Chapter 50: If You Won't Do It, Plenty of Others Will
The Grand Line is severed by the Red Line. To travel from Paradise to the New World, there are only two routes.
Either climb over the Red Line or pass through Fish-man Island.
Legitimate merchants naturally traverse the Red Line, paying taxes and changing ships to reach their destination.
However, that route is utterly impassable for pirates, Underworld merchants, smugglers, and the like.
As a transit station, Fish-man Island receives a massive number of visiting ships every day engaging in cargo trade. Fish-man Island also uses this opportunity to purchase supplies unavailable in the deep sea.
Many merchants bring supplies needed by Fish-man Island and trade them while passing through, exchanging them for deep-sea products desired by humans.
Pearls, coral, and certain high-value but elusive fish are all included.
If it were just normal commerce, this would pose no harm to Fish-man Island.
But the problem is, whether Merfolk or Fish-men, both can fetch high prices in the slave market. This leads passersby to frequently harbor evil intentions.
Coupled with the fact that many of those passing through Fish-man Island are pirates, the situation on Fish-man Island is far from good.
"What evidence do you have that says one of yours is on our ship?! Why didn't our people see anything?!"
"Stop wasting time! If you delay our business, you can't afford the consequences! See the Transponder Snail in my hand? This is a direct line to Lord Umit!
As long as I make this call and Lord Umit speaks, the supplies coming to Fish-man Island will be cut by at least half!"
"Deep Current" Umit. People in the Underworld respectfully call him the "Shipping King."
Maritime transport is the primary mode of transportation in this world. Cargo transportation in the Underworld basically cannot bypass Umit.
Under his fierce threats, the Neptune Army soldiers were genuinely intimidated.
If it affected the future of Fish-man Island, an ordinary soldier indeed couldn't bear the responsibility.
But just then, the merchant suddenly felt his hand lighten. When he came to his senses, the Transponder Snail had vanished into thin air.
"Umit's man? Interesting. I'll make this call for you. I'd like to see exactly what he means."
The person who took the phone was none other than Nereus. He could confirm there was definitely something wrong with this ship.
Fish-man Island currently had little interaction with the outside world. Even if they saw what goods were on the ship, it wouldn't affect anything. The time they wasted stalling was already enough for dozens of inspections.
Before the merchant group could stop him, Nereus had already dialed the number.
"Hello, Radis, what do you need? Has your cargo arrived?"
On a certain island in the New World, in a bustling port town, a man wearing a large captain's hat, with hook-like eyebrows but no beard yet, picked up the phone.
"Umit. Haven't seen you for a while, have we?"
Originally, Umit was lying leisurely on a chair. But hearing the voice from the Transponder Snail, Umit sat up as if struck by lightning.
Looking closely, the appearance of the Transponder Snail in his hand was changing, its eyes even carrying a tinge of blood red.
This was a characteristic of Transponder Snails; they mimic the gaze and expression of the person on the other end, adding a unique vividness to the conversation.
"Oh-oh-oh, isn't this Lord Nereus? Why are you calling me?"
Umit was very familiar with Nereus. After all, doing maritime shipping business, he couldn't avoid sailing, let alone a node location like Fish-man Island.
When he started this business, Nereus was already renowned. Thus, the fledgling Umit had taken the initiative to pay his respects.
Nereus recognized at the time that the kid before him was the future "King" of the Underworld and agreed to help. With the assistance of Fish-men, some of Umit's businesses indeed went much smoother.
And Umit knew very well that if Nereus got angry, it wouldn't be a question of whether his ships could continue sailing, but a question of how long he could continue living.
Nereus calling him using his subordinate's Transponder Snail—something was definitely wrong.
"A child went missing on Fish-man Island. Someone said they were taken onto your ship. Your subordinate said if we inspect this ship, you won't let any more supplies reach Fish-man Island.
Is this your intention? Or do you feel your business has grown too big and you want to branch into other things..."
"No, no, no! This is absolutely not my intention! It's all that bastard spouting nonsense! I only smuggle rare supplies; why would I target the citizens of Fish-man Island?!
Inspect as you wish! If that kid's hands really aren't clean, I'll trouble you to help me clean house."
"Umit, I don't care if this is your intention or not, but this is the last time.
The shipping cake is big. If you won't do it, there are plenty of others who want to."
"Yes... I understand what you mean..."
Nereus didn't even wait for Umit's reply before hanging up. In the room, Umit remained silent for a long time before picking up several other Transponder Snails.
"Notify all route managers passing through Fish-man Island! Emphasize the ban again: whoever dares touch slave transport, I'll take their head!"
His position wasn't secure either. The Underworld gave him face, calling him the Shipping King, but there were far more people who wanted to replace him than those who respected him.
There were many powerful pirates, but the one Umit least wanted—and least dared—to offend was Nereus. Fish-man Island's location could truly choke off more than half of his business.
And if Nereus wanted to kill him, it wouldn't be much harder than crushing an ant.
Thinking of this, Umit felt a bit hot. Unbuttoning his collar, he realized that unknowingly, his shirt was already soaked with sweat.
...
Meanwhile, on Fish-man Island, without needing Nereus to give an order, Sebastian had already broken into the ship alone.
Among Nereus's subordinates, Babel was better at Armament Haki, while Sebastian was more proficient in Observation Haki. He had already sensed a strange aura in the cabin.
After taking out a few guards who tried to stop him, he soon brought out an unconscious little mermaid and handed her over to her parents.
"Now, do you have anything else to say?"
"I think... this might be a misunderstanding... I really don't know how she got up there..."
From the moment Nereus made that call, Radis realized he had kicked an iron plate. The tone of Boss Umit, usually high and mighty in the smuggling circle, was even more humble than his own, which he couldn't comprehend at all.
He could still feign calmness, but at this moment, not everyone was interested in listening to his explanation.
"You mean to say this little one ran onto your ship by herself, hid in the corner of the cargo hold, and fell asleep? Do you take us for idiots?!"
Sebastian grabbed Radis, his terrifying monstrous strength making Radis's bones creak.
Radis slapped Sebastian's large hand, but it was useless. With a crisp crack, Sebastian directly snapped the man's spine and casually tossed him aside.
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