<h4>Chapter 142: Ready to Clean Mariejois!</h4>


    As the two continued walking and chatting, udius eventually said, "Sengoku, once I''ve taken care of the mess in Mariejois, how about we meet at Sabaody Archipgo?"


    Sengoku nodded. "I''ll leave it to your arrangements."


    During the earlier meeting, Sengoku had sessfully passed the responsibility for dealing with Fish-Man Ind onto udius. Nusjuro had also agreed that Fish-Man Ind 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 g 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 Ind was such a ce, and it had to be resolved.


    The meeting concluded with Nusjuro deciding to reevaluate and reorganize the World Government''s rtionship with Fish-Man Ind.


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


    Eventer, at the World Summit, Fish-Man Ind still operated under the protection of pirates, with Whitebeard''s g being reced first by Big Mom''s andter by Luffy''s. The ind''s allegiance was dictated by strength, with one pirate group after another acting as its "guardian."


    Although the Five Elders had attempted to improve rtions with Fish-Man Ind, 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. udius, as Sengoku described, was an anomaly among the Celestial Dragons, much like how Garp was a disruptive force within Marine. udius could do things that the Five Elders couldn''t or wouldn''t, and he felt no qualms about breaking convention.


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


    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 Ind that the World Government was serious about improving their rtionship. The message was simple: "We''re showing you good faith. Now it''s your turn to meet us halfway, take down Whitebeard''s g, and we''ll provide the protection you need."


    Of course, this n applied only to ves from Fish-Man Ind. It wasn''t a nket liberation effort, nor was it meant to address other types of very. This was just one part of arger strategy.


    The reason udius and Sengoku nned to meet at Sabaody Archipgo was that the area had been designated for cleanup as well. Unlike Mariejois, where freeing ves meant dealing with the Celestial Dragons directly, Sabaody was lessplicated. The merfolk and fish-men there were mostly held by ve traders, whocked the untouchable status of the Celestial Dragons.


    The decision was clear: crush thempletely. Nusjuro and udius agreed to a no-tolerance policy, wipe out the ve trade in Sabaody rted to Fish-Man Ind. 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 Archipgo also held symbolic importance. Part of the n was to establish a special zone on Sabaody where Fish-Man Ind residents coulde freely, providing them with a safe haven. This gesture was another way of demonstrating the World Government''smitment 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 udius returned to his pce to set things in motion.


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


    "Nia, I need you to contact the Ministry of Internal Affairs and find out how many ves in Mariejois are from Fish-Man Ind. They have three days topile the information and send me a full list," udius 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, udius 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," udius replied with a nod and a smile. However, there was a hint of mncholy 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.


    udius 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 Ind, and that''s where you''ll finally be able to go home."


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


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


    Lenny, however, noticed the slight sadness in udius'' 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 Ind in the future."


    udius 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 yful 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 Ind ves in Mariejois. For Sabaody Archipgo, the World Government will prioritize cleaning up the mermaid ve trade there as well. And that''s not all, new legition will be put in ce to protect the personal safety of Fish-Man Ind residents. From now on, anyone who harms or enves merfolk will face severe punishment. It''s no longer just empty formalities. How does that sound?"


    Though udius 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 im 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," udius added with a smile. "If you ever feel like visiting, you''re always wee."


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


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


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


    udius burst intoughter. "Free? Hahaha! Don''t even dream about it! You three will never escape my grasp!"


    ***


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