Imu picked up the letter Dragon had written to the Five Elders.
Two minutes later, he finished reading it. As expected, everything was within his predictions. Perhaps because it was Dragon's first time writing such a letter, his wording was cautious—but it was clear he lacked political sophistication. As he wrote, he couldn't hold back, eventually pointing out the faults of the World Government, with his dissatisfaction practically leaping off the page.
His main complaints centered around the issue of slavery.
"Well, maybe this letter helped him vent a bit. Better to let it out than bottle it up," Imu chuckled.
"But the other side should be ready to act by now… I imagine the kid must be quite shocked at the moment~"
Still, he needed to consider what to do with Dragon. Should he stay in the Navy? Or would it be better to reassign him somewhere else?
...
—Navy Headquarters, Marineford.
Five colossal warships, like sea beasts, sailed in a triangular formation, slowly passing through the massive open iron gates. As they cut through the waves, they left three long, white trails in their wake.
On the deck, Monkey D. Dragon stared blankly at the Gates of Justice as they closed behind them.
He still found it hard to believe the mission he had just been assigned. As for the silent men in white robes flanking him, he had grown used to their presence over the past few days.
Lowering his head again, Dragon glanced at the mission report in his hands.
Mission location: Thutmose Island in the South Blue. According to the report, it was a medium-sized island, mostly desert and hills. Although it experienced four seasons, rainfall was minimal.
Target: Taklama, king of the Thutmose Kingdom—a member nation under the World Government, though one without a seat at the World Summit. All in all, a low-profile monarch ruling a small population.
However, after extensive investigation by CP2, the nation's strange nature had come to light in recent years.
Despite appearing to be a poor and insignificant country, it consistently paid the Heavenly Tribute in full—every single year, without exception, for decades.
What's more, there was little to no maritime traffic during the day, but once night fell, things became noticeably livelier. Nearly a hundred vessels of varying sizes would enter and leave, dispersed across more than a dozen ports on the island.
Recently, CP2 made a major breakthrough: they discovered the king of the Thutmose Kingdom's hidden identity.
He was the Slave King of the Underworld!
The entire Thutmose Kingdom was, in fact, the world's largest slave-supply hub. It also operated as the world's largest kidnapping syndicate, boasting over 10,000 slavers scattered across the seas. These operatives engaged in long-term abduction, fraud, and deception—and even conducted full-scale raids on sparsely populated villages. The island itself housed a standing army of about 30,000 'slave wardens'.
According to intelligence—gathered at the cost of more than a dozen CP2 agents—the kingdom's core facilities and personnel were actually located deep within the island. Inside were hundreds of large prison complexes used to detain slaves. Visual estimates placed the number of captives in the hundreds of thousands.
In essence, this so-called 'kingdom' had no real concept of citizens, or even a conventional monarch. It operated under a professional corporate structure.
Within the island, Taklama preferred his subordinates to call him 'Boss' rather than 'King'.
So rather than 'citizens', it was more accurate to describe the population as 'employees'.
The current mission was to capture King Taklama. All other criminals were to be executed on the spot if they resisted. All slaves were to be rescued.
The report also stated that once freed, the slaves would be cared for by the World Government's Administrative Division. Neighboring kingdoms would be mobilized to provide ships, food, doctors, and other essential resources—so that the slaves could be returned to their homelands.
To Dragon, the World Government's plan already seemed perfectly well thought out. All he had to do was lead his fleet and win the battle.
And yet, the more perfect it seemed, the more confused and skeptical he felt.
Was this really the World Government?
The same corrupt, irredeemable, heartless government he had always known?
This was… almost too righteous.
Still, there was no denying that it was a worthy cause—and Dragon was genuinely eager to give it his all, even if only for the sake of the hundreds of thousands of suffering slaves.
Notably, this would be his first time serving as commander in a large-scale military operation.
...
At Mary Geoise, inside the Room of Authority, the Five Elders had gathered once more.
"Dragon's fleet has set sail," said Ju Peter.
Warcury stroked his bald head and stared at him expressionlessly. "Sending only a rear admiral like Dragon for this operation doesn't sit right with me. According to our intel, King Taklama is no weakling—and he's backed by a 30,000-strong force."
As for the two CP0 agents accompanying Dragon, they couldn't even be considered combat assets. Their job was simply to monitor Dragon. No matter what happened, even if the entire fleet were wiped out, they'd only be responsible for extracting him.
"It should be fine. He is Garp's son, after all. Plus, he has the powers of the Storm Fruit. He should be more than capable of handling a so-called Slave King," said Nusjuro casually.
"Besides, according to CP5's latest report, Garp—who claimed he was heading to the East Blue—suddenly changed course and entered the South Blue ahead of schedule," Ju Peter added with a wry smile.
At this, Saturn burst into hearty laughter. "Not even trying to hide it, huh? Classic Garp!"
The other three Elders exchanged knowing glances and said no more. If Garp himself was on the move, then there was nothing to worry about.
"Still, the intelligence Doflamingo provided this time was quite valuable. Without him, we might never have uncovered the Slave King's base of operations in the underworld."
...
Ryugu Kingdom, Fishman Island – Audience Hall.
"Although I don't know why the Navy specifically requested the two of you as key fishman recruits, since they made such a request—and considering the rare friendly cooperation between humans and our Fishman Island this time—I, as king, sincerely hope that the two of you will consider accepting."
King Neptune sat on his throne and spoke earnestly to Jinbe and Aladine, who stood below in uniforms of the Neptune Army. Rather than issuing a commanding royal order, he expressed his plea with genuine humility.
Jinbe and Aladine exchanged glances and saw the same resolve reflected in each other's eyes. With unspoken agreement, they responded in unison:
"Your Majesty, we are willing to accept the Navy's invitation and contribute to the friendship and equality between fishmen and humans!"
"Hahahaha!"
King Neptune let out a hearty laugh of satisfaction and said, "That's wonderful—thank you, thank you both. I truly appreciate it!"
He then proceeded to explain the details in person.
"According to the Navy's plan, once you arrive at Marineford, Jinbe, you will be granted the rank of Commander and appointed as the leader of a newly formed Fishman Unit. Aladine will hold the rank of Lieutenant and serve as your executive officer."
"You two will also be tasked with teaching Fishman Karate to Navy personnel at headquarters. Meanwhile, the local branch of the Navy here will provide swordsmanship training to our Neptune Army, as a tangible expression of mutual cooperation and equality."
Upon hearing this, Jinbe hesitated slightly and said, "Your Majesty, with my current level of Fishman Karate, I doubt I'll be able to teach much. Compared to me, Brother Tiger would be far more qualified."
"Fisher Tiger, huh... But hasn't he gone off on another adventure? He still hasn't returned," King Neptune said with a helpless tone.
"When he comes back, I'll talk to him. Who knows—maybe you'll meet again in Marineford. Until then, I'm counting on you, Jinbe. Will you do it?"
"Yes, Your Majesty. I will give it my all!" Jinbe no longer declined after seeing the king's sincerity.
Aladine, standing beside him, had no objections either. He and Jinbe were close friends, and he knew full well the difference between their talents and strengths.
That said, he was genuinely curious about human swordsmanship.
"Your Majesty!"
At that moment, the Minister of the Left entered the hall. King Neptune greeted him with a smile. "Minister of the Left, what brings you here?"
"Your Majesty, the construction team from the World Government's Administrative Division has finalized the site for the Navy branch and begun construction."
"Oh? Where is it?" King Neptune asked with interest. Jinbe and Aladine were also paying attention.
"Near Mermaid Cove. Their reasoning is that pirates primarily target mermaids, so establishing a Navy outpost there would make it easier to protect them. Also, since that area is on the surface, the sunlight is quite decent—making it more suitable for human habitation," the minister replied.
King Neptune smiled. "That's actually a good choice. Very well—let it be so. Have our craftsmen go help out too. People from the World Government may not be familiar with our terrain."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
The Minister of the Left turned to carry out the order, but just then, a soldier from the Neptune Army rushed in. He knelt before King Neptune and shouted his report.
"Your Majesty! There's been a malicious attack by fishmen on the human construction crew at Mermaid Cove!"
"What?!"
King Neptune, the Minister of the Left, Jinbe, and the others were all visibly shaken. Everyone understood—if this incident proved too severe, they might soon face the wrath and sanctions of the World Government.
Even though the World Government had shown a more cooperative attitude lately, that didn't mean they had shed their former domineering and forceful nature.
"Minister of the Left, take some men and go investigate immediately!"
"Ah—yes, Your Majesty, right away!" The Minister of the Left snapped to attention and responded promptly. At that moment, Jinbe spoke up from the side.
"Your Majesty, may the two of us also accompany them to take a look?"
"Yes, yes, of course! Since the Navy holds you both in such high regard, your presence will surely help!" King Neptune, clearly flustered, agreed at once.
Soon, the Minister of the Left set out with Jinbe, Aladine, and a squad of thirty Neptune Army soldiers toward the civilian zone. The audience hall was left with only King Neptune and the guards standing on either side.
"Sigh… let's hope it's nothing serious."
A heavy sigh echoed through the extravagantly lavish halls of Ryugu Palace.