NOVEL NEXT Chapter 42: The Fifth Stop?
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The ship set sail once again.
Joey and his crew departed from Fishman Island.
To be honest...
The entire transaction had gone far too smoothly.
King Neptune had made a bold declaration.
He had promised to select over one million fishmen and one hundred thousand merfolk to participate.
So amazing. To put it plainly...
Joey was utterly shocked by the sheer magnitude of it all, nearly losing his composure.
Fortunately, years of discipline and experience helped him maintain his calm demeanor.
After all, he had worked tirelessly to recruit tens of thousands of Tontatta, coerced ten thousand giants into joining, and purchased members of the Oni and Dwarven races.
Altogether, he had barely scraped together forty thousand people.
And yet Neptune, with a single statement, had pledged 1.1 million citizens?
Honestly speaking...
Joey held these non-human races in even higher regard. They were invaluable as future warriors.
Just think—one million fishmen, each with physical strength ten times that of an average human.
And if at least ten thousand merfolk flourished over time, the resulting population could form a powerful race.
To sum it up...
Joey had hit the jackpot this time.
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Watching the ship sail away, Tiger scratched his head and asked Neptune, "Your Majesty, I understand your reasoning, but isn't it a bit much? Just the protection of the Big Mom Pirates doesn't seem enough to warrant such a massive contribution, does it?"
There was something Tiger left unsaid.
Even if...
Even if they could live under the sun and be treated as equals.
"Hehehe..."
The Minister of the Left chuckled. "Tiger, merely having strength isn't enough—you also need knowledge. This arrangement? Regardless of the outcome, the Ryugu Kingdom can't lose. If it succeeds, Fishman Island might one day openly move to the surface world."
The Minister of the Right nodded in agreement. "And if it fails? Well, if the Charlotte Family collapses, we'll have lost nothing in the process."
"I see," Tiger murmured with newfound understanding.
Of course...
Beyond being a no-risk gamble for Fishman Island, the key reason for the smooth transaction was the inexplicable warmth the fishmen felt toward Joey.
That sense of connection had made negotiations seamless.
Neptune added, "Alright, let's not dwell on it anymore. Tiger, begin selecting one million fishmen. Otohime, you'll handle the selection of one hundred thousand merfolk. Make it voluntary."
"Understood."
"Alright."
Both Otohime and Tiger nodded.
Meanwhile, Neptune squinted slightly, recalling the private conversation he'd had with Joey.
He mused silently, "The World Summit... Two years from now. Chief Joey, don't let me down. If you can truly achieve what you claim, I won't hesitate to place all my bets on you."
Shaking his head, Neptune put the matter aside. Time would reveal the truth.
Elsewhere, aboard the ship...
As the vessel continued its journey, breaking through the waters toward the surface world, Broye blinked in disbelief. "Opera-nii, you're joking, right?"
Her expression was one of utter incredulity, as though her brother was playing a prank.
Since when were transactions this easy?
One million fishmen and one hundred thousand merfolk?
Fishmen, with physical prowess ten times that of humans.
And the merfolk? Even more extraordinary—each of them stunningly beautiful.
And they just... handed them over?
Opera rolled his eyes. "Why would I lie? Honestly, I feel like I'm the one being tricked! When did such things become so simple?"
No matter how he looked at it...
Opera was utterly baffled.
Joey, however, wasn't present, and Broye couldn't ask for clarification.
Her elder brother had plenty on his plate.
Inside the ship's study, Joey was meticulously documenting intelligence reports.
Before him was a large map, dotted with countless islands.
"Hmmm..."
Squinting at the map, Joey made careful notes.
This sea region...
Truthfully...
It was exceptionally barren. The reason was simple—while vast, containing nearly fifty islands, most of them were desolate wastelands.
To put it bluntly, these islands were so barren that even mosquitoes struggled to survive.
The poverty was shocking.
As a result, no one had ever bothered to settle in this area.
Joey murmured thoughtfully, "Fifty islands are far too many; there's no need for that many. Some need to be eliminated, and their locations reorganized."
With that, he began sketching and planning.
Joey was genuinely engrossed in his work.
Soon enough, he had finished most of the adjustments.
Leaning back, he exhaled deeply.
"Whew..."
By the time he was done, he had reduced the area to 36 islands, centered around a single black dot on the map.
Rubbing his temples, he mused, "This will have to do for now. Given my current resources, I can only afford to develop part of it. Buying out the entire region isn't realistic yet."
Shaking his head, Joey set the project aside for the moment and shifted his focus to the next step of his plans.
In his mind, he had mapped out a route starting from Elbaf, then to Dressrosa, Fishman Island, and finally Alabasta.
However...
The discovery of the Phoenix Fruit had necessitated a detour to Phoenix Island.
Looking at the world map, Joey smiled faintly and declared, "The next target is Alabasta!"
"Brrr~~~ Brrr~~~"
The family emblem communicator suddenly buzzed.
Joey answered, "Perospero, what is it?"
Perospero's voice came through the line, "Big Bro! The Tontatta have been settled on that barren island. I've also brought in a team of craftsmen to begin construction. Following your instructions, we're using the Tontatta's cultivated greenery to create a forest city, with separate underground and above-ground sections."
Hearing this report, Joey smiled. "Perospero, your handling of these matters has been excellent."
"Hehehe~~~"
Perospero chuckled. "Big Bro, don't flatter me too much. Oh, by the way, I've received some news..."
The call ended abruptly.
Joey's lips curled into a smirk.
"It seems the fifth stop will be Sabaody Archipelago."
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.
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