"What... did you say?!"
Fisher Tiger instantly erupted in fury at Takero's disdainful and contemptuous reply! He didn't even bother with basic honorifics! He had originally thought that after witnessing the unprecedented racial equality and harmony on Ambry Island, he had finally found a "good person" who truly understood and respected them. But now it seemed... he was wrong! He had been completely blinded by the island's hypocritical, friendly atmosphere!
As this thought crossed his mind, a monstrous rage, born of feeling deceived and played with, instantly surged to his head! However, he knew he couldn't defeat the man in front of him. He could only bury this anger, enough to burn away his reason, deep within his heart.
Takero, however, was unfazed. He just slowly took another sip of wine, then spoke in an even more indifferent, yet more grating tone: "What? Is what I said not true? If you ask me, Fish-Man Island's current tragic situation is entirely... your own doing."
"Still dreaming of 'peaceful coexistence' with humans? What a pipe dream."
At this, Tiger could no longer hold back! He could be insulted, but he absolutely could not tolerate insults to his race! And even more so, he could not tolerate insults to his respected friend, who had poured countless efforts into realizing that ideal!
"You bastard—!!!" He suddenly stood up from the sofa, his weathered eyes burning with raging fury. "Do you have any idea! How much suffering Fish-Man Island has endured to achieve this great ideal?! How much effort has Queen Otohime... put in?! What right do you have to stand here and make such cynical remarks?!"
"Now! Immediately! Apologize... to the Queen!!!"
"Apologize?"
Takero scoffed disdainfully, letting out a light chuckle. He slammed the wine bottle in his hand onto the table with a "bang!"
The next second! An invisible, yet incredibly heavy, terrifying gravity field descended without warning!
"Thud—!!!"
Fisher Tiger felt as if his shoulders were being pressed down by two invisible mountains! His legs gave out, and his burly, tower-like body uncontrollably collapsed to his knees, prostrating heavily on the cold floor! The hard marble floor instantly cracked, centered around his body! He was so utterly immobilized by that terrifying force!
But his eyes, filled with anger, still showed no sign of retreat! He stared intently at the young man leisurely sipping wine, growling like a trapped beast! "You... bastard! Let... go of me!"
However, Takero ignored him, slowly walked over to his side, and slowly squatted down, looking down at him. Then, he spoke.
"I've roughly heard from Robin about your... what's-her-name, 'Queen Otohime's' business. But everything she's done, in my eyes... is complete bullshit."
Earlier, when Robin was organizing information, she had mentioned that there might also be a Poneglyph on Fish-Man Island. So Takero had specifically looked into various news about the island. He learned about the discrimination and persecution that the Fish-Man race and Merfolk currently suffered. He also learned about the "great" thing that woman named Otohime was currently doing—she hoped to propose at the "World Conference," by collecting tens of thousands of signatures from the public, to the World Government, the "relocation of Fish-Man Island to the surface."
This idea sounded good, beneficial to Fish-Man Island. But in Takero's eyes, it was a sign of a problematic mind.
Takero looked at Tiger, who was pinned firmly to the ground, ignoring his angry gaze, and merely said indifferently: "Do you really think... that by shouting a few slogans, signing a few names, and putting on a few moving propaganda shows... you can achieve so-called 'harmonious coexistence' between your Fish-Man race and Merfolk, and those high and mighty humans?"
"What... do you mean by that?!" Tiger demanded angrily.
Takero sneered. "I've already done this to you, and you still don't understand? The rules of this world, from beginning to end, have always been only one—"
"...That is, whoever has the bigger fist, their words... are 'truth'!"
Then, Takero continued to use his cruel and realistic logic to tear apart Tiger's beautiful "fantasy." "Even if your ridiculous proposal actually succeeds, what then? Move your entire Fish-Man Island to the land, under the sun? And then what? Make it easier for those ubiquitous slave traders to capture you?"
"..."
Tiger was stunned by these words for a moment. His brain, which had been filled with anger, felt as if a bucket of ice water had been poured over him from head to toe, chilling him to the core! Now that he thought about it... it really seemed to be the case!
Originally, they lived on Fish-Man Island, ten thousand meters beneath the deep sea, and those damned slave-hunting teams had to go through a great deal of effort, surviving perilous currents, to barely reach them. But if... if the Queen's proposal really succeeded... then their newly built, defenseless "New Fish-Man Island" wouldn't it... become a hunting ground where those slave-hunting teams could come for a "buffet" every day?! This was an angle he had never considered before! But now, as Takero brought it up, it instantly filled him with a sense of crisis from the bottom of his heart!
Seeing the anger on his face gradually replaced by calmness and thought, Takero slowly withdrew the gravity field that could crush everything. He sat back down on his sofa.
Tiger slowly got up from the ground. Then, he bowed deeply to Takero.
"...Thank you for your... reminder, Mr. Takero."
He felt a pang of anxiety: 'No! I must go back and warn the Queen immediately! She absolutely cannot continue doing this! She... she will bring disaster upon all our kin!' Then, he intended to turn and leave.
"Easy now," Takero gestured for him to sit down. "Don't rush, this matter isn't that urgent. Sit down, and we'll talk slowly."
Tiger hesitated, then slowly sat down. A mysterious smile appeared on Takero's face.
"Do you want to know... how to achieve true 'independence' for your Fish-Man Island, so that you will never be bullied by anyone again?"
Tiger's gaze instantly sharpened! Through their previous conversation, he already understood. The man in front of him didn't truly look down on the Fish-Man race. He merely... had a set of principles that were entirely different from theirs, more realistic and cruel.
So, Tiger spoke in an unprecedentedly serious tone: "Please... guide me, Lord Takero!"
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