One Piece: King of the World

Chapter 142: Ready to Clean Mariejois!

During the earlier meeting, Sengoku had successfully passed the responsibility for dealing with Fish-Man Island onto Claudius. Nusjuro had also agreed that Fish-Man Island was a logical starting point to make progress, an opening to begin "tearing a hole," as Sengoku had put it.

The reasoning was straightforward: while Whitebeard\'s flag could be seen flying in various territories, there was no justification for it to be raised over a member nation of the World Government. That had to be addressed. Fish-Man Island was such a place, and it had to be resolved.

The meeting concluded with Nusjuro deciding to reevaluate and reorganize the World Government\'s relationship with Fish-Man Island.

In the original timeline, there was no such effort. Princess Otohime\'s plans were disrupted when she was captured by a Celestial Dragon an event that should still be two years away. That incident strained the relationship between Fish-Man Island and the World Government even further, leaving it unresolved for years.

Even later, at the World Summit, Fish-Man Island still operated under the protection of pirates, with Whitebeard\'s flag being replaced first by Big Mom\'s and later by Luffy\'s. The island\'s allegiance was dictated by strength, with one pirate group after another acting as its "guardian."

Although the Five Elders had attempted to improve relations with Fish-Man Island, appointing Jinbei as one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea was merely a symbolic gesture with limited impact.

But this time, things were different. Claudius, as Sengoku described, was an anomaly among the Celestial Dragons, much like how Garp was a disruptive force within Marine. Claudius could do things that the Five Elders couldn\'t or wouldn\'t, and he felt no qualms about breaking convention.

The preliminary plan was for the World Government to free one-third of Mariejois\' Fish-Man Island slaves, focusing primarily on the merfolk. It was a gesture of goodwill designed to show sincerity toward Fish-Man Island.

This wasn\'t about morality or fairness, merely pragmatism. It would give the Celestial Dragons time to process the changes while demonstrating to Fish-Man Island that the World Government was serious about improving their relationship. The message was simple: "We\'re showing you good faith. Now it\'s your turn to meet us halfway, take down Whitebeard\'s flag, and we\'ll provide the protection you need."

Of course, this plan applied only to slaves from Fish-Man Island. It wasn\'t a blanket liberation effort, nor was it meant to address other types of slavery. This was just one part of a larger strategy.

The reason Claudius and Sengoku planned to meet at Sabaody Archipelago was that the area had been designated for cleanup as well. Unlike Mariejois, where freeing slaves meant dealing with the Celestial Dragons directly, Sabaody was less complicated. The merfolk and fish-men there were mostly held by slave traders, who lacked the untouchable status of the Celestial Dragons.

The decision was clear: crush them completely. Nusjuro and Claudius agreed to a no-tolerance policy, wipe out the slave trade in Sabaody related to Fish-Man Island. Any merchant caught trafficking merfolk or fish-men would face absolute consequences. If they dared to repeat their crimes, they\'d pay with their lives.

Sabaody Archipelago also held symbolic importance. Part of the plan was to establish a special zone on Sabaody where Fish-Man Island residents could come freely, providing them with a safe haven. This gesture was another way of demonstrating the World Government\'s commitment to change.

After parting ways in front of the Social Square, Sengoku headed to the port to return to Marineford and make the necessary preparations, while Claudius returned to his palace to set things in motion.

As soon as Claudius stepped inside, he saw Nia waiting for him.

"Nia, I need you to contact the Ministry of Internal Affairs and find out how many slaves in Mariejois are from Fish-Man Island. They have three days to compile the information and send me a full list," Claudius instructed with a smile.

Though curious about the sudden request, Nia refrained from asking questions and simply nodded. "Yes, Your Highness. I\'ll handle it immediately."

Once Nia left, Claudius made his way to the courtyard. There, he spotted Lenny and Mero chatting with the three Boa sisters by the pool.

"Your Highness, you\'re back!" Lenny said cheerfully as she noticed him approaching.

"Yeah, I\'m back," Claudius replied with a nod and a smile. However, there was a hint of melancholy in his voice as he continued, "Lenny, Mero, it\'s time for you two to pack your things."

The two mermaid sisters froze, clearly confused.

"Are you sending us away, Your Highness? Are you giving us to someone else?" Lenny asked nervously.

Claudius chuckled and patted her head gently. "Of course not. What kind of person do you think I am? I promised you a long time ago that I\'d set you free. In a few days, I\'m heading to Fish-Man Island, and that\'s where you\'ll finally be able to go home."

The moment Claudius finished speaking, Lenny and Mero\'s faces lit up with joy.

Watching from the side, Hancock looked at Claudius in surprise. Though she had overheard this promise before, she had always thought he was simply placating the two mermaids. She never imagined he\'d actually follow through especially so soon.

Lenny, however, noticed the slight sadness in Claudius\' expression. Feeling a pang of guilt, she hesitated before saying, "If we leave, Your Highness will be lonely, won\'t you? Why don\'t we stay a little longer? You\'ll have another chance to visit Fish-Man Island in the future."

Claudius smiled warmly at her words, his mood visibly lifting. "No need. Every journey has its end, Lenny."

After a brief pause, he added with a playful grin, "Besides, I\'ve worked hard for you merfolk this time. I just persuaded the Five Elders to implement some changes in Mariejois. Three days from now, we\'ll be freeing one-third of the Fish-Man Island slaves in Mariejois. For Sabaody Archipelago, the World Government will prioritize cleaning up the mermaid slave trade there as well. And that\'s not all, new legislation will be put in place to protect the personal safety of Fish-Man Island residents. From now on, anyone who harms or enslaves merfolk will face severe punishment. It\'s no longer just empty formalities. How does that sound?"

Though Claudius exaggerated slightly by taking full credit for these reforms, he didn\'t feel too bad about it. After all, he was spearheading the effort, so why not claim a bit of the glory?

Lenny and Mero were ecstatic, their gratitude and excitement evident in their expressions.

"My doors will always be open to you," Claudius added with a smile. "If you ever feel like visiting, you\'re always welcome."

At this moment, Hancock spoke up, her voice tinged with anticipation. "What about us?"

"What about you?" Claudius asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Can we be free too?" Hancock asked eagerly.

Claudius burst into laughter. "Free? Hahaha! Don\'t even dream about it! You three will never escape my grasp!"

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