That was not the lives of one or two people, nor ten or a hundred—it was everyone’s lives.
The most terrifying thing about Amber Lead was precisely how little toxin it contained. Such a negligible dose would not immediately poison those exposed to it, cause obvious symptoms such as vomiting or fainting, or even make them feel any discomfort.
The earliest miners could still live into their seventies or eighties, no different from people who had never come into contact with Amber Lead.
But the toxin had not disappeared.
In minuscule doses, it silently accumulated within people’s bodies, passing through their bloodlines to the next generation, and then the generation after that.
The toxins borne by each generation continued to accumulate atop those inherited from the previous one, like an invisible hourglass slowly and irreversibly counting down toward the end of their lives.
After Amber Lead had been mined for nearly a century, this accumulation finally reached its critical point. The onset of the disease arrived without a sound.
At first, only a small number of people began developing inexplicable illnesses. Their bodies weakened earlier than their parents’, and their lifespans were shorter than their grandparents’.
Later, more and more children could not even survive to adulthood; that long road of life, before it had truly begun, was forced to come to an end.
This patient had come into contact with Amber Lead more frequently and closely than most, so the toxins accumulated within his body far faster than they did in ordinary people. For that very reason, he developed the disease earlier than others, and his symptoms were also more severe.
He was among the first to fall. And behind him, even more people were having their lives devoured bit by bit by that cursed land.
The fact that various nations had now begun blockading Flevance was enough to show that Amber Lead Syndrome had already begun spreading on a massive scale, and conventional medical methods could no longer treat the disease effectively.
“Can’t it be cured?”
“Your Devil Fruit can’t do it. The Op-Op Fruit could solve this problem. That fruit can gradually strip the toxins from a patient’s body.
But if the doctor doesn’t have enough stamina, they wouldn’t be able to save many people even if they worked themselves to death.
Kuma’s fruit might be able to repel those substances from their bodies. After all, this disease isn’t caused by a virus, but by certain substances remaining inside them. Still, there’s no telling whether it would actually work.
However, I’ve made some preparations in this area as well. Wobbegong, come to me for a moment.”
With that, Nereus picked up the Den Den Mushi beside him and contacted Wobbegong, who was still in the laboratory.
Ever since he had looked at the map of the North Blue and discovered that Flevance was not far from Deul, Nereus had considered how to deal with Amber Lead Syndrome.
Compared with the problems caused by eliminating large numbers of pirates, or the deterrence created by absolute military force, achievements in medicine were more beneficial to a nation’s reputation.
As for why he had not warned Flevance in advance…
Flevance had prospered because of Amber Lead, and the Amber Lead industry was spread throughout the entire country. Before anyone fell ill, if someone went to Flevance and claimed that Amber Lead was harmful, the royals and the World Government would not even need to do anything, the citizens blinded by money would be the first to object.
In their eyes, Amber Lead was the source of their happiness, not some kind of toxin.
Only when confronted with the bloody reality could they understand the truth.
Before long, Wobbegong arrived at Ryugu Palace.
“Your Majesty.”
“There are no outsiders here. Just call me Boss. How is the research I assigned you before progressing?”
After handing the documents in his hand to Wobbegong, Nereus asked about the latest developments.
“This? Boss, it’s already been solved. Originally, I had no leads, but the ancient texts you brought back from Ohara proved extremely useful.
I discovered that several hundred years ago, before the World Government existed and the world was still connected as a single landmass, something similar happened in the North Blue.
I drew on some of the experience recorded there, and the problem has been resolved.”
As everyone knew, archaeology was a means of advancing technology.
STC modules left behind from a golden age, mighty golden fleets, Ancient Weapons, super ancient civilizations… [TN: A Standard Template Construct (STC) system was an advanced, artificially intelligent computer database created during the Age of Technology said to have contained the sum total of Human scientific and technological knowledge. It’s from Warhammer 40k.]
Dig deep enough underground in different worlds, and there was no telling what wondrous things one might uncover. This sea was no exception.
Although the records in the ancient texts were not sufficiently detailed, Pluton alone was enough to reveal what sorts of things had existed in that era.
The things brought back from Ohara were also serving their purpose. Besides allowing Wobbegong to conduct his own research, they could also be used to entice some of the world’s greatest scientists into working for them.
Vegapunk, for example. Certain special documents were enough to make him spend a considerable amount of time researching things Fishman Island needed.
“By the way, Boss, I have a better suggestion than producing it ourselves.”
“What suggestion?”
“Outsource it. Vinsmoke Judge is currently in the North Blue. Given his capabilities and Germa’s present circumstances, he is capable of manufacturing this medicine, and transportation would also be much more convenient.”
“Then let’s do that. Notify Otohime and have her coordinate with them. Contact Morgans as well and make sure he handles the publicity properly. This will be a springboard for us to enter the world stage.
Compared with relying solely on military power, maintaining a positive public image has considerable value.”
After Tiger was transferred back to Fishman Island and began handling foreign diplomatic affairs in the Grand Line, the person in charge of the North Blue was also rotated, with Otohime taking over this year.
Below Nereus, it was difficult to identify the most radical militant* on Fishman Island; since there were simply too many people like that.
But the person who advocated peace the most was undoubtedly Otohime. Now that the situation in the Deul Kingdom was nearing stability, Fishman Island naturally replaced its representative with someone who employed gentler methods.
This was also Otohime’s own wish. She did not want to remain confined to Fishman Island forever. She also wanted to leave the depths of the sea, come into contact with the outside world, and accelerate the process of connecting Fishman Island with the rest of the world.
Thus, in the year she turned thirty and first gained the ability to split her tail into legs, she applied for an overseas posting.
…
[Amber Lead Syndrome is not contagious… It is caused by Amber Lead ore…]
[Special medicine will arrive soon. Humanitarian aid may be carried out, but prioritize your own safety…]
[Judge the specific methods yourselves. There is no need to report back…]
Ryugu Kingdom’s orders were quickly delivered to Otohime through a long-distance Den Den Mushi. Upon seeing the message, Otohime instead breathed a sigh of relief.
She had also been worried about what they would do if it truly was an infectious disease. Since it was not contagious, things would be much easier to handle.
“Quickly, pass this information on to the surrounding countries. Do not allow any unnecessary bloodshed to occur.”
The information Otohime had previously received stated that the armies of the surrounding nations had already been dispatched near Flevance, completely surrounding it.
Although Amber Lead Syndrome was not contagious, it inflicted very real suffering upon people. Under such a high-pressure environment, while surrounded by foreign armies, even the slightest provocation would be enough to trigger consequences that could never be undone.
The announcement quickly spread throughout the Deul Kingdom, and the residents living there breathed sighs of relief just as Otohime had.
Because they were separated by a strait, they had not been as nervous as the other neighboring countries to begin with. Moreover, over the years, Fishman Island’s assistance had brought tangible improvements to this land.
They were also willing to trust the words of Ryugu Kingdom.
The Neptune Army stationed nearby assembled, preparing to cross the strait and carry out humanitarian relief operations on the land opposite them.
Meanwhile, in the waters near the North Blue, countless gigantic snails were converging toward a central point.
This was not some animal migration, but an actual kingdom—Germa.
Even by global standards, the Germa Kingdom was an extremely unusual nation. It was currently the only country on the sea without a fixed territory.
Normally, it moved across the sea like a set of assembly toys, with enormous snails each carrying part of the nation. When necessary, they would “combine,” reassembling the territory of the Germa Kingdom.
On the armored decks carried by the snails, Judge was training several of his children. Although they were only young children, every one of them was a “modified human.”
Before they had even been born, Judge had used technology to alter their Lineage Factors while they were still in their mother’s womb.
Reiju, the eldest and what Judge regarded as Unit Zero, was eight years old this year. His four sons—Ichiji, Niji, Sanji, and Yonji—were five.
They were currently undergoing training according to what Judge considered the most scientifically optimized regimen. However, the results of that training…
“Reporting to the Supreme Commander. Princes Ichiji, Niji, and Yonji all completed the training within the designated time and have already surpassed adults.
“Princess Reiju also completed her assigned program, but Prince Sanji… drowned. No matter how we look at it… Prince Sanji is merely an ordinary human.”
Making a five-year-old child cross the sea—for Fish-Man or Merfolk children, it’s no different from playing, but for ordinary humans, it’s nothing short of murder.
All of Judge’s children had undergone Lineage Factor modification and had been superhuman from birth, so they could withstand training of this intensity.
“Reporting to the Supreme Commander. A man named Wobbegong has contacted you. Should we respond?”
Just as Judge was growing furious because of Sanji, an assistant beside him brought new information.
“Wobbegong… That name sounds familiar. Bring me the Den Den Mushi.”
Judge’s experience with MADS was not complicated. He wanted to surpass Vegapunk. As for Queen and Caesar Clown, Judge had always considered them inferior to himself, so there was no comparison at all.
Buckin, who had merely freeloaded off the organization, was excluded from Judge’s consideration entirely.
As Wobbegong had been one of their financial backers back then, Judge’s relationship with him had remained relatively cordial.
“A medicine for treating Amber Lead Syndrome? Deliver it to the Deul Kingdom? Wobbegong, Germa 66 is an assassination organization, not a charitable medical organization. But since it’s you, I can make an exception.”
Judge accepted the order outright. Given the scale of Germa’s laboratories and the existence of a proven formula, mass production would not be difficult.
Although he made it sound as though he was doing Wobbegong a favor, Judge had never intended to refuse.
The Germa Kingdom was unique not only in terms of its territory, but also in its nature. It was itself a notorious assassination organization in the Underworld and had even been cast as a villain in a Marine comic.
And in the Underworld, there were two towering figures no one could avoid. One was Nereus, and the other was Charlotte Linlin.
If one offended Charlotte Linlin, the consequences would not be too severe so long as one kept a low profile in the New World. After all, even Charlotte Linlin would think twice before entering territory effectively controlled by Whitebeard or Kaido.
But if one offended Nereus… there was no avoiding him anywhere along the shipping routes.
Judge was eager to build connections with him, so how could he possibly refuse something like this?
After announcing that the day’s training was over, Judge personally began attempting to manufacture the medicine.
The others did not care much. Judge’s training was not difficult for them, but to Sanji at that moment, this was practically a “life-saving grace”.
Whether it was physical training or combat training, Sanji was always beaten half to death. His life was even worse than Yamato’s had once been.
Although both of them were beaten, Yamato at least possessed a powerful physique and could recover quickly.
As a prince of Germa, although Judge disliked him, he had not yet completely given up on him. Sanji could still enjoy access to many rare things, such as all kinds of books.
After becoming curious about Fishman Island, Sanji first learned about it through a geography magazine and developed a profound longing for the beautiful creatures known as Mermaids.
…
While Germa accepted the outsourced assignment and began manufacturing the medicine, Otohime had already set out ahead of them.
Scattered patrol ships dotted the waters near Flevance. Everyone aboard wore thick hazmat suits and gas masks like members of a bio-warfare unit, terrified that they might catch the disease afflicting Flevance.
The prosperity Flevance had once enjoyed had long since vanished with the outbreak of Amber Lead Syndrome. In its place stood a blockade formed by barbed wire and trenches.
Because Flevance had invested its entire economy into the Amber Lead industry, and because its territory was not large to begin with, it relied on imports for both food and fresh water. Under the blockade, all kinds of supplies had begun to run short.
At the border, the people of Flevance had already begun gathering near the perimeter, and a bloody conflict could erupt at any moment. At such a time, the appearance of ships flying Fishman Island’s flag seemed somewhat unusual.
“Everyone! Please calm down! Amber Lead Syndrome is not contagious. This is all just a misunderstanding! We have already found an effective medicine, and it will be delivered here very soon!
“Please, both sides, endure a little longer! There is no need to waste precious lives here!”
Otohime’s voice spread through the ship’s loudspeakers in every direction. Normally, mere words would have had little effect in calming people down, but Otohime’s voice seemed to contain some invisible magic, and the crowd truly began to settle.
That was Otohime’s special power—Observation Haki.
Compared with Conqueror’s Haki and Armament Haki, Observation Haki appeared to possess less direct power, but it was far more unusual.
Those who awakened Observation Haki innately often possessed special abilities, such as mind reading.
Otohime’s ability was a form of subtle influence. In ambiguous situations, her words carried greater persuasive power and could even cleanse the hearts of others, allowing them to change more quickly.
However, Otohime could only exert an indirect influence. It was not mind control that allowed her to command everyone present. Although some people calmed down, the situation soon descended into chaos again after others incited them.
“Otohime, I’m telling you, His Majesty Nereus was right. Only after you beat both sides into submission will they sit down and listen to you talk about peace.”
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