One Piece: Mandala Swordsman

Chapter 158 He was no match for this child.

Suddenly, a large, chubby blue fishman appeared before everyone. His eyebrows and sideburns were distinctive, and he had two big teeth on his lower jaw. Although he wasn't very good-looking, he had a kind of cute charm.

The intruder clearly startled the others in the room, and Sly was already in an attack stance.

However, Roman stopped him.

"Stop! You're all no match for him now, and besides, this is the ocean floor, his territory." The fish-men are stronger in the ocean, and Jinbe, as a soldier of Neptune's army, has quite a few soldiers under her command. She's here to make peace, not to make enemies.

Otohime felt apologetic about the situation: "I'm really sorry, but he's Jinbe, a soldier of the royal palace, not someone with malicious intent."

But Jinbe clearly didn't listen: "Your Highness, you can't just hang out with humans."

"Jinbe, do you also oppose my views?" Otohime's expression was somewhat sad.

“That’s not what I meant, but you can’t easily stay with humans. Your body is far too fragile, and besides, your body is carrying a life…”

"As subjects, you should trust your mistress. If I truly harbored ill intentions, Queen Otohime would not have seen me. I think you also know that she can see through people's hearts; otherwise, it would be difficult for Lord Jinbe, who comes from Fishman Island, to hold a position in the Imperial Palace," Roman said slowly.

Fishman Street, a lawless area on Fishman Island, is home to all sorts of thugs, almost all of whom are children abandoned by their parents.

Because of the harsh living environment, the children who grow up here have more or less distorted personalities, and Jinbe is one of the better ones.

"You even know this?" Otohime was very surprised, as was Jinbe.

"That's not important, is it? I wanted to ask for your opinion, Your Highness. I sincerely hope that you can allow the fish-men to join the Navy. I admit that there are some scoundrels among us humans who sell your people, but it's different if they become Navy members. So far, I haven't heard of any slave-trading ship that dares to send slaves to the Navy for auction."

That's right, naval personnel should absolutely not be auctioned off.

Even in the Sabaody Archipelago, the auctioneers there dare to auction off mermaids, nobles, pirates, and giants, but they wouldn't dare to sell members of the Navy.

They are the armed forces of the World Government, representing its dignity, and cannot be easily destroyed.

"We also have our difficulties. As you can see, our country is under the protection of Whitebeard..."

"Whitebeard's fame extends to more than just your Fish-Man Island; there are other countries as well. But I've never heard of anyone born on that island being barred from becoming a Marine. If Whitebeard is such a narrow-minded person, wouldn't it be better for you to seek refuge elsewhere?" Roman said.

“You’re insulting Daddy,” Jinbe said in a harsh tone.

"Isn't it a good thing that you think this way? Then Your Highness's concerns are no longer a problem, are they?" Roman continued.

Jinbe, who is not good with words, is clearly no match for Roman.

Jinbe is still relatively young at the moment, without the experience of the Sun Pirates, and without having met the girl Koala. He feels more of aversion towards humans, but this aversion stems more from the human trafficking of his fellow humans, and his overall hatred towards this race is not too great.

After all, he met Fisher Tiger at a crucial time in his life.

"Of course I know we have serious differences, but the trafficking of merfolk is not just a consequence of human creation. Are you merfolk really so innocent?"

Humans can sell other humans, so naturally fish-men can sell other fish-men.

The evil deeds committed by humans against the fish-men are real, and it is irrational to try to deny them. Therefore, shifting the focus of the conflict is crucial at this point.

As expected, upon hearing Roman's words, Otohime and Jinbe's expressions changed drastically and became extremely ugly.

They knew very well that what Roman said was true, but admitting it was really... At this moment, Jinbe couldn't help but think of another way.

"Regarding your suggestion of joining the Navy, I really don't think you can learn anything by joining the Navy. Our Fish-Men's arm strength far surpasses that of ordinary people."

Wow, that's exactly what I was waiting for!

Jinbe, you're still too impulsive.

Jinbe's sudden intrusion was an unexpected factor for Roman, but the result was surprisingly good. She originally wanted to speak to Princess Otohime herself, but Jinbe had already given her a way out, so she was naturally happy to accept it.

"My dear subordinates, didn't I tell you? You'll have your chance to fight. Now's your time to get your hands dirty." Roman then looked at Jinbe.

"Since you come from Fishman Street, you must know many friends. Call them all over. Since you were able to grow up without your parents' help, you must have your own skills. Let me see."

That's right, the fish-men she wanted to join the navy were from Fishman Street.

Why did Roman choose this tough nut to crack?

It's important to know that the murlocs of Murloc Street, among the murloc race, harbor particular hatred towards humans.

However, the fishmen of Fishman Street are a group that is heavily discriminated against throughout Fishman Island. Bringing them into the Navy would elicit the least opposition on Fishman Island.

Because they have almost no ties, they are also the main group of criminals on Fishman Island.

If Roman could teach the fishmen of Fishman Street a lesson and make them behave, it would not only demonstrate the Navy's strength to the common people but also change their perception of humanity. One must take things one step at a time; people must be won over gradually. Water flows uphill; once results are seen, why worry about a lack of support?

As for instruction, well, there are plenty of troublemakers in the navy.

The four behind her were top-notch troublemakers, but she still kept them under her control. There are actually quite a few naval instructors in the navy who are good at dealing with troublemakers, and they have a variety of methods. Once you get someone into a position, they have no say in the matter.

Even if they can't fight, teachers who are good at teaching still have a lot of creative methods.

It's simply a matter of doing it or not doing it.

Jinbe clearly hadn't anticipated that Roman had already planned everything. On a whim, he agreed and, after apologizing to the Queen, returned to Fishman Town.

"I'm so sorry, Jinpei wouldn't normally do this," Otohime apologized again.

"This is none of your business, Your Highness, but please believe that we have come with a peaceful purpose. Besides, you should have noticed that by now..." Roman's aura changed.

"I know." Fine beads of sweat began to appear on the princess's forehead.

Jinbe is no match for this child.