Give It a Try

"Mining minerals from the seafloor?"

Jinbe slapped aside Bright's incoming fist in surprise, then swung a backhand punch at him.

"Over countless years, minerals have spread throughout the sediments and rock layers beneath the sea."

Faint sparks of electricity danced across Bright's body. He easily dodged Jinbe's punch, then unleashed a rain of fists in return.

"These are precious resources that only we can obtain."

Jinbe kept throwing punches as he pondered the idea.

Their fists collided again and again, each impact rumbling like crashing thunder.

"For us, the difficulty of mining them is far lower than it is for people on the surface."

That was what Bright said.

This world lacked large continents, with only countless islands scattered across the sea. It was perfectly understandable that major mineral deposits were scarce.

Perhaps the Red Line possessed abundant resources of this sort, but extracting them was simply too difficult.

Under such circumstances, it was somewhat understandable why this world's cutting-edge technology was so advanced while its overall technological development across the seas remained so backward.

There simply were not enough materials.

But the seafloor was different.

In the depths of this vast, pitch-black ocean, countless resources lay sleeping in silence.

"Selling raw resources alone isn't a long-term solution, but it's not bad when we have nothing right now."

Bright said, "More importantly, it can attract human merchants."

Doing business in the deep sea was incredibly dangerous.

That was why very few human merchants came specifically to Fish-Man Island to trade.

But if Fish-Man Island could provide ample, inexpensive supplies of all kinds of resources, things would be different.

Where there was profit to be made, merchants would spare no effort.

After all, Fish-Man Island might seem far from the human world, but in a straight line, it was probably only a little over a hundred kilometers from the Sabaody Archipelago. The actual distance was not that great.

If they could truly establish long-term trade, they would not only gain capital, but also import technology. Fish-Man Island could develop industries of its own to complement mining, establish a basic industrial foundation, and ensure that growing wealth benefited every resident of Fish-Man Island.

Bright did not understand much about such things, but he felt it should be feasible.

"That sounds very good."

Jinbe nodded in agreement. "I'll go have a proper talk with Neptune later."

Bright nodded.

Mining seafloor minerals was not something that could be settled with a few words.

After all, given Fish-Man Island's level of education, how many people could distinguish between different minerals?

Not to mention surveying deposits and extracting them.

This required the power of the state to drive it forward.

"But speaking of which, Bright,"

Jinbe grinned and threw a devastating punch through the air, the wind it stirred up shrieking sharply. "Your techniques are getting more and more refined!"

Bright smiled back. Electricity burst from his arm as he met the attack with a punch of his own.

Boom!!

The ground beneath their feet exploded, and the raging wind became rings of shockwaves that spread outward.

"If I still hadn't improved at all, wouldn't that mean I'd wasted all your work as my sparring partner, Brother Jinbe?"

Bright said with a smile.

Two days had passed since his battle with Hody.

The previous turmoil was gradually subsiding, and Fish-Man Island had returned to peace.

Bright was also becoming increasingly proficient with Current Drive. Now, even when fighting Jinbe, he basically no longer lost control.

"But you're still too green! Tangca Wa Seiken!!"

Jinbe laughed loudly and threw a punch.

The air distorted in an instant, invisible ripples spreading outward from Jinbe's fist.

Bright could not even touch Jinbe before he was shoved backward again and again.

"You still haven't grasped the essence of it."

Jinbe said with a smile, "I'm looking forward to seeing what a shockwave powered by electricity looks like."

"Can't be helped. I've only just gotten proficient with this technique,"

Bright said. "The rest can come slowly."

Although his physical talent had already been maxed out, his learning ability was clearly still at its original level.

The same was true for both martial arts and Haki.

But there was no rush. He could take it slowly.

Bright had always been satisfied with the speed at which he was growing stronger.

Now that he had become highly proficient with Current Drive, he should be able to fight Brother Jinbe a little, as long as Jinbe did not use Haki. After all, the explosive power granted by Current Drive was far more outrageous than simple Fishman Karate.

That speed of improvement was naturally astonishing. After all, he had only returned to Fish-Man Island a little over a month ago.

That night, after training ended, Jinbe said he would treat Bright to dinner.

Bright naturally had no reason to refuse a free meal, so he headed to the restaurant they often visited with Jinbe.

"Oh! Bright!! The Star of Hope of Fish-Man Island!"

On the way to the restaurant, they ran into an old friend. "Hahaha! You said you'd treat me to dinner last time, but nothing's come of it yet."

"Mark,"

Bright greeted him with a smile. "I can treat you right now."

The hundred thousand Beli he had borrowed from Jinbe earlier had not even been spent yet. After all, he had been mooching meals off Shyarly this whole time.

"But what does 'Star of Hope of Fish-Man Island' mean?" Bright asked curiously.

"Huh? Bright, you don't know?"

His old friend said in surprise, "Everyone calls you that now."

"Huh?"

A tavern somewhere in the Fish-Man District.

"Brother Arlong, is that kid Bright really as amazing as you say?"

A drunken fish-man asked with a grin, holding a cup of liquor.

"Shahahahaha!"

Arlong, whose cheeks were also flushed red from drinking, burst into laughter. "Of course he is! That guy possesses unprecedented talent! He'll become the strongest fish-man in history!!"

He spread his arms and announced to everyone in the tavern, "If anyone can lead us onto the seas, rise above humanity, and establish an unprecedented Fishman Empire, then it can only be Bright!!"

"Even Jinbe thinks so!"

The tavern immediately erupted with excitement.

"Hahaha! That's incredible, isn't it?"

"Even Brother Jinbe thinks so?"

"If both brothers think so, then it must be true!"

"Just like Brother Fisher Tiger! That kid Bright has also earned the recognition of both brothers!"

"Shahahahaha!"

Arlong laughed loudly, then simply jumped onto a table and raised his cup high. "You idiots, cheer for the Star of Hope of Fish-Man Island!!"

"Yeah!! Star of Hope!!"

The atmosphere inside the tavern soared.

Bright gripped the tavern door and looked at the scene inside, the corner of his mouth twitching. "So that's what this Star of Hope thing is..."

"Hahaha, that's right, Star of Hope."

Mark laughed. "Don't forget your old friends once you make it big."

"...Haha."

Bright gave a dry laugh.

"Oh! Bright is here!!"

Arlong noticed Bright's arrival. He excitedly stretched out a hand. "Shahahahaha! Perfect timing. Come say a few words to the people supporting you!"

Bright had a headache.

So Brother Arlong had not been joking at all that day.

His ability to take action was a little too high.

"Hahaha, isn't this great?"

Jinbe laughed as he walked into the tavern. "If it's Bright, then he really is the one most likely to change Fish-Man Island!"

"Oh!! Boss Jinbe really says so?"

The fish-men instantly went wild. "A new leader of the Fish-Man District has been born!"

"Cheer for him! Brother Bright!"

"Brother Bright!! Yeah!! Brother Bright!!"

For a time, the entire tavern was filled with cheers.

Now that Fisher Tiger was dead, only two prominent figures remained in the Fish-Man District. One was Jinbe, who represented the majority, and the other was Arlong, who represented a small group of extremists.

Together, the two of them represented a considerable portion of the fish-men in the Fish-Man District.

What would a man recognized by both brothers bring them?

"What are you hesitating for, Bright!"

Arlong said with a laugh. "Say something!"

Jinbe also turned to look at Bright, his eyes full of encouragement.

If he wanted to change Fish-Man Island, then he should start now.

Bright fell silent.

He remembered his original goal: he had only wanted to survive quietly.

But that thought quickly faded away.

He remembered Brother Fisher Tiger.

That man had worried about Fish-Man Island's future until the moment he died.

He remembered the mermaids who had been kidnapped before.

Their smiles after surviving the ordeal had been so radiant.

He remembered the Fish-Man District where he had grown up.

The fish-men here were poor. They had received little education, idled away their days, and fights were commonplace.

But it was these fierce and savage fish-men who had allowed him to grow up safely.

The brothers who had led him forward, the companions who had grown up beside him, the restaurant owner who spoke harshly but always saved him the clean food...

He remembered many, many people.

Shyarly had told him to do whatever he wanted.

Bright smiled freely and stepped into the tavern.

The future star of Fish-Man Island?

Then he would give it a try.

He opened his mouth, wanting to answer Fish-Man Island.

"Hold it. Future star of Fish-Man Island, my ass. Hic Until you defeat me, I won't acknowledge it. Hic"

From among the cheering crowd, someone squeezed his way out.

As you can see, I changed the book title. I thought about the original name for a long time, and it really makes one sigh.