New World, Golden City construction site.
Ortoren stood within the engineering zone, looking out over the lively, bustling scene of the construction site.
"See? I told you already. I've actually been working with your Fish-Man people for quite a while now," Ortoren said with a laugh, patting Tiger on the shoulder.
Tiger stood on Ortoren's left, while on Ortoren's right stood Master Tom.
Ortoren had only just arrived and was discussing aspects of Golden City's design with Master Tom when Tiger showed up with his group to greet them.
That's right. A large portion of Golden City's hardware facilities had been designed by Master Tom himself.
The reason was simple. At its core, Golden City was a gigantic ship transformed from an island.
And this transformation project was being led by Master Tom.
"Tom?" Tiger clearly recognized him and said in surprise, "I never thought you were still alive."
Master Tom looked at Tiger with some emotion, smacking his lips lightly.
"Tiger, you've really become a remarkable man. It's been a long time…"
"We all thought you'd already died at the hands of the World Government. News of your death even reached the Sea Forest. Your brother was devastated for a long time because of it," Tiger said, equally moved.
"Den?" Master Tom rubbed his chin, then continued, "I didn't die, but my identity couldn't be exposed. These past years, I haven't contacted Fish-Man Island at all. Back then, it was thanks to the Admiral that I was able to clear my name. Otherwise, I might really have died."
After chatting for a while, Master Tom turned back to Ortoren.
"Admiral, it's still not too late to make certain modifications. That new material made from Island Clouds and Sea Clouds can be applied to Golden City. It can increase the city's base area to some extent, and by making use of buoyancy, it may even reduce Golden City's own weight, further improving its performance as a vessel."
"If you're confident, then do it your way," Ortoren said, patting Master Tom on the shoulder with complete trust. "This is your field of expertise."
Leaving professional matters to professionals was a principle Ortoren had come to firmly believe in through years of experience as a Marine official.
As a leader, all he needed to do was set the overall direction and establish reasonable goals, without chasing empty grandeur.
Everything else should be left to the specialists under his command.
After receiving Ortoren's approval, Master Tom discussed a few more matters, then bid farewell to Tiger and quickly threw himself back into his busy work.
Only then did Ortoren finally have the time to talk with Tiger about their own affairs.
"Over on Fish-Man Island, King Neptune fully supports your Golden City project," Tiger said with a broad smile. "One of my main reasons for coming this time was to communicate with you and confirm what kind of support Fish-Man Island should provide here. Whether it's funding, resources, or manpower, just say the word and we'll find a way to prepare it."
"Many thanks, Tiger-boss," Ortoren laughed. "We really do need your help. For example, the Deep Sea Zone is difficult for us to design and build underwater. I hear you have plenty of capable brothers under your command. Why not let you take charge of that area?"
As he spoke, Ortoren glanced at the large group of Fish-Man warriors standing behind Tiger.
Among them were familiar faces, such as Jinbe, who was already a Shichibukai. Jinbe gave Ortoren a simple, honest smile, his attitude extremely friendly.
Truth be told, although Jinbe held the title of Shichibukai, he didn't actually have much deterrent presence. Many people out on the seas had no idea who he was, what he did, or how he had suddenly become one of the Shichibukai.
Jinbe himself was also very steady and unassuming. He had never felt the need to prove his strength or status. After becoming a Shichibukai, his life remained largely the same as before. Aside from resigning from Ryugu Palace, there were no major changes. Overall, on Fish-Man Island's shadow side, Tiger still remained the leading figure.
However, during this period, Tiger had also been deliberately cultivating Jinbe's authority, gradually handing over part of his own power and influence as the leader of Fish-Man Island's underworld.
It was clear that Tiger still planned to leave Fish-Man Island someday. Perhaps after setting the island firmly on the right path, he truly would go on to join the Revolutionary Army.
When that time came, Jinbe would likely become the next leader of Fish-Man Island's underworld.
Tiger had great confidence in Ortoren's arrangements and readily agreed without hesitation.
After a brief discussion, Tiger didn't probe any further. He could tell that Ortoren only had a broad grasp of Golden City, with many details that even he himself wasn't fully clear on.
But that was only natural. He didn't need to know the specifics. As long as the people in charge handled things properly, that was enough.
So Tiger quickly wrapped up the topic of Golden City and changed the subject.
"Admiral, aside from matters related to Golden City, I also came this time to invite you to visit Fish-Man Island when you have the chance. King Neptune is very eager to meet you in person. He's extremely interested in your vision for Fish-Man Island, as well as further cooperation. Queen Otohime admires you greatly as well."
"Oh?" Ortoren raised an eyebrow and smiled. "So you told him about what I mentioned during our last private discussion?"
"Of course," Tiger replied with a grin. "I told King Neptune everything you brought up. Deep-sea trade, the development of undersea mineral resources, and using Golden City as a window to showcase Fish-Man Island's culture to the surface world. King Neptune is very interested in all of it. If he weren't unable to leave Fish-Man Island freely, he would have come to meet you in person this time."
If these plans could truly be carried out through cooperation and implemented step by step, then Fish-Man Island stepping onto the surface world and breaking down the barrier between deep-sea society and surface society would no longer be a distant dream.
And beyond that, the potential profits involved were immense.
Taking this into consideration, Ortoren nodded.
"Very well. I'll be leaving the New World in a while to take care of some personal matters. I'll make time to visit Fish-Man Island and meet King Neptune. By the way, I heard Queen Otohime has already given birth to a little princess?"
At the mention of this, Tiger immediately brightened.
"Yes! That day was quite a spectacle. It even startled me. I'd heard of Sea Kings before, but that was the first time I truly felt their majesty."
Knowing that Ortoren was already familiar with Sea Kings, Tiger spoke freely without any reservations.
From his description, the day Queen Otohime gave birth to Shirahoshi, the deep sea was incredibly lively. Super-giant Sea Kings, many times larger than Fish-Man Island itself, along with countless ordinary Sea Kings, appeared all around the island, as if they had gathered specifically to celebrate the birth of their king.
Princess Shirahoshi's cries echoed throughout Fish-Man Island. Countless schools of fish instinctively swam around the island, creating a magnificent spectacle rarely seen in a hundred years.
To celebrate Princess Shirahoshi's birth, the people of Fish-Man Island rejoiced as if it were a grand festival. On the spot, Ryugu Palace waived taxes for the entire island for three years.
It had to be said that the Neptune royal family, ruling the deep sea, was indeed very wealthy. After being an affiliated nation for so many years, they hadn't gained any special benefits, yet they still paid the Heavenly Tribute every year to maintain their status.
Clearly, they truly didn't care much about that so-called "small sum" of Heavenly Tribute.
As such, things like taxes could be waived without a second thought.
"Princess Shirahoshi's birth is not only a pillar of Fish-Man Island's future security," Ortoren said thoughtfully, "but also an excellent opportunity to break open the barrier between Fish-Man Island and the surface world."
As he was discussing this with Tiger, Hina received a call from a Den Den Mushi not far away. She quickly walked over to Ortoren.
"Admiral, Lady Stussy has arrived."
"Oh? She's already here?" Ortoren raised an eyebrow, a smile forming at the corner of his lips. "Let's go meet the queen herself. She's the one in charge of Golden City now, after all. Hahaha."
...