Next Bonus, 100!!
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During his secret trip to the New World, Jin had accomplished quite a bit.
First, he had completed his second battle with Loki.
Second, he had infiltrated Punk Hazard, taken the artificial Azure Dragon fruit, and analyzed it to obtain valuable intelligence.
Third, he had dismantled the joint operation by Doflamingo and Kaido targeting the G-5 base.
Fourth, he had captured Hachinosu, linked up with Zephyr and the Neo Marines, and gained a new contingent of veteran soldiers in the New World.
He had also reaped a number of other rewards.
Financially, the 300 million Berries from Ochoku's stash on Hachinosu had been left to Zephyr and the Neo Marines for the reconstruction of the island.
Fruit-wise, he had obtained the Spin-Spin Fruit, the Big-Big Fruit, the Island-Island Fruit, and the Nine-Tailed Fox Fruit.
Jin opened the interface and scanned the results, a satisfied smile on his face.
He was just three Devil Fruits away from the next upgrade.
And it was only January.
He still had a year and a half until the Summit War. He would complete the next upgrade before then.
"I've made a lot of noise this time," he mused. "The tree that stands tallest is the first to be struck by the wind. If I get too strong, I'll attract Imu's attention. I should keep a low profile for a while."
Jin knew that this was a critical time. Too many people had celebrated their victory at halftime, only to fall just before the dawn. He had a clear goal. There was no need to rush. As long as he developed steadily and didn't get reckless, he would continue to grow stronger.
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Jin spent some time at the G-5 base, teasing Monet and spending a couple of days with Kuina before heading back to Fish-Man Island.
On the way, he paid a visit to the island itself.
The introduction of the light-guide mirror system had illuminated the lower districts. And with the ongoing projects of retrofitting the Noah, deep-sea exploration, and developing the fishing and aquaculture industries, the economy was booming.
Incomes were rising. The sound of laughter was now much more common on Fish-Man Island.
In the Ryugu Kingdom, Neptune held a banquet in Jin's honor. Fukaboshi, Shirahoshi, Jinbe, Madam Shyarly, and other local dignitaries were in attendance.
"King Jin," Shirahoshi asked, her eyes wide with wonder, "is the surface world beautiful? Is the sun brighter than our Sun-Light Trees?"
Like many merfolk and Fish-Men, she was filled with a deep longing for a life above the sea.
The grass is always greener on the other side.
"For the Celestial Dragons and the nobles, perhaps it is," Jin said, his words a harsh dose of reality, shattering the young princess's fantasy. "But for the common person... can you eat the sunlight?"
Shirahoshi's face fell.
"Your Majesty," Neptune chuckled, "you won't win any hearts with talk like that."
"It's the truth," Jin said, shaking his head. "This kind of propaganda is wrong. You're putting a filter on the surface world. Or... are you hoping that if enough Fish-Men leave on their own, the Ryugu Kingdom won't have to be responsible for them?"
Neptune cleared his throat. "Of... of course not."
"Honestly," Jin said, "you'd be much safer developing your technology here in the deep sea, creating your own deep-sea ecosystem, than trying to compete with humans. What's it like up there? A constant struggle for territory and resources. Jinbe, you've been there. You know what it's like. The beauty is fleeting. In most countries, the people are crushed by layer after layer of oppression. They can barely survive. Pirates are rampant. The people live in constant fear. Fish-Man Island is lucky to have the protection of the deep sea. If you were on the surface, it wouldn't be long before all you beautiful mermaids were carved up and sold off as playthings."
"But what if we had the protection of the World Government?" Shirahoshi asked timidly.
"Hahaha... don't you know who the biggest slave traders in the world are? Your biggest customers are the very people you're seeking protection from. The Celestial Dragons! A mouse seeking protection from a cat... isn't that just asking to be eaten?"
"There are good people among the humans," Prince Fukaboshi said, "like you, Your Majesty. Surely there are good people among the Celestial Dragons as well..."
Jin just smiled. He didn't argue. Fukaboshi and Shirahoshi had been raised in a gilded cage. They were naive. It wasn't that they were wrong, just that they saw the world from a different perspective.
They believed that if they could just gain the acceptance of humans, they would be able to live freely on the surface, without oppression.
But the resources of the surface world were finite.
Even if humans were to completely accept the Fish-Man race in the short term, when resources became scarce, when the existence of the Fish-Men began to affect the interests of humanity as a whole...
A "Fish-Man Hunt" decree would inevitably be issued.
Never mind the difference between humans and Fish-Men. Even among humans, the conflict over skin color was a massive issue.
In Jin's view, the Fish-Man race could have spent the last eight hundred years building a massive underwater metropolis around Fish-Man Island, centered on the roots of the Sunlight Tree Eve. A real-life Atlantis.
They certainly had the ability.
The natural talents of the Fish-Men were a gift from the heavens in a world covered by ocean. The entire sea was their pasture.
But for eight hundred years, they had done nothing, clinging to the belief that the prophecy of Joy Boy would one day bring them to the surface.
It was... foolish.
Of course, that was with the benefit of hindsight. Perhaps if they had, new conflicts would have arisen.
But...
"Haven't you heard?" Jin said. "Heaven helps those who help themselves. As heaven maintains vigor through movement, a gentleman should constantly strive for self-perfection."
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Jin's main purpose for visiting Fish-Man Island was to collect the minerals the Fish-Men had been excavating. He swallowed them all. Among them were some minerals unique to the world of One Piece, like titanium, which would need to be analyzed by his scientists.
Special materials for special products.
The Fish-Men had also found some stone carvings with ancient text in the undersea ruins. He took those as well, swallowing them and giving them to Robin to study.
It was a normal trade arrangement. Jin paid for the goods, and Fish-Man Island would, in turn, purchase supplies from the Winter Blossom Kingdom.
When Jin left Fish-Man Island, his ship was carrying a number of new passengers: Jinbe, Neptune, Shirahoshi, Madam Shyarly, and a contingent of Fish-Men and merfolk.
Ostensibly, they were on their way to Hannabal for a cultural exchange.
In reality, Shirahoshi, having spent her entire life cooped up in the Hard-Shell Tower, wanted to see the outside world with her own eyes, and this was her royal escort.
Jin had no objections. He believed that Fish-Man Island should remain in the deep sea, but that didn't mean the Fish-Man race shouldn't have contact with the outside world.
"We'll skip the Sabaody Archipelago," he said. "Too easy to run into Celestial Dragons there. Let's go to Amazon Lily first. The Kuja are in a similar situation to the Ryugu Kingdom. You can learn a lot from each other."
When they arrived at Amazon Lily, Gloriosa, having heard that a delegation from the Ryugu Kingdom was visiting, had made special preparations. Shirahoshi, Madam Shyarly, Neptune, and the other female members of the delegation were allowed to enter the country and watch the martial arts tournament in the city.
Jinbe and the other males had to wait outside.
With the exception of Jin.
As the most honored guest of the Kuja, he was granted an imperial exception.
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~ 70 Advanced Chapters Available on Patreon
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