Chapter 165: Chapter 165: Two Major Headlines from the Reverie
Unable to ascend to Mary Geoise, Wright had no way of knowing how the Reverie was progressing.
"Let's go. Back to headquarters."
Wright called Ain to regroup as they headed toward the Lightbringer.
"This year's Reverie is bound to be eventful. We'll just wait for the news."
The week-long Reverie soon came to an end.
This year, the most groundbreaking news was undoubtedly the World Government's formal recognition of the validity of signatures collected by Fish-Man Island for their migration petition.
Cobra, King of Alabasta, had already heard about this from Wright on his way to Mary Geoise. At the time, Cobra had adopted an indifferent attitude.
Alabasta, situated mid-way along the Grand Line's first half, had little to do with Fish-Man Island, which lies 10,000 meters beneath the surface at the base of the Red Line.
The migration of Fish-Man Island was unlikely to occur near Alabasta. However, Wright deliberately brought it up—was there a deeper meaning?
Wright had made a request to Cobra: to propose that the first agenda item of the Reverie be submitted by the Ryugu Kingdom, which was attending for the first time in 200 years.
It was then that Cobra realized the esteemed Vice Admiral Wright, whose reputation was soaring, was a staunch supporter of Fish-Man Island.
Given Alabasta's status, making such a proposal was not a big deal. In fact, it seemed insufficient even as a gesture of gratitude to Vice Admiral Wright.
Thus, Cobra readily agreed to Wright's request. Before the Reverie officially began, he suggested the agenda.
The participating monarchs didn't object. After all, the Reverie would be long; granting a favor to "Good King" Cobra seemed harmless.
Moreover, building ties with the Ryugu Kingdom could only bring benefits, not harm.
As a result, Queen Otohime was able to present Fish-Man Island's centuries-old dream—migrating to the surface—formally at the Reverie.
With the personal signature and strong support of Saint Donquixote Mjosgard, a Celestial Dragon, the World Government begrudgingly acknowledged the matter and handed the final decision to the attending monarchs.
Some initial schemes to derail the Ryugu Kingdom's efforts were thwarted by the early introduction of their agenda.
Additionally, Alabasta's royal family held a unique status, and, most importantly, Fish-Man Island's demands weren't excessive.
They only requested official approval—no demands for territory, protection, rights, or immediate implementation. To obstruct them further would make the World Government appear particularly petty.
In front of the member states' monarchs, the World Government had to save face.
Thanks to meticulous intelligence gathering and analysis, Queen Otohime was well-versed in the characteristics of each participating nation.
Coupled with her remarkable oratory skills, even the selfish King Wapol of Drum Kingdom raised no objections to her proposal.
Thus, barring abstentions, the proposal passed with overwhelming support at the Reverie.
Fish-Man Island would spend the next few years identifying suitable surface locations for migration, pledging that the chosen sites would not fall within any member nation's territorial waters.
Supporting nations would receive trade benefits with Fish-Man Island, including access to rare undersea resources added to their trade lists.
This marked a promising beginning for Fish-Man Island's long-held aspiration, paving the way for a brighter future.
The participating monarchs were equally pleased—gaining trade advantages with Fish-Man Island was an easy win.
With both sides satisfied, the next agenda item was addressed.
The Revolutionary Army finally became a topic of discussion.
Few knew much about Monkey D. Dragon, the leader of the Revolutionary Army.
Even the name itself seemed to invite silence.
Thus, ever since Dragon's emergence in public discourse, he was almost exclusively referred to as "Revolutionary Dragon."
This peculiar trend meant that even the Marines under Garp's command were unaware that their Vice Admiral's family included such a notorious figure.
At the Reverie, no one mentioned Dragon's surname, either intentionally or unintentionally. The World Government also referred to him only as "Revolutionary Dragon."
King Thalassa Lucas of Ilisia Kingdom proposed that Dragon's ideology was extremely dangerous and that within four or five years, he might become a significant threat to the World Government.
The attending monarchs, shrewd and calculating, responded in various ways: some remained silent, some adopted a neutral stance, while others secretly reveled in the World Government's predicament. None, however, proposed actionable measures to counter Dragon.
The World Government's attempt to shift blame onto the Ryugu Kingdom was subtly thwarted by Wright, who had been stationed in Alabasta.
With the conclusion of the Ryugu Kingdom's agenda, the World Government had no grounds to impose the Revolutionary Army issue on Fish-Man Island.
In fact, thanks to Queen Otohime's persuasive diplomacy, the participating monarchs now viewed the Ryugu Kingdom favorably.
Many even began strategizing how to build ties with Fish-Man Island, whose migration to the surface was now inevitable, leaving them little interest in addressing the Revolutionary Army, a threat still distant and nebulous.
Thus, the Revolutionary Army topic yielded no substantial results.
Aside from King Wapol of Drum Kingdom explicitly stating his indifference, the monarchs merely gave perfunctory assurances to suppress Revolutionary Army forces within their territories. The issue was quickly glossed over.
After the Reverie, Morgans, the world's premier media mogul, approached the Ryugu Kingdom delegation. Using his status, he persistently tagged along with Garp and the Ryugu Kingdom's entourage to Fish-Man Island.
Morgans planned to publish a special feature on Fish-Man Island—a story guaranteed to remain a hot topic for years to come. Unlike the Revolutionary Army, which was shrouded in mystery and sensitive to cover, the Fish-Man Island story took precedence.
While Morgans' journey to Fish-Man Island wasn't a major issue, the island's history with pirates and potential dangers made it risky.
As one of the world's top journalists, Morgans wouldn't willingly put himself in danger.
This trip, under the protection of Vice Admiral Garp and the Ryugu Kingdom's royal delegation, was a rare opportunity.
Moreover, Morgans had his own personal motives.
"Ha-ha-ha! Beautiful mermaid ladies! And the stunningly gorgeous, world-renowned Mermaid Princess, even at her young age! Morgans has arrived!!"
Despite his avian appearance, Morgans was, at heart, still a man. Even he couldn't suppress his admiration for beauty.
On the journey back to Alabasta, Wright expressed his gratitude to Cobra.
"Your Majesty Cobra, I have a personal connection with Fish-Man Island. I visit monthly for volunteer medical work."
"It's a small effort to improve relations between humans and the Fish-Men. After all, the prejudice and harm humans have inflicted on them run deep."
"Vice Admiral Wright truly lives up to his title as the Dawn of Hope! Without your efforts, Fish-Man Island might not have even cleared their own internal hurdles this Reverie," Cobra remarked.
He couldn't help but recall his first meeting with Queen Otohime.
"Queen Otohime, though a formidable diplomat, couldn't have achieved this alone."
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