One Piece: Rayquaza of the Beasts Pirates

"Hody Jones!"

Neptune's face turned pale then red, and he slammed his trident hard into the ground.

The other princes and mermaid officials who could understand fish language also turned extremely pale instantly, their chests heaving violently.

Queen Otohime passed away three years ago, and many of them were eyewitnesses to what happened back then.

Looking back on Hody Jones's righteous and awe-inspiring performance that day, I feel utterly disgusted.

Seeing this, Jinbe knew perfectly well that the truth was exactly as Kane had said.

"Damn it, how come I didn't see Hody Jones's wolfish ambitions back then!"

Jinbe clenched his teeth, filled with resentment and indignation.

Queen Otohime was such a pure and kind person, how could that beast do such a thing?

"Lord Kane, please rest for the night in Dragon Palace."

Neptune suppressed his rage to immediately kill his enemy and said in a deep voice, "I must immediately assemble the army and go to capture Hody Jones, that murderer!"

"As for the cooperation you proposed... as long as it does not harm the residents of Fishman Island, I promise in the name of the King that I will seriously consider it."

"There's no rush yet."

Kane smiled slightly and said calmly, "Why don't you listen to the specific details of the cooperation I have to tell you before making a decision?"

Neptune frowned, but held back: "Please speak."

"It's very simple. The Beasts Pirates want to recruit a group of merfolk and fish-men to Wano Country. They will work for us, and we will provide them with protection and payment."

Kane was concise and to the point.

"what?"

Jinbe frowned deeply.

Kane spoke eloquently, but he simply couldn't trust the Beasts Pirates, who were known for their brutality.

He stepped forward and cut to the chase: "Are you recruiting slaves?"

"of course not."

When questioned, Kane answered with unusual bluntness, "If I only needed slaves, there would be no need for such a formal visit and proposal. Acting covertly, kidnapping and plundering, is more in line with the pirate style, and simpler and more direct, isn't it?"

He shrugged and continued, "I need the power of the fish-people, and I can also provide you with the protection you need most. It's a win-win situation, where each gets what they need."

Forcibly enslaving fish-men is the most foolish thing to do.

Extremely low cost-performance ratio.

While the cost of governing a group is high, the benefits are certainly not as high as those who are willing to work.

In a sense, the relationship between capital and employment, however primitive, is far more advanced than the backward system of slavery.

Jinbe pressed further, "What exactly do you need the Fish-Men and Merfolk to do?"

“Two aspects,” Kane stated bluntly. “First, the Beasts need to assemble a special combat force composed of elite merfolk warriors to deal with underwater warfare and special missions.”

Secondly, we need a professional deep-sea mining team to utilize your talents to extract rare mineral deposits that lie dormant in the deepest parts of the ocean, inaccessible to ordinary humans.

Upon hearing that the request was specific and not unacceptable, Jinbe's brow relaxed.

Kane's candid attitude made him feel a little more at ease.

If that's the case, then it's not impossible to discuss it.

The only crucial question is how to verify whether Kane's statement is true or false.

“That brother, what he said is true.”

Just then, a soft, sweet voice rang out from the side.

Everyone looked over and saw Bai Xing looking timid, her pink cheeks flushed, as if she had mustered all her courage to say those words.

"Princess Shirahoshi?" Jinbe asked, somewhat puzzled.

Kane understood.

He smiled and said, "You inherited your mother's abilities? That's remarkable."

Jinbe suddenly realized.

Queen Otohime possesses a unique innate Observation Haki, which not only allows her to keenly perceive the good and evil emotions of others, but also enables her to influence and assimilate others with her own strong emotions, indirectly changing their thoughts.

The effect is nothing short of brainwashing.

It wouldn't be surprising if Princess Shirahoshi also inherited this power.

"Promise me, Neptune."

Kane spread his arms wide and said in a loud voice, "Think of Queen Otohime's lifelong dream! She wanted the children of Fishman Island to truly bask in the sunlight, breathe in the fresh sea breeze, and run freely on the vast land, instead of being trapped forever in this oppressive, dark deep sea, merely surviving on the grace of the Sun Tree Eve!"

Neptune fell silent.

To be honest, deep down he didn't completely agree with his wife's naive and romantic dream.

Because he knew better than his wife just how treacherous the sea outside was.

Fishmen are born with ten times the arm strength of ordinary humans, and their lower limit is extremely high. However, the monsters among humans have an upper limit that can crush any strong fishman.

Recklessly going to the ground would be extremely risky.

but……

What if a Yonko-like force like Kane made a security guarantee?

The situation seems to be quite different.

Neptune was well aware of the immense deterrent power they wielded on this sea.

Back then, the mere announcement by the Whitebeard Pirates to protect Fishman Island caused the number of slave traders who recklessly captured mermaids and fishmen to decrease by more than half.

With that in mind, Neptune no longer hesitated.

His gaze was firm as he said, "I agree, but you must guarantee that all the fishmen and mermaids recruited must leave with you entirely voluntarily! There must be no coercion whatsoever!"

"Otherwise, even if it costs me my life and I have to use the entire power of Fishman Island, I will not allow you to take away any of my people!"

"You can rest assured about that."

Kane answered without hesitation, full of confidence: "Besides, you don't need to worry about their treatment. In the Beasts Pirates, strength is everything. The more strength they possess, the bigger the stage they get and the more respect they receive."

As he spoke, he turned his head and looked at the two cadres behind him.

“Jack, Kawamatsu.”

The two exchanged a glance and immediately understood Kane's intention.

They stepped forward simultaneously, showing Neptune their fish-man characteristics.

Kane explained, "They are all officers of the Beasts Pirates, and also my comrades. This is how the Beasts Pirates treat the strong."

"I understand."

Neptune took a deep breath: "I will cooperate with you in conducting open and voluntary recruitment on Fishman Island in the name of the King."

This may truly be a rare opportunity for Fishman Island to step into the sunlight.

He knew very well that although the people of Fishman Island were filled with fear of the outside world, their yearning for real sunshine, fresh air, and vast land was deeply ingrained in their blood and genes.

That is why the people of Fishman Island support Otohime's seemingly unattainable dream.

"Now that we've reached an agreement, let's go check out Fishman Street together."

Kane's lips curled into a smile.

"Fishman Street?"

Neptune paused, a hint of embarrassment on his face, and confessed, "That used to be the neighborhood where we housed orphans, but due to a lack of effective management and education, it has become a haven for thugs. Recruiting them would be difficult for you to manage."

"Hahahaha, that's exactly what I wanted—they're fierce enough."

Instead of being worried, Kane burst into laughter.

No matter what, the Beasts Pirates are still a pirate crew, and those who aren't ruthless enough won't survive in it.

Neptune seemed to understand something.

So, after leaving Shirahoshi in the Hard Shell Tower, the group set off again, boarding a royal ship pulled by a giant sea monster, and headed to Fishman Town, located on the edge of Fishman Island.

During the voyage, Neptune still felt it necessary to give Kane another heads-up.

"Due to the long-term persecution and enslavement of the fish-men and mermaids by humans, the vast majority of the residents of Fish-Man Island harbor deep disgust and even deep hatred for humans, especially in Fish-Man Street."

"Especially in recent years, under the influence of Hody Jones's extreme theories, there are mostly fish-man supremacists there."

At this moment, Jinbe slowly spoke up: "I still have some influence in Fishman Town, so I can help you."

"Thank you very much."

Kane nodded in agreement: "Actually, I don't care how many people are recruited in this first batch. The important thing is to set an example."

He refused to believe that Fishman Island, with its five million inhabitants, couldn't find many people willing to go out to sea.

Half an hour later, the ship arrived at its destination.

The so-called Fishman Street, after years of disorderly expansion, is no longer a simple street, but has become a vast and chaotic gathering place for fishmen.

Compared to the dreamlike beauty surrounding the Dragon Palace, this place appears dilapidated and dangerous.

"Fellow countrymen of Fishman Island! Listen to me! Beside me is Lord Kane of the Beasts Pirates, he..."

Neptune stood on the whale's back and began to preach loudly.

At the same time, his voice was also broadcast throughout the entire Fishman Town via the Den Den Mushi (transmitter insect).

"What?! I didn't even bother them, and they just came to me like that?"

Hody Jones was furious upon receiving the news.

Meanwhile, the fishmen who heard Neptune's speech gathered around in twos and threes, looking at Kane and his companions with varying expressions.

Chapter 119 Hody Jones, Dead!

"The Beasts Pirates are recruiting?! Is that true?!"