Seeing the Light of Day Again!

"."

Silence fell. The Fish-Man, still wearing their explosive collars, did not respond to Vidal's greeting. Perhaps they did not know what to say.

"Alright, then I'll continue talking about your future. After you've heard it, you should have some ideas." Vidal didn't mind; they were just a bunch of pathetic people.

"First of all, now that you're with me, I don't intend to keep you as a slave. I don't need slaves myself, so after we finish talking, you can take off that ugly collar around your necks. As for that 'Hoof of the Soaring Dragon' on your backs, if you don't mind, I'll have someone remove it for you, but the process might be very painful."

Vidal pulled up a chair for himself from the ground and sat down, speaking his thoughts leisurely as if he were having a conversation with a friend.

And as expected, his words caused the Fish-Men in the cell to light up with hope and excitement.

"Really? Really?!"

"Can I really stop wearing this?!"

"Waaah-- Damn it, I'd already cried all my tears, why are they flowing again now!"

"Thank you! Thank you so much! Thank you!!"

These Fish-Man gradually lost control of their emotions, unable to restrain their pain, grievances, fear, and other negative feelings any longer. All of these emotions were released in a burst of crying and howling at this moment.

What's truly disheartening is that they were previously captured by human pirates and sold into slavery to the Celestial Dragons, who were also humans. Their hatred for humans was immense, yet the one who saved them was also human!

Although this human highland is somewhat outrageous

Outside the cell, Vidal did not stop them from releasing their emotions, but quietly watched them cry, shout, and express their gratitude until the Fish-Men gradually calmed down after about ten minutes.

"Then I'll continue. Although you can be freed from your slavery, and I will no longer treat you as slaves, you cannot leave here and return to Fish-Man Island for the time being. You need to be mentally prepared for this."

Why?!

"Please, let me go home! I never want to come to the sea again!"

Several Fish-Man became excited again, but were quickly pulled back by their comrades, who reminded them to listen to what Vidal had to say next.

"Yes, regarding this, you can take a look at this letter. It was written to you by King Neptune, and it explains the reasons. I won't go into detail here."

Vidal took a blue envelope sealed with a white seashell from the pocket of his Justice Coat, then tossed it in with a flick of his right hand. A tall, thin Fish-Man with silver skin caught it.

He was the same Fish-Man who knelt on the ground in the 'Land of the Gods', serving as the Celestial Dragons's mount. He was a fish- Fish-Man, and also the one with the strongest aura among these Fish-Men.

"What's your name?" Vidal asked with a smile, noticing the other person's impressive hand speed. "Have you practiced karate or judo?"

"Dane, I've practiced Fish-Man Karate for six years. Thank you for saving us from hell!" The Fish-Man bowed solemnly. "I will remember this kindness for the rest of my life!"

"Hmm, that's good." Vidal was satisfied with the other party's attitude.

Dane then read through the letter. In it, King Neptune first expressed his apology and remorse for their plight, then explained the troubles Vidal was facing, and finally hoped that they could stay with Vidal for a while to help him win back more of his Fish-Man on Mary Geoise, and at the same time become a link between Fish-Man Island and Vidal.

At the very bottom of the content, there is also the seal of the Fish-Man royal family and King Neptune's autograph.

To be honest, he hadn't actually met Neptune many times, so he couldn't recognize the handwriting or tone of voice at all. However, he was familiar with the royal seal, since it was printed on many issued notices.

"Are you really willing to help rescue more Fish-Man!"

Dane handed the letter to the people around him, letting them pass it around and read it in turn, before turning to Vidal to confirm this.

"Of course, weren't you there that day? Since I could exchange you, or even the Giant Tribe, for those 'Magical Creatures,' I could naturally exchange for even more slaves."

Vidal nodded. "However, as you know, the Celestial Dragons have slaves from many races, so what you get in return might not be Fish-Man Race, but also long-legged or Snake-Neck Tribes. It all depends on your performance."

"If that's the case, then I'm willing to stay and follow your orders!" Dane said heavily, taking a deep breath.

Having personally experienced life in Mary Geoise, he knew very well how terrifying it was. Those Celestial Dragons were a group of utterly ruthless demons who had an extreme fondness for toying with human lives and trampling on human dignity!

Therefore, since there is a chance to rescue more Fish-Man brethren from there, sacrificing some of his own freedom is nothing. Moreover, judging from Vidal's friendly attitude, he shouldn't feel too bad, although obeying a human's orders is somewhat uncomfortable.

Just then, the other eighteen Fish-Man finished reading the letter. Most of them agreed on the spot, but some were still struggling with their decision.

Vidal understood the feelings of these Fish-Men. They probably longed to return to Fish-Man Island to reunite with their important relatives. However, he couldn't just go looking for trouble because he understood.

"Those who agree to stay can come out with me later. Those who don't will have to stay here, but the collar will still be removed, so don't worry," Vidal said softly.

Now, the Fish-Man stopped agonizing. They had no choice at all. Since they couldn't go back no matter what, they might as well agree and make their situation a little better.

"May I ask what you need us to do?" asked Dane.

"I'll tell you the specifics after we get out."

"Simply put, I will organize you into a team, and you will be the captain. From now on, you will be the Fish-Man stationed at this Marine Base in the Sabaody Archipelago, and you will only need to obey my orders."

As he spoke, Vidal stood up, walked to the iron door of the cell, slowly inserted his index finger into the keyhole, and then gently turned it to the right, easily opening the cell door without needing to call anyone over.

"Alright, come with me. The weather is lovely outside. I'll remove your collars in the sunshine as a way to bring good luck."

As soon as he finished speaking, he turned and left. The Fish-Man inside, including Dane, exchanged glances and quickly led the way out of the cell.

As they stepped out of the open prison gates, the brilliant light made the Fish-Men squint, while they felt the warmth of the sun on their skin, and the extremely fresh air of the Sabaody Archipelago invigorated them.

Across from them, Vidal stood with his back to the sun, bathed in sunlight, arms outstretched, and laughed, "Congratulations on seeing the light of day again!"