If You Won't Do It, Plenty of Others Will

The Grand Line was divided by the Red Line. To travel from Paradise to the New World, there were only two routes.

Either cross the Red Line or pass through Fish-Man Island.

Legitimate merchants naturally traveled through the Red Line, paying taxes and changing ships to achieve their goals.

But that route was simply impassable for Pirates, Underworld merchants, smugglers, and the like.

As a transit point like Fish-Man Island, it received vast numbers of ships every day for cargo trade. Fish-Man Island also took the opportunity to purchase supplies unavailable in the deep sea.

Many merchants carried goods Fish-Man Island needed and traded with them when passing through, exchanging them for deep-sea products humans required.

Pearls, coral, and certain valuable yet difficult-to-catch fish were all included.

If it had only been normal commerce, it would not have harmed Fish-Man Island.

But the problem was that both Mermaids and Fish-Men could fetch high prices in the slave market, causing passing travelers to frequently entertain ill intentions.

On top of that, a great many Pirates passed through Fish-Man Island, leaving its situation far from ideal.

"What evidence do you have that one of your people is on our ship?! Why didn't our people see anyone?!"

"Stop wasting time! If you delay our business, you won't be able to bear the consequences! Do you see the Den Den Mushi in my hand? This is Lord Umit's Den Den Mushi!

"Once I make this call, if Lord Umit gives the word, at least half the supplies bound for Fish-Man Island will be gone!"

Deep Sea Current Umit—the Underworld respectfully called him the King of Shipping.

Sea transport was the world's primary means of travel. Goods transportation in the Underworld could basically never bypass Umit.

His fierce threat truly frightened the Neptune Army soldiers.

If it affected Fish-Man Island in the future, an ordinary soldier truly could not shoulder that responsibility.

But at that moment, the merchant group's man suddenly felt his hand grow light. When he came back to his senses, the Den Den Mushi had vanished.

"Umit's men? Interesting. I'll help you make this call. I'd like to see what exactly he means by this."

The one who took the Den Den Mushi was Nereus. He could be certain that there was something wrong with this ship.

Present-day Fish-Man Island had little contact with the outside world. Even if they saw what goods were aboard the ship, it would not affect anything. The time they had delayed them for was already enough to inspect the ship dozens of times.

Before the merchant group's people could stop him, Nereus had already connected the call.

"Hello, Ladis. What do you need from me? Has your cargo arrived?"

On an island somewhere in the New World, in a prosperous port town, a man wearing an oversized captain's hat, with hook-shaped eyebrows but no beard yet, answered the call.

"Umit, it's been a while since we last met, hasn't it?"

Umit had originally been reclining leisurely in his chair, but upon hearing the voice from the Den Den Mushi, he jolted upright as if struck by lightning.

Looking closely, he saw that the Den Den Mushi in his hand was changing in appearance, its eyes even carrying a trace of blood-red.

This was a trait of Den Den Mushi. They mimicked the eyes and expressions of the person on the other end, giving calls a uniquely vivid quality.

"Ohoho, isn't this Lord Nereus? Why would you be calling me?"

Umit knew Nereus well. After all, as someone in the sea transport business, he could not avoid sailing, much less a hub like Fish-Man Island.

When he had first begun this line of work, Nereus was already quite famous, so the newly established Umit had taken the initiative to pay his respects.

Nereus had recognized that the brat before him would become a future "king" of the Underworld, and he had agreed to help him. With the Fish-Men's assistance, several of Umit's ventures had indeed gone much more smoothly.

Umit also knew very well that if Nereus became angry, the question would not be whether his ships could continue sailing, but how much longer he himself could live.

Nereus had called him using one of his subordinates' Den Den Mushi. No matter how he thought about it, something was wrong.

"A child went missing from Fish-Man Island. Someone said she was taken aboard your ship. Your subordinate said that if we inspected this ship, you would never allow any more supplies to reach Fish-Man Island.

"Was that your intention? Or have you decided that your business has grown large enough for you to start doing other things..."

"No, no, no! That was absolutely not my intention! That bastard was talking nonsense! I only smuggle some rare goods. Why would I set my sights on the citizens of Fish-Man Island?!

"Search as you please! If that brat truly has sticky fingers, then I'll have to trouble you to clean house for me."

"Umit, I don't care whether this was your intention, but this is the last time.

"As for the sea transport pie, if you won't do it, plenty of others will."

"Yes... I understand what you mean..."

Nereus did not wait for Umit to answer before hanging up. Umit remained silent in the room for a long while, then picked up several other Den Den Mushi.

"Notify every supervisor of routes passing through Fish-Man Island! Emphasize the ban once again. Whoever dares touch slave transport, I want his life!"

His position was not secure either. The Underworld gave him some respect and called him the King of Shipping, but far more people wanted to replace him than respected him.

There were many powerful Pirates. The person Umit least wished to offend, and dared not offend, was Nereus. Fish-Man Island's location could truly choke off more than half his business.

And for Nereus to kill him would not be much harder than crushing an ant.

Thinking of this, Umit felt somewhat overheated. Only after undoing the button at his collar did he realize that his shirt had already been soaked with sweat without his noticing.

Meanwhile, on Fish-Man Island, Sebastian had already entered the ship alone without needing an order from Nereus.

Among Nereus's subordinates, Babel was more skilled in Armament Haki, while Sebastian was more proficient in Observation Haki. He had already sensed an unusual presence in the ship's hold.

After taking down several guards who tried to obstruct him, he quickly brought out an unconscious little Mermaid and handed her over to her parents.

"Now, what else do you have to say?"

"I think... this may have been a misunderstanding... I really don't know how she got aboard..."

From the moment Nereus made that call, Ladis realized he had kicked an iron plate. Umit, who usually stood above everyone else in smuggling circles, had spoken in a tone even more humble than his own, and Ladis simply could not understand it.

He could still force himself to remain calm, but at this moment, not everyone wanted to hear his explanation.

"You mean this little one climbed onto your ship herself, hid in the corner of the cargo hold, and then fell asleep? Do you take us for idiots?!"

Sebastian grabbed Ladis in one hand. His terrifying brute strength squeezed Ladis's bones until they creaked.

Ladis slapped at Sebastian's massive hand, but it was useless. With a sharp crack, Sebastian directly crushed his spine and casually tossed him aside.