Array, Training

The Fish-Man District was lively today.

Brother Bright's speech this morning in front of the breakfast shop quickly spread throughout the entire Fish-Man District, naturally causing a huge uproar.

"Mining? Are there minerals at the bottom of the sea?"

"Brother Bright said there are a lot, and they're very valuable if sold to humans."

"Trading with humans? Is that okay?"

"Isn't it good to earn human money? Mining seabed minerals should be easy for us, right?"

"I think so too. If we can really earn more money, the pressure at home will be much less."

"Yeah, I have five kids at home."

Most residents of the Fish-Man District were positive about mining.

The Fish-Man District was poor, its residents were poor, and they had almost no way to make money.

Being able to earn more money and alleviate family pressure was the best thing for the vast majority of people.

As for those restless troublemakers, Bright's other request made them even more ecstatic.

"As expected of Brother Bright! So intense right from the start!"

"It should have been like this long ago! How many years have humans been rampant on Fish-Man Island?"

"Fish-Man Island belongs to fish-men and mermaids, humans should just behave themselves!"

"I want to sign up! I want to join the army Brother Bright is forming!"

"An army? I heard it's called the Immigration Bureau?"

"Same thing, same thing. I heard it has the same status as the Ryugu Palace army, and even a higher salary!"

"But Brother Bright only wants ten thousand people! The competition must be fierce!"

"Hahaha! That's how it should be, the strong come first!! The weak should just get lost!"

It was lively, to say the least.

The entire Fish-Man District was in turmoil.

"So, Brother Bright will be taking on the responsibility of protecting Fish-Man Island next?"

Evening, Fish-Man Cafe.

The mermaids gathered around Bright in surprise.

"Something like that."

Bright nodded lightly, "Fish-Man Island needs to make some changes. Someone has to step up, right?"

"So cool!"

The mermaids almost screamed, "And it feels so safe!!"

"It's great, Sharly, to have a childhood friend like him."

They winked at Sharly.

Sharly rolled her eyes, "Instead of wasting time, you might as well finish up and get off work."

"Nooo, Brother Bright will be a big shot on Fish-Man Island soon! We need to butter him up properly."

The mermaids openly spoke of clinging to his coattails.

"...Brother?"

Sharly frowned tightly.

"Or perhaps,"

The mermaids floated over and surrounded Sharly, diligently massaging her shoulders, "To please Brother Bright, we should flatter Sharly even more? You have to put in a good word for us!"

"That hurts, you idiots, don't use the strength you use to wipe tables!" Sharly yelled with a red face.

Flattery failed.

Bright couldn't help but smile.

"Brother Bright is going to protect Fish-Man Island? That's amazing!"

Little Nana sniffled, looking up at Bright with admiration, "When I grow up, I want to be like Brother Bright! Protect Mommy, protect my sisters, protect Fish-Man Island!"

Bright smiled and ruffled her little head, "Then Little Nana needs to work hard to become stronger."

"Mhm!"

The little girl nodded heavily, "I'll eat well every day and grow up quickly!"

This is what it's all for.

So that loved ones, friends, and children like Nana can live in peace and happiness.

This is why he made this decision, right?

Bright turned his head, his gaze sweeping past the laughing mermaids until it met Sharly's.

Sharly gave him a gentle smile.

Bright grinned back.

"There's nothing to fear," Sharly said. "They will walk towards a bright future."

Recruiting personnel took three days.

The delay wasn't due to a lack of applicants.

On the contrary, far too many Fishmen and Merfolk wanted to join the Immigration Bureau, exceeding Bright's limit of ten thousand by a wide margin.

The Ryugu Kingdom's economic strength was limited. A ten-thousand-person force already placed a massive burden on the treasury. Further expansion would have to wait until the mineral business was on solid footing.

Therefore, they had to be discerning, selecting only the most obedient and capable individuals.

Obedience was the primary criterion.

Bright wanted an armed force to protect Fish-Man Island, not a band of Fishman pirates.

Fortunately, with the help of various bosses, who were familiar with these Fishmen and Merfolk, the selection process wasn't too difficult.

Even so, it had taken three days.

The chosen Fishmen were overjoyed, while those who weren't selected were dejected, some even causing trouble out of dissatisfaction.

However, they were ultimately suppressed.

Thus, the day after the personnel were finalized, everyone was summoned to the Sea Forest.

Bright arrived early.

But he didn't show himself immediately, standing a short distance away and observing quietly.

It was chaotic, disorganized, and completely lacking in formation.

"Hahahaha! A full ten thousand people!"

Arlong, who had come with Bright, roared with laughter. "What an astonishing force!"

"We're still a long way off," Jinbe said beside him. "Right now, they're just a bunch of thugs. They need strict training."

Bright nodded lightly. "That's true."

Improving their combat effectiveness could wait. The most important thing now was to instill discipline and obedience in these individuals.

"I'll be counting on you for this, Brother Jinbe!" Bright said earnestly.

Even though he was a pirate now, Brother Jinbe had been a leader in the army back in the day.

"Leave it to me," Jinbe nodded matter-of-factly.

Who else could handle this task?

"Let's go over there."

Bright leaped up and, in the next instant, crashed down at the front of the formation like a cannonball.

The Fishmen paused for a moment, then erupted into astonishing cheers.

"Brother Bright!!"

"Quiet!"

Bright's voice boomed like thunder. "My first demand of you is obedience!"

Having subdued the Fish-Man District with his strength, Bright's reputation was indeed considerable. Everyone immediately fell silent.

Bright nodded in satisfaction.

A good start.

"I believe you already know why you've been summoned," Bright announced loudly. "From today onwards, you are warriors who will fight for this Fish-Man Island."

"We know all that, but Boss Bright, the salary is really high, right?" a voice called out from the crowd.

Bright looked towards the source of the voice, surprised. "Hyozou? You came too?"

Hyozou, the octopus who had previously fought Bright, grinned. "Hehehe, why wouldn't I come if there's money to be made?"

"Then you'd better behave yourself from now on," Bright said coldly. "My second demand of you is to maintain proper conduct."

"The lax attitude from the Fish-Man District is no longer needed. I need a group of trustworthy warriors!"

"Ooh, so strict," Hyozou's smile didn't waver. "Understood. As long as there's money to be made, I'll do anything."

Bright didn't bother looking for trouble with him as long as he wasn't causing any.

After all, when you pick the tallest among the short, Hyozou is genuinely one of the strongest on Fish-Man Island.

"My last request,"

Brother Bright said seriously, "I hope you will love this Fish-Man Island."

"Never forget, we fight for our Fish-Man Island, our country, our race!"

A brief silence.

Then.

"Yes! Brother Bright!!"

It was a cheer like a tsunami.

It's no exaggeration to say that the residents of Fish-Man District might not like Ryugu Palace, but they absolutely love their own kind.

Because they have suffered, their national consciousness is exceptionally strong.

Brother Bright chuckled lightly, "Then, are you ready for the next training?"

Jinbe strode over, "Regret is useless now, I will make you qualified warriors in the shortest possible time!"

Before the training began, Jinbe first divided everyone into ten thousand-man brigades, with a captain and vice-captain appointed for each brigade.

Each brigade was divided into ten hundred-man companies, also with a captain and vice-captain.

And so on, below the companies were ten-man squads.

A clear and understandable organizational structure.

The captains were directly responsible to Brother Bright. Each one was a carefully selected master. It couldn't be helped, this was the characteristic of this world; in violent organizations, the strong naturally held high positions. Hyozou was among them.

After the division of the troops was complete, the training began.

The primary goal in the early stages was to cultivate obedience and teamwork.

The aim was to turn the hooligan-like Fishmen into an entity that followed orders without question.

The busy training began like this.

However, Brother Bright wasn't entirely hands-off; he had things he could do as well.

Thanks to 'Heartless Contender' for the 100-point reward, thanks to 'The Game' for the 500-point reward, thank you both!