!
Fukaboshi reluctantly reached for the pirate flag.
"Haha! I think replacing the flag can wait a moment!"
Just then, a commanding voice echoed from the sky. Everyone was shocked and quickly looked up. They saw Auguro and his group hovering high above, looking down indifferently at Oven and his crew.
They had used Shunpo (Flash Step) to quickly arrive and stop the flag replacement. Jimbei and Shyarly were scrambling to catch up.
"Sith Auguro! What are you doing here?!" Oven's face instantly paled. This was a brutal individual who had caused chaos at Marineford! The small woman beside him was rumored to have clashed head-on with Admiral Akainu without losing ground. Oven was confident, but he didn't delude himself into thinking he was on par with a Marine Admiral!
Auguro smiled faintly at his question.
"My purpose here is naturally the same as yours!"
"My Holy Spirit Empire also wishes to take in Fish-Man Island as an affiliated nation!"
Oven's heart plummeted, and his face instantly became incredibly dark. He was here to steal their territory!
This Auguro, used to running wild in Paradise, did he truly think he could steal something from Mama? What an arrogant bastard!
"Sith Auguro! Are you prepared to make an enemy of my Big Mom Pirates?!" Oven's expression was grim, and a wave of heat began to emanate from his body.