Chapter 235: Recruiting Dilemma and Opportunity! (Two-in-one)
Tsugumi Yuichi didn't show any obvious hostility towards the evil-looking Arlong in front of him. Yuichi was very clear-headed and knew what kind of person Arlong would become in the future.
But no matter what the future holds, at least for now, Tsugikuni Yoshiichi has no reason to attack the other party.
Yes, Arlong is indeed full of evil spirits, and he must have killed many people, but from a standpoint, as a navy officer, it is impossible for Yoriichi Tsugikuni to blame Arlong for anything.
In this day and age, it is probably impossible for ordinary people to even sail far away, let alone come to the Fishman Island under the deep sea.
Basically, no one who can come to this Fishman Island is a good person.
As for the possibility that Aaron will become a scum who wantonly kills humans and enslaves the people in the future, that is all a matter of the future.
If someone is killed just because he "might" become that way and has not committed any crime, then Tsugikuni Yoriichi's behavior is essentially no different from those Celestial Dragons who ordered the massacre of Ohara.
Deal with present sins now.
Future sins will be dealt with in the future.
Presetting a position for others will ultimately force them in that direction.
Jiguo Yuanyi looked at Aaron with a calm expression and no extra emotions in his eyes. In Aaron's opinion, Jiguo Yuanyi's eyes were very clear.
But it was this clarity that actually put him under tremendous pressure.
"Obviously, he's just an inferior human!" Aaron thought so in his heart. After hearing what Jigoku Yoshiichi said, he curled his lips and retorted:
"We fishmen are different from cunning humans like you!"
As he spoke, Aaron looked at Tiger and said with a slightly dissatisfied tone: "Brother Tiger, you must be busy with something, so I won't bother you anymore."
"Come back to the back street when you have time. The brothers miss you very much."
"Leave."
Aaron's attitude towards Tiger, who had mixed up with the navy, was not as enthusiastic as when he first met Tiger. The joy on his face completely faded. After saying goodbye, he turned around and left with his men.
Seeing Aaron walking away with an unhappy look on his face, Tiger was not embarrassed. Instead, he smiled at Ji Guoyuan and explained for Aaron:
"Don't worry about it, Lieutenant General."
"Aaron is still young and has some prejudices against humans."
"But once he gets to know our navy, his idea will definitely change."
"Let's ignore them and go to Ryugu Castle to meet King Neptune and Princess Otohime first. The princess is a very good person and she will definitely support you."
In Tiger's eyes, Aaron was just a child who had not grown up. In Tiger's eyes, those fishmen in the back street were his brothers and sisters. In response to Aaron's indifference, Tiger was not angry, but instead spoke well of Aaron.
Tiger, who had been in the Sword of Dawn for some time, knew very well the strength of the Sword of Dawn's navy. He had seen those seemingly powerful pirates fighting against Jigokuenichi, and they were easily killed in front of this red-haired young man in no time.
Tiger also felt a little in awe of Yuichiro Tsugakuni, even though Yuichiro Tsugakuni usually looked harmless.
"I'm not so petty as to take such things to heart."
"but."
"Tiger, there is something I need to tell you in advance."
"You know, we are the navy. I will never hold back if my subordinates, whether they are human, fish-man, or mermaid, stand against 'justice'."
"The justice I'm talking about isn't the World Government, the Navy itself, or any of those rules and regulations."
"The justice I'm talking about is the moral standard that is generally recognized by people."
"If he crosses my red line, I will never forgive him."
Jiguo Yuanyi walked to Tiger's side, looked at the backs of Aaron and others leaving, turned around for a while, patted Tiger's shoulder, and continued with a smile:
"Let's go to Dragon Palace City."
When Tiger heard the slightly warning words from Yoriichi Tsugikuni, he smiled and nodded, led the way in the direction of Ryugu Castle, and walked in front of Yoriichi to lead the navy.
Along the way, Tiger greeted familiar people warmly and also gave Tsugikoku Yoshiichi and others a brief introduction of his hometown.
Back at Fishman Island, Tiger was in a good mood and kept chattering all the way.
A group of people marched towards Ryugu Palace in a mighty procession. However, before they could go to Ryugu Palace to see King Neptune, King Neptune led a large group of guards out of his palace and rushed to find Ryugu Palace.
On the wide street, King Neptune, holding a trident in his hand, led a large group of guards, blocking the way of Ji Guoyuan and others.
When Neptune saw the navy team including Yoriichi Tsugakuni, a look of solemnity appeared on his face. After his gaze briefly stayed on Tiger, it moved to Yoriichi Tsugakuni.
"This is Lieutenant General Tsugumi Yuichi, right?"
"I am Neptune, the king of Fishman Island!"
The marching troops stopped, Neptune swayed his tail slightly, came to the front of the navy team, lowered his head, and greeted Tsugikoku Yoshiichi.
Strictly speaking, Fishman Island is not completely isolated from the outside world. Neptune only knows about some major events that happened at sea.
Pirate King Roger can be considered as a good friend of Neptune, and when a big man like Roger is captured, everyone will want to know more about him.
Neptune had an impression of Tsugikuni Yoriichi's appearance.
The bright red hair and the flame mark on Ji Guoyuan's forehead are so eye-catching that they are easy to recognize.
"Ohhh! So big!"
"Is this the King of Fishman Island? So impressive!"
In the navy, a young marine couldn't help but sigh when he saw Neptune's massive figure. Mihawk and Cyrus also looked up at Neptune, both of them were amazed.
Neptune is a mermaid, more than ten meters tall. At this time, she is "standing" in front of the navy team, like a small high-rise building, looking quite spectacular.
After spending some time with Tiger, the navy members thought that the fishmen and mermaids on Fishman Island were not much different in size from Tiger. However, after arriving on the island, they found that most of the fishmen and mermaids were actually the same size as humans.
It wasn't until they saw Neptune that they realized how wrong they were.
Seeing Neptune's size, the navy suddenly realized why Fishman Island was able to resist the invasion of pirates and maintain the current peace. Ordinary pirates like Neptune were simply no match for him.
If the "thick" trident in the opponent's hand is nailed into a person's body, he will probably die.
"Lieutenant General, this is King Neptune, known as the 'Great Knight of the Sea.'"
In fact, there was no need for Tiger's reminder. Jiguo Yuanyi also recognized the person who came. A smile appeared on his face. Jiguo Yuanyi stretched out his hand towards the huge King Neptune and said with a smile:
"Greetings, respected King Neptune."
"I am Vice Admiral of the Marine Headquarters, Yoriichi Tsugakuni."
"I apologize for the intrusion of coming to Fishman Island."
He seemed easy to talk to. Although he lacked some etiquette and did not bow to him as a member of the royal family, Tsugikuni Yoshiichi's attitude was not arrogant.
King Neptune slowly leaned down, stretched out his huge fingers, gently squeezed Yunyi's hand, and said with a smile:
"Lieutenant General Jiguo, you are welcome."
"You're able to come to our Fishman Island. You must be busy with military matters, right?"
"If there's anything I can help with, I'll definitely cooperate with you."
Neptune didn't waste any words and directly asked about the purpose of Tsugakuko Yoshiichi's visit. However, just as he said this, he felt someone slap his tail hard.
Then a slightly complaining voice sounded from Neptune's side.
"How can you be so rude?"
As the voice came, a petite blonde fishman walked out from Neptune's side. After a coquettish sound, she actually bowed slightly towards Jiguo Yuanyi.
Seeing the other person's expression, Jiguo Yuanyi bowed slightly in return. At the same time, Taige also bowed to the visitor and whispered to Yuanyi, "This is King Neptune's wife, Princess Otohime."
Without waiting for Jiguoyuan to speak, Princess Yiji said with a smile: "Lieutenant General Jiguo, please don't be offended."
"Let's go to Ryugu Castle first. I believe this is your first time on Fishman Island, so as our host, we must treat you well."
"Please don't take King Neptune's disrespect to heart."
"We'll talk about official business later."
Compared to Neptune, Princess Otohime was very friendly. Although she was a member of the royal family, she walked up to Yoriichi while apologizing and extended her hand to him.
When Ji Kuniyoshi saw Princess Otohime lowering her attitude so much, he was quite surprised.
In all his life, this was the first time Tsugikuni Yoriichi had seen such a polite and affable royal. Most of the nobles he had seen acted so arrogantly, afraid that others wouldn't know they were nobles, practically writing the words "superior" on their faces.
Otohime and Neptune gave Yoriichi a very good first impression.
Some things are indeed not convenient to talk about on the street. Tsugikoku Yoshiichi turned around and waved at Cyrus. After the other party approached, he said to Cyrus: "Cyrus, tell them to return to the ship and stop running around in Fishman Island."
"I'm going to Ryugu Castle to discuss our affairs with King Neptune and Princess Otohime. I'll use Den Den Mushi to notify you when I have any news."
"Restrain them and don't cause trouble for me."
Neptune and Princess Otohime heard what Tsugikuni Yoriichi and Cyrus said. The couple looked at each other, and Otohime winked at Neptune. Neptune reacted quickly and said to Tsugikuni Yoriichi:
"Vice Admiral Tsugukuni, this must be the first time for your subordinates to visit Fishman Island as well."
"Just let them wander around the island and have some sightseeing."
"We on Fishman Island also have many special delicacies and beautiful and unique scenery. We will not let your trip be in vain."
"I'm sure you guys must have been under a lot of pressure on the way to Fishman Island. Relax, hahaha! Relax!"
Having said that, without waiting for Tsugakuin Yoshiichi to say anything more, he shouted directly to the seahorse fishman behind him: "Minister Zuo, you ask someone to be the guide for Lieutenant General Tsugakuin's subordinates and have some fun."
"All expenses will be paid for by our Dragon Palace City!"
Hearing Neptune's words, the sailors behind Jigoku Yuanyi cheered "Oh". When Cyrus heard the cheers of his subordinates, his face suddenly became serious and he looked back. When the sailors saw Cyrus's expression of disapproval, they all shut their mouths and looked embarrassed.
Turning back, Cyrus's tense face couldn't help but relax. He scratched his hair and asked Jiguo Yuanyi: "Lieutenant General, these guys are really nervous along the way, you see..."
Cyrus was very strict with his subordinates, but he was not unreasonable. Seeing his embarrassed look, Yunyi smiled and thanked Neptune and Princess Otohime:
"Thank you, King Neptune and Princess Otohime. I apologize for the trouble you've caused."
"But a guide is no longer necessary. I'm sorry to trouble you. As for the expenses, I do need Ryugu City to help cover them first. I will replace them with gold and silver of equivalent value later."
Fishman Island's currency system is independent, and Bailey is not universal here. Luffy and his friends came to the island with the help of Xiao Ba and his friends.
But it’s different for Yunyi and the others.
However, neither Neptune nor Otohime cared about the gold and silver mentioned by Yuan. To them, there was no essential difference between gold and silver and dirt.
"Okay, Lieutenant General, you have the final say, please!"
Neptune enthusiastically made way and led the way in the direction of Ryugu Castle. With the guards leading the way, Yoriichi Tsugikuni only took Tiger, Cyrus and Mihawk to Ryugu Castle.
The other navy also disbanded on the spot, and the team dispersed in a hurry. The navy disappeared in front of Tsugikuni Yoshiichi and others as if they were having fun.
Neptune had already set up a banquet in Ryugu Castle to entertain Jigoku Yoshiichi and others. During the banquet, Jigoku Yoshiichi and others had a simple meal, and then through Tiger's mouth, they told the navy the purpose of their visit.
"What?! Your navy is recruiting soldiers on our Fishman Island?"
"How is this possible?"
Hearing Tsugikuni Yoriichi's plan, Neptune subconsciously shouted, realizing that he had made some mistakes, Neptune continued:
"Lieutenant General Tsugikuni Yoshiichi, it's not that I disagree with this matter. If the people themselves wish, I will definitely not stop them, but Fishman Island and human society have always been..."
"The Navy wants to recruit soldiers on Fishman Island. In my opinion, it is simply impossible."
"If you intend to impose compulsory conscription, I'm sorry I can't agree to that, Lieutenant General."
Neptune was firm on the matter. Hearing his words, Tiger smiled and tried to smooth things over, saying, "King Neptune, Lieutenant General Tsugumi Yuichi is not what you think. He won't force conscription."
"As long as you have no objection, the Lieutenant General will naturally issue a recruitment order and let the people make their own choice."
"There will be absolutely no coercion! I guarantee that!"
Tiger had a good reputation, and seeing his confident look, Neptune didn't say anything more. He and Princess Otohime both knew what it meant for the navy to recruit soldiers on Fish-man Island. Neptune was actually a little hesitant about this matter. On the one hand, he, like Otohime and Tiger, hoped to build a bridge between Fish-man Island and humans.
However, Neptune still had concerns about Yoriichi Tsugikuni, fearing that his decision would push the people into the fire pit.
That is to say, Tiger is guaranteeing it now, otherwise, Neptune would not even hesitate.
Compared to Neptune, Princess Otohime was much happier after learning the news. She was very confident about Tsugikuni Yoriichi. In fact, Otohime herself had a lot to say about why. She felt that Yoriichi was reliable simply based on her personal feeling.
Maybe it was because Otohime was born with the ability to observe and feel things, or maybe it was because Otohime was kind by nature and thought too well of people's hearts.
In short, during the banquet, Princess Otohime expressed her full support for the navy's recruitment.
Afterwards, with the approval of King Neptune, the navy began to spread the news of navy recruitment on the streets of Fishman Island after a night of rest.
However, for three consecutive days, not only did no one sign up to join the army, but no one even inquired about it. This situation finally made Yuichiro Tsugikuni realize that he had thought some things were too simple.
The conflict between Fishman Island and human society is far more difficult than he imagined.
During this period, Tiger had a sullen face and went to several of his good brothers to ask them if they wanted to join the navy. Without exception, they all refused.
In a square on the streets of Fishman Island, Cyrus was sitting in front of a "small stall" with his chin in his hand, looking bored.
Not far away, Tiger was enthusiastically handing out recruitment flyers to the passing murlocs and mermen. Some took them, glanced at them, and then casually threw them away, while others didn't even bother to pick them up.
Tiger stood on the street, like a summer job handing out flyers, with a look of confusion and helplessness on his face.
"Failure. Big failure!"
"How am I going to explain this to Vice Admiral Tsugikoku if we keep going like this?"
"It's been so many days, and there's no one here, not even anyone to ask!"
The road became deserted. Tiger walked up to Cyrus and slammed the thick stack of flyers in his hand onto the table with a "bang", looking dejected.
“.”
"We're overthinking things. Let's wait and see. If there's no progress, we'll leave."
"Next, there is a big operation waiting for us. We can't waste time here."
Cyrus looked at the thick leaflet and sighed.
“ε=(ο｀*)))Alas!”
Just as Tiger and Cyrus were sighing, they suddenly heard a loud noise coming from a distance.
"boom!!!!!"
The loud noise, like a thunderclap in a spring night, disturbed countless people on the island.
Soon, the residents who heard the noise came out of their houses, and the streets were crowded with people, and then the crowd rushed towards the direction where the sound came from.
Everyone loves to watch the fun, no matter whether it's human or merman.
"What happened?" Cyrus raised his head, muttered, stood up, and then looked at Tiger and the other man, and rushed towards the direction where the sound came from.
When the loud noise occurred, Tsugikuni Yoriichi and Mihawk were visiting Ryugu Castle. Unable to recruit soldiers, Yoriichi set his sights on Neptune and Princess Otohime. He hoped that the two could help the navy "shout out" and spread the word. If possible, Yoriichi hoped that Neptune could let his guards set some "examples".
When they were halfway through discussing the matter, they heard a muffled sound.
Realizing that something might have happened, Neptune immediately stopped the meeting and called the guards to leave Ryugu Castle.
At this time, the wreckage of a cruise ship inexplicably appeared in an open space hundreds of meters away from the city. It seemed that the cruise ship had been attacked by some terrifying creature. The entire ship was broken into pieces, and there were tooth marks and claw marks on the hull and deck.
Amidst the wreckage of the cruise ship, a figure struggled to crawl out from under the shattered planks. His face was covered in blood, and he weakly looked towards the people of Fishman Island running towards him, growling:
"Save me!"
"Untouchables, come and save me!"
(End of this chapter)
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