"Free trade. What exactly does that mean?"
Arthur turned the phrase over in his mind and rubbed his beard uneasily. He understood every word, but why had Deathstroke worn that strange smile when he said it?
There was something dark about his expression. Arthur couldn't say why it struck him that way, but it made him nervous.
"Simply put, we need people on land and Atlanteans to trade with each other on a large scale. Both sides profit, and their relationship improves. You know how it is. Ordinary people don't care much about ideology or ideals. They care about what they stand to gain."
Su Ming had plenty of experience with that sort of thing. He left the business and finances to Gin, but before free trade could begin, someone had to get the other side to open the door!
And when that involved force, it was his specialty.
Of course, in previous free-trade ventures, a fleet and some Space Marines had usually been enough to open that door. Su Ming hadn't needed to go himself.
Still, the Adjutant had to report to him before deploying troops, so he always kept an eye on it.
"That's what I was thinking too, Slade. But you Mercenaries really do know how to do business."
A delighted Aquaman tossed aside his empty skewer and clinked bottles with Deathstroke. Once he put that strange smile out of his mind, it sounded like an excellent plan.
"If Atlanteans make money from trading, they'll definitely want to keep it going. But the Seven Underwater Kingdoms only use gold as currency. Will that work?"
Trade hadn't really existed underwater. In the past, people had bartered: my shells for your crabs, or your kelp for my jewelry. That was about the extent of it.
There were no fixed