"Now that you mention it... that actually makes a lot of sense!" Jinbe nodded thoughtfully.
He had once been a pirate himself, roaming across many nations. He knew all too well how the human nobility adored luxuries like pearls and coral, especially the finest quality, which were always in high demand.
Then there were the rare medicinal herbs unique to the ocean depths, not to mention the abundance of underwater mineral resources.
The problem was, these things were difficult for humans to harvest from the seafloor, which made them incredibly expensive.
But things were different for Fish-Men and Merfolk.
They could extract these resources with ease, and by using Donquixote Doflamingo's underground channels to sell them, they could trade them for massive wealth.
That wealth, in turn, could be used to strengthen Ryugu Kingdom's military might. It really was a win-win scenario.
"Money can move even ghosts," said Aeridar with a wry smile. "With enough wealth, you can rebuild Fish-Man Island from the ground up, develop deep-sea technology, and turn Ryugu Kingdom into a force to be reckoned with. As long as you're not fools, a few decades of peace is more than enough to achieve prosperity and strength. That's why you need everyone's support."
Jinbe and Neptune exchanged glances, both nodding slightly. They certainly weren't about to admit they were fools.
Then Jinbe asked, "And what about that woman, Boa Hancock?"
Just the mention of her gave him a headache. That woman was a handful; powerful, stubborn, and with a worse temper than even Doflamingo. Dealing with her was never easy.
"Leave convincing Boa Hancock to me," Aeridar replied casually. "It'll take a little time, but even if she refuses, with you and Doflamingo on board, that still makes four Warlords. Aside from the Marines and the Four Emperors, who else could stand against that?"
Leaning forward slightly, Aeridar pointed to himself, his expression still calm.
"You really are an ambitious man," Jinbe said, locking eyes with him. "But I don't have much choice. For the sake of Fish-Man Island..."
He paused, then added slowly, "...I'll join you. Let's just hope you don't fall in the New World too quickly."
If things really unfolded the way Aeridar described, there'd be nothing but benefits for Fish-Man Island.
After all, anyone chosen to be a member of the Seven Warlords Alliance had the strength to back it up. So long as the alliance wasn't completely wiped out, and with both Whitebeard and several Warlords providing protection, Fish-Man Island would be practically untouchable.
Aeridar burst out laughing. Nearby, Gilbert Arlan and Oliver couldn't help but smile too.
As the laughter faded, Aeridar met Jinbe's gaze and said quietly, "Don't worry. If I get taken down... it just means I was never more than that kind of man."
He waved his hand, and Arlan stepped forward, pulling a sleek, gray Den Den Mushi from his coat pocket and handing it to Jinbe.
"This one's custom-made from Water 7, untraceable. You can use it to reach me directly. I had one delivered to Crocodile while I was still in Water 7, so you can contact him as well. I'll let you know when new members join."
Aeridar gestured toward the Den Den Mushi as he spoke.
He'd spent several days in Water 7 back then, partly to attend the Marine HQ summit at Marineford, and partly because the Chris was undergoing maintenance.
During that time, he commissioned seven of these special Den Den Mushi, at a whopping cost of ten million Berries.
"Got it," Jinbe nodded and took the Den Den Mushi.
Pere pere pere... Pere pere pere...
Suddenly, a faint ringing sound buzzed from Arlan's pocket.
"Hm?" Aeridar turned his head in surprise.
Arlan pulled out the Den Den Mushi and turned to Aeridar. "It's from the ship," he said, before flipping the receiver open.
"Moshi moshi, Arlan speaking."
"First mate, sir, there are two pirates here asking to see the captain. Said it's personal," a voice crackled from the other end.
"Looking for the captain? Old acquaintances?" Arlan glanced at Aeridar, puzzled.
"Ask them who they are." Aeridar, also confused, replied without hesitation.
"Did they say their names?" Arlan asked into the Den Den Mushi.
"They said they're from the East Blue. One's called Enrod, a man with white hair, the other's Galan, a skinny guy, dark complexion," the voice responded, giving a brief description of the two visitors.
"...Enrod? Galan?" The three of them were baffled. Those names didn't ring a bell.
But Jinbe and Neptune reacted differently. They looked surprised, like they did recognize the names.
"You know them?" Aeridar quickly asked, catching their expressions.
Jinbe and Neptune exchanged another look, then turned to Aeridar with a strange expression.
"They're pirates from the East Blue. You don't know them?"
"They do seem a little familiar, but I can't quite remember..." Aeridar scratched the back of his head sheepishly.
"Well then," Jinbe said as he began to explain in detail, "Enrod, full name, Gerald Enrod, is the captain of the White Mane Pirates. Nicknamed the White Mane Swordsman, born in the East Blue, and was one of the Supernovas two years ago. His bounty is 270 million berries. Galan, full name, Morris Galan, is his first mate, goes by the moniker Black Ghost, also from the East Blue, and he's got a bounty of 190 million."
"I heard that not too long ago, they were crushed by a major pirate in the New World," King Neptune added, his tone grave yet informed. "They barely managed to escape and ended up here on Fish-Man Island."
"Wait... Enrod and Galan..." Arlan suddenly slapped his forehead in realization. "Captain, aren't those the two pirates who tried to steal timber from our territory two years ago?"
"That's right!" Aeridar's eyes lit up as the memory came rushing back. "They're the ones I let go. Can't believe they actually made it to the Grand Line... and Enrod even became one of the Supernovas." He chuckled, half in disbelief.
Now that Arlan had jogged his memory, it all came flooding back, especially that Galan guy. Sharp mind. Aeridar had even tried to recruit him once.
What a coincidence, running into them here of all places. Still, if Neptune was right and they'd just been driven out of the New World, things probably hadn't gone too well for them.
"Well, I guess they are familiar faces," Aeridar said with a smirk. "Tell them we'll head over soon."
After all, running into a fellow East Blue native so far out in the seas had its own kind of charm. Wouldn't hurt to catch up face-to-face.
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