One Piece: The Living Devil Chapter 424: Peace, Peace, and Still Peace!

[The Next Day]

News about the Perth family spread everywhere overnight.

Under the manipulation of Saint Garling, almost every allied nation had heard about it.

"Saint Rosse!"

When Rosse entered the conference room, all the kings imdiately stood up, bowing deeply in utmost respect.

Not one dared show even a trace of fear or hesitation.

"Sit down, all of you. The Five Elders won't be attending today. I'm just here to observe. Today is your ti to speak freely. If there's sothing you really can't agree on, I'll make the decision."

Rosse took the main seat, raising his hands slightly to signal for everyone to sit.

At the sa ti, his gaze swept over the room, the corner of his lips lifting faintly.

Garling had made yet another foolish move.

The kings who had the guts to oppose Rosse had all been summoned yesterday to witness Maureen's fate firsthand.

As a result, those who once had courage had lost it after seeing that scene with their own eyes.

And those who already didn't dare to oppose him, just hearing what had happened, were already terrified beyond belief.

The kings of the allied nations held very high status.

Especially those allowed to attend the World Conference. They were the top fifty among all allied nations.

One could say, they stood above millions, second only to the World Governnt itself.

But unfortunately, Rosse represented the World Governnt. He embodied the absolute military might of the entire world.

As long as he didn't push them into total desperation, these kings, rich in land and wealth, were the easiest to make compromise.

Commoners and pirates had their reckless defiance because they had nothing to lose.

But nobles had palaces, land, servants, too much to protect. And the more they owned, the less courage they had to resist.

Of course, Rosse did hope that soone would rise to the challenge, at least that would be amusing.

But sadly, today, there seed to be no such brave soul.

The kings' voices were much quieter than yesterday.

And perhaps to keep Rosse from interfering, they had all voluntarily pushed Otohi forward to act as today's chairperson.

As for the originally scheduled presiding chair, King Ran, he had already turned into a turtle hiding in his shell.

He had elderly parents, children at ho. And though he hadn't brought them to the Holy Land, he still feared Rosse might personally visit the Flower Kingdom one day.

Otohi, however, wasn't intimidated.

She had her own ideals and convictions, and boldly voiced them.

Peace, peace, and still peace.

Peace between races, peace between nations, peace between individuals.

No matter how Otohi spoke, the kings below her were like quails, agreeing with everything she said without the slightest hesitation.

Under Otohi's proposals, even the conflicts between so allied nations were quickly resolved.

After all, if a country gave up a bit of profit, that was only so loss.

But if they made Rosse unhappy, then their entire family might get "wiped off the board."

By noon, the session ended, and Rosse left the conference room with Otohi.

He had to give the kings so breathing room. Squeeze them too hard, and it would backfire.

"How does it feel?"

Carrying Otohi on his shoulders, Rosse asked with a grin.

"Mm... hard to describe. But you've won again."

"Ah... why can't people just trust each other sincerely? Why must they always start with threats first?", Otohi sighed helplessly.

Of course, she'd already heard about what happened to Maureen and the others.

In fact, before the bodies had even been taken out of the Jaygarcia Palace, Nia had already told her everything.

She did mind such things, a little. But knowing that Rosse must have his reasons, she didn't press him about it.

In fact, before coming here today, Rosse had made a bet with her.

They bet on whether the kings' attitudes would change, and how much.

Otohi guessed they would change, but in a direction of fear, because she still believed that violence couldn't truly make people submit.

Rosse also guessed they would change, but he guessed that today the kings would be very cooperative.

And the results proved Rosse right.

The kings weren't just cooperative, they were eager. Even when signing peace agreents Otohi proposed, they did so with remarkable enthusiasm.

Before, when the Fishman Kingdom had just been founded, she'd tried to open trade with other allied nations.

It could only happen through Rosse's intervention, because those nations wanted nothing to do with fishn or rfolk.

Now, it was still thanks to Rosse, but it felt different.

Back then, it was through the World Governnt's channels.

Now, those kings were afraid of Rosse, and thus willingly offered concessions to please him.

"Relationships between people work like this," Rosse said calmly, "To connect with soone, whether for good or bad, you have to do sothing."

He wasn't surprised at all. He understood human nature far too well.

"In the end," Rosse said, "Everything cos down to interest."

"Forcing people with power, so that everyone becos equal, is that also interest?"

Otohi curled her tail and nestled against Rosse's broad chest. Being held like that gave her an imnse sense of safety.

Every ti Rosse stayed with her, she liked to rest in this sa position.

"Of course," Rosse nodded lightly.

"Physical coercion threatens their lives and interests. So, weighing the pros and cons, they'll choose either to resist or to submit. Equality works the sa way. If equality brings them benefits, they'll consider accepting it."

"But they're already the unequal ones," Otohi murmured, "They live by oppressing others. So they'll never accept my ideals."

She sighed softly. She had matured, no longer the naive woman she once was.

"That's why," Rosse said quietly, "you have to make them understand that refusing you will cost them far more than agreeing."

"Every choice cos with gain and loss. But because every chooser differs, personality, knowledge, experience, their results differ too."

Rosse's tone was flat. He'd seen through all this long ago.

The best way to solve a problem, of course, was to kill.

KILL until no one dared resist.

KILL until only the willing remained.

But that wasn't the world Rosse wanted.

If everyone was too afraid even to think of defiance, then life would be far too boring.

An occasional "chosen one" rising against him? That wasn't a bad thing at all.

Especially now, when he stood, almost, above the very sky itself.

"I understand now!", Otohi's eyes brightened, "So when you said before that proper use of force combined with benefit exchange makes people willing to serve you, you ant this! Then, by gradually promoting those whose interests align with ours, and removing the ones with misguided beliefs, the system reshapes itself!"

"Exactly," Rosse smiled, "That's the true aning behind the Employnt Association. The nobles who serve it aren't nobles in the old sense anymore. It might look like we're funding them, but in truth, every extra berry they earn ans the old nobles lose one. They're natural enemies."

"As the old aristocracy fades," Otohi's eyes shone with realization, "Human rights will slowly rise, and ordinary people will live with more dignity..."

After this experience, she finally understood.

Words alone couldn't reach the shore of peace.

You still needed the deterrence of power to get there.