95 Returning to Mariejois
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As the warship approached, slicing through the water, half of it remained hidden under a special coating, while the other half floated visibly atop the sea's surface near the island.
Upon reaching the dock, Brontes spotted from afar a big merman standing at the forefront, a bubble ring encircling his waist.
The ship extended its ladder to the dock, and Brontes descended with calm steps, followed by two neat rows of naval soldiers behind him.
"Welcome, Fleet-Admiral Ragnarok, to Fish-Man Island." Said Neptune, the king of the island, with a respectful voice.
"Thank you for your warm welcome, King Neptune." Brontes replied as his gaze swept over the gathered crowd of fish-men, recognizing them from the storyline of the anime.
"Is Saint Mjosgard alright?" Brontes asked.
When Brontes asked about Mjosgard's condition, the crowd fell a tense silence.
Until a beautiful mermaid emerged from the crowd, and assured Brontes: "Saint Mjosgard is not seriously injured. He well be completely healed in a few days."
"That's good. That guy caused a lot of trouble for you; consider this a lesson for him. Once he's healed, I'll take him back." Brontes nodded.
Hearing Brontes's words, everyone present was stunned, looking at him in surprise, not expecting such a statement from him.
Queen Otohime was the first to recover, she quickly nodded: "Alright, we will do our best to make Saint Mjosgard feel comfortable while he is in our hospitality."
"You needn't worry about him. Not all World Nobles are unreasonable like Saint Mjosgard, there were those among them who genuinely wished to improve the relationship between the World Government and Fish-Man Island. This was exemplified by their decision to offer one the Seven Shichibukai position to Jinbe." Brontes explained calmly.
"Really?" Princess Otohime exclaimed in surprise.
"They are aware of the situation on Fish-Man Island. Moreover, Fisher Tiger's incident won't be held against the island by the World Government. As long as Mjosgard was alive and well, they wouldn't care about the rest." Brontes said dismissively.
"Thank you, Brontes-dono."
Upon understanding the situation, Neptune thanked Brontes from the bottom of his heart.
Jinbe also also arrived, then they extended an invitation to Brontes to enjoy the hospitality of the Ryugu Palace with a feast of its finest delicacies.
Considering Mjosgard's ongoing recovery, Brontes chose to extend his stay on Fish-Man Island, planning to depart only when Mjosgard was fully healed.
...
Two days passed, and Mjosgard awoke from his coma, furious upon learning of the events that had transpired, he started yelling and shouting angrily at the maids in the room.
Very quickly many Fish-Men gathered in the room, including Neptune, Queen Otohime, Jinbe and many others.
"How dare you attack me?!" Mjosgard shouted, his gaze fixed on Neptune with a fiery anger.
"We are deeply sorry for..." Neptune began, his voice filled with regret. However, he was cut off before he could finish his apology.
"You damn slaves! You're going to regret this!" Mjosgard shouted, his fat jiggling body was shaking with rage.
Amidst the escalating tension, a calm voice suddenly pierced the chaos: "Why are you so loud? You're disturbing my morning peace."
"You damn slave! How dare you speak to..." Mjosgard's anger flared even higher. But as he turned to confront the source of the interruption, his anger froze into shock, his face became pale as if he had seen a ghost.
"Y-You... W-Why are you here?!" Mjosgard stammered, sweat pouring down his face as he stared at Brontes.
"I'm here for you. If you're alright, we're heading back to Mariejois. I don't have time to play around with you." Brontes replied, his tone was cold and indifferent.
"Y-Yes, I'm fine." Mjosgard quickly nodded, as he answered in a little trembling voice.
Mjosgard had always known that the World Government would send someone after him, but he had never expected it to be Brontes. Brontes was a well-known figure among the World Nobles in Mariejois, and his arrival there had stirred a mix of fear and regret among them.
When Brontes first arrived there, some arrogant World Nobles wanted to force him to accept their orders, but how knew that Brontes didn't play like they expected, instead he directly stunned them with his Conqueror's Haki.
Although Brontes's use of Haki didn't physically harm them, it left a profound psychological impact, akin to mental torture.
That happened a few times, in the end the World Nobles started avoiding Brontes and didn't dare to get too close to him.
Even the Five Elders were helpless against Brontes's attitude towards the World Nobles, as they already made Brontes angry at them by taking away his position in the Marine, if they did anything more they were afraid of completely crossing Brontes's bottom line.
Mjosgard had left secretly because the movements of the World Nobles had to be reported to Brontes. If Brontes disagreed with their outings, they couldn't even leave Mariejois, regardless of their status.
If they tried to force their way, Brontes would simply beat them back, and even with CPO by their side, it would be useless.
If Mjosgard had to name the person he hated and feared the most, it would be Fleet-Admiral Ragnarok.
"We'll discuss this once we return. You were supposed to visit Sabaody Archipelago, not Fish-Man Island." Brontes said, giving Mjosgard a sideways glance.
"I... I just wanted to see the sea. I didn't expect to be carried here by the current." Mjosgard replied nervously, attempting to mask his true intentions with a lie.
"Save your explanations for the Five Elders." Brontes said coldly, then turned away, ignoring him completely.
The World Nobles are a prestigious group made up of nineteen families, each led by a head who represents their family's interests and wields significant power within the World Government.
Among them is Saint Rosward, the patriarch of his family and the father of Saint Charloss. He is notable for eventually taking Kuma as a slave.
The Donquixote family is another key player in this circle, headed by Mjosgard's father, who is the brother of Doflamingo's father, making Mjosgard and Doflamingo cousins.
Over nine centuries, the World Nobles have fiercely protected their bloodlines, a practice that, without their stringent safeguards, would have likely led to a decline in their numbers due to the consequences of inbreeding, such as diminished intelligence, evident in individuals like Charloss and Mjosgard.
In addition to the nineteen family heads, there is Brontes, who holds a unique position of power. He has the authority to limit the actions of other World Nobles unless their family head directly seeks his permission.
....
Two days passed, and Mjosgard had fully recovered. Brontes had decided it was time for them to leave, and as they prepared to depart, a large crowd, including Princess Otohime, gathered to bid them farewell.
Mjosgard stepped onto the warship with an air of superiority. However, his arrogance vanished the moment he laid eyes on Brontes waiting on the deck.
Queen Otohime observed the transformation of Mjosgard from a typically haughty World Noble into someone meek and timid in Brontes's presence.
This dramatic change sparked her curiosity about the extent of Brontes's influence within the World Government.
"How significant must his role be in the World Government for him to command such respect?" She wondered, both shocked and impressed by the power dynamic unfolding before her.
"Don't worry, everything will be fine with me here." Brontes reassured her with a nod.
"Thank you, Brontes-dono." Princess Otohime expressed her gratitude with a respectful bow.
"Alright, let's set sail." Brontes ordered.
The reason Queen Otohime was on the warship, joining them on their journey, was that she was traveling to Mariejois with them.
...
After their departure from Fish-Man Island, the group, rather than returning to the Sabaody Archipelago, charted a direct course to Marineford and subsequently to Mariejois.
Mjosgard had pledged his support to Queen Otohime in her efforts to bridge the longstanding divide between the Fish-Man Island and the World Nobles.
This decision came under the heavy influence of his father, a World Noble who was among those advocating for a softer stance towards the inhabitants of Fish-Man Island.
The history between the Fish-Men and the rest of the world has been fraught with prejudice and misunderstanding.
Following the formation of the World Government, the Fish-Men were not even recognized as human.
For centuries, spanning over seven hundred years, they were relegated to the status of mere fish, leading to instances where humans would hunt them for food.
A significant turning point occurred roughly two hundred years ago when the Fish-Men proactively sought to become a part of the World Government.
This move helped to somewhat alleviate the tension between the two races, marking a step forward in their relationship.
Despite this progress, and even though the Fish-Men were recognized as part of the World Government's allied nations, they continued to face exclusion from critical international dialogues.
Notably, they were never invited to participate in the World Conferences held in Mariejois.
