However, their plan never had a chance to materialize. Because, besides Otohime, Fisher Tiger also approved of the existence of the department store. He also brought Jinbe and others to visit the place, making his attitude clear.
As the widely accepted leader of the Fish-Man District, when dealing with the thugs in the Fish-Man District, his words were far more effective than Neptune’s.
“It’s really great. If only every place could be like this.”
Watching the employees inside the Kojiro Department Store, a smile appeared on Tiger’s face. Apart from the pirate crews outside, this was probably the first place where Merfolk, Fish-Men and humans were working together, and it was also the first human company that did not discriminate against Merfolk and Fish-Men.
As a department store, its location was on the edge of Fishman Island’s Gyoncorde Plaza.
It was a location relatively close to the center of Fishman Island and also the only new large-scale building on Fishman Island in recent years.
Apart from his own goods, there were also some vacant stalls available for local Fish-Men to do business.
This was part of the agreement between Otohime and him. He can use the department store permanently for free, with the condition of providing free stalls to Fish-Men and Merfolk.
This indirectly promoted the economic development of Fishman Island. For example, Hachi’s takoyaki stand moved here, and to cater to the Merfolk market, he introduced new products like scallop skewers. At this moment, his six arms were busy with joy.
“Hey, Hachi, business seems to be going well.”
“Nyuuuuu, Brother Tiger?! Business is indeed good here. Would you like to try some?”
“No, I just came out from the Ryugu Palace. Work hard, having a legitimate business is a good thing.”
This was why Tiger supported them. Fish-Man District had many thugs, and he didn’t want it to become a chaotic and lawless place. That’s why he initially subdued the entire Fish-Man District, but back then, even if he tried to manage it, there wasn’t much he could do.
If it weren’t for Fish-Men being able to fish and forage in the deep sea, the situation in the Fish-Man District would be worse. Now that they had new job opportunities, allowing them to stabilize their lives, Tiger was happy to see this situation arise.
As for the Fish-Men who were unwilling to live this way, he gathered most of them together. They planned to set sail as pirates after Mariejois’ plan. At that time, their presence on Fishman Island would only cause trouble for the Ryugu Kingdom.
Moreover, he also heard from Otohime about the deep-sea mining company’s plan. If it went smoothly, the people of the Fish-Man District wouldn’t be thugs anymore. Therefore, he planned to help them settle down before taking action.
With the dual support of Tiger and Otohime, Kojiro’s Fishman Island branch developed very smoothly. However, the seas were not as calm.
A gamble that had caused the odds at all the New World betting markets to rise continuously was finally coming to an end. The strength of the pirate crew of the Lone Hero was originally average, and they simply could not have lasted this long in the New World.
However, due to various strange factors, this issue gradually escalated into a matter of face for the Emperors of the Sea.
It started with just Namur, Charlotte Opera and Scotch. Later, reinforcements were gradually sent out. In order to personally claim the opponent’s head, the three parties had clashed several times, and everyone has also been constantly trying to sway others to their side.
Although the Beasts Pirates and Big Mom have some cooperation, they are not as close as family. However, minor friction at sea is not uncommon, as long as it doesn’t involve invading each other’s territories.
But now the conflict has escalated to the point of involving Vice-Captains in battle. If it continues, it may lead to direct intervention from Kaido and others. But it’s clear that such small characters aren’t worth the Emperors of the Sea getting personally involved.
And it is unlikely that a large-scale war will break out between them, because it is not in their interests
In the absence of supernatural interference, a battle between them would inevitably last for days and nights, with the aftermath capable of destroying nearby islands. Regardless of whose territory the battle takes place in, the consequences are not something they want to bear.
So, all three parties were well aware that this is the battle meant to settle matters once and for all.
The fate of the Lone Hero has already been sealed, and now the only thing left to consider is a matter of reputation.
Due to the peculiar composition of the Beasts Pirates, not only are there two leaders, but even the Vice-Captains come in pairs.
Due to his role as Shogun’s Attaché, King was still in Wano Country, and since Yamato and the others have been away for a long time, most of the remaining children are still in the stamina training stage and don’t require Shaina to personally train them. So, Shayna was leading the team this time.
Correspondingly, Katakuri was the one leading Big Mom Pirate’s side, while Marco was leading the Whitebeard Pirate’s side.
However, the three of them have not yet engaged in battle. Instead, they were negotiating who would get the other’s head, with each party having information about the island where the other was hiding, waiting to be captured.
At this moment, the island was surrounded, and they were negotiating on the beach.
“Hey hey, that guy caused trouble in our territory. It’s only right and proper that he should be handed over to us, isn’t it?”
“He stole things that Mama prepared for my brothers and sisters. That’s an unforgivable crime. He should be ours.”
This was a relatively serious negotiation, so no one had started talking trash yet. However, Katakuri and Marco were both inwardly cursing that Lone Hero as a fool.
【Causing trouble in Whitebeard’s territory】
【Actually stealing Big Mom’s food】
Originally, they were just chasing him, unaware of the reasons behind it. It wasn’t until this meeting that they learned the reason. After that, they both simultaneously turned to look at Shayna.
Although pirates aren’t any righteous bunch, Marco doesn’t want too much harm to his family, Katakuri doesn’t want his siblings to get hurt in the fight, and Shayna doesn’t want a three-way melee. That’s why they sat down to talk.
“He tried to kidnap the family member of our officer.”
It was another irrefutable reason, and the negotiation table fell into silence. In the end, the only way to resolve this issue is still force.
And they’ve also decided on one thing: to determine the result through their own battles, not allowing the aftermath of the fight to expand further.
“Does anyone want to back out?”
“This isn’t the place to show consideration to a kid, so I have a proposal, Shayna. After all, we have some cooperation. How about we knock out this guy Marco first?”
Katakuri’s remark about showing consideration to a kid was directed at Marco, the youngest and shortest among the three of them. However, this seemingly casual suggestion changed the balance of the battle. Initially, it was a three-way melee, but Marco overlooked the business dealings between the Beasts Pirates and Big Mom.
A triangle has stability. Originally, they would be wary of each other, but with Katakuri’s suggestion, Marco became cautious. It would be difficult for him to handle these two if they joined forces.
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