Views of Fishman Island in the outside world can, broadly speaking, be divided into three major categories.
The first category consists of extreme racists: people who indiscriminately discriminate against everyone except themselves, i.e. the Celestial Dragons and others like them.
There’s really nothing to say about this group. Aside from a very small number of exceptional individuals, there is fundamentally no possibility of reconciliation. They are enemies that must be confronted and eliminated.
The second category is made up of groups that are friendly toward Fishman Island. They have no inherent prejudice, and normal communication is all that’s needed.
The largest group, however, is the third category: those who know nothing about Fishman Island, whose understanding of the outside world comes solely from newspapers and rumors.
The merchant who sought out Nereus also belonged to this third category: one of the sources through which such people learned about the deep sea.
The dangers posed by the natural hazards of the deep sea are far from small. Those who risk them to engage in trade naturally do so for profit. As long as the profits are high enough, there will always be merchants willing to take actions that ordinary people can’t understand.
A stable commercial environment affects not only Fishman Island’s reputation in the eyes of ordinary people, but also its own economic development.
Since he had already heard about an unstable factor like Vander, Nereus naturally couldn’t just ignore it.
“Of course I trust what you’re saying, sir. May I ask how long this will take? I still need to discuss this matter with my other partners.”
The merchant let out a sigh of relief. In truth, merchant ships being robbed was hardly uncommon on these seas. In most cases, all one could do was accept the loss.
After all, they had been robbed on the way to Fishman Island, not within its territory.
Even among human nations on land, there was no guarantee anyone would step in to help.
On some islands controlled by pirates, even if protection fees had been paid, there’s no guarantee you’ll get your goods back if they decide to flex their muscles.
The loss of cargo was considered the merchants’ own problem. Even if someone else later defeated the looters and retrieved the goods, although the cargo itself hadn’t changed, in nature it would now be classified as seized spoils.
As for the Marines, if they happened to encounter the pirates during a patrol, or if the pirates were already their designated mission target, then the Marines would indeed intervene.
But if the Marines had no such task to begin with, then additional payment was required. Even affiliated nations had to pay if they wanted the Marines to carry out extra missions on their behalf.
The merchant had come to Nereus purely with a “might as well try” mindset. This time, his investment had been too large.
If he couldn’t recover this shipment, all that awaited him was the ruin of his family and livelihood.
As a fellow merchant, he knew better than anyone what his so-called partners were like. They might call each other brothers in ordinary times, but if someone truly fell on hard times, forget about helping, being spared from further sabotage would already be fortunate.
“Sebastian, find me some information on this Vander.”
After the merchant left, Nereus gave the order to Sebastian beside him.
“Boss, it’s already been prepared for you. Actually, these people haven’t just started operating around Fishman Island in recent years.
They only rob passing merchants, rarely clash with pirates, and they’ve never violated your prohibitions, Boss. The former royal family couldn’t even manage domestic affairs properly, let alone deal with people who wander around the deep sea every day.”
Ghost Ship. Flying Pirates. These were the records Fishman Island had regarding Vander, and they didn’t date back just a few years, but could be traced back several hundred years.
That ship really did seem like a ghost ship, endlessly circling around Fishman Island, as if waiting for something.
“They’re just bullies who prey on the weak and fear the strong. Boss, give me three days, I’ll definitely take care of this.”
“No need. This time, I’ll go personally.”
“Boss, someone like that isn’t worth you taking action yourself.”
“True, you all should be capable of handling something like this. Just treat it as a bit of a ‘show.’ When I step in at times like this, the effect is better.
Aren’t those former Neptune Army soldiers still technically not dismissed? Get them moving too, make it look like a thorough investigation, stir things up, and make a big show of it.”
Nereus’s arrangements were carried out swiftly. By the next day, the merchants staying on Fishman Island had already heard the news that Nereus himself had set out to track down their stolen cargo.
“He’s actually going personally…?”
That a king should stand lofty and above the rest was a deeply ingrained notion for most people on the seas.
Expectations for a good king were even lower, so long as he didn’t recklessly cause trouble, he was already considered a good ruler.
There were kings with real strength, of course, but ones who would personally take action over matters like this were exceedingly rare.
“So what if he goes personally? The ocean is so vast, where is he supposed to look? I think we’re finished… We really shouldn’t have gone to sea this time…”
“Even if it’s just for show, it means he takes us seriously. If he chose to ignore it entirely, what could you do about it? So many merchant ships pass through Fishman Island, losing one more wouldn’t make a difference…”
“Of course I hope he succeeds… As long as he can get our goods back, I’d worship him when I get home if I had to! But still…”
Gazing at the dark ocean in the distance beyond Fishman Island, a sense of helplessness welled up in the merchant’s companions.
Merchants from the land ultimately didn’t understand the marine environment. For land merchants, tracking down Vander Decken VIII’s Flying Pirates was indeed no easy task.
They never went up to the surface, drifting only through the deep sea, so much so that even the Marines were helpless against them.
Yet the Flying Pirates had never strayed far from Fishman Island, the only source of light in the deep sea.
And ships traveling through the deep sea could only move along sea currents. Following the nearby currents in pursuit, it didn’t take long before Nereus discovered, deep beneath the sea, a battered wooden ship wrapped in a bubble coating.
Two thick chains were fastened to a Sea Beast, providing propulsion for the dilapidated vessel.
【Good child, how about bringing that ship over to me?】
【Roar?】
The Sea Beast towing the ship suddenly came to a halt, unable to find the source of the voice.
【On your right.】
The Sea Beast couldn’t quite explain what it was thinking, only that the voice felt trustworthy. It immediately altered its course and swam over on its own initiative.
By the time the Flying Pirates realized that the Sea Beast had suddenly changed direction, there was already an unfamiliar figure standing aboard their ship.
“Everyone, could you tell me where Vander Decken VIII is?”
The old deck let out a rotten creak, as though it might shatter at any moment. The Fish-Man pirates aboard froze, and upon seeing who it was, they became utterly stunned, unsure how to react.
“Um… excuse me, Lord Nereus, may I ask what business you have with the captain?”
A rotund Fish-Man, so fat that his neck was practically invisible, asked cautiously from the side, drawing everyone’s gaze toward him.
When they learned that Nereus had come because of the merchant ship’s cargo, two loud bangs immediately rang out across the deck.
The deck wailed in protest as the man who had just been asking questions dropped to his knees—he was none other than Vander Decken VIII.
“Lord Nereus! This is a misunderstanding! Please, let me explain!!”
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