" Queen Otohime, your speech was wonderful."
Queen Otohime opened her eyes and saw a man wearing sunglasses and a pink feather coat, smiling at her.
"Who are you..."
" Doflamingo," the man introduced himself.
Queen Otohime was slightly taken aback.
Shichibukai?
"What can I do for you?"
"It's nothing serious."
Doflamingo chuckled.
"I just wanted to tell you that what Saint Saturn said wasn't true."
Queen Otohime was taken aback. "What do you mean?"
"Draw a clear line?"
Doflamingo shook his head.
Even if you draw a line, the World Government will not allow you to join.
Queen Otohime's expression changed. "Why?"
"Because—" Doflamingo lowered his voice, " Fish-Man and mermaids are the Celestial Dragons' favorite slaves."
"If Fish-Man Island joins the World Government, the Fish-Man and mermaids will become citizens of Affiliated Nation, and the Celestial Dragons will no longer be able to arbitrarily capture them as slaves."
Do you think the Celestial Dragons would agree?
Queen Otohime's face turned deathly pale instantly.
She understood.
She finally understood.
Saint Saturn's words, his so-called "conditions," and his seemingly reasonable reasons were all just excuses.
The World Government has no intention of having Fish-Man Island join.
From beginning to end, I never wanted to.
"Why..." Queen Otohime murmured, "Why..."
"Because this world has never been fair."
Doflamingo shrugged.
"Weakness is the original sin."
Doflamingo turned and left, but as he did, a barely perceptible glint flashed in his eyes. 'Hmph... It seems Fish-Man Island is very important to Roy...'
Queen Otohime sat there alone, Doflamingo's words still echoing in her mind.
Queen Otohime's tears finally fell.
It's not because of despair.
It's because of anger.
Anger towards the World Government.
Anger towards the Celestial Dragons.
Anger at the injustices of this world.
But there was nothing she could do.
She was just a weak queen of Fish-Man Island, with no power, no fighting force, and no backing.
All she could do was cry.
Only tears flowed.
The only thing to do is swallow that anger and sorrow.
After the meeting, Queen Otohime left Mary Geoise with her entourage and returned to the Sabaody Archipelago.
She remained silent the entire way.
The attendants dared not speak, but simply followed her silently.
Upon arriving at the port, Queen Otohime stopped and glanced back at the Red Line.
Mary Geoise is there.
A sacred place under the sun.
The core of World Government.
But for her, that place will always be an unattainable dream.
"Let's go." Queen Otohime turned around and stepped onto the bubble boat.
The ship slowly sailed away from the harbor, heading towards Fish-Man Island.
Queen Otohime stood at the bow of the ship, gazing at the Sabaody Archipelago as it receded into the distance, and silently made a vow in her heart.
Someday.
One day, Fish-Man Island will join the World Government.
One day, Fish-Man and mermaids will live in the sunlight.
One day, the world will become fair.
Even if she can't do it, her child certainly can.
The Reverie is drawing to a close.
Saint Saturn tapped the table, and the entire room fell silent.
"The final item on the agenda—the supplementary list of the Shichibukai."
These words caused another uproar in the audience.
The Shichibukai are legal pirates under the World Government, possessing licenses to plunder and enjoying privileges—a status countless pirates dream of.
"After the Pure Gold Incident, only three of the Shichibukai remain."
Saint Saturn's voice was neither hurried nor slow.
"Their power has been greatly weakened, rendering them unable to counterbalance pirates or assist the Navy."
"Therefore, we must recruit more members for the Shichibukai."
The kings in the council seats nodded in agreement.
"Agree."
"Agree."
"Passed unanimously."
Saint Saturn nodded in satisfaction. "Next, the nomination process. The kings of each country can nominate the candidates they deem suitable."
No sooner had he finished speaking than the king of a certain country in the West Blue stood up.
"I nominate Chinjao the Drill!"
"His strength is undeniable; he fought against Vice Admiral Garp back in the day, earning him a formidable reputation."
"If he could join the Shichibukai, he would definitely intimidate the pirates of the West Blue!"
Saint Saturn nodded. "Record it."
Another king stood up. "I nominate Red-Haired Shanks!"
"He enjoys immense prestige and formidable strength in Four Blues and the New World. If he were to join the Shichibukai, he would surely be able to quickly stabilize the situation!"
" Red-Haired Shanks, Record."
I nominate Edward Weevil!
"He's Whitebeard's son, his fighting strength is astonishing, he's definitely the best candidate for Shichibukai!"
"Edward Weevil, record."
"I nominate Amazon Lily Pirate Empress of Amazon Torch Lily!"
" The Pirate Empress of Amazon Lily possesses unfathomable strength. If she were to join the Shichibukai, the pirates surrounding Amazon Lily would certainly dare not cause trouble!"
" Torch Lily, a record."
"I nominate Jinbe, the Knight of the Sea Fish-Man Island!"
He is the strongest person on Fish-Man Island, possessing formidable strength, and Fish-Man Island is located right next to the World Government.
If he could join the Shichibukai, it would be entirely beneficial to the World Government!
" Knight of the Sea Jinbe, Records."
Nominations came one after another, and the recorders of Saint Saturn- Jean recorded them all.
After everyone had made their suggestions, he glanced at the list and nodded.
"The list is finalized. Sengoku, you arrange for the navy to extend invitations to these individuals to become Shichibukai."
Sengoku nodded. "Yes."
" The Reverie is now concluded."
Saint Saturn stood up, turned and left.
The kings of various countries also rose to their feet, some excited, some disappointed, and some worried.
News of the Reverie spread like wildfire across the ocean.
The Shichibukai (supplementary information).
Nomination list.
Invitation letter.
Every piece of news is like a bomb, causing the entire ocean to surge with turmoil.
The navy acted swiftly.
Sengoku, Marine Vice Admiral was dispatched to various regions with an invitation from the World Government to search for nominated strong individuals.
The Navy made no attempt to conceal its actions, and news of the Shichibukai's invitation spread across the seas instantly, becoming the hottest topic in the entire region.
Those pirates who considered themselves quite strong became incredibly ambitious after learning about the list of nominees for the Shichibukai.
They all challenged the members on the list, including Chinjao, Jinbe, and Weevil.
"Defeat Chinjao! I will become Shichibukai!"
"What 'Knight of the Sea Jinbe? I can knock him down with one punch!"
"Edward Weevil? Whitebeard's son? I'm not even afraid of Whitebeard!"
Countless pirates were drawn by the news, and those who wanted to join the Shichibukai challenged the people on the list.
The entire ocean is beginning to stir again.
And Hachinosu.
Roy sat in his office, watching Crocodile give his report, and smiled faintly.
" The Shichibukai may look glamorous, but they're really just dogs of the World Government."
"We on Hachinosu don't need to be beholden to anyone."
Tesoro and the others nodded in agreement.