The New World, the construction site of the Golden City.
Ortolan was standing in the construction area, looking at the bustling scene of construction.
"See, I told you, I've actually been cooperating with your Fish-Man Race for a while now, haven't I?" Ortolan patted Fisher Tiger on the shoulder and said with a smile.
At this moment, Fisher Tiger was standing to Ortolan's left, while Master Tom was to Ortolan's right.
Ortolan had only been here a short time and was discussing some designs for the Golden City with Master Tom when Fisher Tiger arrived with his gang of followers to say hello.
That's right, a large part of the hardware facilities in Golden City were designed by Master Tom.
The origin of the ship is quite simple: it is essentially a giant ship transformed from an island, serving as the name of the Golden City.
And this renovation project was supported by Master Tom.
"Tom?" Fisher Tiger clearly recognized Master Tom and exclaimed in surprise, "I didn't expect you to still be alive?"
Master Tom looked at Fisher Tiger with some emotion, clicking his tongue and saying, "Fisher Tiger, you've grown into a real man! Long time no see..."
"We all thought you had died at the hands of the World Government. The news of your death even reached Haisen, and your brother was saddened by it for a long time..." Fisher Tiger said with a look of deep emotion.
"Is that right?" Master Tom stroked his chin, then said, "Although I am not dead, it is not good to expose my identity. All this time, I have not been in contact with Fish-Man Island... I was only able to get away with this thanks to the Admiral, otherwise I might really be dead."
After chatting for a while, Tom said to Ortolan, "Admiral, it's not too late to make some modifications. The materials from the Island Cloud and Sea Cloud can be used in the Golden City. This can increase the base area of Golden City to a certain extent. At the same time, by using buoyancy, we might be able to reduce the weight of the Golden City and further enhance its performance as a ship..."
"If you're confident, then do as you say. You're a professional in this area!" Ortolan patted Master Tom on the shoulder with great trust.
"Leave professional matters to professionals"—this is a wise saying that Ortolan, after serving as a Marines bureaucrat for so many years, highly values based on his experience.
As a leader, all you need to do is provide a general direction and set appropriate goals, avoiding empty rhetoric and grandiose claims.
As for the rest, leave it to the professionals under my command.
After receiving Ortolan's approval, Master Tom said a few more words about the matter before bidding Fisher Tiger a final farewell and quickly returning to his busy work.
It was only then that Ortolan had a moment to talk to Fisher Tiger about their relationship.
"On Fish-Man Island, King Neptune fully supports your Golden City plan. One of the main purposes of my visit is to communicate and confirm with you what kind of support Fish-Man Island needs to provide for you here. Whether it's funding, resources, or manpower, just ask, and we will find a way to prepare it!" Fisher Tiger said to Ortolan with a smile.
"Thank you so much, Boss Fisher Tiger. We really need your help here. For example, the deep-sea area is difficult for us to design and construct underwater. I heard you have a lot of men under you, so why don't we leave it to you to take charge?" Ortolan laughed.
As he said this, he glanced at the large group of burly Merfolk following Fisher Tiger.
Some of them were people he already knew, such as Jinbe, Shichibukai. He smiled kindly at Ortolan, his attitude very friendly.
To be Jinbe, although Jinbe became Shichibukai, he doesn't actually have much of a deterrent effect. Many people on the sea have no idea who he is, what he does, or how he suddenly became Shichibukai.
Jinbe remained very stable and never thought about proving his strength or status. After becoming Shichibukai, he was still much the same as before. Apart from resigning from the Ryugu Palace, there were no other changes. Overall, Fish-Man Island was still led by Fisher Tiger in the shadows.
However, Fisher Tiger has been intentionally cultivating Jinbe authority and prestige during this time, while also transferring some of his authority and power as the head of the Fish-Man Island gang to a certain extent.
It's clear that Fisher Tiger still intends to leave Fish-Man Island. He might even join the Revolutionary Army after bringing Fish-Man Island back on track.
At that time, Jinbe should become the next leader of the Fish-Man Island gang.
Fisher Tiger was completely convinced by Ortolan's arrangements and immediately agreed.
After a brief discussion about the matter, Fisher Tiger didn't ask any more questions. He could tell that Ortolan only had a general understanding of the Golden City, and there were many details he himself was unclear about.
But this is normal. He doesn't need to know the details; he just needs to let the person in charge do the job well.
Fisher Tiger quickly ended the topic of the Golden City and changed the subject. "Admiral, besides the matter of the Golden City, I came here today to invite you to visit our Fish-Man Island when you have time. King Neptune is very eager to have a friendly meeting with you. He is also very interested in your vision for Fish-Man Island and other collaborations. Queen Otohime also greatly admires you."
"Oh?" Ortolan raised an eyebrow and asked with a smile, "So you mentioned those things to him when we had our last little meeting?"
"Yes, of course I will talk to King Neptune about these things. King Neptune is very interested in your proposal regarding deep-sea trade, the development of seabed mineral resources, and using the Golden City as a window to showcase the culture of Fish-Man Island on the sea. If it weren't for the fact that he can't leave Fish-Man Island at will, he would have loved to come and see you in person this time," Fisher Tiger said with a smile.
If these things can truly be cooperated on and implemented step by step, then Fish-Man Island will be on the surface, and the barriers between the deep-sea society and the surface society will be broken down in no time!
Moreover, it contains enormous profits.
Considering all this, Ortolan nodded. "Alright, I'll be leaving the New World soon to take care of some personal matters. I'll make time to visit King Neptune on Fish-Man Island. By the way, I heard that Queen Otohime has given birth to a little princess?"
Mentioning this, Fisher Tiger excitedly said, "Yeah, the scene that day was huge, it startled me. Although I'd always heard about Poseidon before, that was the first time I'd truly felt his Poseidon..."
Fisher Tiger knew that Ortolan knew something about Poseidon, so he didn't shy away from these topics.
According to his description, the deep sea was incredibly lively on the day Queen Otohime gave birth to White Star. Super-giant Sea Kings, several times larger than Fish-Man Island, along with a large number of ordinary Sea Kings, all appeared around Fish-Man Island, seemingly to congratulate them on the birth of their queen.
The cries of the White Star echoed throughout the entire Fish-Man Island, and countless schools of fish spontaneously swam around the Fish-Man Island, creating a magnificent spectacle rarely seen in a century.
To celebrate the birthday of White Star, the people of Fish-Man Island were as happy as if it were a festival, and Ryugu Palace immediately exempted the entire Fish-Man Island from taxes for three years.
To be fair, the King Neptune, despite possessing the deep sea, is still quite wealthy. After Affiliated Nation for so many years, they haven't gained any advantages and can still pay Celestial Gold every year to maintain their Affiliated Nation status.
It's clear they genuinely don't care about that little bit of money from the Celestial Gold.
Therefore, taxes can be waived at will.
"The birth of the White Star Lord is not only a protective force for Fish-Man Island, but also a good opportunity to break through the barrier between Fish-Man Island and the sea surface..." Ortolan sighed.
Just as he was talking to Fisher Tiger about these things, Hina answered a Den Den Mushi not far away and quickly went to Ortolan's side, "Admiral, Ms. Stussy has arrived..."
"Oh? Has she passed away?" Ortolan raised an eyebrow, a smile playing on his lips. "Yes, please meet Her Majesty the Queen. She's the big boss of this Golden City now, hahaha."