"You're a merfolk! Why would you side with humans and betray the Fish-Men?"
A group of enraged Fish-Men questioned Gerald, their hostility toward humanity evident.
"Water Shot!"
Gerald's eyes turned cold as he raised his hand, summoning droplets of water that shot out like bullets. In an instant, the Fish-Men who had just confronted him fell to the ground, blood splattering everywhere.
"Let me teach you a rule: in the presence of the strong, you must maintain reverence. Otherwise, you won't even know how you died."
"You should feel lucky. Our captain wishes to recruit you. Otherwise, the ten thousand Fish-Men in this district would all be dead by now!"
Gerald's icy snort sent chills through the crowd.
---
"Your captain has already left. Why did you stay behind?" Fisher Tiger asked, stopping his followers from making another reckless move.
Gerald didn't answer. Instead, he clenched his fist and unleashed a Fish-Man Karate technique.
"Fish-Man Karate: Nine-Thousand-Tile True Punch!"
A devastating shockwave erupted from Gerald's fist, blasting past the gathered Fish-Men and demolishing a row of buildings three hundred meters away.
The sheer power left the Fish-Men stunned. They couldn't help but wonder: if that punch had been aimed at them, how many would have survived?
"That's a Nine-Thousand-Tile Fish-Man Karate technique! It's even stronger than Tiger's moves!"
The awe-struck murmurs rippled through the crowd as they realized Gerald's mastery of Fish-Man Karate was far beyond what they thought possible.
"I stayed behind because we're all Fish-Men," Gerald finally spoke, his voice heavy with emotion.
"Eleven years ago, I was a slave. A wretched slave, abducted from Fish-Man Island by those vile human traffickers. It was the captain who saved me. He didn't care about my slave status and welcomed me into the Infinite Pirate Crew."
"The captain taught me how to become strong, how to no longer live in fear of slavers. Now, slavers flee at the mere sight of me."
"Today, I am a division captain in the Infinite Pirate Crew. I earn 2 million berries a month, command over a thousand pirates, and have a family with both a merfolk wife and a human wife. I own a house and garden on land, and my children are thriving."
"My achievements today are the result of my hard work after joining the Infinite Pirate Crew. Now, the crew wants to form a Fish-Man Fleet, and this is your chance. Whether you seize it or not is entirely up to you."
With that, Gerald turned and walked away without waiting for a response.
---
"Boss Tiger, I want to leave. I want to join the Infinite Pirate Crew!"
"Me too! I've had enough of this place. I want to live on land. I want to marry a human wife!"
Li Yuan's earlier words had shattered their pride, while Gerald's story had mended it. His example showed them that Fish-Men could achieve greatness and live dignified lives.
The seeds of change had been planted.
"You're all mad! The Infinite Pirate Crew is just going to sell you to slavers!"
"Impossible! I've heard they despise slavers. On their territory, slavers are hunted down relentlessly."
"That's right! The crew rules over millions of humans; they don't need money from selling slaves."
"This is our chance to change our fate. I refuse to keep living in this rotten district. Even if it means risking my life, I won't regret it!"
Injured Fish-Men began dragging their battered bodies toward the port, determined to board the Infinite Pirate Crew's ship and leave their bleak lives behind.
---
"Boss Tiger!"
All eyes turned to Fisher Tiger, waiting for his decision. As the leader of Fish-Man District, his stance carried immense weight.
"Those who wish to join the Infinite Pirate Crew, go ahead. Don't worry about me. I won't join them, but I plan to form my own Fish-Man Pirate Crew soon and set sail."
Tiger's declaration brought a wave of relief.
"That's great, Boss Tiger! When the time comes, we'll follow you!"
---
Two days later, aboard the Hades Nether God, over a thousand Fish-Men had joined, most of them from Fish-Man District.
"Captain, your recruitment methods really work wonders!" Gerald said with a grin, flattering Li Yuan.
"Enough with the compliments. From now on, these Fish-Men are your responsibility."
Li Yuan waved dismissively. Fish-Men should be led by their own kind; they would be more obedient and disciplined under Gerald's command.
"Don't worry, Captain! I'll train them into a proper Fish-Man Fleet," Gerald promised confidently.
"This is just the beginning. Once these Fish-Men experience the benefits of being part of the Infinite Pirate Crew, take them back to Fish-Man Island. Let them share their stories and what they've seen with others.
"In time, more Fish-Men will join us and move to the islands we provide. My goal is to form a Fish-Man Fleet of at least fifty thousand."
Li Yuan's ambitions were clear. In this ocean-dominated world, Fish-Men were the chosen ones, the true rulers of the sea.
The World Government oppressed the Fish-Men for a reason: allowing them to flourish on land could one day pose a significant threat.
But Li Yuan didn't care about that. He needed a powerful underwater force, and the Fish-Men were the perfect choice.
---
The Hades Nether God docked at Siren Island, a pristine location prepared by Yadina for the Fish-Men's arrival. The island, nestled within the Infinite Sea's core territory, was close to Wano Country and shielded from conflict.
The island boasted lush forests, vibrant flowers, and an abundance of seafood. Temporary housing for two thousand residents had been built, with plans for further construction left to the Fish-Men's discretion.
"This is incredible! Is this really our new home?"
The Fish-Men marveled at the island's beauty, the warm sunlight and blooming flowers a stark contrast to the gloom of Fish-Man District.
"It's so beautiful!" Even Queen Otohime was mesmerized by the stunning scenery.
"This island is called Flower Island. It's surrounded by an inland sea, making it ideal for Fish-Men. From now on, you'll live here. If you need anything, speak to Yadina. She'll take care of it," Li Yuan instructed, delegating further responsibilities to Gerald and Yadina.
After ensuring the Fish-Men were settled, Li Yuan left for Venus Island to visit Lazuli's laboratory.
---
"Darling, what brings you here?"
Seeing Li Yuan, Lazuli abandoned her experiments and rushed to his side, affectionately clinging to his arm.
"If I didn't come, would you ever take a break to visit me?" Li Yuan scolded, glaring at her. It had been over a month since they last met, and Lazuli was so engrossed in her work that she likely wouldn't have stopped.
"I'm sorry, darling! I've just been at a critical point in my research. The medicine you asked for—to unlock human potential—I've made some progress!" Lazuli admitted, her tone apologetic yet eager.
"Here, I brought you some samples," Li Yuan said, handing her a case containing the infamous Energy Steroids.
Meanwhile, elsewhere, Du Feld, the Loan Shark King, was scheming. His organization, MADS, had made significant progress in reverse-engineering the Infinite Pirate Crew's ship technologies.
"The power of technology holds limitless profits," Du
Feld muttered, already envisioning his next move.
But unbeknownst to him, his actions had drawn the attention of other powerful factions.
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