Since Doflamingo left Mary Geoise, two months had passed like a river of golden water. It was now mid-April.
However, for those living on the Grand Line, months were merely months, with no connection to climate or seasons.
Moreover, the Levely in June was drawing closer.
"Your Majesty, since February of this year, incidents of human pirates attempting to abduct mermaids have been increasing. This month, the situation has worsened, with four incidents occurring in just two weeks. Fortunately, the Neptune Army managed to rescue them in time, but over a hundred soldiers were injured. I fear that if this continues, the situation will only get worse."
In the luxurious hall of the Ryugu Palace on Fish-Man Island, the left minister, a catfish fish-man, looked worriedly at King Neptune on the throne.
"It's all because of the rumors about the Pirate King's great treasure..."
King Neptune sighed, rubbing his forehead. The rumors had spread so widely that even he, living 10,000 meters under the sea, had heard of them.
"But what can we do? While fish-men are ten times stronger than humans on average, those human pirates who have made it through the first half of the Grand Line are anything but ordinary."
"In the end, it's because we lack strong figures to hold the fort."
Hearing the king's words, the left minister fell silent. The soldiers of the Neptune Army were not weak, but they were only 'not weak.' They couldn't be considered powerful, not even in 'Paradise,' let alone the 'New World.'
"Your Majesty, I pay my respects!"
At that moment, the right minister, a seahorse merman, hurried in and reported, "Your Majesty, ships from the World Government and Marine vessels are waiting outside the main gate for entry."
"Quick, let them in!"
King Neptune's eyes lit up, and his mood grew increasingly excited. He had a feeling that the troubles Fish-Man Island was facing would soon be resolved.
After a half-hour that felt like an eternity to the merman king, Coulson, whom he had met before, and a tall Marine officer entered the hall.
"Welcome, welcome! It's a pleasure to have you here again, Director Coulson!" King Neptune was visibly delighted and enthusiastic.
"Long time no see, Your Majesty," Coulson replied with his trademark smile, then introduced the man beside him.
"This is Vice Admiral Aokiji of Marine Headquarters, also a newly promoted Admiral candidate."
Kuzan looked at the giant merman king seated on the throne and greeted politely, "Hello, I'm Kuzan. I look forward to working with you."
"Ah, hello, hello," King Neptune responded, unsure of what else to say, and turned his gaze back to Coulson. "What brings you two here this time?"
Coulson maintained his gentle smile.
"According to the previously signed 'Proclamation on Establishing Equal and Friendly Relations Between Humans, Mermaids, and Fish-Men,' I have brought the mermaids and fish-men from Mary Geoise and all member nations. Your Majesty may send personnel to receive them."
"Really?"
King Neptune immediately stood up, excitedly instructing the left minister beside him.
"Quick, take some people and go check!"
"Yes, I'll handle it right away!" The left minister was equally thrilled.
In the past, asking the Celestial Dragons and nobles to return the mermaids they had purchased would have been nothing short of a pipe dream, a daydream.
Seeing the Left Minister's figure disappear beyond the palace doors, King Neptune sincerely expressed his gratitude to Coulson and the World Government.
Witnessing this, Kuzan, who stood nearby, couldn't help but marvel in his heart. For some unknown reason, the World Government seemed to have changed a lot recently.
This was true for the Drum Kingdom, and now for Fish-Man Island as well. These were acts of justice he had personally witnessed and even participated in.
This rekindled the passion in Kuzan's heart, and without realizing it, his favor towards the World Government had significantly increased.
After King Neptune's excitement had calmed down, Coulson spoke again, "Your Majesty, besides assisting with the escort, Vice Admiral Aokiji is also here to establish a Marine branch on Fish-Man Island. He will be in charge of related matters for the next few years."
"A Marine branch!"
King Neptune was momentarily stunned, then quickly recalled that there was indeed such a clause in the official report. He asked, "May I know how many Marines will be stationed here and where the branch will be located?"
Coulson did not answer this question; instead, Kuzan took the lead, "The initial plan is for me to bring a thousand Marines from headquarters to Fish-Man Island. Once the main facilities of the branch are completed, an additional four thousand Marines will be stationed here."
After he finished, Coulson continued, "The construction of the Marine branch will be handled by the construction team brought by our Administrative Department. As for the location, it will be decided after a professional survey. We hope Fish-Man Island can provide some support in this regard."
"Hahaha, of course, no problem. But I thought you would only come after the Levely," King Neptune laughed heartily.
"If everything goes smoothly, according to the construction schedule, the project should be completed around the time the Levely concludes," Coulson replied with a smile.
"I see!"
"Then where will Vice Admiral Aokiji and the Marines stay before the branch facilities are completed?" King Neptune asked, puzzled.
Kuzan replied, "During this period, we will live on our ships to ensure we don't disturb the residents."
"This won't do! Although Fish-Man Island isn't large, we have plenty of space to accommodate a thousand people!"
King Neptune naturally didn't want to treat Kuzan and the Marines so poorly. He was well aware that his people would rely on their protection for a long time to come.
"Here's what we'll do, Left Minister. Take the Marines to temporarily station in the Waterwheel Town in the north, and have the craftsmen quickly build a batch of shell houses!"
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
"That would be much appreciated."
Kuzan politely thanked him, then followed the orange-skinned seahorse minister out. Coulson, however, did not leave immediately.
"King Neptune, according to the official report, Fish-Man Island can also station troops on Sabaody Archipelago. We have already vacated Area 62."
King Neptune awkwardly scratched the back of his head and laughed, "Ah, this... I apologize. We thought this matter would only be discussed after the Levely, so we haven't had the chance to negotiate yet."
Coulson didn't mind and simply nodded, continuing, "There's also the matter of dispatching merfolk or fishmen to join various departments of the World Government and the Marines. This time, I've brought the number of fishmen the Marines wish to introduce and a list of key fishmen."
"Oh? Do tell!" King Neptune was curious about how many fishmen the Marines would allow to join and who these so-called key fishmen were.
"The Marine Headquarters will introduce the first batch of two hundred fishmen or merfolk. Among them, the merfolk will primarily take on clerical roles, while the fishmen will form a fishman unit."
As he spoke, Coulson pulled out a white sheet of paper from his pocket, which listed the names of several fishmen.
"The key merfolk are Fisher Tiger, Jinbe, and Aladdin."
Upon hearing these three names, King Neptune was first stunned, then puzzled. "I've heard of Fisher Tiger, but who are Jinbe and Aladdin?"
"According to intelligence, Jinbe, a 22-year-old whale shark fishman, and Aladdin, a multi-whiskered otterfish merfolk, are currently serving in your Neptune Army."
Outside, the left minister, who had a catfish-like face, looked curiously at the merfolk and fishmen disembarking from the World Government ship.
Outwardly, they seemed fine, with no visible injuries or disabilities. However, their cheerful, smiling faces seemed overly optimistic. After all, they had previously been slaves.
But in the end, the left minister could only shake his head, attributing it to their overwhelming joy.