Silence, a silence that made the agents present uneasy… From a great distance, Nero and the Gorosei confronted each other, and the air seemed to solidify.
The CP Agentss forgot to breathe, caught between Nero and the Gorosei, not daring to move.
After a long while, the den den mushi was the first to make a sound: "This isn't a threat, Nero. Give up searching for history, and we'll both take a step back. It will be better for everyone."
Nero's eyelids drooped, her brain working at high speed. She hadn't originally intended to search for any history.
Having reached the Final Island, she basically knew everything she needed to know. Coming to Ohara was only to look for some other information.
However, the other party's attitude immediately provoked her rebellious streak, and it ended up like this. It would be unreasonable not to gain some advantage.
But the Gorosei on the other side, seeing Nero remain silent for so long, misunderstood her intentions. They also knew that the most important thing for these pirates was their reputation, so their words were no longer so aggressive.
"Nero, from what we understand, you're not someone who cares about these things, are you? Go back quietly and be your emperor. Let the World Government and Nicuss Empire coexist peacefully. We are not enemies."
"Hmm, finally you've gotten to the point. I'm not interested in the messy affairs you want to hide."
Nero slowly withdrew the oppressive aura she was emitting, her slender dragon tail gently swaying as she walked step by step closer to the den den mushi, as if facing the Gorosei directly.
"I am the Emperor! A privileged class of the world, born with power, wealth, and authority—things ordinary people can never hope to achieve in a lifetime."
The people on the other side also breathed a sigh of relief, and when they spoke again, their tone was much lighter: "Then..."
Before he could finish, Nero interrupted: "Hmm, but you lack respect for me. That's unpleasant!"
As soon as she said this, the Gorosei's minds raced. The few of them exchanged glances, understanding each other's meaning.
If they could use some money and so-called respect to make Nero indulge in pleasure and fall into depravity, it wouldn't be a bad idea.
"Hmm... So what are your demands?"
"That's the attitude for a conversation!" Nero nodded in satisfaction.
"Hmm, first, my name! 'rose beast' is too ugly. Change it to rose emperor, and round up my bounty to 5 billion Berries!"
That's it? The Gorosei felt they were making a mountain out of a molehill. It was just a title. If Nero was so easily satisfied, it would be wonderful.
Although it was a small matter, the Gorosei still pondered for a moment, pretending to think, then reluctantly agreed.
"This... No problem! But you need to hand over the remnants of Ohara that you have."
"Impossible! This is mine! I discovered it! I found it!" Nero immediately retorted upon hearing this.
"A child from Ohara, you shouldn't have known her before, right? Why?"
"Relentlessly pursuing her is truly disgraceful! Hmm, if you're even afraid of an eight-year-old girl, why don't I come and rule over you?"
Nero didn't respond directly, but sighed and said, "At least I guarantee your courage will be much greater than it is now."
"..."
The other side seemed to be choked. It was a crude taunt, but it had to be said, it was effective. Targeting an eight-year-old girl, the matter itself was shameful enough.
If they dragged on this issue further, it would feel like they were nitpicking over trifles, and it wasn't just Nero who cared about saving face.
"Alright, but we will still issue a bounty for her. If she has bad luck, she has no one to blame but herself."
"Hmm, no problem!"
Nero agreed readily. The other party's subtext was clear: they would not target Nico Robin again until she truly revealed a dangerous side.
"The rest... Hmm, I want the entire world to forbid Nicuss people from becoming slaves. If I find out, even if it's a Celestial Dragon, I won't hold back."
"Alright, we will properly restrain our subordinates. But forbidding it worldwide is somewhat problematic; there will always be many idiots who don't understand reason."
"Hmm, you just need to restrain your own people. I will judge the rest myself."
On the surface, this world has a ban on slave trading, but for privileged classes like the Celestial Dragons, this rule can be trampled upon at will.
So both sides left enough room in their conversation. Politics always needs a buffer zone for negotiation.
"Alright, Nero! We've agreed to all your demands, and you need to keep your promise too!"
In fact, for the Gorosei, if Nero didn't have the status of Emperor, they would not have agreed so readily.
As a country with a long history, Nicuss's survival to this day itself speaks volumes.
The World Government naturally had intentions to win them over, but the Nicuss Empire of the past was too closed off, almost completely without external communication.
In this generation, achieving such a verbal agreement can be considered significant progress.
"Hmm, no need to worry, I will naturally keep my promise."
Nero agreed without pressure. Since Roger had gambled his life, she was also prepared to wait and see for now.
What kind of person was this so-called Joy Boy, the warrior who would liberate the world, whom Roger was waiting for... After this exchange, His Majesty Nero was very satisfied with the outcome.
Although the initial goal failed, this unexpected gain was quite good.
She basically did nothing, just went out for a stroll, mocked her arch-rival Marine, and gained some face from the World Government.
She gained both internal and external benefits from the trip, and they even had to thank her!
"My ship is docked behind the island. You fill it with all the supplies. And that woman, yes, don't look around, it's you."
After the conversation ended, Nero didn't leave immediately but began to boss around the CP Agentss.
"Hmm, you carry Robin, and the others can go prepare the supplies."
"We... We are not your subordinates!" One of the CP Agentss stepped forward, uttering these firm words in the most timid tone.
Before Nero could say anything, the officer-like CP Agents stopped him and bowed slightly to Nero: "No problem, His Majesty Nero, we will arrange it immediately."
"Heh, it seems there are still sensible people. Hmm, learn well, this is why he's your superior."
With a disdainful scoff, Nero handed Robin to the female agent and then turned and left.
The female agent followed behind Nero, feeling humiliated, like a small maidservant.
The other agents who remained were preparing to put pressure on the Marine. With more than a dozen warships, the supplies would definitely have to come from them.
That CP officer had already begun to calculate how much kickback he could get from this. An accounting wizard of Nero's caliber wasn't something you encountered every day.
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